Most Anticipated Books of 2024
Shelf Reflection’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024
By: Brittany Shields
“Pleasure is found first in anticipation, later in memory.” - Gustave Flaubert, French novelist
I’m excited about this list of books for 2024! There are several of my favorite authors on the list, several new-to-me authors, and a wide variety of genres!
It is a bit heavy on the thriller side because I tend to read the most of those in any given year. For some reason ‘murder’ and ‘kill’ seem to be the words to use in titles this year. And a shocking amount of them start with ‘The.’
There are not many books listed here from the last half of the year because it’s harder to find out what’s being published that late in the year. I’ll try to add some of those as I become aware of any I want to promote!
I’ll also let you know that I came across a few conflicting publishing dates on these so I could have a few wrong or they may be subject to change.
You should also check out these other book lists and challenges as you prepare for another year of glorious books!
Thanks for sharing in my love of reading! I’m looking forward to another year of reading and reviewing and helping others find their next read! I hope you’ll join me :)
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: January 9, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.
I haven’t seen this one talked about much but I’ve got an ARC that I’ve been needing to read.
One reviewer compared it to a soap opera, so I’m guessing there’s some family drama, but others have commented on how fast they read it and that it has some great twists and turns.
I feel like this book could be really good or really bad and I’m excited to find out!
**Updated with link to my full review**
Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: January 16, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.
I have not read a book by this author yet, but I have A Flicker in the Dark on my to-read shelf for this year so I’ll be reading both!
This one is a psychological thriller so I’m assuming the pace will be slower and more build up to a big reveal.
It’s the story of three friends with different personalities living together in college when a frat boy nearby is found murdered and one of the three friends disappears.
I’ve seen Willingham recommended a lot so I’m excited to see what her writing is like!
**Updated with a link to my full review**
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: January 17, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder.
I’ve read The Silent Patient and The Maidens and am looking forward to another Michaelides mystery! Greek-stuff seems to be his MO so we will see where he takes it in this book.
It seems like a classic trapped on an island and someone is killed and they all have a motive type of book, but the Goodreads summary also quotes the main character saying: “I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.”
Looking forward to this one!
The Clinic by Cate Quinn
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: A thriller set in a remote rehab clinic on the Pacific Northwest coast, in which the death of a woman inside prompts her sister to enter the clinic as a patient in order to find the truth.
This one threw me off for a minute because I’m familiar with Kate Quinn’s writings. This is a different author.
What drew me to this one was firstly the book cover. It looks very eerie and gives off a Shutter Island vibe.
We all know the dangers of willingly going to a ‘clinic’ where no one can reach you. I have a feeling this is going to be a tense read!
[This plot seems similar to Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher which comes out February 27, 2024 if that interests you…]
**Updated with link to my full review**
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm’s way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has all too often been forgotten. A novel of searing insight and lyric beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define a generation.
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. She is known for The Nightingale and The Four Winds, among many others.
This one takes place in the 1960s so the war is the Vietnam War. I haven’t read many (if any) set during this war.
Having recently read Wise Gals and The Bletchley Women, I’m not a stranger to hearing about women’s contributions to war, but I’m still looking forward to reading another. Plus Hannah’s writing is usually pretty emotional so I’m expecting this one to be both good and hard to read!
All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom #3) by Tahereh Mafi
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: The highly anticipated third novel in the This Woven Kingdom series, full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal.
I’ve already got this one pre-ordered! The first two books made it on my ‘Most Anticipated’ lists. I’ve been invested in this series and I need to see what happens next.
The first book is This Woven Kingdom and introduces us to our main character- Alizeh- with her magical powers and her destiny to rule a kingdom.
I can’t tell if this is supposed to be the last book in the series or not, but we will hopefully get some sort of culmination to Alizeh’s destiny— what kingdom will she rule?— and some sort of closure on the love triangle— Kamran or Cyrus?
We shall see!!
**Updated with link to my full review**
The Book of Love by Kelly Link
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: February 8, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves in a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where they’ve been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers.
I have mixed feelings about adding this one on here. I know nothing of the author but it’s been on most people’s lists this year.
It is also over 600 pages which makes me gulp. Fantasy books are typically longer but it has to be good world-building or writing to make that length manageable.
But I am intrigued by the concept and am willing to give it a shot!
Goodreads also says: “Readers will find joy (and a little terror) and an affirmation that love goes on, even when we cannot.”
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn & Janie Chang
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: A thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.
Kate Quinn has joined forces with Janie Chang to bring us (hopefully) another great historical fiction mystery!
This book is set in the early 1900s and will bring us both the ancient history of China and the sophistication of Paris.
Though I’m not familiar with Chang, I know Quinn does her research so I’m expecting to learn a lot while I’m reading this book and am anxious to read the story surrounding the Phoenix Crown!
Empowered Witness: Politics, Culture, and The Spiritual Mission of the Church by Alan D. Strange
Genre: Christian Living
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Shortened Amazon Summary: The goal of the church should be simple―share the gospel to the ends of the earth. But in our highly politicized age, Christians can tend to place earthly political and social agendas over God’s spiritual mission of the church. In Empowered Witness , author Alan D. Strange examines the doctrine of the spirituality of the church, making a clear distinction between the functions of the church and other institutions.
Considering Kevin DeYoung gives the foreword in this book I’m assuming it’s going to be similar to his book What is the Mission of the Church?.
As I write this I am reading Reforming Criminal Justice which was also published by Crossway. I haven’t finished it yet but I suspect there might be some difference in conclusion for these two books so I’m anxious to see how they compare and how believers incorporate social justice into their personal but also collective lives, including the church.
2020: One City, Seven People, and the year Everything Changed by Eric Klinenberg
Genre: Nonfiction/Sociology
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Shortened Amazon Summary: At the heart of this book are seven vivid profiles of ordinary people - including an elementary school principal, a bar manager, a subway custodian, and a local political aide – whose stories show how Americans, and communities across the globe, reckoned with 2020, from the tragedies and losses to the mutual aid networks and social movements that hinted at a better world to come.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The year 2020 and everyone’s opinion about it are not necessarily on the top of my list of things I want to read about. I already know there will be things in this book that make me cringe, make me mad, or that I just disagree with.
But at the same time, I like the idea of following seven different people’s experiences and seeing how we all had our own journey through that year. I’ll be reading it less for any sort of political agenda it seeks to promote, but more for hearing others’ stories from places unfamiliar to me and seeing glimpses of struggle outside my own bubble.
The Guest by B.A. Paris
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden. As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest.
I put her book The Therapist on my Best Books of 2023 list so I figured I better add this one for 2024! I also enjoyed her recent book The Prisoner.
Her titles may not be super creative, but I like her slow burn mysteries with all their twists and satisfying endings!
Hopefully this one will be no different!
**Updated with a link to my full review**
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg
Genre: Non-Fiction
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: A fascinating exploration of what makes conversations work, and how we can all learn to be Supercommunicators at work and in life. Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation.
This one sounds super interesting! (see what I did there…) Conversations are a daily part of life. How we communicate makes or breaks relationships. With more and more communication being done online, our conversational skills and ability to read through the lines of what is being said can only be slowly deteriorating.
I’m excited to see what insights Duhigg has on the topic and see if I can become a champion communicator.
I’ve never read anything by Duhigg and know nothing about him so hopefully he’s not a crock!
**Updated with a link to my review**
The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: March 19, 2024
Goodreads Summary: Theo never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world in which identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience. When her mentor, a highly successful author, is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. Then the police begin looking at her brother, Gus, as their prime suspect, and Theo does the unthinkable in order to protect him. But the writer has left a trail, a thread out of the labyrinth in the form of a story. Gus finds that thread and follows it, and in his attempt to save his sister he inadvertently threatens the foundations of the labyrinth itself.
I have not read anything by this author either. But I typically enjoy bookish books so this was an intriguing one!
It makes me think it may be similar to I Didn’t Do It in the way it incorporates writers into the story and is more cozy mystery than hard-hitting thriller.
It appears that Gentill likes to write books about books so if this one is a winner I’ll have to look up her other stuff too!
**Updated with a link to my review**
A Forgotten Kill (Daniela Vega #2) by Isabella Maldonado
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: March 26, 2024
Goodreads Summary: FBI Special Agent Daniela “Dani” Vega was seventeen when her mother murdered her father. Ten years after Dani’s own damning eyewitness testimony sealed her mother’s fate, she’s starting to have doubts. What if she got it all wrong? A veteran NYPD homicide detective agrees to reopen the closed case on one condition―Dani must help him find a serial killer who’s been operating throughout New York City for the past decade.
I love Maldonado’s books. Her Nina Guerrera series is awesome, and I enjoyed the first book in this series- A Killer’s Game. As soon as I finished that one I was looking forward to the next one!
She writes great suspenseful and action-packed thrillers that are pretty clean so her books are generally auto-reads for me!
**Updated with a link to my full review**
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
Genre: Non-Fiction
Release Date: March 26, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: The Anxious Generation is a penetrating and alarming accounting of how we adults began to overprotect children in the real world while giving essentially no protection in the brutal online world. Haidt documents the four fundamental harms of the phone-based sleep deprivation, social deprivation, cognitive fragmentation, and addiction.
Haidt’s co-authored book, The Coddling of the American Mind is one of my favorites and one I recommend a lot. When I saw he had a new book coming out, I had to add it to the list.
His sociological and psychological understanding of humanity and his ability to pinpoint the problems and explain his research in a thoughtful and practical way makes his books super helpful resources for people in all walks.
I don’t expect to agree with every single thing he says, but I’m very interested to see what I can be aware of as a parent my kids into an online and mentally unhealthy world.
How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: March 26, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club , an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer.
It appears this is a somewhat dual POV novel with present day scenes and diary entries from the past.
I’m a fan of mysteries like Agatha Christie’s and I definitely enjoyed Knives Out so I figured I better get this book on the list!
I’m also sensing some Happy Death Day type vibes but without the Groundhog Day element.
All things considered, this looks to have a lot of potential!
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Genre: Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
I have not read anything by Abby Jimenez yet. From what I can tell her books are low on the spicy rating so I thought I would give them a shot!
Goodreads said this book “will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears” so I feel like that’s a combo I’m ready for.
The one thing is that one reviewer said that while this can be read as a standalone, she recommends reading the first two in the Part of Your World series. This one is not labeled as part of that series but there must be some sort of character overlap.
I haven’t decided if I’ll take that advice yet or not, but I’m hoping to find another rom-com option that is actually funny and not full of sex or sexual innuendo… and this could be it!
Fatal Domain (Travis Brock #2) by Steven James
Genre: Thriller
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: A series of cryptic clues leads Department of Defense redactor Travis Brock to suspect that a grim chapter from his past is not yet over. With the help of his eidetic memory and his newly formed team, he must unearth the truth and stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military’s most highly guarded technological breakthroughs.
I was so excited to add the first book in this series to my Most Anticipated last year and I’m excited to add this one this year.
Steven James is an auto-read author for me because he writes such great suspenseful thrillers that are action-packed, complex, and clean.
The first book introduces us to Brock and the members of his now-team. I like his character and I like the thwarting-terrorists trope so this one is sure to be an enjoyable read!
If you haven’t read a Steven James book yet, you need to!
**Updated with a link to my full review**
Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright
Genre: Mystery/Christian Fiction
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Norah Richman is living out her late-twin's dream of running their great aunt's bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue--a place Norah believes nothing good can come out of after her sister's abduction and murder thirteen years ago. Her first guest is a crime historian and podcaster, and Norah resolves to stay far away from the charming and enigmatic man--until another guest is found dead. As they dig deeper, something sinister unfurls that will reveal an ominous unknown far greater than the possibility of death itself.
I just recently heard of Jaime Jo Wright because I was seeing her previous book— The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater— everywhere! That book is also on my to-read list, but I figured I better advertise her newest book as well!
I haven’t read as much Christian Fiction lately so I’m looking forward to checking out some new-to-me authors and see what kind of mystery/thriller authors I can find!
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: “Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external. Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven. Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless.
Montell’s book Cultish was super interesting so when I saw she had a new book out I had to add it to the list!
She seems to have a pretty good handle on how society functions and can poke fun at things while still acknowledging the truths hidden among the ridiculous.
I’m also glad that this appears to have a more hopeful overall message because I don’t care much for books that just tear down and do no building up. Even though this book won’t have a Christian worldview to build off of, I think there will still be some good insights to take from it like her other book did.
A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: The Great Depression. High-level corruption. And a murder that’s about to become Seattle’s hottest mystery. It’s the kind of story that can make a reporter’s career. If he lives to write about it.
I’m a fan of a few different Dugoni’s series. This book appears to be a standalone, but I’m assuming it has the same suspense, action, and storytelling that his other books do.
I also enjoy reading legal thrillers where lawyers take on the mob and win. I don’t know if winning will happen, but I’m willing to read it and find out!
The Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: From the outside, Alicia, Jessica and Norah might seem like ordinary women you'd meet on the street any day of the week. Sure, Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues. And Alicia has low self-esteem that manifests itself in surprising ways. But these three have a bond that no one can fully understand. It's a bond that takes them back decades, to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. When bones are discovered buried under the farmhouse of their childhood, they are called in by the police to tell what they know.
Sally Hepworth’s books are some of my favorites. She does a great job of “twisty domestic thrillers” with a twinge of humor. Somehow that combination works when she does it.
This book is a tale of foster care and of abuse so if that is a trigger for you, you may not want to read this one.
One aspect of Hepworth’s books that I’ve come to anticipate is the last chapter/page where she likes to put one last little twist in. Can’t wait to see what she does with this one!
**Updated with a link to my full review**
The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch
Genre: Christian Fiction/Thriller
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past. In his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…
This is apparently part of a series but I think it can be read as a standalone. It also appears to have Criminal Minds vibes.
I’ve been looking for some new-to-me Christian thriller authors and this name has come up several times. This is my chance to see what she’s got!
Reviews say this book is intense and a creepy thrill ride but it’s also a story of redemption and justice which I think I’ll like!
**Updated with a link to my full review**
Kill Her Twice by Stacy Lee
Genre: YA/Historical Fiction
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Los Angeles, 1932: Lulu Wong, star of the silver screen and the pride of Chinatown, has a face known to practically anyone, especially to the Chow sisters—May, Gemma, and Peony—Lulu's former classmates and neighbors. So the girls instantly know it's Lulu whose body they discover one morning in an out-of-the-way stable, far from the Beverly Hills mansion where she moved once her fame skyrocketed. Worried that neither the police nor the papers will treat a Chinese girl fairly—no matter how famous and wealthy—the sisters set out to solve their friend’s murder themselves.
I saw this book on someone else’s list and it looked intriguing because the setting and the characters! I don’t read much YA Historical Fiction so this will also be a somewhat new genre for me.
I don’t know anything about the author, but wanted to give this one a shot!
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Genre: Rom-Com
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.
Daphne is on the verge of “falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex” who is her exact opposite and also her new roommate. What could go wrong?
I’ve enjoyed the Emily Henry books that I’ve read and I have Happy Place on my list to-read as well.
She writes humor well. While some of the sexual content is a bit more than I would like, the humor and story usually overshadow that.
I’m looking forward to another Henry rom-com and see what avenues a new love story takes!
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Genre: Mystery/Science Fiction
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Outside the island there is the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony.
Until, one day, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 92 hours, the fog will smother the island – and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer – and they don't even know it…
This plot really intrigued me. I don’t know much about the author, but the title and plot grabbed my attention and I’m already invested in this story and I haven’t even started it yet!
My question is: does the murderer even know they murdered someone??
This one is going to be a doozy!
A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Release Date: May 28, 2024
Shortened Goodreads Summary: Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth? 1999: The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Now: Twenty-two years later, Pepper’s daughter shows up with news of Pepper’s death. Zoey wants answers about her mother’s past. As Zoey continues to dig into the past, all of Scarlett’s buried secrets threaten to rise to the surface.
I enjoyed Hendricks’ book I Didn’t Do It. That book seemed a little more light-hearted than what I expect this one to be like.
My qualm with her other book was the language so maybe that will be less in this one. But what I loved about the other one was the writing style, the suspense, and the ending. I’m hopeful this one has the same components!
Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life by Mark Vroegop
Genre: Christian Living
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: Vroegop explores what it means to wait on God through 6 important characteristics―waiting is hard, common, biblical, slow, commanded, and relational. This book not only teaches readers how to wait on God but inspires them to embrace waiting―for it prompts wisdom from God and brings invaluable peace to the present.
If there is one thing I hate, it’s waste. Wasting food, wasting time, wasting money, wasting opportunities. So when I see a book about how something ISN’T a waste, I feel compelled to read it.
Plus I really liked Vroegop’s book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy and I feel like this book will be equally encouraging and validating. Waiting is hard and it’s easy to feel like time is wasting away, but I’m looking forward to the insights in this book that will help me view waiting in a more biblical and helpful light.
Revelation: Eternal King, Everlasting Kingdom by Jen Wilkin
Genre: Theology
Release Date: July 1, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: Over 10 sessions of verse-by-verse Bible study, Jen Wilkin helps you discover how the last book of the Bible—the culmination of God's great story—speaks both a steadying word of assurance and a strong call to endure to the church in every age.
I tend to avoid the book of Revelation. It’s hard to understand and I often wonder how much of it matters today.
I’ve always loved Jen Wilkin’s studies and her ability to make sense of Scripture and teach us how to read it.
I think this will be a great way to study Revelation and I am actually looking forward to reading it!
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: August 29, 2024
Goodreads Blurb: The Life Impossible is a story of wild adventure, deep transformation and gloriously heart-warming characters. It shows how a new outlook can burst into life at any moment and change everything.
There’s not much out there on this one, probably because it’s out so much later in the year, but I enjoyed The Midnight Library which won Goodreads’ Best Fiction in 2020.
I enjoyed the philosophical bent to that story so I’m interested to see where he goes with this one!
I’ll try to update the book cover and the blurb once I know more about it!
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