Staff Picks: The Best Reads of 2024

Did you read the best books this year?

If you're looking for something good to read, you're in the right place. For the third year in a row, I had the pleasure of asking a staff of book lovers to tell me about their favorite books. I always say, no one knows books better than ThriftBooks and you know the bibliophiles of ThriftBooks have proven me right for a third time with even more fantastic suggestions! Romantasy, art history, vegans, Johnny Carson, suspense—this year's list has everything.

For those new to our Best Reads list, I ask two things: the best new release you read this year, meaning books published in 2024, and for the best book you read this year, no matter when it was published. Because whether it's new or new to you, it's still a good story. Catch up on last year's reading today with our Staff Picks: Best Reads of the Year. Read on for some amazing suggestions from certified book lovers.

The Best Books of 2024

Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! It masterfully combines romance, suspense, and faith in an engaging way. The premise was intriguing, and the mystery kept me guessing for a while!

Cassie S. - Supply Team

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

I pride myself on being able to figure out mystery books early on...but Elston was one step ahead of me the whole time! I might have literally thrown the book across the room at one point.

Sarah M. – Vintage Books

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

"All she wanted to do was pull them off the shelves just to smell them. Crack open those perfect spines and devour the contents. She wanted to live and breathe a different world. Something, anything, other than her own horrid reality. It would be easy to spend a lifetime in this room and never read every volume."—K.A. Linde, The Wren in the Holly Library. These are my exact feelings every time I'm in one of our ThriftBooks locations.

Danielle T. - Supply Team

Hello We Were Talking About Hudson edited by Steve Lafreniere

Hello We Were Talking About Hudson is such an engaging book! It dives into the life of Hudson, the legendary art dealer behind the influential Feature Inc. gallery. He was the guy who helped launch major artists like Richard Prince and Charles Ray, but what really stands out is how he prioritized creativity and idealism over making a quick buck. The book's packed with 35 interviews and essays from people who knew him well—it's like a love letter to his bold and unconventional approach to the art world, I loved it!

Kenneth C. - Vintage and Collectible Books

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

I waited a year for this book, and I loved it so much! What both characters went through felt incredibly real, and I was truly immersed in the story.

Diertra T. - Customer Service

Carson the Magnificent by Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas

In his day, Johnny Carson wasn't just the host of the most popular talk show on television—The Tonight Show—he was a star maker. A strong appearance on his show could take you straight to the A list. An unbelievably powerful guy. This book shows you, warts and all, who he really was.

Terry F. - Email Marketing

Big Vegan Flavor by Nisha Vora

This cookbook/guide to vegan, mostly Indian style, cooking by creator of Rainbow Plant Life on YouTube is very fun to read. It is a great heartfelt exploration of healthier, kinder meals.

Abigail S. – Vintage Books

The Best Reads of The Year

Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World by Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo

This book is incredible! It helped me understand my lifelong sensitivity and recognize it as a strength rather than a weakness. It offers valuable tools and strategies for thriving in life and reaching your full potential as someone deeply connected to the world and others. I highly recommend giving it a read!

Cassie S. - Supply Team

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

This is the first (2021) in a series of six books, the sixth book to be released in 2025. These books are about a 32-year-old divorcee novelist with two kids. One day she is in a restaurant with her literary agent discussing the premise of her new book and someone overhears and mistakes her for a hit-woman. It is a comical look at what ensues when she 'agrees' to take a job to help get rid of someone. It is a fun read and I am currently in the middle of book number two.

Sandi R. - Administrative Coordinator

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Mejia is a master story-weaver, sucking you in from the very first line! If you've ever wanted to read a YA Latina version of The Handmaid's Tale (though, much tamer!), then this is absolutely the book for you!

Sarah M. – Vintage Books

The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks pulled me right in with its powerful storytelling and rich Warhammer 40k lore. Watching Lion El'Jonson—one of my favorite primarchs—return after ten thousand years was incredible. He's a hero past his prime, struggling to find his place in a world that's moved on without him, and I loved seeing him reconnect with his sons in a mix of loyalty, tension, and redemption. This story of rediscovery and resilience has been my favorite fiction read this year—absolutely worth diving into for any Warhammer fan.

Michael F. - Customer Service

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

"Is there anything better than iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from hot coffee and a bookstore on a rainy day."—Emily Henry, Book Lovers. I chose this quote because there are no truer words written.

Danielle T. - Supply Team

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

A young woman's journey to exploring and unleashing her inner strengths to become the exact opposite of what she was trained and taught to be in life.

Olivia – Customer Service

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

"That's how hearts get broken, you know. When you believe in promises."

Odessia L. – Training Department

Hilary and Jackie by Hilary du Pré and Piers du Pré

This beautiful nostalgic but truthful recollections of Jackie's siblings explaining first her genius cello playing and then her debilitating illness amazed me. I watched the recorded live performances on YouTube and then practiced my cello.

Abigail S. – Vintage Books

The Getaway by Jim Thompson

A killer of a thriller written by one of the godfathers of bare-knuckled noir, Jim Thompson. And while there are great characters and tense scenes throughout, nothing, absolutely nothing, will prepare you for the ending, which is so bizarre and shocking that BOTH movie versions of the book excluded it. Remember the words El Rey.

Terry F. - Email Marketing

Paul Cezanne by Gerstle Mack

This book really brought the artist Cezanne to life for me. The author's research filled in many holes in the historic record regarding his friendship with other famous painters and writers.

William S. - Collectibles Director

Tell me about your best read of the year in the comments, you just might find some likeminded readers and even more picks in the comments!

Read more by Amanda Cleveland