My Favourite Books of 2024: Part 2 😊

Victoria might just hold the key to saving our family. But to do so, a big secret has to come out. Revealing the truth risks everything – my marriage, our friendship, our families. Can we weather this storm, or will it shatter us beyond repair?

She has a beautiful way of composing sentences, a sense of place and people, and setting. I read it in a day. It’s not the easiest book to read, there are uncomfortable and upsetting topics and scenes. But it’s infused with so much hope that I couldn’t part with it, and even after finishing it, it is lingering in my mind.

Review

One year on from the death of her husband, Emma feels no closer to moving forward with her life. Seeking distraction, she quits her job and begins working at the local garden centre.

She has a way of facing difficult topics such as grief head on, but in a familiar, heartwarming, and gentle way. There’s a touch of romance, adventure, and history. Sally creates these worlds that, whilst contain heartbreak, are full of friendships, love, joy, hope, promise, comfort, cosyness, and just pure beauty.

It is the year 1710, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.

This may only be A.J’s second book, but it is as much of a masterpiece as his debut, and has really cemented him as one of my favourite authors (and I’ve met him and he’s such a lovely guy as well). This is hard to read at times, it’s brutal and honest and raw. But there’s so much love and hope in it. I tried to read it slowly as I felt every single word needed to be appreciated fully.

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of teenager Joseph ‘Patch’ Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who will risk everything to find her best friend. But when she does: it will break her heart.

Every so often you come across a book that makes you question if there’s any point in you trying to write a book, because it’ll never match up to the genius of it. This. This is that book. Read in 2 days. Beautiful. I cannot put into words just how glorious this book is. You need to experience it for yourself.

A fresh and topical debut thriller where two detectives on a chilling murder case begin a love affair, only for one of them to become a prime suspect.

I read a lot of thrillers and they can often become a bit samey, but Charlotte took the genre and turned it on its head with this book. It was such a fun and thrilling read – I couldn’t put it down.

Told in emails, text messages, and essays, this innovative pause-resister follows a group of students in an art master’s program that goes dangerously awry.

I mean, anyone who has read Janice’s books before knows how much of a masterpiece they are. She is an author unlike any other, and I can’t imagine another like her will come along any time soon. This is her 5th book I believe, and they get better and better every time. This is complicated but worth it. A really entertaining read.

BERLIN, 1926: After the death of their parents, sisters Leni and Annette only have each other. Dreaming of better days, but desperate, Leni finds work at a notorious cabaret: the Babylon Circus. And so begins a love affair that will shape the lives of Leni and Annette,

It’s not an easy book; there’s grief, bereavement, war, injury, drug abuse, homelessness, poverty, abandonment, loneliness, betrayal, lies, lost loves. But somehow, whilst they are sad topics, it doesn’t bring the story down at all, in fact it helps boost up the happy times. I think Leni and Annette are going to stay with me for a very long time.

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. But what she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed.

I own every book Matt has published. He is my favourite author hands down, and his work has saved my life on more than one occasion. It is thrilling. Full of humanity and adventure, as well as magic. It is sad and frightening, but also hopeful and joyful and exciting. Like everything else of his I’ve read, this is a stunning piece of work.

There are four of us: Samuel, Lucy, Thomas, and me – Eliza. We came into being the day Becca Valentine was born. We’ve been by her side ever since. What she doesn’t know yet, is that one day she might become our mother.

What I love about her books is they’re so unique. She creates worlds and stories that I read nowhere else and I think that’s such an achievement, because if we’re honest, most ideas have already been done, just with each author giving it their own spin, but I read things I only get from Laura’s work.

2022 – College student Andrea Clarkson uncovers a historical mystery while studying abroad in Holland – historical documents about a rhino.
1740 – Ship captain Douwemout van der Meer has something not seen in two hundred years: the only rhino in Europe, called Clara.

I have never read anything like this. It’s so moving in its beauty and sometimes in its harshness, it’s just exquisite. I will definitely be shouting about this book for a very long time. I cannot say anything negative about it, other than I wish it was longer so I didn’t have to part from it so soon.

Glasgow 2024: Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx.
Orkney 1594: accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled.

This is an absolute spectacle of a book. A triumph. A glittering, powerful, extraordinary tour de force of a book. Quite simply C.J Cooke has created a masterpiece. I devoured it within a matter of hours, so desperate I was to get back to it when I put it down.

Alice Beeton never meant to wind up single and childless on the wrong side of fifty. She lives in an immaculate but dingy basement flat in a rather shabby block in Kensington with her dog Agatha. Now Alice runs the Good Household Management Agency. But in the early hours of New Year’s Day, Alice is rudely awakened with the news that one of her staff members has been found dead.

I read it in less than a day, it was so addictive and easy to read, and even though there’s murder and whatnot, it’s a real uplifting read. Good storytelling, fab characters, adventure, emotion, and at the centre, it’s got real heart.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon.

This is an utterly fabulous story with fantastic writing. There is so much rich Chinese culture in it, it’s glorious and beautiful and eye-opening.
Everything about it is just right. And by the end, I was in tears, it’s that beautiful. It is a work of art.

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. 

This is more serious than Richard’s Thursday Murder Club series. It is a proper whodunnit, thriller, murder mystery, crime novel. It’s exciting and thrilling and I was fully invested with the characters, who are gorgeous creations. It’s a promising start to hopefully another exciting series.

A friend will help you move on. A best friend will help you move his body. Opal, Marina and Lilah are three strangers and have nothing in common. Well, except for the man who’s been lying to all of them. And who they are now holding hostage in a basement.

It’s got absolutely everything and it’s told so expertly. It’s so much fun and Julie has such a knack for writing humerous, slightly quirky thrillers. Funny, sexy, morbid – everything I wanted from it.

Newly married, with a loving family surrounding her, everything’s coming up roses for ex-serial killer Rhiannon Lewis, right? Wrong. With a series of bad choices in front of her, and the authorities right behind, Rhiannon’s in a hell of a hole and she needs to dig herself out of it pronto. But help can come from the most unlikely places. And even more unlikely people…

This is my favourite series. I read it in less than a day as it was so fun and easy to read that it was really hard to put down. So I would advise you start this on a day where you have no other jobs to do because once it’s got it’s nails in you, it won’t let go.

An exhilarating, twisted tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past.

Everything I was reading said how gorgeous this was. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It had this lyrical quality about it that held my attention and I couldn’t part with it. This was an instant five-star read but it’s hard to explain way. The writing is natural and yet captivating, the characters well written and complicates, the plot so inviting and entertaining.

Ezzie Wynter can’t wait for Christmas on the beautiful Isle of Skye. But her peaceful Christmas idyll is upended when unexpected visitors arrive looking for Ezzie. Nothing else matters as she is left questioning everything she ever knew about herself.

Sue Moorcroft + Christmas = I mean, what more could you possibly want?! Whilst at its heart it is a warming, cosy, festive, romance, it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, such as adoption, divorce, affairs, illness, mental health, criminal activity, and whether family is who you’re related to, or who you choose?

A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.

It’s so good. It’s so poetic and a really beautiful way of telling a story. A slower read than others but worth every minute. It’s completely entrancing and I was quite sad to have finished it.

Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink, and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon! Everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude. Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow.

I am a HUGE Heidi Swain fan, and her books often end up on my “best books of the year” list, and this is no exception. I am also a Christmas nut and so the combination is like gold. This is funny, sad, festive, and just a beautiful, gorgeous story. Another 5 star read for Heidi.

Vi Liu’s life is a mess. Having dropped out of college, she’s stuck in a job she hates at a local hotel. Her ex-boyfriend has blocked her and she’s lashing out at her family and co-workers. One night, drunk outside a drag club, she stumbles across a mysterious sentient blob. But is Bob the blob really the answer to all her problems, or a catalyst for further disaster?

It’s weird and interesting and unique and enjoyable and thought-provoking and funny, but one thing I really didn’t expect it to be was emotional. It’s really moving. For various reasons and for some reason, that made it all the more joyful.

This is the story of Blessing, aged ten-and-a-half, and Albert Framlington, aged six hundred – an eccentric snowman who has seen many winters in many cities, and who is duty-bound by the Snowman Code to help any child in need. 

Aimed at children, this 31-year-old adored this story. It’s full of magic and fantasy and hope and joy and positivity. But it’s also about family, friendships, fear, mental health. It is such a beautiful story that I devoured it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this to readers of all ages and for all seasons. The only sad thing about it is that I no longer get to read it for the first time.

Elena Morandi has gained a fragile foothold in the workshop of a master tailor, despite the profession being officially barred to her as a woman. But then a powerful man from her past crosses her path and threatens everything she has worked for

On the surface it’s about a woman who wants to be a tailor. It’s about ambition and gender inequality. But it’s also about friendships and family – blood and chosen – hardships, abuse, power imbalance, desire, love. This is Glennis’ debut novel. I think she’s got real potential in the historical genre. It’s is a moving and very enjoyable story.

At just nineteen, Stephen has already survived a year at the front. Now he is returning to the trenches to lead a platoon, despite his wounds. Broken-hearted from the loss of his first love, Stephen wonders what he’s fighting for. Then he meets Private Danny McCormick, a smart, talented young recruit. 

It’s a war book, but it’s not about the war, not really. It’s about a man and about love at a time when love was very binary. It shows that love is, and should be, love. Just love. We see them develop over a short space of time, as individuals, as comrades, and as loves. And it is so tenderly done, so sensitive and so beautiful. And for me, it’s probably one of the best character creations I’ve read in a long time.

It’s Camilla’s first day back at work, her daughter’s first day at nursery. But husband Luke is nowhere to be seen. The only trace of him is an unfinished note. Breaking news: there’s a hostage situation developing in London. Luke is caught up in it. But he isn’t a hostage. Luke is the gunman.

It is always a good day when there’s a new Gillian McAllister book out, and it is another firecracker, a tour-de-force of a book. I think I’ve read 5 of her books now and with each one, I think it can’t possibly be any better than the one before it, and lo and behold, it is! I don’t know how she keeps doing it, it’s amazing.

It’s been over thirty years since Billy last called Northern Ireland home. Back then, his secret love for schoolfriend Conor was the only shining light that kept him going during troubled times. That is, until their romance was tragically cut short when Conor disappeared without a trace.

Neil depicts relationships and love so well. Not just romantic love – although there is that – but lost love, new love, long love, friendships, strangers to comrades. It’s just beautiful. And obviously with love, often comes the other side of the coin – grief, hate, and anger, and he depicts them so well too. Neil has definitely cemented himself as one of my favourite authors.

While Nella struggles with her feelings for Nick, Hollywood star Lizzie has found a haven at the retreat. Lizzie’s sworn off people – especially men – until her friendly new neighbours entice her out of her shell.  Then an astonishing secret revealed changes everything.

We’ve got love, old and new, babies, glamour, betrayal, friendship, grief, anger, fear, trust, hope – it’s got everything I have come to expect from her books. Overall I would say it focusses on friendship, family being what you make of it rather than who you’re related to, about finding what you love, and following your passions.

You know Miss Havisham. The world’s most famous jilted bride. This is her daughter’s story. Raised in the darkness of Satis House where the clocks never tick, the beautiful Estella is bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold as the grave. Should she embrace the darkness within her and exact her revenge?

I am a Dickens-obsessive and usually hate anyone adapting or using any of his work for something new. But Barbara has just converted me. Estella’s Revenge is gorgeous in so many ways that a tiny review just can’t do justice to. Absolutely first-class storytelling.

It should have been the happiest day of Grace’s life—the day she married Charlie and found the family she had always longed for. But as a war between The Celestials and The Fallen looms, Grace unknowingly stands at the very heart of the conflict.

It is sooooo addictive. I thought I’d read a little bit before bed and before I knew it I was 1/4 of the way through and hooked! I read it in less than a day, I just couldn’t put it down. It is so rich and layered, full of depth. The work Hallie must have done to get all the details just right is very impressive.

Penang, 1971. When Suyin Lim is offered the opportunity of a lifetime – a place as a trainee nurse in London’s Bethnal Green Hospital – she jumps at the chance to leave her job as a seamstress, However, without warning her sister returns to Penang, a shadow of her former self and Suyin is forced to leave for London without any answers.

It is true what the reviews are saying, it is a complete love letter to the NHS and to the nurses that keep it running, and it’s not corny or oversentimental to say that. It’s the book that I can imagine people will be buying for their nearest and dearest. I certainly will be.

Thea has a secret. She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit.

It is really original, fresh and unique, and really fun. It had me hooked instantly and held my attention throughout, and I even had a little cry at the end. I wasn’t sure how Jenny would end it but there wasn’t a more perfect way. It went in directions I wasn’t expecting and that kept me on my toes.