As 2024 comes to an end and we turn the page to a new year, I have rounded up my annual list of the best books I read. These books entertained me, made me cry, taught me things, and gave my brain a needed break.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
This was hands-down my favorite book this year (not surprising since I’m a big fan of the author). It follows a young woman named Frankie who joins the Army Nurse Corps to serve in Vietnam. I knew very little about the Vietnam War when I first picked up this book, but Hannah gave me a front-row seat to a difficult and complicated time in history. It’s a long book but fast-paced, and I highly recommend it.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
This story begins when a father goes missing. Unfortunately, the only one who knows what happened to him is his teenage son who has Angelman syndrome and can’t speak. As the family searches for answers, they also uncover some secrets–and even more questions. This book kept me thinking, and turning the pages.

Ozark Dogs by Eli Crane
This is a moody tale about a Vietnam War veteran doing his best to raise his granddaughter while running a junkyard in the Ozarks. But when his granddaughter is kidnapped, the past comes back to haunt him.

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie
Homeschooling is not easy, but this book helps ease your anxieties and reminds you of what is actually important. It’s a short book and one that would be perfect to read yearly before the school year starts.

Funny Story by Emily Henry
I don’t read many rom-coms (at least not anymore), mostly because they often seem cliche and repetitive. But while this story does have its share of cliches, it is also engaging and made me feel for the main characters. The book follows Daphne and Miles, who become roommates–and potentially more–after their significant others leave them for each other.

Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld
This story is rather dark, but beautifully written. It is about a woman who was adopted and finds out she had a brother who disappeared from a foster care facility years earlier. She travels to the Oregon coast to figure out what happened to him and uncovers some awful truths along the way.

Maame by Jessica George
Maddie has always put her family first and is the primary caregiver for her father, while her mother is often away in Ghana, running a hostel. But when her mother finally returns home, Maddie decides to start living her own life. She moves out, makes friends, starts dating, and discovers what the real world is all about. While Maddie sometimes seemed annoyingly naive, I found myself rooting for her.

The Sun is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds by Caroline Van Hemert
As someone who is only mildly outdoorsy, this story fascinated me. The idea that someone would willingly choose to travel by foot and canoe, off-trail, from the Pacific Northwest all the way to the Arctic Circle in Alaska is just mind-blowing. But that is exactly what biologist Van Hemert and her husband did in 2012.

By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again–I love Dean Koontz. This book is one of his older ones, so I’m surprised I didn’t read it sooner. The mix of suspense, great characters, and wonderful prose is hard to beat. The story is about a man named Dylan and his younger brother who are injected with an unknown substance by a stranger. They meet a young woman who was also injected, and together, they go on the run to find answers–and, more importantly, survive.

Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health – and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More by Christopher M. Palmer
The older I get, the more I am into natural remedies and finding root causes rather than just masking symptoms. So this book, which connects mental disorders to metabolic disorders, was an interesting read.

Honorable Mentions:
The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
The Tattoist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
If I Run series by Terri Blackstock
Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter
The Secret by Lee Child and Andrew Child

I didn’t quite reach my reading goal this year, but I am determined to next year. So let me know what books I can’t miss! And have a happy new year!