Our Favorite Fiction Books of 2024

John Vercher delivers a richly told story about fatherhood, racial identity, and grief in this acclaimed novel. After the tragic loss of his son, the book’s biracial narrator is stunned to learn that he’s the sole heir of his family’s plantation. As the grieving father wrestles with the death of his son and his relationship to his complicated family lineage, the past and present begin to warp around him, creating a profound literary experience that blurs reality. Devil Is Fine expertly blends humor with grief and the supernatural in a way that makes it deeply moving and exceptionally readable.

Amy Jo Burns’s exquisite family drama is all about the weight of big family secrets and the havoc they can wreak. If you’re anything like us, you’ll be instantly drawn into this unique family and hooked by the mystery at the story’s center. Marley West is somewhat of a loner when she first arrives in the blue-collar town of Mercury, Pennsylvania, and she quickly entangles herself with the Joseph brothers. It isn’t long before she becomes a wife to one of the siblings, a lost love to another, and a nurturing presence to all three. As their connections evolve and the drama deepens, Marley finds herself fighting for the survival of her found family and their roofing business as long-buried secrets come to light.

“Like the best song lyrics,” The New York Journal of Books says of Isabel Banta’s take on ’90s pop stardom, “this debut novel bursts with pungent insights.” We loved taking a trip down memory lane with this wildly entertaining book about music, perfect for millennials who never got rid of their Britney Spears or Jessica Simpsons CDs. Honey centers on Amber Young, a small-town girl catapulted to pop fame when she’s asked to join girl group Cloud9. While she’s initially thrilled to see her dream become a reality, Amber soon discovers that superstardom has its dark side — but she’s determined to succeed on her own terms and retain her place in the spotlight. 

Ursula Villarreal-Moura delivers a vivid exploration of gender, fame, sexual consent, and power dynamics in this unflinching coming-of-age narrative. Like Happiness centers on Tatum Vega, who believes she has put her difficult relationship with the author M. Domínguez in the past — until she gets a call from a reporter asking for corroboration of sexual assault accusations against the writer. Pulled back into her memories of their relationship, Tatum wrestles with its complexities. The resulting narrative plays out through Tatum’s present life and also through a letter she writes to Domínguez that reckons with their turbulent history.

Fans of Cat Shook’s delightful family dramedy If We’re Being Honest are sure to adore Humor Me, the author’s heartfelt and hilarious novel set in New York City's comedy scene. After the unexpected death of her mother, Presley Fry feels directionless. She’s uninspired by her TV job as an assistant at the Late Night Show, bored with casual dating, and happy to let her roommate take charge of her social life. But when Presley is taken under the wing of her mom’s best friend — who also happens to be married to the head of the television network where she works — things start to look up. Presley taps new motivation to dive into NYC’s stand-up-comedy scene and even finds herself in a new and unexpected romance. Rom-com lovers should pick this one up immediately!

Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland made a bevy of must-read lists this year, including from LitHub, The Boston Globe, Nylon, and the Chicago Review of Books, among many others. The marvelously original novel delights in the beauty of all things great and small on planet Earth. Adina Giorno was born with the knowledge that she’s different. Guided by memories of a far-off planet and otherworldly transmissions sent to her via fax, she lives her life incognito, observing human life and documenting her impressions of existence. But when her friend encourages her to share her reflections with the public, Adina finds herself connecting with humanity in profound new ways — and begins to wonder if she may not be the only extraterrestrial living on this planet.  

We’re far from the only admirers of this bighearted summer read by Alison Espach. The Wedding People topped lists by People, Bustle, and LitHub and was a #ReadwithJenna Today Show pick in 2024. The hilarious rom-com centers on a lavish Rhode Island wedding and a woman who’s at rock bottom and gets mistaken for a wedding guest. Check this one out when you’re in need a pick-me-up, as it’s a breezy ode to love, friendship, and starting anew. 

The New York Times calls Katie Hafner’s take on pandemic isolation “utterly delightful,” and we can’t agree more. The Boys opens with a letter from a biking company asking Ethan, politely, to never use its services again. The rest of the book unravels the mystery of this letter — what could Ethan possibly have done to merit such a response? It might have something to do with Tommy and Sam, Ethan and his wife Barb’s twin foster sons, who upend their quiet lives just before a global pandemic strikes. A deft, heartwarming family dramedy, The Boys is a distinctive exploration of isolation, family, and overcoming trauma.

We’ve seen and read our share of Shakespeare retellings, but none quite like Henry Henry, a queer rewriting of Shakespeare’s Henriad history plays set in 2014 London. Allen Bratton’s new novel follows a spoiled young heir as he starts to figure out himself and the life he wants free from the shackles of his father’s expectations. Called “one of the most exciting new novels” of the year by the Financial Times, the story of 22-year-old Hal will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure.

NPR chose Rita Bullwinkel’s Headshot as its “Book of the Day” on March 20 of this year (do yourself a favor and listen to the story here!) and for good reason. The story of eight young women competing in a boxing competition offers a “searing look inside the mental and physical state” of the boxing world. The New York Times praises Bullwinkel as “a meaningful new voice” in American fiction whose work leaves a lasting impact on the reader, “like a sharp fist to your shoulder.” Don’t leave 2024 without losing yourself inside Headshot’s gritty world of competition, violence, and joy. 

God of the Woods is an “expertly paced thriller” that reads more like a “well-crafted miniseries” (The New Yorker). We could not put down Liz Moore’s tale of the sudden disappearance of a teenager at a fancy summer camp in the summer of 1975. More mysterious is the fact that the teenager is the daughter of the camp’s owners … and this isn’t the first time a family member has gone missing. The mystery at the center of God of the Woods unfolds secret by secret as the wealthy camp owners clash with the working-class community that surrounds them. You won’t be able to turn away from this literary thriller about class, secrets, and family dynasties. 

Critics far and wide celebrated the arrival of Wandering Stars in 2024, Tommy Orange’s sequel to his award-winning novel There, There. Orange’s soaring prose draws on multiple perspectives as it expands on the Native American narratives first established in There, There, tracing its interlinked stories into the past and the future. Orange’s profound and poetic abilities are on full display here. “Outstanding … A dazzling work of literary fiction that springs from the center of otherness, [Wandering Stars] delves deep into what it means to be Native American in this country” (The Boston Globe). Do not miss it.