Favourite Books of 2024 | Modern Books

[@Rosiemayj]

Cuddy is my favourite read of 2024 also, I read it in January, and l've had a wonderful reading year, this book is so so unique. I also read The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers which was fantastic. Learned by Heart is on my shelf, am planning to read in February. I'm so intrigued by a historical novel that you think is better than Fingersmith! adding that on to my TBR, and many others on your list 😊

[@MilenaReads]

It took me way too long to watch this video. Added so many books to my Goodreads! 🥰

[@AbiofPellinor]

EmpireLand is one I've been meaning to read ever since I picked up his kids non-fiction that was absolutely fantastic!

[@susannafrench3155]

I read The Mars House on your recommendation and am now obsessed. I was eager to keep reading, but also dreaded finishing it because then it would be over. I’ll now be seeking out every other book by the author that I can get my hands on.

[@katiejlumsden]

Natasha Pulley is wonderful! Her other books are wonderful, too.

[@margaretwhittaker7519]

Here's one thing (of the many things) I like about your lists, Katie. You focus on what you liked and not on what you didn't like. I really appreciate that.

[@spreadbookjoy]

I’ve had Empire land on my TBR for far too long! Must get to it this year. The Twelve sounds great and I can see it’s illustrated by Tom De Freston who I absolutely love. I need to read some Emily Henry! And Tom Mead! I have strange Sally diamond on my TBR as well - Charlie sent it to me and you really piqued my interest to prioritise it. As well as the little stranger. So many books here that I’ve now added to my wish list! I knew this would be a dangerous video to click on😂 my favourite book of the year was Cloud Cuckoo Land - that was truly a love letter to books and stories. Part historical fiction part Science Fiction, fantastic characterisation and just so compelling!

[@katiejlumsden]

Empireland is fascinating! Strange Sally Diamond is great, but it's very, very dark. And I must read Cloud Cuckoo Land sometime!

[@spreadbookjoy]

@ I think you would love it!

[@heathercumbo.y9332]

The Little Stranger!!!!!❤❤❤❤ First time I've heard this book mentioned. Everyone talks about her Fingersmith and tends to overlook this one.

[@katiejlumsden]

I really loved The Little Stranger!

[@1book1review]

I love watching favorites lists, despite not being able to come up with one myself. Having said that, I was really captivated and impressed by Mars House as well.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I couldn't narrow it down so I have quite a few favorites I talk about in my own video. I even forgot to mention the Kindle books that were favorites this year. haha

[@caileansteed]

Aahhh, my colleague told me she’d been watching your video and had seen Home on it! Thank you so much for including it Katie 🥰🥰 And I love your list - The Mars House was definitely one of my books of the year, too!

[@katiejlumsden]

I loved reading Home so much :)

[@thaiziono96]

What a great video! I included some in my TBR, Emily Henry books, "Empireland", non-fiction was a genre I read the most in 2024 and "Strange Sally Diamond", this last one seems very disturbing, thanks for the heads up about this book ;)

[@BookishAdventuresInWellbeing]

What a great selection Katie. Wishing you a very happy new year! ♥️

[@ReadingNymph]

I've heard so many conflicting opinions on Strange Sally that I need to now give it a try 😅

[@GemofBooks]

Ahhh - my TBR just exploded! Alice would have been so delighted to know that you are reading The Dark is Rising 🧡

[@FullyBookedMelissa]

I need to find a copy of Cuddy to read!

[@jacksontalley]

I’m so glad you liked Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! One of my favs. Happy new year! 🎉

[@katiejlumsden]

So good!

[@CharlieBrookReads]

This is always an extremely dangerous list but at least I have my gift cards ready 😅❤️❤️ Great list Katie. 📚❤️

[@katiejlumsden]

Haha, so true when watching favourite books of the year videos!

[@veroreads]

So many great books! 😍My tbr is getting longer and longer! 😅

[@tonihammes33]

Your book has shown up on the year end best book lists of other booktubers I follow. Congratulations!!

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks ☺️

[@Jaden-zu9wc]

A drama and danger being on here ❤❤❤❤ it's so underated and fun.

[@FortheLoveofStory]

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow was also one of my favorite books of the year. I was so surprised by how much I liked it because it's gotten so much hype, but it really was great.

[@katiejlumsden]

It was just so amazing!

[@barbarahelgaker390]

Oh Cuddy is just wonderful, I have also read his latest Rare Singles, very different but still a very moving book.

[@katiejlumsden]

I'm super keen to read more from Benjamin Myers!

[@oscarsimon1998]

Got The Winter Spirits on my 2024 favourites list too! 🤓

[@toweringtbr]

You've convinced me to try The Mars House.

[@novellenovels]

Your book is obviously in my top five books. Tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow is also in thst top five. I do also love another lex croucher book

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks so much, Emily :)

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Great list Katie. I have the problem that I gave 30 books 5 stars last year. I can whittle it down. Unless I make it 3/4 lists Best debuts Best Irish Most surprising?

[@RKStumblingbear]

I have read Book Lovers and I really enjoyed this.

[@BookishTexan]

Cuddy is so good. It’s wondrous. Hoping to get to more Emily Henry titles soon.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebooks]

Always happy to see love for Cuddy.

[@katiejlumsden]

What a glorious book it is :)

[@danieljackson3367]

Technically not a favourite a book of 2024, but I just finished Maurice by E.M. Forster today. What a powerful and beautiful book it is! I had been alerted to it by your Forster Week video on it, which I have just rewatched - so thank you for that.

[@katiejlumsden]

Such an incredible book!

[@badfaith4u]

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson and Funny Story by Emily Henry were my favourite books of 2024.

[@jamesduggan7200]

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is on my tbr for 2025, as is Shark Heart - a novel about a wife struggling with the gradual transformation of her husband into a killer shark. Older people often must deal with the slow sad fate of a loved one but for a younger person the realization that the light at the end of the tunnel is almost as frightening as the darkness of caregiving must be cataclysmic. Perhaps so catastrophic a writer cannot address it directly and must therefore set the struggle in some fictive world where people sometimes transform into animals. The Great Divide sounds intriguing. A few years ago I listened to a history of the construction. I suppose today somewhere in the world there are mega projects still, tho as best I can tell most are bizarre failures. There are brand new empty cities in the desert and enormous superstructures in regions unable to support them. Then of course there is the final frontier, Space. Also, I think that I shall add Emily Henry to my tbr, as the buzz just keeps getting louder and louder.

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

Better than Fingersmith?! Sounds like a book for me 😁📚

[@katiejlumsden]

I think you might like The Square of Sevens!

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

@katiejlumsden I picked it up from the library today, it's very heavy!

[@Tom-gq6tf]

what was that book you liked about a play that never ends in the centre of london? :)

[@katiejlumsden]

That would be The Theatre of Glass and Shadows by Anne Corlett! A favourite of mine from 2023 (although I read an early copy, and it actually came out in 2024).

[@Tom-gq6tf]

@ thank you! I’m going to give it a go.

[@toniweller6008]

💙🥂📚

[@LeanneRose]

🩵🩵🩵

[@andyiswonderful]

I love your channel, but I notice that the great majority of the books you review are by female authors. Why is that? Men write great books, too. You praised Tom Mead's books, so a man squeaked in here. I think that you preferentially pick up books by female authors. Are you self editing? Anyway, I love, love, love your channel. Cheers to you. Thanks for all of your interesting videos.

[@danieljackson3367]

Several other men feature in this list and Katie reviews plenty of classics by men. Her favourite author is Charles Dickens, so it is rather strange that you feel the need to remind her that men can write great books too. Given that reviews and lists of best books have so often been dominated by men, I find it curious that some men seem so defensive when there is a list where most of the books are by women.

[@katiejlumsden]

I was looking at my reading stats for the year the other day, and in 2024 I read 77 books by women and 73 books by men, so that is a pretty even split. This video does indeed happen to feature more female authors, but it's not true that the great majority of the books I review are by female authors - certainly not with the amount I talk about Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope!