Book Recommendations | The Best of 2024

 

It’s finally time for my annual book recommendations — a tradition I hope to continue every year. After countless pages, late-night reading sessions, and stories that stayed with me long after the last chapter, these books made it to my list of favourite reads of 2024.

If you’re not sure what to read next, consider these gems. I hope they bring you as much joy as they did me.

Happy reading! ✨

1. Dustin Thao, You've Reached Sam

We're starting off on a strong (and heartbreaking) note. You've Reached Sam is a story about grief - the kind that lingers, the kind everyone expects you to move on from, even when you can't. This book tore me apart in the best way.

As someone who is currently navigating grief myself, this hit incredibly close to home. It handled loss with such care and honesty, portraying it in a raw and realistic light. It shows how, in the end, even when we're not at all ready, we eventually have to let go.

This book completely shattered me - I ended up full-on sobbing. And still, I don't regret it one bit. I'm a sucker for a sad story, and You've Reached Sam delivered in the most beautiful, devastating way. 

  

2. V. E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The love I have for this book is indescribable. When I picked up The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, it was during a time when the book was getting quite a bit of backlash, many said it was overhyped. But I couldn’t disagree more.

To me, the hype was not only deserved, it might’ve even been too little. This book was beautiful. It was a long, winding journey that I never wanted to end. Finishing it felt like saying goodbye to a dear friend; the kind you don’t meet often, but who leaves a lasting impression on your heart.

The story is profound, meaningful, and quietly heartbreaking. It made me reflect on what it means to be remembered, to leave a mark. It showed me the painful difference between solitude and loneliness. Being alone can be peaceful, but being forgotten… being truly invisible… is haunting.

I loved every second of this book. It stays with you.

3. Laura Nowlin, If He Had Been With Me 

If He Had Been With Me is a story about two lost souls, each broken in their own quiet way, who love each other deeply, but never quite find the courage to say it. Not until it’s too late.

It’s about opposites who somehow feel incomplete without each other. About grief, growing up, and the painful truth that tomorrow is never promised. I personally loved this book. Did it crush my heart and make me ugly sob? No. But did I love it nonetheless? Absolutely.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of books written from a child or young teen's perspective, and that was a hurdle for me. Still, that’s just a personal preference, and it would be unfair to judge the story for it. The way Autumn and Finny drifted apart over the years, only to find their way back to each other, captured the bittersweet nature of growing up and growing apart. I loved it.

However, I do wish we didn't know about Finny’s death from the first chapter. I think the emotional impact would’ve been so much stronger if we were led to believe they might get their happy ending only to have it all taken away. The shock would’ve made it even more devastating, in the best kind of way.

The misunderstanding trope isn’t my favorite either, but I let it slide this time. In the end, If He Had Been With Me is a beautiful and bittersweet read, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance.

4. Alex Michaelides, The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller that revolves around Alicia Berenson, a celebrated painter who shockingly murders her husband, and then never speaks another word. The story unfolds through the perspective of Theo Faber, a psychotherapist obsessed with uncovering why she did it, and why she won’t speak.

I really enjoyed this one. I love an unreliable narrator, and Theo delivers on that front. I didn’t see the plot twist coming , though that might be because I hadn’t picked up a thriller in a while, but it definitely caught me off guard in the best way.

Overall, I think it’s a solid, well-paced read and a great choice if you’re new to thrillers. If you’re a seasoned thriller reader, you might want to skip this one.

5. Miodrag Majić, Deca zla

Deca zla by Miodrag Majić was a book I didn’t expect to read, but I’m so glad I did. It was unpredictable, gripping, and kept me hooked from start to finish.

I especially loved the superstitious undertones woven into the story, as well as the raw and honest depiction of corruption. It shines a harsh light on the flaws within the legal system and shows how, in the end, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.

This book also made me realize I like courtroom-centered stories. There's something about the intensity, the moral ambiguity, and the psychological unraveling in legal drama that really pulls me in.

Unfortunately, for my non-Serbian speaking friends, this one’s off the radar for now — as far as I know, there’s no English translation yet. But if that ever changes, it’s absolutely worth adding to your list.

6. Chloe Gong, Our Violent Ends

I did not expect Our Violent Ends to be this good. After loving These Violent Delights, I was nervous the sequel wouldn’t live up to the hype, but my girl Chloe Gong delivered again. I genuinely considered lowering my rating to 4.5⭐ because the pacing felt a bit slow at times, and I did guess Rosalind’s lover pretty early on but in the end, I just couldn’t do it. It deserves the full 5.

Even though I knew how Romeo and Juliet ends, a part of me still hoped Roma and Juliette would make it out alive. And that ending? Genius. We'll never really know if they made it out alive — and somehow, that makes it all the more powerful.

The writing was gorgeous, the plot engaging, and every side character had a purpose. I absolutely fell in love with Marshall, Benedikt, and Alisa. Their presence added so much warmth and depth to the story.

If you're into gang rivalry, political intrigue, tragic love stories, or Romeo and Juliet retellings — this one’s for you.

100% would recommend. 

7. Albert Camus, The Stranger

I had so much fun reading Camus’s The Stranger. It’s one of my most well-loved classics. At its core, it’s about a man whose mother dies, and because he doesn’t cry, the world seems to unravel around him. That’s The Stranger in a nutshell — simple in plot, but rich in meaning.

I really enjoyed the detached, monotone narration, it suited Meursault’s character perfectly. The whole time, I found myself questioning whether or not he was a psychopath, and that constant inner debate kept me hooked.

If you’re thinking of diving into the world of classics, I think this is a great place to start. It’s easy to read, but still complex enough to make you pause and reflect on big ideas — grief, morality, absurdity, and how society reacts to people who don’t follow its emotional “rules.”  

 

That’s it from me for today, folks!

As always, if you have any thoughts, questions, or book recommendations of your own, feel free to drop them in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,

Jovana <3

30/06/2025