I’m a reader. If my English major doesn’t tip anyone off, I’d say my go-to question of “What’s your favorite book?” does (which means I should maybe come up with better questions, but that’s another story). Unfortunately, I have an aversion to Goodreads (Don’t ask me why I don’t like it; I know it’s a fantastic platform), so that means my reviews of books often stay in my head and conversation — until now. Now, these are not my favorite books of all time, but out of the 36 books I read this year, these four stood out as ones I consistently think about, and despite my last article defending fan fiction, this list will not include my top fics (I know, devastating). So, without further ado, behold my top four (because five is overdoing it) books of 2024!
#1 City of Night by John Rechy
Starting off strong, we have City of Night by John Rechy. I find myself thinking of this book quite literally every week. I don’t care if it’s walking into Westwood or sitting in class (I swear I do pay attention), the different characters in this novel will quite literally grab hold of you and not let go. Don’t let that scare you, though — that’s a sign of good writing. Rechy is in conversation with a lot of other queer literature in this book, so it’s no wonder I read it in my Queer Literature class at UCLA (shoutout Dr. Little). The prose is beautiful, almost as beautiful as the portraits Rechy makes of each individual character (you’ll understand what I mean when you start reading). Rechy ignores the rules of sentences, makes separate words cling together, and forces readers to address their own prejudices and thoughts in a way that is both enlightening and, while at times difficult, always rewarding. If the message and storylines weren’t as captivating, I’d read it just for his writing. I think the more you go into this novel knowing, the less you’ll get out of the surprises, so I’ll leave it at this: have a tissue box nearby for Miss Destiny’s chapter (I think of it to this day even though I read this in February), prepare for a long night (you won’t want to put it down once you’ve started), and simply read this book.
#2 Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My next favorite read is a bit lighter and on-theme with the Challengers love triangle everyone and their mother (not mine, though) was obsessed with: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ve been a fan of TJR since I first read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (now BookTok famous) and then Malibu Rising. I quickly fell in love with her ability to portray women, tell a story, and give you that feeling that you’re not just reading a book, but you’re actually right there, with the characters. Carro Soto is Back is a love story as much as it’s a comeback, redemption story — with Carrie coming out of retirement to defend her grand slam titles. As a tennis player since I was four (crazy lore) and a fan of the sport in general, I appreciated Reid’s thorough research and dedication to portraying what it feels like to play tennis, if at times descriptions were a bit far-fetched and had me wondering if Reid had ever played it herself. More than tennis, I found the depiction of Carrie and her father’s relationship incredibly touching, because at the crux of this book is that father-daughter bond, as he was her coach. I read this in a few days camping in Malibu and it was a breeze to read, so it definitely won’t have you nodding off or confused; easy to follow and easier to love, this book should be on your TBR if it’s not already.
#3: Dracula by Bram Stoker
I know what you’re thinking: why is a classic that’s been around for what seems like a million years on here (and yes, Dracula is a classic). And I will be so honest when I say classics are probably my favorite genre, second to fantasy. I had been meaning to read this one for a while, and 2024 was the year it happened. I think there’s something quite extraordinary about reading the foundational text for what we now know to be the vampire fiction genre (for example, Twilight wouldn’t exist without Stoker and just how would our world survive without that? Kidding. Not really). The novel is riddled with features of vampires that make for an interesting comparison to their modern-day iterations, and I often thought about how influential this work was, as it literally defined a modern-day cult-favorite character. While the lack of promoted female agency and misogyny was distracting (specifically in how the characters treat Mina Harker), this novel was not about women at all — it was about men, their innate queerness, and how life and death can be metaphors for love. Taking a critical lens to Dracula made it that much more enjoyable and as I often read modern romances with vampires, I now I know their official backstory — and you can too!
#4: “The Night Ends With Fire” by K.X. Song
Last but certainly not least is “The Night Ends With Fire” by K.X. Song. Released this summer, this book is a Mulan retelling that had me losing sleep (literally) and, while well over 400 pages, the story captivated me enough that I finished it in one day. I loved the plot twists, the world-building, and the growing love in the novel, but even more than that, I’d never seen an alternate world — as Song called it, a spiritual realm — described so beautifully. The characters are enigmatic and keep you guessing, and while the last plot twist did not totally blindside me, it had me in a reading slump for a solid two weeks (it was summer when I read this, so I had to move on quickly). If you love Mulan and always wondered what would happen if, after she proves her worth, misogyny actually trumps power and earning your honor, this book is for you — and the sequel comes out this August! P.S. the author of this book is actually so cool. I looked her up on Instagram after, literally sent her a thank you for writing the book and she responded (I love author-reader interactions more than anything).
If you’ve made it this far, I hope this anything-but-exhaustive list inspired what your next read should be, and my top books may be your top books of 2025 — because beyond the “new year, new you” mentality, 2025 is a chance to add to our have read lists, and all four of these books would happily grace that list, if you give them the chance. So happy end to 2024 and happy reading!