Editor’s note: This story was originally published Dec. 13, 2024.
Reading was as popular as ever in 2024, and a variety of books trended on TikTok, as well as popular apps for tracking your reading, such as Goodreads and Storygraph.
Here is a look at 10 books released in 2024 that became instant hits and trended throughout the year.
Top 10 trending books of 2024
‘Funny Story’
Author: Emily Henry
Emily Henry, author of “People We Meet On Vacation” and “Beach Read,” released her latest romance novel, “Funny Story,” this year.
Plot summary: When Daphne and Miles’ exes break up with them to marry each other, the two become roommates.
One day, while sharing their sorrows with one another, they come up with a plan to get back at their exes by making them think they’re dating.
“But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé‘s new fiancée’s ex... right?” according to Goodreads.
“Funny Story” will be adapted into a film with the script written by Henry herself, according to Deadline.
‘The Women’
Author: Kristin Hannah
Plot summary: After her older brother ships out to serve in the Vietnam War, 20-year-old Frankie decides to join the Army Nurse Corps.
The book follows Frankie as she navigates life on the front lines of war, as well as after she returns home and works to figure out who she is outside of war.
“‘The Women’ is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten,” per Goodreads.
‘Just for the Summer’
Author: Abby Jimenez
Plot summary: When Justin takes to Reddit one day to describe what’s happening to him, the whole internet learns about his curse: Every woman he dates finds their soulmate right after 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,” per Goodreads.
Jimenez is a romance novelist whose other works include “The Friend Zone,” “Life’s Too Short” and “Part of Your World.”
‘First Lie Wins’
Author: Ashley Elston
Plot summary: “Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist,” per Goodreads.
“First Lie Wins” is the first adult thriller from author Elston. Her previous works include “10 Blind Dates” and “This is Our Story.”
The novel is being adapted into a series from Hulu, led by Krista Vernoff and Octavia Spencer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
‘James’
Author: Percival Everett
Plot summary: “A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,’ both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from Jim’s point of view,” according to Penguin Random House.
Jim, whose point of view the story is told from, is the enslaved man who joins Huck rafting down the Mississippi River.
Everett’s previous works include “Erasure” and “The Trees.”
‘Intermezzo’
Author: Sally Rooney
Plot summary: From the author of “Normal People,” “Intermezzo” is the story of two brothers: Peter, a lawyer, and Ivan, a competitive chess player. The book follows them as they navigate life after their father’s death.
“For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude — a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking,” per Goodreads.
‘The Ministry of Time’
Author: Kaliane Bradley
Plot summary: Set in the near future, “The Ministry of Time” is a spy thriller, a time travel romance and a workplace comedy rolled up into one.
“This romp of a spy thriller-meets-romance sees a civil servant help a time traveler from 1847 adjust to the modern world. But they soon question the program that united them,” according to People.
“The Ministry of Time” is Bradley’s debut novel.
‘House of Flame and Shadow’
Author: Sarah J. Maas
“House of Flame and Shadow” is the third book in the “Crescent City” series, following “House of Earth and Blood” and “House of Sky and Breath.”
Plot summary: “Sarah J. Maas’ Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse — with its future resting on their shoulders,” according to Goodreads.
Maas’ other popular series are “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.”
‘The Teacher’
Author: Freida McFadden
Plot summary: From the bestselling author of “The Housemaid,” “The Teacher” is a psychological thriller that tells a story of “twisting secrets and long-awaited revenge,” per Goodreads.
The book follows Eve, a high school teacher whose school is rocked by a scandal, and Addie, the student involved in the scandal.
‘The God of The Woods’
Author: Liz Moore
Plot summary: “In 1961 Bear Van Laar, 8, disappeared without a trace. Now, 14 years later, Bear’s teen sister has gone missing too. This taut dual-timeline suspense novel masterfully handles class and privilege,” according to People.
The book becomes a thrilling drama as it follows a panicked search for the missing girl. Along the way, secrets are revealed about both the Van Laar family and the community they live in.
Moore’s previous books include “Long Bright River,” “Heft” and “The Unseen World.”