Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! Like past years I won’t be including re-reads, sometimes my opinion of a book could change and evolve after I had read it, so some surprises may be up near the top, as well as perhaps a book or two that didn’t make my reviews on here initially due to genre limitations. But here they are, ready for a countdown! And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway”! Today I’m going to countdown my favorite reads, ten to six.
10. “So Thirsty” by Rachel Harrison
I have loved Rachel Harrison’s books basically ever since I read her book “The Return”, and I was very excited to see what she did with a favorite sub-genre of mine: vampires! And I was very pleased with how she not only took on vampires as a mythos, but also how she portrayed some relatable themes like complicated female friendships, anxiety about aging, and the need to reinvent oneself. “So Thirsty” is creepy, funny, and heartfelt, and I think it may be one of my favorites of Harrison’s, if not THE favorite (“Cackle” is hard to top but this one is VERY close to doing so).
9. “Tunis to Sydney” by Meriam and Christian Carnouche
This was a surprise read for me this year, as I hadn’t heard of it until Christian Carnouche reached out to me asking if I’d be willing to review it. And then I ended up really loving it as I read this story about grief, homecoming, and perseverance through tragedy and loss. Not only is the story deeply touching and very emotional, the illustrations are gorgeous and match the tone very well. It was probably my biggest reading surprise of 2024 and it made my Favorite Reads of 2024 List handily.
8. “My Vampire Plus-One” by Jenna Levine
I do occasionally dabble into romance novels (more now than I did when we started this blog), and I really enjoy finding romances that overlap with other interests. Like vampires!! And this sequel outdid its predecessor! I think that was due in part to the fact that we were following Reggie this time, who is a decidedly more Lestat-y vampire than the Louis vibes that Frederick was giving in the first one. I also really enjoyed the main female character Amelia, as her high strung-ness really balanced out with Reggie’s snark and mercurial nature. It really was a perfect romance that didn’t take itself super seriously.
7. “Horror Movie” by Paul Tremblay
Paul Tremblay is almost guaranteed to make my end of year list if he has a novel out, and “Horror Movie” was no exception. In this book he takes on a couple of themes that lend themselves very well to a horror tale. The first is the overly concept of a cursed film and how lore around it can be built up through word of mouth and urban legendmaking. The next is how he explores the relationship between an artist, their art, and how it can be transformative for better or for worse (in thise case, absolutely worse). This one has some really scary and high tense bits, and I found it super freaky, and up there with some of my favorites of his.
6. “Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey” by Edel Rodriguez
“Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey” Review
This graphic memoir blew me away when I read it in the first few months of this past year. I’m sorry to say that we didn’t heed the warning that Rodriguez gave in regards to letting an authoritarian gain a position of utmost power in this country, but…. Anyway, I loved this frank, at times distressing, but ultimately hopeful memoir of Edel Rodriguez’s childhood in Cuba, and the way his family escaped Castro’s regime. It’s an emotional take for sure, but his tenacity, his candor, and his amazing artwork really bring the entire story together. If you like memoirs but haven’t read “Worm”, do yourself a favor and go pick it up.
So that’s ten through six. Next time I will give a countdown of my top five. What have been some of your favorite reads of 2024?
The Library Ladies 