Three books I read in 2024 gave me back-to-back book hangovers.
Weeks and weeks later, I’m still thinking about each of them.
The way Nikki and Ainsley had each other’s backs in Friends with Secrets. Ursa’s quarks—little things that all come together as if meant to be—in Where the Forest Meets the Stars. How we find little ways to keep going while grieving in In An Instant.
Some people believe that books find you just when you need them most, and sometimes I’m one of those people.
All of the characters are dealing with some pretty heavy things, with unexpected friendships growing out of them. These books became unexpected friends to me in the middle of a reading rut.
(We can all agree that “reading rut” is code for depression, right?)
And now I can’t read anything else. I want to read them all again.
You probably slept on these books in 2024, so now you get to read them for the first time!
This post contains affiliate links. I chose and read and loved these books myself, and I’m recommending them to you. If you purchase them using my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!
Friends with Secrets, by Christine Gunderson
Friends with Secrets mixes humor with suspense, which I wouldn’t have thought possible, but Christine Gunderson pulled it off. It’s about the perceptions we have of each other based on how things look, with moms Nikki and Ainsley each assuming the other has it so much better. As they get to know each other, they realize not only do they have more in common than they thought, but they could be each other’s most powerful allies. After all, someone has to shut up that awful Tiffany, the Regina George of moms. And who better than the dynamic duo who take down a rapist (which you guys know is my all-time favorite unofficial trope). There’s a bit of romance thrown in, two, with each woman resolving conflicts with her respective husband. I loved every moment of this book.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars, by Glendy Vanderah
This is another book that defies genres, and it does so proudly with some clever magical realism. It’s written so that you become fully immersed in the most beautiful bubble. There is so much love in this book, it wraps you up in the warmest hug. This book ripped my heart out, then methodically put me back together, teaching me to look for the quarks. I can’t help but see them ever since.
In An Instant, by Suzanne Redfearn
I knew this book was gonna be one of those books—like If I Stay and Lovely Bones. It tells you up front that there’s going to be a fatal car accident, and our teenage heroine is going to die, young and unfinished. But I didn’t expect it when it came. Suzanne Redfearn does such a good job of getting you wrapped up in all the interpersonal issues between the members of the family, complicated relationships that only get more complex as the characters process their grief in very different ways. As each character healed and let go, I found myself healing and letting go. A beautiful love story about grief and finding your way forward.
Which books published in 2024 were your favorites? Let us know the title and author in the comments!
