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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

This year, I took on the challenge to read 50 books by the end of 2024. I tried to read almost everything from romance to fantasy to mystery. That being said, here are the five books I enjoyed reading this year!

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

This book picks up where Chloe Gong’s Secret Shanghai series ended, giving us the story of the traitor Rosalind Lang, who betrayed her family to a man who used her.

Her actions resulted in the death of her cousin and a complete upheaval in 1920s Shanghai. Rosalind’s attempt to make amends brings her into the role of a spy, investigating a series of mysterious murders with roguishly charming Orion Hong.

The novel’s historical setting and spy characters make it very engaging. Rosalind and Orion are also incredibly complex characters, and their back-and-forth makes me enjoy the book even more. Overall, for fans of historical fiction and slightly Shakespearean narratives, Foul Lady Fortune is for you.

Library with old books and ladder
Photo by Matteo Maretto from Unsplash
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson, author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, continues her trend of amazing mysteries with the story of Bel Price, the 18-year-old daughter of Rachel Price who vanished 16 years ago.

No one knows what happened to Rachel and no one has addressed the case in years. Now, a new true crime documentary that the Price family has agreed to appear on stirs up old facts and feelings. Then, out of the blue, Rachel comes back and has an insane story about where she has been. Bel thinks Rachel is lying and has until the documentary stops filming to find out the truth about her mother.

For fans of a good mystery novel, especially ones with twists and turns, The Reappearance of Rachel Price is perfect to sink your teeth into.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshni Chokshi

This vibrant and beautifully written Indian fantasy novel follows the story of disgraced princess Gauri and cunning prince Vikram, who team up to enter a Tournament of Wishes that will grant them their greatest wishes.

The tournament is rife with danger, including poisonous courtesans, feasts of fear, and twisted festivals of fairies. Through all this, Gauri and Vikram have to grapple with their pasts and decide whether to continue trusting one another.

I really liked Gauri and Vikram as characters, and the references to Indian mythology were fun to find. I read the book in anticipation of the TV series that Avantika, who played Karen in Mean Girls, is producing. I can’t wait to see what she does with the source material.

The silhouettes of a man and woman in front of a vivid sunset.
Photo by Travis Grossen from Unsplash
Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat

This fun romance novel follows Arya Khanna, whose sister’s engagement throws her life into chaos with planning. To top that off, she’s trying to have the best high school senior year possible, even though her best friends no longer speak and she’s only vice president of the student council, while rival Dean Merriweather is the president.

All of the twists and turns of the year challenge Arya, but she’s able to persevere the way only a Bollywood heroine can. Arya’s character felt extremely relatable, and reading this book reminded me of how fun Indian weddings are. It was such a fun read and was the first book I read this year.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Yet another mystery novel, this Breakfast Club-type story follows brainiac Bronwyn, athlete Cooper, princess Addy, troublemaker Nate, and outcast Simon in detention. The five unassociated parties enter, and only four leave when Simon dies unexpectedly.

No one suspected the four of anything until it was revealed that Simon planned to post scandalous information about them on his gossip blog the next day. This case binds Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper together to try to find out who murdered Simon before one of them ends up taking the fall for a true killer.

I really liked the play on high school stereotypes with the characters and how they subverted expectations. The novel’s twist also really got me. The following two books in the series continue the story of the core four while also bringing in new characters that keep the mystery alive.

I hope some of these books help you finish your reading goal or start a new one!

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Surmayee Thakur is a student Boston University. She works on the writing team and as an editor for HCBU. She enjoys covering a variety of topics including beauty, film and television, music, and her experience as a South Asian woman and a student. Surmayee is an English major, Public Health minor, and a premed student. She has worked as an English teacher and has a passion for writing and reading. She hopes to make healthcare a more accessible and communicative field. In her free time, Surmayee enjoys writing, listening to music, shopping, and reading. She's a fantasy/YA book, K-Drama, and South Asian media aficionado and she can often be found consuming either of the 3 voraciously in bed.