My Top Reads of 2024

Let’s get it!!! Another year of my favourite reads.

2024 was a really great reading year for me. I decided to have a reading goal of 50 and currently I’ve read 72 – hoping to make that 75 before the year ends.

I’ve read romance, fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers and so much more. I’ve discovered new authors, re read some favourite books and just truly enjoyed the whole reading experience. I’ve really been in my Black romance bag so stay tuned for a part 2/3 of my Best Romance Reading Lists.

Anyways, I’ve made a list of 19 books because I simply refuse to pick 10 books, but couldn’t pick 20. So let’s get into it.

19. Rhythm’s Blues by Kimberly Brown

Fantastically good. If you like romance books set in the music industry, you’ll love reading about Rhythm and Channing. This has a lot of pop culture references which at times I would cringe at. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take anything away from the yearning between these two characters. Also, I want a physical copy for this cover alone. It’s GORGEOUS.

18. The Love Interest by Helen Comerford

Superheroes. Women with agency. A YA romance that is super sweet, action-packed and exciting? 15 year old me LOVED this so much. And I had so much fun chatting with Helen about this book too. It’s the first in a series and I hope more people come to this book!

17. Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr

I really enjoyed this and I’m starting to realise I’m a big fan of books that explore the complexities of motherhood. This was tender and incredibly thoughtful. It has themes of racial identity, loss and betrayal. If you’re interested in books that discuss adoption, IVF and more, you’ll probably enjoy reading this too.

16. For Such A Time As This by Shani Akilah

If you’re Black British, you’ll definitely find this book SO relatable. This was an achingly good short story collection with themes of family, friendship, grief and more. Shani delves into health issues like sickle cell and endometriosis in a way that I know many of us find incredibly important.

15. Relationship Goals by Christina C. Jones

If you’re looking for a super quick Black romance fix, this is it. I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised at the pacing, considering how short it is. It didn’t feel rushed or drawn out, which is impressive. I think the thing I liked the most was the representation of Sickle Cell Disease. Considering SCD affects so many Black people, it was really lovely to see and read about.

14. Morning Star by Pierce Brown

So I read the Red Rising series – a sci-fi, dystopian book. Think Star Wars meets The Hunger Games. Truthfully, I was torn apart for a month. It was brutal but I had A TIME. Amazingly good. I could never guess where the plot would go next. Honestly, I started off reading this series with such low expectations and was taken on such a journey. It took me a while to recover. Controversially, I think this book was my favourite of the whole series.

13. Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

After The Love Hypothesis, I was quite sceptical to read this. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I love when authors show deep interests and this was so much fun to read. Very heartwarming – and definitely one of my favourites of the Ali Hazelwood books.

12. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

If you enjoyed The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix Show), you’ll really enjoy this book. I had SUCH a great time reading this. It was super sweet and nerdy in the best way. I could have read another book about these two characters – that’s how much I enjoyed it.

11. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

This is Sherlock Holmes meets Attack on Titans and it really delivered. I read this as a buddy read and my friend and I devoured the plot, the characters and the suspense. It was written super well, and I’m very much intrigued to read the next book in the series.

10. Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah

Oh this BROKE me. I had a feeling it might but I still wasn’t prepared for it. If you’re a fan of books that make you cry, add this book to your wish list! You won’t be disappointed. An exploration of motherhood, family pressures, love and more. You won’t want to put this down!

9. Let The Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

If the cover doesn’t convince you, please let my review to do the job! This was so CUTE. I loved the Olympic backdrop to this book. It’s a romance book at the core, but it’s also a story of self-love, family and of course, community. The plethora of cultures only adds to this book and I think it’s such a perfect summer read! Also, the olympic ring colours for the title – GENIUS!

8. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My friends had been pleading with me to read this for months and for some reason, I just never picked it up. It wasn’t until she gave me her copy, did I actually sit down and read it. Gosh, I get the hype. It’s so well deserved. Amazingly written. I had to buy a copy for myself. I did not see the plot twist coming and I almost threw the book across the room!

7. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

Another buddy read with my friend and we were both SO sceptical. We’d seen all the 5 star reviews on Tiktok but we tried to go into it with an open mind. Guys. Believe the hype. This book was worth it. In fact, I’m still shocked I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. The vampires? The protagonist? The romance? THE PLOT TWIST? Very well done.

6. Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

Sometime in March/April, I read a few incredible books back to back. This was one of them. I’m such a big fan of Nigerian literature because of how beautifully written they tend to be. And this book hit the mark for me. I loved the journey it takes you on with the main protagonist and I’m very excited to read what the author writes next.

5. Jaded by Ela Lee

I simply could not put this down. A heart aching read but a tender one. An important empowering read that leave you in tears. Humorous in parts, this was written incredibly well. It’s a book that explores racism, classism and sexism at every turn.

4. On Merit Alone by Adorabol Huckleby-Ordaz

This is a masterclass in yearning that romance books need more of! This was everything! I stayed up until 2am to finish this book and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a week straight. If you love Love and Basketball, you’ll really enjoy this book. It was SO good and I need more people to read it.

3. The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

The fact I’m putting this book at number 3 is wild because it was THAT good. Believe all the reviews on this book. Honestly, I was in tears 30% of the way through. There’s a line from this book that will FOREVER haunt me. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’d love for the author to go back and write more books in this series but I’d equally happy if she leaves it as a standalone. I’m 100% reading whatever she puts out next.

2. Allow Me To Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli

This book has made me look at social media children in a new light. I see it everywhere. Popular social media families now make me uncomfortable. The beginning was slow but once you get to the middle, the pace picks up and you’re gripped. I didn’t want to put this down. I couldn’t stop thinking about it – and still can’t. Beautifully done.

1. Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson

I LOVE LOVE Caribbean literature to the moon and back. This was a Caribbean Matilda and I was obsessed with it. I adored Pumkin and rooted for her throughout. Fans of The Girl with the Louding Voice, will enjoy this book too.

And that concludes my list of favourite reads for 2024! I would highly recommend all of these books. They’re all so great in different ways.

Despite being SO quiet this year with blogging, it’s been a phenonemal year for this blog. I’m so grateful for everything. I’d love to say for certain that I’m 100% coming back to blogging but I don’t want to put any pressure on it. I still post on Instagram so do follow us there for updates on what I’m reading!

This is my last post for 2024! I’ll back, as per usual, in the new year with my most anticipated books for 2025!

Have a lovely new year and wishing everyone the best for 2025!