The only 24 books worth reading in 2024

Below are 24 books worth reading in 2024. The list contains 12 nonfiction titles and 12 fiction stories evenly divided across different genres.

Nonfiction:

Memoir: 

1. Educated by Tara Westover

(4.47/5 ⭐️)

Paints a portrait of tenacious self-transformation from an isolated, fundamentalist upbringing to graduating Cambridge.

2. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

(4.40/5 ⭐️)

A neurosurgeon faces terminal cancer with candor, searching for meaning when life ends too soon.

History:

3. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

(4.37/5 ⭐️)

An epic history of humankind questions accepted narratives and envisions provocative possibilities for our species' future.

4. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

(4.21/5 ⭐️)

A whimsical journey through science and time conveys our cosmic insignificance yet honors scientific wonders shaping life as we know it.

Science:

5. Cosmos by Carl Sagan

(4.39/5 ⭐️)

Science's poetry conveyed in magnificent prose inspires awe at the universe's grandeur and renews hope in humanity's potential.

6. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

(4.21/5 ⭐️)

A brilliant mind elucidates spacetime, black holes, and our quest to grasp the universe's deepest mysteries in simple, elegant language. 

Self-Help:

7. Atomic Habits by James Clear

(4.36/5 ⭐️)

Small, steady steps compound into remarkable results when applied consistently with wisdom and patience. 

8. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

(4.29/5 ⭐️)

Vulnerability fortifies belonging, creativity, and love -- if we believe ourselves worthy and embrace emotional risks despite the pain.

Finance/Business:

9. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

(4.35/5 ⭐️)

Shrewd insights explain how human behavior shapes financial outcomes more than intelligence or expertise.

10. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

(4.17/5 ⭐️)

Monopolies and value creation, not competition, drives progress -- dare to think for yourself and build the future.

Psychology:

11. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

(4.41/5 ⭐️)

Trauma imprints the body and fragments the mind until we integrate experiences that words can't contain.

12. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

(4.18/5 ⭐️)

Our minds employ two systems of thinking -- learn their quirks to enhance decision making, judgment, and well-being.

Fiction:

Science Fiction:

14. The Martian by Andy Weir

(4.41/5 ⭐️)

Stranded on Mars, an astronaut's scientific ingenuity and defiant spirit exemplify human resilience against impossible odds.

13. Dune by Frank Herbert

(4.26/5 ⭐️)

Science fiction's deepest epic chronicles civilization's future through the lens of an interstellar power struggle over spice.

Historical Fiction:

15. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

(4.61/5 ⭐️)

Two sisters confront the horrors of WWII in their own ways, transformed into heroes who find light in the darkness.

16. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

(4.32/5 ⭐️)

A blind French girl and German boy cling to humanity as war and evil engulf continents and crash their lives together.

Literary Fiction:

17. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

(4.34/5 ⭐️)

Four college friends' buoyant youth gives way to the abiding power of love and family amidst one's unbearable trauma.  

18. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

(4.20/5 ⭐️)

Bittersweet bonds of creativity and love entwine two friends building a wildly successful video game over a life-changing decade.

Mystery/Thriller:

19. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

(4.34/5 ⭐️)

Obsessive curiosity entangles a high schooler in her town's violent mysteries and hidden darkness behind the mundane.

20. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

(4.18/5 ⭐️)

A criminal psychotherapist unravels his mute client's cryptic past, only to become ensnared himself.

Horror:

21. The Stand by Stephen King

(4.31/5 ⭐️)

A biological weapon decimates humanity and the survivors' nightmares manifest in an apocalyptic fight between good and evil.

22. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty 

(4.20/5 ⭐️)

Evil takes demonic form, testing a doubting priest's faith in human goodness and God against the darkness in men's souls.

Romance:

23. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

(4.31/5 ⭐️)

A female chemist mixes up a formula of self-acceptance, laughter, and love while searching for her soulmate amid 1950's social constraints.

24. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

(4.15/5 ⭐️)

A cutthroat literary agent unexpectedly discovers magic, laughter, and love through the lens of a sun-filled small town.

Dear readers, as the new year dawns, may it bring you an abundance of joy, wisdom, fulfillment, and precious time spent with loved ones. Wishing you all the best in 2024!❤️

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