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Readers say their favorite book of 2024 is ‘James’ by Percival Everett
2024 was also the year of Emily Henry books, according to Boston Public Library Wrapped.
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Dear readers,
Happy holidays and welcome to Book Club! This year has simultaneously flown by and also moved at a glacial pace, so needless to say, I’m feeling bittersweet about leaving 2024 behind.
In the spirit of the year’s end, we’ve delivered a best-of-2024 booklist, but with a twist: We rounded up the books Boston.com readers (like yourself!) couldn’t get enough of this year. Read on to see their picks, plus some very exciting news for romance girlies like me.
🤓 Boston.com readers are super well-read (I’m impressed)
The end of 2024 brings best-of lists, and books are no exception to this rule.
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Great books, and the stories they tell, make lasting impressions on their readers. They have the power to make us feel seen, to sweep us up into extraordinary worlds, and leave us with a different perspective than when we started.
Everyone’s idea of “great” or “the best” is subjective, and these differences are reflected in the diverse list of books Boston.com readers loved this year. Genres range from sports memoirs to historical fiction to post-apocalyptic fantasy novels, and more.
The top-recommended pick by readers was (drum roll, please!) “James” by Percival Everett. The novel is a re-imagining of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” told from the perspective of Huckleberry’s friend, Jim. It won the 2024 National Book Award in the fiction category and topped lots of best-of lists this year.
“‘James’… is by far the very best book that I read this year … It’s hilarious and poignant and just brilliant. This story gets under your skin and you keep thinking about it and James long after you read the last words. I love Percival Everett and this is my favorite book by him.” – Jules, Hopkinton
Check out our very fun, interactive roundup of the best books of 2024, according to Boston.com readers.
✏️ Pencil these in
Take a break from the news at these joyful literary events happening near you:
- JustBook-ish “The Nathan Show” film Screening and Q&A: Head to JustBook-ish in Dorchester for a film screening of two episodes of “The Nathan Show,” a new sitcom created by local filmmaker Nathan Bourjolly about a Haitian American family migrating to New England. (Jan. 5)
- Author Talk: Anthony M. Sammarco on The Christmas Tree Shops: Author Anthony Sammarco – who told me about how the Sagamore Christmas Tree Shops got its thatched roof and windmill – discusses his upcoming book at the Codman Square branch of the Boston Public Library. (Jan. 6)
- Lovestruck Books Opening Celebration With Chloe Gong: Celebrate the opening of Lovestruck Books, Harvard Square’s new romance-only bookstore, with New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong, moderated by content creator Azanta. (Jan. 17)
- All She Wrote and Dani’s Queer Bar Book Club: Join All She Wrote Books at Dani’s Queer Bar for a discussion of “Another Country” by James Baldwin. The novel explores sexual, racial, political, and artistic passions, set in Greenwich Village, Harlem, and France. (Jan. 21)
📚 What we’re reading
“The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon
“Inspired by the life of renowned 18th-century midwife and healer Martha Ballard, this historical fiction murder mystery was hard to put down. Set in Maine in 1789, Martha is a determined heroine who examines the body of a dead man pulled from the Kennebec River and becomes part of the scandal and trial that follows. Her meticulous diary, during a time when many women were illiterate, became a key in solving the mystery.” – Kristi Palma, travel writer and writer of Scenic Six
What are you reading? Tell us the last book you loved, and we’ll feature it in next month’s Book Club newsletter.
💬 Wise words
The Boston Public Library released its version Spotify Wrapped, featuring some jaw-dropping data: Nine out of 10 of the top checked-out books in 2024 were written by women. And Emily Henry’s “Happy Place” took first place as the most checked out book of the year (it logged more than 10,000 checkouts!). Needless to say, it’s Emily Henry’s world, and we’re all just living in it (quite happily).
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Like BPL readers, I’ve jumped on the Emily Henry bandwagon, and I never want to get off. I’m currently re-reading her very first romance novel, “Beach Read,” and I can’t get enough of January Andrews and Gus Everett’s banter, nor enough of Henry’s brilliant humor. Here’s one scene that had me laughing out loud:
He shook his head once, and his eyes kept their sharp, fiery focus. “I told you I wanted you to know me. You can ask me anything you want.”
It sounded sort of like, Get on top of me! Now!
I hoped I looked very pretty for an overripe tomato.
― Emily Henry, “Beach Read”
Now it’s time to grab some hot cocoa and catch up on that book you’ve been meaning to finish.
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