There’s a little bit of everything, as always, as far as new books go so far in 2024. From wonderful debuts, to charming rom-coms, to profound explorations of the human condition, 2024 has something for everyone, no matter the speed at which you read (or listen) to new releases. Here are the best books so far of 2024.
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
Danielle L. Jensen became an auto-read author for me after her Bridge Kingdom series. I’ve come to expect high-stakes plots, cliffhangers, enemies-to-lovers romance and intriguing world-building. Combined with a dash of mythology, I knew this was a contender for one of the best books of the year. [Brianna Robinson]
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Emily Henry delivers yet another heartfelt romantic comedy with her latest, the infectious Funny Story. With a tremendous hook, we’re thrust immediately into the emotional fallout protagonist faces after learning her seemingly perfect fiance is leaving her for his lifelong best friend. The book explores Daphne’s healing as she learns to move on with her life and embrace the pieces around her that give her joy. One of them being Miles. Leaning heavily (gloriously) into the forced roommate trope, the burgeoning romance between Daphne and Miles scorches the pages as their pull towards one another increases with each chapter. [Allyson Johnson]
Icarus by K. Ancrum
K. Ancrum’s latest interpretation of Greek Mythology bruises with the welts of abandonment that weigh heavy on our protagonists shoulders. Written in sparse prose that level readers with impossibly poignant moments, Icarus is a gorgeous tale of self-actualization and what it means to find happiness amongst generational trauma and abuse. Perhaps the best thing about Icarus, however, is the monumental buckets of empathy heaped upon its characters and the compassion that exudes from the teenagers in Icarus’s life. This is a story about the power of community and the watchful eyes of teens who spot when one of their own is in trouble. [Ally]
Map to the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
Map to the Otherlands is as delightful and charming as the first novel. I love when a sequel lives up to the promises made in the first. I love this world and these characters. If you haven’t yet met Wendell or Emily or Shadow, drop whatever you’re doing and go get these books. They’re the type that will make you immediately want to run and tell all your friends to read them. And though it’s a fun blend of cozy fantasy and romance, the stakes get higher in this book. There’s a very real hint of danger. Seriously, go read it. Or listen to the audio, the narrators are spectacular! [Brianna]
Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
In Memory Piece, Lisa Ko explores the complexities of human connection through three friends on the East Coast: Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong, and Ellen Ng. It follows them from their middle school years through significant life changes. However, it does so with an interesting structure. It’s a sort of interconnected anthology, with a third of the book devoted to each friend. As the different facets of the characters start to connect, the novel begins to delve into gender, economics, family, art, and life’s purpose. The novel soars as a character study of the idea of memory and as a reminder that the forces that shape our past will also shape our future. [Pedro Luis Graterol]
See You in August by Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez’s posthumous novel represents a departure from the magical realism style that has become closely associated with the author. Instead, it focuses more on some of the narrative techniques that were hallmarks of his early stories, like a cyclical approach to storytelling. The novel follows Ana Magdalena Bach, who, every August, takes the shuttle to the island where her mother is buried.
Those visits become an opportunity to be a different person for one day of the year, as a way to somehow rebel or seek one final approval from her late mother. What makes it fascinating is that this theme of parental betrayal is almost metatextual: García Márquez never stated his intent to publish the novel, but it was a decision made by his children. Reading some of the accompanying essays from García Márquez’s editor and his children makes this novel transcend to become an exploration of the nature of betrayal and legacy. [Pedro]
The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan
In the second installemnt of The Buried and the Bound trilogy, author Rochelle Hassan reminds us that her YA series deserves to be heralded as a new, instant classic. The Summer Queen continues to stun with the stories of it’s three protagonists, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan. The sequel follows them as as they try and face a new, potentially devastating threat. Each of the leads pop with distinctive, well-established personalities. Each pairing anchors itself with necessary gravitas. Leo and Aziza’s friendship, Leo and Tristan’s bittersweet romance, and Aziza and Tristan’s forced bond are all singular yet integral to their plot. With immense, detailed worldbuilding, Hassan charms with spins on magical creatures and the worlds they’re born from. [Ally]
You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue
What do you get when you mix a political thriller, the Mexica Empire, and Marc Bolan? The result is Álvaro Enrigue’s psychedelic thriller You Dreamed of Empires. Set in the ancient city of Tenochtitlán, the novel follows the political crisis in the court of Tlatoani Moctezuma as the empire braces for the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. This setting is not frequently discussed in contemporary literature, and Enrigue achieves a fascinating depiction of the Mexica world, full of colors and tradition that, while rooted in historical data, is not afraid to take wild deviations. All in all, this novel makes the past feel present and turns historical figures into real humans. [Pedro]
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Maybe one of the most harrowing and devastatingly beautiful books I’ve read since In Memoriam by Alice Winn. The Warm Hands of Ghosts lingers long after finishing just like the titular ghosts. Pairing ethereal descriptions and passages that feel like a kick to the chest, Katherine Arden blends the otherworldly with the horrors of World War I. The characters leap off the page and are achingly human. The book contradicts your assumptions of who is the hero and who is the villain again and again. Highly recommended on audio too! [Brianna]
You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
Pulsating with an exuberant amount of tenderness that latches onto us pages into the book, You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian stuns. A mid-century Queer romance about an up-and-coming baseball star and the reporter covering his season, Sebastian bakes compassion into the very essence of the book. The delectable romance grabs us immediately as we follow them on their journey, both together and apart, as they seek comfort in the others embrace, or through their nightly, secretive calls and even more furtive glances. Understanding the innate necessity of queer, safe spaces, Sebastian tackles grief, healing, and new-love with empathy and quick wit. [Ally]
Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.
