In summer, many people reduce their working hours and find extra time to read. If you are among this group, congratulations! You’re living the dream.
So, we’re bringing you a list of the best books released in 2024 so far, ready for you to read outdoors with your favorite cold drink.
James, Percival Everett
Novel
Published: 2024
Pages: 320
Author’s nationality: USA
Jim flees with Huck down the Mississippi River when he discovers he is to be sold to a man in New Orleans and separated from his wife and child.
Sound familiar? Percival Everett reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain from the perspective of the enslaved Jim, giving an insightful, intelligent and sharply humorous account of social expectations and racism.
Everett is not content to simply rely on and expand the story, he makes it his own, likely turning it into what will be considered a new classic in the years to come.
Who’d like this?
James is the best book of 2024 according to Amazon and The New York Times, among others. So, readers who like contemporary American literature will be delighted by the sharpness, depth and honesty of this story that speaks loudly about humanity in the time of slavery.
Quotes
- “I hated the world that wouldn’t let me apply justice without the certain retaliation of injustice.”
- “I chose the word enemy, and still do, as oppressor necessarily supposes a victim.”
Readers say
- “Brilliant… must-read,” says an Amazon user.
- “Smart, witty, moving, funny and poignant,” says an Amazon user.
The Women, Kristin Hannah
Historical novel
Published: 2024
Pages: 480
Author’s nationality: USA
Frankie’s family has a long history of serving their country in wartime, the fact that she’s a woman doesn’t stop her from joining the nurse corps to go to Vietnam — because women can be heroes, too.
Kristin Hannah’s new novel chronicles the atrocities of war from the point of view of these women who don’t take the honors, but serve tirelessly. However, the worst of war is not only on the battlefield, it also comes home in the form of silenced psychological traumas, most visible in women forgotten by history and with stories of struggle denied by society.
Who’d like this?
Undoubtedly one of the best books of the season, perfect for those who want to read more women’s stories from areas rarely seen in literature.
Quotes
- “The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn’t quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”
- “In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.”
Readers say
- “I lived through this time and never realized how bad it really was. This book opened my eyes. It’s a beautiful, tragic, heartbreaking story,” says an Amazon user.
- “This is by far the best book I’ve read in a long time, so compelling, so hard to put down,” says an Amazon user.
Beautyland, Marie-Helene Bertino
Novel
Published: 2024
Pages: 336
Author’s nationality: USA
A story about the true longing for human connection with an extraterrestrial girl as the main character. Adina, an alien Earth-born girl, is in charge of informing the aliens about the Earth experience through an old fax machine.
She tries to make sense of human existence and adapt, but at many points she reaches conclusions such as: “Human beings don’t like when other human beings are happy.”
Who’d like this?
Readers with an interest in human nature will find a treasure in this book. Through the eyes of Adina, one of the most fascinating characters of recent times, people will be able to reflect on their own concerns and the inevitable reality of feeling different.
Quotes
- “They cannot afford to be smart with money.”
- “Adulthood seems like a yearslong equation to beat traffic.”
Readers say
- “This book is about everything but you don’t realize it until the end. I loved the characters, the cities, the references and what they meant to me in the particular and in the general. I am going to read it again right away,” says an Amazon user.
- “I am transported, both to some beyond and also so deeply within my own memory and spirit and roller coaster of emotion,” says an Amazon user.