There’s something for everyone in this list of the hottest reads of 2024 so far. From nonfiction that will make your jaw drop, to fiction that will give you joy or offer escape. Here are 15 titles for everyone’s “must-read” list!
15. “The Teacher” by Freida McFadden
New York Times best-selling author Freida McFadden does what she does best, delivering a heart-pounding thriller filled with secrets and twists you’ll never see coming. The teacher’s number one lesson: Trust no one. Especially a student named Addie, rumored to be involved in a student-teacher affair. She has secrets that can destroy her and she’ll do anything to hide them.
14. “Just For the Summer” by Abby Jiminez
Thanks to a Reddit thread, the whole Internet learns Justin has a curse. Every woman he dates goes on to find her soulmate when they break up. A woman with the same problem finds him. They plan to date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s and they’ll find the love of their lives.
13. “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston
Evie Porter has it all: A house with a white picket fence and garden, a fancy group of friends, and a doting boyfriend. However, Evie Porter doesn’t exist. Her mysterious boss named a mark, and a town to learn everything about, including the people in it. But things get complicated when the clue to her real identity walks into town.
12. “This Could Be Us” by Kennedy Ryan
A follow-up to Ryan’s last book, Before I Go – This Could Be Us can be read as a standalone as well. It focuses on the positive and negative outcomes of divorce, autism, raising kids, the power of friendships, self-discovery, and other huge life changes. A very relatable book, it’s steeped in lessons of self-love.
11. “Lost Man’s Lane” by Scott Carson
This coming-of-age and trial-by-terror story blends 90s nostalgia with the deeply creepy. It’s filled with some unnerving moments that take you inside the head of a teenage boy in the darkness on the edge of town. The supernatural elements will dazzle, and Carson’s writing is several cuts above his peers.
10. “Lies and Weddings” by Kevin Kwan
Another winner from Kevin Kwan (Crazy Rich Asians) that’s sure to keep you delighted and entertained. It’s a hilarious rom-com filled with surprising twists and edged in silver linings. He delivers a couture-studded, globe-trotting tale focused on the theme of finding our happiness. It’s wrapped in a veneer of family and legacy.
9. “All the Colors of the Dark” by Chris Whitaker
Chris Whitaker delivers a wealth of smart, funny characters. The vivid storytelling will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. It’s hard to walk away without feeling you’ve read something extraordinary. This one-of-a-kind novel of crime is also deeply rooted in powerful love, devotion, family, sacrifice, and the will to survive.
8. “Nuclear War” by Annie Jacobsen
Subtitled, “a scenario,” journalist Jacobsen looks at the only other scenario besides an asteroid strike echoed in the world as we know it within hours: Nuclear war. Jacobsen counts down a hypothetical nuclear strike with a minute-by-minute breakdown of what happens next. Blending facts with speculation, the implications of this scenario will never leave your mind.
7. “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar
The story follows twenty-something Iranian-American Cyrus Shams, a recovering addict, straight-passing queer, depressive insomniac, and writer as he contemplates the death of his parents, accidentally shot down an airplane by the US military (based on a real event). He’s struggling to understand what it means to live and die with meaning and purpose. The novel also shines with humor.
6. “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley
This unique time-travel story is also a spy thriller, a government conspiracy tale, and a romance all rolled up in one. Set in near-future London, operatives bring back “ex-pats” from different historical times. This cross-genre novel explores both the frailty and potential of humanity while highlighting how love can alter the course of history in unexpected ways.
5. “All the Worst Humans” by Phil Elwood
In this salacious memoir, author Phil Elwood recounts his decades as a public relations hired gun. His specialty is pulling off outlandish requests by treacherous “dictators, tycoons, and politicians.” It’s a page-turner filled with astonishing stories of manipulation, questionable ethics, and danger. Elwood confronts and owns his poor choices while revealing how easily anyone can become puppets to egos and power.
4. “Bride” by Ali Hazelwood
New York Times best-selling author Ali Hazelwood delivers a fan favorite with this paranormal romance focusing on a dangerous alliance between an alpha werewolf and a vampire bride. A historic peacekeeping alliance occurs between these mortal enemies. There is a marriage of convenience, but the bride has an ulterior motive of getting back the only thing she’s ever cared about.
3. “Funny Story” by Emily Henry
The flawed but lovable characters shine in this meet-cute romantic comedy with laugh-out-loud banter. Daphne and Miles are a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common. They are lopped together as roommates who mainly avoid each other until one day they form a tenuous friendship and a plan.
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2. “The Women” by Kristin Hannah
Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a naïve but idealistic 20-year-old nursing student from a moneyed family of military heroes. She volunteers to serve in the Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam. But the real battle ensues when she comes home, facing angry protesters, challenges, and profound indignities — even from her own family. Friends become her found family that helps her get by.
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1. “James” by Percival Everett
James retells The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, from the perspective of Jim. He is threatened with being sold off and separated from his family, so he runs away to buy time while hatching a plan. He discovers another runaway, Huck, and the duo set off together. Everett has created an entirely new classic that delivers humor and heart.
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