It's that time of the year again when I rave about my favourite books.

Although I read over 100 books every year (so far), I usually find it easy to pick the top 10 books because they're a class apart from the rest. There's something that separates good books and great books. Enjoyment is subjective and it's through these "best books" lists that I realize what were the defining factors for me every year.

Get your favourite drink or snack and settle down, I'll take you through my best books of 2024 and why they're on this list.

The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

the last queen by chitra banerjee divakaruni book cover

This was the 4th book that I read in 2024 and I knew it was going to be on this list. This is a book that I won't forget easily.

Why The Last Queen was so good:

  • It's a fictional account of a true story that changed Indian history.
  • Brilliant character growth. Rani Jindan is strong, relatable, and goes through so much.
  • A really good account of the historical events that took place at that time. Some creative liberty is taken but most of the story is true to actual history.
  • Gaps in history are filled with emotional stories and character-building. We don't know much about Rani Jindan's early life so the author took time to build her character through imaginings of it.
  • There's romance, feminism, motherhood and more.
  • The book will make you research about many things. I went on Wikipedia reading sprees so many times. Although I studied about Duleep Singh in school, it didn't go in deep. Hence, I spent a long time reading about things I didn't know.
  • I liked that the story truly makes Rani Jindan a main character instead of focusing on the men around her as in most other accounts.
  • It made me feel so much. I couldn't stop thinking about the book for months after finishing it.

Read my full review of The Last Queen.

In The Language of Remembering by Aanchal Malhotra

in the language of remembering book cover

This is a chunky book that I read in March. I loved Remnants of a Separation so I expected to love this as well. Although it wasn't similar to Remnants in terms of writing or structure, it was amazing in a different way.

Why I loved In The Language of Remembering:

  • A really unique way of splitting stories. The book has chapters on emotions. So, there are chapters on Love, Grief, etc. I found that very interesting. This way of arranging also draws parallels and similarities in different stories. Instead of writing with the intention of division, it's written with the intention of unification of stories.
  • Most content on the Partition is about the survivors and the historical event itself. Looking through a different lens, this book focuses on the lasting effects of Partition through future generations. I hadn't seen this addressed or researched before this book.
  • The writing was beautiful as expected. The author has a lovely way of weaving emotion into words and conveying exactly what she intended to.
  • It's a big book with many stories and emotions.
  • The book showcases so many different sides of the story. We usually hear only a few overarching events but here, we're taken to every corner of undivided India.
  • I learnt so much through this book. There's only so much history that can be taught and told in schools and the Partition is not something that can fit into one chapter. This book showcases as much as it can and acknowledges that there's so much more.
  • Reading this made me so sad about the future that could have been. I couldn't stop thinking about the lives spoken about for months after reading it. Even now, just thinking about it, I'm getting tears.

I'm really glad that I read two amazing books on Indian history this year.

Read my full review of In The Language of Remembering

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

what i talk about when i talk about running by haruki murakami book cover

Another book that I read in January and knew that it would be on this list. This is a short book but such a gem.

Why I loved What I Talk About When I Talk About Running:

  • It's like reading a diary. Although many of us journal, we don't often share it. I've only read my diaries before so reading someone else's account of their day and the thoughts in their mind was interesting.
  • Murakami talks about running, writing, ageing, and more. He talks about daily struggles, accomplishments, and worries. Whatever he writes is easy to read, understand, and relate to.
  • Usually, memoirs are centered around a person but this memoir is centered around an act. While talking about running and its different aspects, the author talks about other things that relate to it and that pop up in his mind.
  • It's very motivating. I was a few months into running when I read this and it made me feel so seen. All the struggles with time, running long distances, and shaky growth were relatable. Reading about his trying again every day and using running as a complementing activity to writing motivated me to continue doing both.
  • Learning about Murakami as a runner and writer was interesting too. It's not often that we get to know a person through a specific thing that they do. Reading this made me realize that it's a unique way of learning a person and gives depth in ways we don't expect.

Read my full review of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

P.S. You’re Intolerable by Julia Wolf

p.s. you're intolerable by julia wolf book cover

Surprisingly, there are only 4 romance books on my best books list this year. And whatever is on the list, has become a comfort read.

Why P. S. You're Intolerable is on this list:

  • The book has humorous characters. I really like the main lead, Kit. She's hilarious. The characters do embarrassing things and poke fun at themselves too, so it's a fun read.
  • The writing is peppy and easy to read. I got pulled into the story very fast and flew through the book. The writing and dialogue are engaging and interesting.
  • There isn't a lot of character development but there is depth to the characters. Kit goes through a bunch in the book but she gets through it somehow, but there isn't a lot of change in her beyond healing from her trauma.
  • The romance was cute and comforting. I love a good grumpy x sunshine romance and this has a great execution of it.
  • Elliot, the male lead, bonds with Kit and Kit's daughter very slowly. He doesn't realize that he's falling in love but he cares for them and does everything for them. It's so cute to watch a grumpy guy being adorably soft to these two.
  • There aren't any high stakes despite the few issues so it's a light-hearted and comforting read.
  • Kit became a mother accidentally but loves her daughter and does the best for her, it's nice to read.
  • It's a workplace romance that I surprisingly liked! I usually hate them and have liked a few stories with them but this is the first book where I liked it a lot. Probably because most of it takes place out of the office when Kit is on leave 😂

I read it 3-4 times in 2024, I liked it so much. Parts of it are really comforting.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

anne of green gables book cover

I saw a really cute paperback of this in the bookstore and decided that it was time for me to read it. I adored it much more than I expected.

Why I loved Anne of Green Gables:

  • It's a wholesome, positive, and heart-warming story.
  • Anne is an inspiration. She has her flaws like stubbornness or living with her head in the clouds but she's a force of nature. I loved how she viewed life and the world.
  • Since Anne looks at the beauty in everything, we are pushed to look at the beauty in the world. I so wanted to be Anne, traipsing through a place of greenery and admiring every part of it. Just reading about her appreciating her surroundings made me appreciate my surroundings.
  • The writing was beautiful. Although there were a ton of descriptions, they were the charm of the story. Everything is described in detail so that we can easily create an image of lush natural beauty in our minds while reading. I got sucked into the story easily.
  • The book made me smile a lot. I read it slowly over a while but it made me happy. Getting lost in Anne's world was the best thing to do after a long day.
  • There are many bits of advice and life lessons in its pages. As Anne grows and learns, we learn beside her. They're simple life lessons that all of us forget and this is a nice way to remember them.
  • I easily understood why this book is a classic.

Read my review of Anne of Green Gables

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

check and mate book cover

After uninstalling social media apps and hence reducing the influence on my reading, I started reading authors' backlogs at once like I wanted to. I read all of Hazelwood's books in 2024 (whatever were out by then) and was surprised to love this book so much.

Why Check & Mate was a favourite:

  • It was super fun to read. Right from the start, the plot was interesting and the writing was engaging. I was entertained throughout the book with no boring periods.
  • The characters were fun. The book is from Mallory's POV, and she's a sassy person. It was fun to read from her perspective, especially as she runs around secretly winning chess matches.
  • I love that it was about chess. The story really made a "nerdy" game cool. It's written as a competitive, fun, highly strategic game that few can keep up with. Chess is like that but most of us don't have the patience to follow chess like other sports. This book brought the fun back to the game by writing high-tension moments and glossing over the slow moments.
  • Although I know how to play chess, I don't know the board position numbers and excessive strategy. Yet, I could easily keep up with the book and understand that they're doing something far more cool than what I can understand.
  • The story addresses sexism in the chess industry. It's widely known that men are the majority players in chess and this book breaks down why it is so. Mallory enters the regular chess tournaments, not the women's bracket, and she faces a lot of scrutiny and sexism from the male players. Through her and her mentor (also a woman), we get to know more about the problem and how simply a woman playing and winning chess among men can help.
  • The romance was a slow burn. For the majority of the story, we focus on Mallory's chess journey. The romance is just a parallel story that isn't as important as chess. But towards the end, it becomes intense and really nice. I liked the romance.
  • The epilogue was perfect. Just thinking about it makes me want to read the book again.

Read my review of Check & Mate

The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic

the sunshine court book cover

The King's Men was one of my best books of 2023, so it's no surprise that the sequel has also made it to the top list.

Why I love The Sunshine Court:

  • It's a spin-off in the best way. The characters of the first three books have their lives kind of sorted and there's no point highlighting their lives again but it's also nice to see them sometimes. This sequel takes place in a rival team with a known character so we're not with the old team but see and hear from them sometimes. The new characters take help from the previous characters too.
  • I want to wrap Jean in a blanket and protect him from the world. He's a broken man because of everything that he has been through. He thinks he's nothing because that's what he's been told. However, he still does his best to improve, help others, and be nice. He's a contradiction that people take time to understand but warm up to in the end.
  • The first 3 books had a tone of darkness but this book has a tone of warmth. Although the characters deal with a lot of struggles, there's a warmth in their bonds, interactions, and daily life that warms me when I read it.
  • Nothing much happens in the book because it takes place during the summer break. The characters are doing mundane things like cooking, shopping, going to the beach, etc. Despite being about mundane life, it's interesting. I didn't think that I could be very engaged in a book about simple things where the characters mainly just get to know each other.
  • A new found family alert! I love the found family trope and the one in Jean's story has the potential to take more of my heart than the one in the first 3 books.

I can't wait for the next book.

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

the exception to the rule book cover

This was a random read from Kindle Unlimited that easily stole my heart. It's ridiculous how easily it made me love it.

Why The Exception to the Rule is amazing:

  • It's a 100-page book that is better than several full-length novels.
  • It takes only 30 minutes to read and hence is like a quick serotonin boost.
  • My reading tracker shows that I read it only twice but I'm sure that I read it more times because it's so easy and quick to read.
  • The couple emails each other only on Valentine's Day for 10 years before finally meeting and falling in love.
  • The story gave me lowkey vibes of Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern because there are a few similarities (like missed chances).
  • It's a unique and fun love story.
  • Their meeting is the CUTEST. I am smiling wide right now just thinking about it.
  • It has become one of my comfort books that I read when I need a mood booster.

What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

what you are looking for is in the library book cover

This book has been making the rounds online and is highly recommended by many people. While reading it, I easily understood why.

Why What You Are Looking For is in the Library is special:

  • It's a charming book in a comforting way. It doesn't have any flashy elements or specific stand-out things. The charm of this book is in the way it makes mundane life charming.
  • The stories are very comforting because they reinforce the idea that even doing small things is an accomplishment. We don't have to spend every day achieving a massive goal. It's okay to just find small joys in our days.
  • Contrary to the prevalent hustle culture in today's world, this book promotes slowness, small joys, and small steps of progress. I found it very refreshing. It is a soothing balm in today's fast-paced and over-productive world.
  • It's the first book with short stories that I loved. I usually don't like them because they tend to be vague or feel like incomplete stories. But here, the short stories felt like novels each.
  • The stories are thought-provoking. I annotated so much in my copy and put sticky notes everywhere. The book made me wonder about things just with a simple line. It got me to think about things that were not even the main topics.
  • I loved each character's journey. They're very different characters at different stages of life but they all feel like they're missing something. With a well-placed book recommendation, they take charge and action on their inspirations that make their lives better.
  • This is a book that I will read multiple times.

Read my full review of What You Are Looking For is in the Library

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

just for the summer book cover

Yours Truly was one of my best books of 2023 and the author has somehow managed to top that with the sequel.

Why Just for the Summer is one of the best:

  • The couple meets through a Reddit post. Although I've read a ton of romance incorporating modern tech and platforms, I hadn't seen a Reddit one before this. And it immediately set the fun tone for the story.
  • It's an interesting premise to start a romance. The main characters believe that they have the same curse and decide to date to break their curses. I've seen so many other tropes where people date without the intention of falling in love but this was a unique one.
  • I adored the way they bonded. It started from a simple DM on Reddit to texts to calls to Facetime to finally meeting and dating in person. They had a similar sense of humour and hit it off so well right from the start. I loved their get-to-know-you period.
  • Although it is a romance, there is enough focus on each character, their pasts and traumas, and their character growth. Emma goes through the most in the book and while a lot of her story is sad, it makes the happy ending great.
  • I liked that the book emphasized showing empathy to people. There are way too many sad things in the world and we don't know what others are going through. "In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy."
  • Both of the characters were too pure for the world. They're clearly meant to be together and I love the support they got from each other.
  • Each of their dates is super fun. Justin made surveys before each date, made e-vites, and even sent feedback forms after the dates. I loved the thought put into them.
  • The story makes me happy and light-hearted. It has become one of my comfort reads too.

Read my review of Just for the Summer

what are your best books of 2024?

What genres did you love the most? Were there any surprise additions to your best books list? Have you read any of the books I mentioned?

photo of Sumedha

Sumedha spends her days reading books, bingeing Kdramas, drawing illustrations, and blogging while listening to Lo-Fi music. Read more ➔

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11 comments

  • abookowlscorner says:

    Out of these, I've only read Anne of Green Gables and The Sunshine Court, but I couldn't agree more with what you said about them 🥰🤗🥰 The Anne novels in particular are probably in my top ten series of all time, so I can't wait to hear your thoughts as the series progresses. And I want to wrap that blanket around Jean right along with you and Jan! 😭

    Also, you're making me more and more curious about Check & Mate every time you mention it... I really think 2025 needs to be the year where I pick it up! 😂

    Reply ➔
  • Mehek says:

    This is such a lovely post and I have so many of these books on my TBR! I especially cannot wait to get around to reading What you are Looking for is in the Library, it sounds right up my ally.

    I am also looking forward to reading The Sunshine Court but I’m terrified of what Nora is going to do to my emotions however this post is making me wanna prioritise it!

    My best book of 2024 was Masters or Death by Olivie Blake and it was an unexpected yet welcomed surprise, it was a phenomenal book and my most read genre was fantasy thanks to my sporadic binge reading sessions for One Piece 😂😅

    Hope you have a wonderful 2025 💖

    Reply ➔
  • vcreative says:

    Takes sticky notes and starts making lists ....

    Reply ➔
  • Books Teacup and Reviews says:

    Great list! I also loved exception to rule and Anne of green gables.

    Reply ➔
  • Dini @ dinipandareads says:

    I loved The Exception to the Rule so freaking much! It still gives me the butterflies when I think about it now and I mean, I rarely do re-reads but this is one I could see myself re-reading next year. It's just so SWOON! I've seen What You're Looking For Is in the Library on quite a few lists in the past few months and I get curiouser each time I see it—maybe I'll pick it up in 2025! And who knows maybe 2025 will be the year I finally read at least one of the full-length Abby Jimenez novels I already have on my Kindle, lol. I hope you discover even more amazing reads in the year ahead! 😍

    Reply ➔
  • jan @ inkspun tales says:

    give anne of green gables all the love it very rightfully deserves!! i haven't read that book in AGES but it defined my teenage years. anne and her confidence and imagination was such an inspiration to me when i was younger. I have a lot of love for the rest of the series but the first one will always have my heart, there's something special about it.

    the only other book i've read from your list is the sunshine court and i adored it so much! "I want to wrap Jean in a blanket and protect him from the world." EXACTLY YOU GET IT!! seeing him slowly open up to constant kindness and make new friends was so wonderful. I want nothing bad happen to him, ever. (knowing this is the aftg universe, that likely won't happen lol). also i kinda ship him and jeremy 😉

    i loved reading this!

    Reply ➔
    • sumedha @ the wordy habitat says:

      i’m looking forward to reading anne of green gables sequels! anne is so charming.

      wait i thought we were supposed to ship jean and jeremy? the timing for renee and him wasn’t right and clearly jean and jeremy like each other and are opposite attract trope, im pretty sure they’re endgame!

      Reply ➔