Best Books from 2024
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.Whether you are participating in our In Case You Missed It Backlist Reading Challenge or found this post searching for the best books of 2024, you’ve come to the right place! Our list includes a mix of the best-selling novels of 2024 and highly-rated books published that year that flew a bit more under the radar.
Best Books of 2024
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Frederick was born 82 years ago, and ever since, he has approached life with a huge heart full of kindness. But now, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. Then, he’s mistaken for grumpy Bernard from a local nursing home. As long as the real Bernard doesn’t show up, Fred has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head.
Denise is a middle-aged mom who works at the care facility while struggling with a crumbling marriage and other challenges that have zapped her joy. She vowed never to let a man deceive her again, making her suspicious of Fred since Bernard would never be as kind as he had been.
Why We Picked This Book
Author Anna Johnston was the social support coordinator in her grandfather’s nursing home until an injury left her unable to continue the position. She used what she learned working in the home in this highly-rated debut novel, and she based the characters of Frederick and his late wife on the loving relationship she observed between her dear grandparents.
The first chapter had Angela laughing out loud, and while there were many more laughs throughout the book, it was the heart of this book that made it one of the best books she read this year. It’s perfect for fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures.
The Women
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a 21-year-old nursing student who has been raised by her conservative parents to always do “the right thing.” But when her brother ships out for Vietnam in 1965, she begins to change her views of right and wrong. Frankie impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam. As she tends to the green and inexperienced young men who have been sent to fight the war, she is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction. Returning home to a changed America doesn’t prove to be any easier.
While The Women is the story of Frankie going to war, it also shines a light on the story of all women who risk everything to help others. The publisher describes this book as “a novel of searing insight and lyrical beauty” that is “profoundly emotional” and “richly drawn.”
Why You’ll Love This Book
There are so many books shedding light on the stories of women during WWI and WWII, but ever since we launched the Decades Reading Challenge back in 2020, we’ve been lamenting the lack of fiction about women’s roles in Vietnam. We weren’t disappointed in how much we learned about the difficult role of nursing during the war, and the long-lasting effects of the job.
Book Club Resources for The Women
We have a printable book club guide for The Women available on Etsy, including discussion questions, themed games, printable bookmarks, and more!
You can also find free resources for your The Women Club Discussion on our websites.
Where Butterflies Wander
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Marie and her husband recently lost one of their children to a tragic accident. She is desperate to help her family get a fresh start for the sake of her three surviving kids. She travels to New Hampshire in hopes of selling a family estate, only to find a war veteran, known to locals as “the river witch,” living in a cabin on the property. Davina insists that Marie’s grandfather gave her the cabin as a gift.
If Davina refuses to move on, then Marie won’t be able to either. As the women fight over the property, battle lines are drawn in the town and within Marie’s family with both sides digging into their positions. When tensions reach a breaking point, a force outside of their control intervenes.
Consider This Before Reading
Be aware that this novel deals with some heavy issues. In addition to the death of a child, it also addresses veteran PTSDand other mental health issues.
Behind Every Good Man
Book Summary
When 1960s housewife Beverly discovers her husband’s infidelity, she refuses to go along with the status quo and ignore it. When he threatens to take the house and kids, she’s ready to fight back.
As the daughter of a former senator and soon-to-be ex-wife of an incumbent’s campaign manager, politics is her strongest career option. Beverly boldly marches into the office of the young underdog opponent, Michael Landau, and demands a job. Her chutzpah, combined with her father’s reputation, earns her a trial run.
As if balancing this new job, her two young children, and her impending divorce weren’t enough, it seems her mother has moved in under the guise of helping with the kids. But Beverly knows there must be more to the story.
What to Expect in This Book
This page-turning novel is deeper than you might expect based on its cover. While it’s not a heavy read, it touches on the impact of race, religion, wealth, and gender on politics in the 1960s.
Don’t miss the author’s note – some of the side characters were based on real people!
All the Colors of the Dark
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
90% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
All the Colors of the Dark blends literary fiction, mystery, and romance as it follows the characters from their teen years in 1975 into adulthood.
In Mont Clare, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family, Misty, is targeted, an unlikely hero emerges in Patch, a local boy with one eye. He saves her, but the rescue leaves heartache in its wake.
Once close-knit, Mont Clare is changed forever. The trauma experienced by Patch, his friend Saint, and Misty shadows them for decades, driving choices you may not agree with and setting up twist after twist. The result is a sweeping, suspenseful story about love, loss, and the long reach of a single night.
What to Expect in This Book
This novel is character-driven and is longer than your average mystery at 608 pages. However, most readers say that the short paragraphs and chapters make the book feel faster-paced than you may expect.
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life
Book Summary
Joe’s mum has spent her whole life trying to prepare him for independence, knowing he’ll have to find a way to be okay when she is gone. As long as he has a routine or clear instructions, he can do anything. But when his routine is disrupted or something new is introduced, he struggles to cope. So she writes everything down in an instructional notebook. It’s his own personalized guide for life.
Joe is in his early 20s now and ready for a job. If his mum can get him all set in his new routine, maybe he can finally spend a night alone at their home so she can get her first break in his lifetime. His new job at the Compass store brings both friendship and bullies, but the job isn’t the only big change in his life this year.
Our Thoughts on This Book
Melissa loves books that evoke all kinds of emotions, and this is her new favorite! She laughed, gasped, cried, and had a hard time putting it down.
It would have been great without the Friends references, but those pushed it past 5 stars for her as someone who appreciates the show almost as much as Joe does.
Another Book to Consider
For a different 20-something also trying to find their way through life as a new adult, try the 2024 novel Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which is about a young woman trying to find a way to support her baby, while also dealing with her pro-wrestler father’s return to her life. Like Joe Nuthin’ it’s equal parts humorous and poignant.
The Sicilian Inheritance
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Sara is struggling after both her business and marriage failed. When her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, it just feels like another punch from her terrible year. However, Aunt Rosie left Sara a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a shocking secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina was murdered.
Sara is recharged by this new mission to find out what happened to Serafina. She ends up on an epic adventure through the Italian countryside and learns all about her feisty great-grandmother, who fought for the rights of all the women in her small village. However, as Sara begins challenging the status quo like Serafina did, she’ll find herself in the same danger.
More About This Book
This dual-timeline novel will draw you into the stories of both Sara and Serafina. It’s the perfect read for anyone who enjoys both historical fiction and mysteries. The story was inspired by the author’s own great-grandmother, adding extra depth to the writing.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
This thought-provoking novel transports you back to 1840s Missouri, the world of Huckleberry Finn. However, in James, you’ll find the story reimagined from the point of view of the enslaved man, Jim, who prefers to be called James.
James overhears that he’s about to be sold to a man in New Orleans. If this happens, he’ll never see his wife and daughter again. Unable to accept that, he decides to hide on Jackson Island until he comes up with a long-term plan. The island is also the temporary home of Huck Finn, who is running from his abusive father.
Together, the unlikely duo is determined to make it down the Mississippi River to the elusive Free States. Along the way, they encounter the same trials Mark Twain included, but they feel different through the eyes of James.
More About This Book
Angela debated on whether to reread Huck Finn before picking up James, but she decided to just dive right in, and she had no regrets. This brilliant retelling is so well done that you’ll enjoy it whether your Huck Finn recollections date back to your school days or are more recent. It’s a short novel that grabs your interest immediately and flies by.
As you would expect, this book includes details of life in slavery, including rape, and be aware that it also includes the use of the N-word, which the author deems historically accurate.
Dialect plays an important role in this story, which made Angela especially enjoy the audio version of the book narrated by Dominic Hoffman.
Just for the Summer
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Every woman Justin goes on a date with seems to find their soulmate right after breaking up with him. It’s his curse, and now, thanks to a Reddit thread, everyone knows.
However, his viral embarrassment may have a silver lining. Emma has the same problem and has sent him a message. The solution is obvious. They’ll date each other, break up, and then destiny will bring them each their own soulmates.
Traveling nurse Emma finds a job in Minnesota and rents a cute cottage on Lake Minnetonka for her summer fling with Justin. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected. Will these challenges quickly rip them apart, or does fate have other plans?
Our Thoughts on This Book
Abby Jimenez’s books never fail to make us laugh out loud, but this is much more than just a breezy beach read. It also deals with many complex, heavy topics, which makes this novel an excellent summer book club pick!
When Just for the Summer was released, it was originally marketed as a standalone (and can definitely be read as such). However, after reading it, we both felt like it should have been listed as part of the series because you get brief but important updates on characters from the first two books. Goodreads and other sites have since been updated to include this title as Part of Your World Book #3.
Book Club Resources for Just for the Summer
We have a great printable Just for the Summer book club guide available on Etsy, including discussion questions, themed games, custom bookmarks, and more!
You can also find free resources for your book club discussion about Just for the Summer on our website.
The Lion Women of Tehran
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In 1950s Tehran, Ellie lives a privileged life. However, her whole world changes when her father unexpectedly passes away, and she and her mother must move to a tiny home downtown.
On her first day at her new school, Ellie meets Homa, a kind, brave, and passionate girl who becomes her best friend. They spend all their time together learning to cook, playing games, and wandering the Grand Bazaar.
But then Ellie’s life flips again when she’s given a chance to return to her privileged life and attend the best girls’ high school in Iran. Over time, her thoughts of Homa fade, and she embraces her bourgeois life. When Homa suddenly reappears, the course of both of their lives is changed forever. The rising political turmoil in the country complicates things even further.
About the Book
This highly-rated novel from the author of The Stationery Shop starts with a focus on the girls coming of age in the 1950s & 1960s Iran, but then follows the women through the present day.
Family Family
Book Summary
India Allwood always wanted to be an actress, and her dreams came true with success on Broadway and TV. Now she’s making a movie about adoption, but she’s disheartened that the storyline doesn’t sit right with her.
India herself is an adoptive mom herself to twin 10-year-olds, and she’s tired of only seeing adoption stories in movies that are filled with pain and regret. So when she’s asked by a journalist, she tells the truth – she thinks the movie she’s making is a bad one. Soon, she’s caught in the middle of a media storm.
When her twins turn to family for help, things just get messier. One thing is for certain – no matter how families are formed, they are always complicated.
More About This Book
Author Laurie Frankel writes this book from experience as an adoptive parent herself. She is a master at compassionate family storytelling (we also loved This Is How It Always Is), and this book is sure to spark excellent conversation.
This is one of Angela’s top reads of 2024, and she especially loved the narration by Patti Murin. Be sure to listen to the fascinating interview after the book in which Laurie Frankel and Patti Murin discuss the process of audiobook narration.
The Trade Off
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Bea Abramovitz is not your average young woman in 1920s Manhattan. She lives in a Lower East Side tenement with her twin brother and parents, who escaped pogroms in Russia in search of a safer life.
Bea has an incredible aptitude for math and loves studying the stock market in the papers. She dreams of using her skills as a stockbroker, but that’s unheard of for a woman in the 1920s. To complicate matters, she’s Jewish and not wealthy, which are both strikes against her on 1920s Wall Street. However, Bea’s perseverance is as strong as her aptitude for numbers, and she finds a creative way to be involved. But Wall Street is on a collision course with the Great Depression.
Why You’ll Love It
This fictional story transports you to 1920s Wall Street and provides a unique look at Black Tuesday, the stock market crash of 1929. The author said she loosely based the story on a real female stockbroker and trailblazer.
Despite reading many books set in the 1920s, this is the first one the Book Girls have read that gives such a personal view of the rise and fall of the market throughout the 1920s. We were enthralled by the workings of the stock market in that period and loved Bea’s creativity and gumption in finding ways to follow her dreams, no matter how many times she was rejected.
How to Age Disgracefully
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
When Lydia takes a part-time job running the local senior center three afternoons a week, she has no idea what she’s getting herself into. In addition to a more rambunctious group of seniors than she expected, the council is trying to sell the building that houses both the senior center and the daycare.
Daphne has been reclusive for decades, hiding from a mysterious past that may still be trying to catch up to her. But her 70th birthday prompts reflection on her life, and she decides that MAYBE it wouldn’t be terrible to find a friend…or even a boyfriend.
What she finds at the senior center is not what she expects. Despite her initial reservations, she forms an unlikely chain of new relationships — including a teenage father, a dog, and some grumpy old men — that changes her life in every way.
Our Thoughts on This Book
Melissa rated this enjoyable story five stars. She loves a strong older character, and when lonely people of different generations connect to form a new family, this novel does that well. It’s both heartwarming and funny, which is the best combination!
Listen for the Lie
Book Summary
Growing up in a small town in Texas, Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls who had it all – pretty, smart, and enviable. While rumor has it that social butterfly Savvy is popular with many men in town, Lucy married her dream guy, who gave her a big ring and an even bigger house. One horrible nigh,t Lucy is found wandering through town covered in Savvy’s blood. Is she a murderer?
Lucy moved to Los Angeles to start a new life, and she can’t remember anything from that horrible night. But years later, a popular crime podcast called Listen for the Lie has decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Now Lucy will be forced to return to the town where she vowed never to set foot again to solve her friend’s murder, even if it turns out she’s the one who did it.
Why You’ll Love It
This book made the list of our Readers’ Favorites from 2024, and multiple readers specifically mentioned that it’s especially good on audio because of the novel’s podcast format. Another reader commented, “Lucy is pretty darn funny, despite her circumstances.”
The Book of Doors
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Cassie is a NYC bookseller who receives an unusual book as a gift from one of her favorite customers. Filled with strange writing and mysterious drawings, the book even includes a handwritten message to Cassie in the front. It states, “This is the Book of Doors,” and that “any door is every door.”
Cassie will soon discover that the Book of Doors can transport her anywhere in the world that she can imagine. She also learns that there are other books in the world with magical powers – some wondrous and others dreadful, especially in the hands of dangerous people.
When Cassie and her best friend, Izzy, are confronted by violence, they need help. It appears that the only person who can help them is Drummond Fox, who possesses his own secret library of magical books. His books are hidden for protection, but someone is hunting them.
Genre Notes
This book straddles the line between magical realism and fantasy, with elements of time travel and epic battles between good and evil. This book has a large cast of characters, but reviews say that all are well-developed.
Another great 2024 pick that straddles the line between magical realism and fantasy is Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune. The only reason it didn’t make our main list is because it’s the sequel to The House on the Cerulean Sea and really shouldn’t be read as a standalone.
Very Very Lucky
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Forty-something Emma realizes that her life might have gotten a bit too hectic and tiring when she wakes up after nodding off in an IKEA showroom. Between trying to be a good mother to her kids, a good daughter to her ailing mother, and a good wife, she’s struggling to keep up. Thank goodness for her best friend, Roz, who keeps her sane. But when Roz climbs through her bathroom window one day with terrible news to share, Emma loses all confidence in her ability to keep it together.
Thurston’s once-full life is empty these days. He’s recently widowed, and without his wife of sixty-two years, he no longer finds joy or purpose in his life. When driving his niece to work one day, Thurston has a chance encounter with Emma and quickly gets drawn into the whirlwind of her chaotic life.
Thurston has a calming presence that helps Emma put her problems in perspective, and soon, the two form an unlikely friendship.
What to Expect in This Novel
This novel offers a mix of laugh-out-loud moments and heavier topics. Be aware that this book addresses issues such as grief, thoughts of suicide, and terminal illnesses.
The Demon of Unrest
Book Summary
Travel back to 1860 as Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency of a very divided America. Southern states were seceding one after another, threatening to destroy the Union. Slavery was a big topic of debate, and eventually, the beliefs of both sides centered on one location – Fort Sumter in Charleston.
The Demon of Unrest covers the five-month period between Lincoln’s election in November 1860 and the start of the Civil War in April 1861. In addition to Lincoln, the book also follows Major Robert Anderson, Fort Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery, and seeing parallels between the two.
What to Expect in This Book
As with most Larson books, The Demon of Unrest is long at 608 pages. However, despite being non-fiction, he writes about history in a page-turning way. The book is based on real diaries, secret communiqués, slave ledgers, and plantation records.
Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Beverly is on the local school board and her archrival Lula has turned into a local celebrity as she’s been on a mission to rid the public libraries of all “inappropriate” books—none of which she’s actually read.
To counteract the “pornographic” books housed in the local library, Lula starts a little library in her front yard, full of “worthy literature.”
At night, Beverly’s adult daughter, Lindsay, sneaks over to Lula’s little library and replaces the books but swaps the dust covers. Suddenly, Our Confederate Heroes actually contains Beloved, and The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette turns into The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution.
As Beverly and Lula’s rivalry intensifies and they run against each other to replace the mayor, the townspeople who have been changed by borrowing books from Lula’s begin to reveal themselves. Everyone from the postman to the prom queen has something to say, ultimately forcing Lindsay to confess.
What to Expect in This Book
This work of satire digs into what so many communities across the US have faced when people blindly fight for books to be removed from libraries without even reading them. While it addresses serious issues like racism, misogyny, antisemitism, and the frightening rise of neo-Nazism, the humor keeps it from becoming too heavy. One reviewer called it “a love letter to the power of banned books”.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
For years, Phoebe has dreamed of visiting the iconic Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island. She had looked forward to shucking oysters and sailing into the sunset with her husband. But instead, she arrives alone and plans to stay in the inn’s most expensive room for one night.
As it turns out, Phoebe is the only guest at the inn who is not a part of a big wedding party. The bride, Lila, thought she had accounted for every possibility in her effort to host the perfect wedding, but she couldn’t have predicted Phoebe’s arrival.
Phoebe and Lila are complete opposites, but sometimes chance meetings turn into the most unexpected friendships.
Consider This Before Reading
While this synopsis sounds light and the book is humorous at times, it also tackles several heavier topics. Be sure to check the content warnings before reading if needed.
Reviewers note that the audiobook is especially well done.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
91% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
On a short flight from Hobart to Sydney, Australia, a passenger (who will come to be known as “The Death Lady”) walks up and down the aisles telling each person the age at which they will die and the cause of death.
Some passengers learn that they have many, many years ahead of them – like one who will live to be 103. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are less than a year away.
A few months after the flight, one passenger dies exactly as predicted. Then, soon after, two more. Now, even those who originally viewed their encounter with “The Death Lady” as an entertaining story to share at cocktail parties are paying close attention.
More About This Book
After asking ourselves, “Would we want to know how much time we have left?” while reading Nikki Erlick’s The Measure, we are totally intrigued by the question posed by Liane Moriarty in this new novel – “If you knew you had a certain amount of time left, would you do things differently?” And it did not disappoint!
If you’re a big fan of Fredrik Backman like we are, we think you’ll enjoy Here One Moment as much as we did. It’s a very character-driven read about human nature and excellent observations about the ways we’re different and yet the same. There are moments of joy, sadness, suspense, and humor throughout as you try to figure out who the Death Lady is and whether she truly is psychic.
The chapters are told from many different passengers’ perspectives, along with the Death Lady’s, as you see how futures play out after the flight, but the characters are different enough that Melissa found it relatively easy to keep them straight in her mind.
The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
For Mae’s whole life, her late father flew back to North Carolina each year for the annual Townsend family barbecue. She always dreamed of going with him and finally meeting the Black side of her family that looked like her, but a rift that she never understood always caused her father to leave her at home.
With her father now gone and her wedding drawing closer, she feels more compelled than ever to finally meet the Townsends. When she learns that her paternal grandmother has passed away, she decides to head to North Carolina for the funeral.
When she arrives, she finds the Townsend family in turmoil. A long-standing grudge, a lost mac and cheese recipe, and a family barbecue heading for disaster are causing stress. Not willing to give up on her lifelong dream, she’s determined to help them throw a party no one will ever forget—for better or worse.
Our Thoughts On This Book
Melissa really appreciated that this book helped her step into Mae’s shoes and understand more about growing up a different race than the extended family you spent all your time with. It’s not a book that feels like a heavy read – much of the story is Mae trying to perfect a mac & cheese recipe – but at the same time, there is plenty to think about. There is also a light mystery element as Mae tries to unravel what her North Carolina family is hiding from her.
Melissa recommends it for fans of Katherine Center.
The God of the Woods
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In 1961, the only son of a family that owns a summer camp in the Adirondacks disappeared while hiking and was never found. Now, in 1975, a camp counselor discovers that the family’s daughter, thirteen-year-old Barbara, is missing. Are the tragedies related?
As soon as they realize Barbara is not in her bunk, a frantic search is launched. The investigation is deeply layered, with Barbara’s counselor, Louise; her bunkmate, Tracy; her mother, Alice; and a young, female detective, Judyta, each sharing a compelling perspective along the way.
What to Expect in This Book
This is a more dimensional read than a standard thriller, with complex themes of motherhood, class, and sexuality explored as the investigation unwinds the past in an effort to understand the present.
This layered, slow-burning book uses a nonlinear timeline, shifting between timelines to reveal new aspects of the story. Readers say the two timelines are seamlessly woven together, and the book’s pace accelerates through twists and turns.
The Rom-Commers
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Emma has spent her life as an aspiring (and talented) screenwriter, but a past family tragedy keeps her in Texas as a full-time caregiver. However, when the opportunity of a lifetime comes along, it may finally be her chance to pursue the career of her dreams.
Emma’s screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, has written his first romance script – and it’s terrible. His agent wants to bring Emma in to help with the rewrite, but there are problems. Charlie is cranky, he doesn’t work with co-writers, and he doesn’t believe in love.
Can Emma convince him that romance and love exist? And can her younger sister handle caring for their dad while she is away?
What to Expect in This Book
While this is a rom-com by every definition, be warned that there are also enough meaty topics to make it a stellar book club pick. The final chapters are especially lovely, with a perspective on grief that is likely to trigger some reflection.
Like Emily Henry’s novels, Katherine Center’s books bring a page-turning mix of humor, emotion, and serious chemistry between the characters. You’ll love and hate almost every character at different points because she makes you care about each one. Like the rest of us, they’re flawed humans who don’t always say the right thing. If you enjoy this style of rom-com, you might also want to read Emily Henry’s 2024 Funny Story.
How to Read a Book
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
99% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In Abbot Falls, Maine, three unlikely people are about to have their lives changed forever after connecting at a bookstore. Violet is only twenty-two but was just released from prison after nearly two years for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet is a retired English teacher who runs a book club at the prison. Frank is the handyman at a bookstore, and he had a complicated marriage to the woman Violet killed.
When Violet, Harriet, and Frank run into each other at the bookstore, they begin to learn about seizing second chances and the power of books to change lives.
Our Thoughts on This Book
We love books about book lovers, and this one in particular captured our hearts because of the life-changing connections formed between the characters.
The Queen of Sugar Hill
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
For many actors and actresses, winning an Oscar is the pinnacle of success that sets them up for an even better future. But for Hattie McDaniel, her Best Supporting Actress win after playing the role of Mammy in the controversial movie Gone with the Wind was life-changing in a different way.
After winning, Hattie was trapped between two worlds, neither of which appreciated her. White Hollywood saw her only as her character, Mammy. The Black community, led by the NAACP, detested the demeaning portrayal of their community and waged war against her.
Through it all, Hattie struggled but also continued her fight to pave a path for other Negro actors, focused on war efforts, fought housing discrimination, and navigated four failed marriages. Along the way, she was supported by a core group of friends, including Clark Gable, Louise Beavers, Ruby Berkley Goodwin, and Dorothy Dandridge.
Our Thoughts On This Book
Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award, yet her name is underrecognized today.
This historical fiction novel is not only a fascinating and inspiring look at the life and resilience of a very talented actress, but it also provides insights into the complexities of the fight for equality. After reading this novel, Angela now has a long list of McDaniel’s movies that she plans to watch, and she’ll be able to appreciate them through an entirely new lens.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Evie Porter looks like she’s living the perfect Southern life—a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, and fancy friends. Only one problem: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity was built by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. She learns everything there is to know about the town and the people who live there. The mark is Ryan Sumner.
Evie doesn’t know Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she does know this job will be different, and she can’t make any mistakes after what happened last time.
But Ryan is getting under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different kind of life. She’s worked her whole life to keep her real identity clean, and now she must stay one step ahead of her past if she wants to ensure her future.
Swan Song
Book Summary
Ed Kapenash has been the Chief of Police on Nantucket Island for 35 years. Tired of the stress, he’s ready to retire, but with only three days left until his freedom, he receives a shocking call. A $22 million summer home has burned to the ground. The home’s new owners, the Richardsons, are safe because they were having a lavish party on their yacht at the time of the fire.
However, their personal assistant, Coco, has vanished. Because of the case’s high profile and because Coco is best friends with his daughter, Chief Ed stays on to handle one final case. To solve the mystery, he’ll have to string together the lives of several characters, including local real estate agent Fast Eddie and the town gossip Blond Sharon.
More About This Book
Swan Song reads well as a stand-alone but is officially listed as the final book of the Nantucket Series. You don’t have to have read the prior books in the series to enjoy this one, but Elin did fill it with Easter eggs for her long-time fans who may recognize many characters from other titles.
While there are romantic subplots, this is not a genre romance; it reads primarily as contemporary/women’s fiction with a strong mystery/suspense thread.
Elin Hilderbrand has long been called the “queen of the beach read,” but she announced that this was officially her final novel in the beach read genre. However, she is now co-authoring a boarding school-set mystery series with her daughter.
The Briar Club
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Briarwood House is an all-female boardinghouse in Washington, D.C., where secrets hide behind white picket fences. It’s 1950 when the mysterious widow Grace moves into the attic room. She throws dinner parties for her new friends, including a beautiful English wife and mother, a police officer’s daughter who is involved with a gangster, a baseball star frustrated by the end of the women’s league after WWII, and a woman who threw herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.
While Grace’s dinner parties are healing to the women, she also has her own secrets…and there may be an enemy within the group.
Why This Book Made the List
Kate Quinn is a book club favorite for a reason! Her historical fiction novels include mystery and thriller elements to keep the pages turning. They also provide plenty of topics for discussion, including the McCarthy era.
What Does It Feel Like?
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Eve feels like the luckiest woman in the world. She has her dream career as a successful novelist and a happy family, including an amazing husband who made it possible for her to have both a career and children.
But then, in a single day, everything changes. She wakes up in the hospital, unsure why she’s there. Her doctors and husband remind her that she had a brain tumor and just had a major surgery to remove it. She’s gone from relying on her words and stories for her career to not even remembering the words of Christmas carols. Will she even remember her children?
More About This Book
This novella-length, autobiographical story is based on author Madeleine Wickham’s (pen name Sophie Kinsella) real experience being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer, in late 2022. She talks about why she opted to make this a novel instead of a memoir in the Author’s Notes at the end, so don’t miss that after you read.
Melissa first read Sophie Kinsella’s bestselling Confessions of a Shopaholic in the early 2000s when it was released. She laughed her way through Becky’s adventures and loved living vicariously in London through the book series. While this was an emotional read, Melissa loved seeing the author’s wit, good nature, and positive outlook shine through.
By Any Other Name
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
86% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In 1581, Emilia Bassano had access to the English theater as the Lord Chamberlain’s mistress. However, she wants to be a playwright, not just an audience member. But in the 16th century, that was not a role society would permit a woman to hold. But her desire to see her work on the stage is strong, so she pays a man for the use of his name. To see her work performed, she must write herself out of history.
In the present day, playwright Melina Green has written a new work inspired by her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. However, 400 years later, Melina faces some of the same challenges as Emilia. Will she also be willing to forgo credit in order to see her work performed?
Thoughts on This Book
Jodi Picoult always writes a compelling story with plenty of discussion-worthy moments. This one is high on our TBR.
You are welcome to choose any book you’d like to read for the challenge, but we hope this list of books gives you a good starting point.
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