Favorite Books of 2024

 These are the books I loved reading the most in 2024. I'm adding something from each of my favorite genres except sci-fi because I didn't feel like I read anything that really stood out in that genre this year, although the Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh has continued to grow on me with each book..

Fantasy-

 

Esrahaddon (The Rise and the Fall #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Mild language

 

A hero to some. A villain to many. The truth forever buried.

The man who became known as Esrahaddon is reported to have destroyed the world’s greatest empire—but there are those who believe he saved it. Few individuals are as divisive, but all agree on three facts: He was exiled to the wilderness, hunted by a goblin priestess, and sentenced to death by a god—all before the age of eight. How he managed to survive and why people continued to fear his name a thousand years later has always been a mystery...until now.

From the three-time New York Times best-selling author Michael J. Sullivan, Esrahaddon is the final novel in the Rise and Fall trilogy. This latest set of stories sits snugly between the Legends of the First Empire series and the Riyria books (Revelations and Chronicles). With this tale, Michael continues his tradition of unlikely heroes who must rise to the call when history knocks, demanding to be let in. This is the 19th full-length novel in a body of work that started in 2008 and spans four series.

 

This is the third and final book in the Rise and the Fall Trilogy. The trilogy that bridges together The Legends of the First Empire and The Riyria Revelations and Chronicles, and it's the one I've been waiting so long to read! Since I finished The Riyria Revelations series, I've wanted to read more about Esrahaddon. He was such an interesting character, and this book did not disappoint me. I loved everything about this book. I did think it started out a little slow, but when it got going it really grabbed me, and once I got to the last quarter of the book, it was impossible to put down.

As usual with a Michael J. Sullivan book, the characters were all great. I loved the goblins. I truly came to love Hekkebah, Niblick, and Mashie. They were such a pleasant surprise. I also enjoyed reading more about the gods, Uberlin, Trilos, and Muriel and some of the revelations about them, particularly Muriel.

There was so much unexpected humor in this book. I found myself giggling quite often as I read. Not only that, but it had me feeling all the emotions. The end left me wanting more, even though I had the full story. I had to go back and reread Esrahaddon's parts in The Riyria Revelations after I finished this.

“I’m not a philosopher, but I know that worth isn’t found in a sword or the skill to wield it. Worthiness comes from the heart, from courage in the face of adversity, from fighting a battle you know you can’t win with dignity.”

 

 

 

Mystery/Suspense- 

 

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Content: Strong language, The unpleasant recollections of a serial killer that include raping and torturing his victims (although not much detail is given)

 

I was the girl who survived the Nothing Man. Now I am the woman who is going to catch him...


At the age of twelve, Eve Black was the only member of her family to survive an encounter with serial attacker the Nothing Man. Now an adult, she is obsessed with identifying the man who destroyed her life. Supermarket security guard Jim Doyle has just started reading The Nothing Man —the true-crime memoir Eve has written about her efforts to track down her family’s killer. As he turns each page, his rage grows. Because Jim’s not just interested in reading about the Nothing Man. He is the Nothing Man. Jim soon begins to realize how dangerously close Eve is getting to the truth. He knows she won’t give up until she finds him. He has no choice but to stop her first …

 

This is the first book I've read by this author and it definitely won't be my last! I found this book to be a very compelling read with a couple of twists I didn't see coming. That being said, I did figure out some of it ahead of time, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book at all. Going into this we know who the killer is, the mystery lies elsewhere here, and the thrills lie in the fact that you're in the killer's head reliving the killings as he reads the book that's written about him. The whole time I was anticipating when he would finally go after Eve. 

The Housemaid (The Housemaid #1) by Freida McFadden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Content: Strong language, Physical and Psychological Abuse, Confinement

 

There's something about this author's writing style that grabs me and doesn't let go. I could not put this book down! You would think that it would be a 5 star read if that was the case, but there were some things that didn't come off as completely believable to me. Story wise it should probably get a 3 but it's getting a 4 for the sheer entertainment value of all those twists and turns, even the ones I predicted correctly. I'm adding a spoiler tag for things that didn't work so well for me. Be prepared for major spoilers if you look. See my original post here for the spoilers.

Romance-

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Celia Mardham's first London Season should have been a great success, but a near fatal riding accident has left her with a pronounced limp which means she cannot even curtsy, let alone dance.


Condemned it seems to spinsterhood, her mother Lady Mardham makes one last effort. She draws up a list of guests for a country house party, picking only young ladies who will not be rivals, as well as some potential suitors.


Among the gentlemen is Lord Levedale and when he meets Celia he sees her , not the limp. However, a number of accidents, misunderstandings and spiteful interventions litter the path ahead, and may succeed in driving them apart for good.

 

This is the second book I've read by this author and I must say, I'm hooked! I gave the other book 3.5 stars, but I would have given it 4 if not for a couple of annoying things the main character did. I went into this one hoping I would like it even better because I really enjoyed this author's writing style which reminds me a bit of reading a classic. Little did I know I would end up giving this book 5 stars! I rarely give out 5 stars, especially to romance books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

I loved the characters, particularly the main character Celia, and I love the way this was written. We get a peek into the different characters perspectives on things that are happening and it was great. I just loved Lord Levedale and the fact that he saw Celia right from the beginning and not her injury. I enjoyed getting to know the minor characters as well as the main ones. Celia's mother was a piece of work though! 

There was some nice witty dialog that I also enjoyed, and it was particularly funny when it was at the expense of the more unsavory characters, like this paragraph that was during an archery competition:

"All that mattered was that she won and was the centre of attention. Had one inquired of several members of the party, they would have preferred her to be the centre of attention by being the target."

That was so unexpected that it had me bursting out laughing! 

People have said this author's books remind them of Georgette Heyer, whose books I've been aware of for a long time but never tried, so I decided to give one of her books a try next to compare. I'll post a review of that book later.