After the holiday paper and ribbons have been scooped up, it’s time for the “Best of” lists to appear. Here’s my “Best Reads of 2024” list.
I track my reading through GoodReads, more so that I don’t repeat books (sometimes I still do…), so it’s fairly accurate. This year’s list includes lots of fiction and several non-fiction books.
The year started strong with two of my top three reads.
The Frozen River is based on journals kept by New England midwife Martha Ballard just after the Revolutionary War. Loved it. I will read more books by Ariel Lawhon.
Next up was The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. It follows three women in World War II England when rationing meant “make do and mend.” The strength and support these women give each other is breathtaking.
And the third book in my top ten is, of course, The Women by Kristin Hannah. This book has received awards across the literary landscape: #1 New York Times Bestseller, #1 USA Today Bestseller, GoodReads Best Historical Fiction…the list goes on. And all the acclaim is well-deserved. This is an era I remember: when soldiers fought in Vietnam. But the story is about the forgotten soldiers – the women nurses who were in the field hospitals, holding the hands of dying men, and coming back to a country that did not acknowledge their service. It is an amazing read.
As I reviewed my top three selections, I saw a common thread running through all the books. These were stories about strong women who faced and overcame obstacles.
I’ve been asked what I do as an author to hone my craft. The answer is “I read.” I read all sorts of genres from a variety of authors, including:
Rest of the top ten for 2024
Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger. This is the latest in the Cork O’Connor series.
Camino Ghosts by John Grisham. I recommend the audiobook so you can listen to Whoopi Goldberg’s character narration.
The Witness by Nora Roberts, along with her Guardians Trilogy. Roberts’ ability to write across multiple genres never ceases to amaze me.
Non-fiction picks
And there were several non-fiction books I read as part of my writing research:
Sioux Women: Traditionally Sacred by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve paints a vivid picture of women’s contributions to Lakota culture.
Grit, Not Glamour by Cheryl Mullenback tells the life stories of a dozen women who made their marks in America’s West.
Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren is hard to read because it’s true. This is the story of the devastating cycle of loss of Indigenous land, culture, and resources that continues today.
2024 was a good year for good books. I’m planning to escape into more books in 2025.