Best & Worst Books of 2024!

To end the year, I’m going to talk about the top 10 best & the worst books I’ve read this year! No book will be excluded! Whether its new books, or books that have been around the block for a while! Be warned there will be spoilers!

10. Don’t Tell Me How To Die by Marshall Karp

Category: Worst

Don’t Tell Me How To Die is about Maggie McCormac Dunn who has a fantastic husband & two beautiful children. Maggie’s life gets hit with a curveball when she realizes at 43 she has the same blood cancer that killed her mom. She wants to choose a replacement wife for her husband, so the single women and widows don’t swarm her vulnerable husband like cats to an overturned milk truck. After all it did happen to her father and an evil woman named Connie Gilchrist almost got Maggie & her sister Lizzie’s father. Luckily Maggie put a stop to it. It should also be mentioned that she was voted most likely to kill someone to get what she wants. While this sounds great on paper, unfortunately it fell flat. The story dragged at times, but I was entertained. What ruined the story was everything and the kitchen sink was thrown in and the twists felt farfetched. Maggie ends up killing the almost wicked stepmom & had her drug dealer friend with benefit Johnny Rollo help cover up the crime. I also think he had something to do with her husband’s death because conveniently he wanted to kill her too.

9. The Inhabitants by Beth Castrodale

Category: Best

The Inhabitants To say portrait painter Nilda Ricci had her fair share of misfortune is an understatement. Recently divorced, becoming a single mother and losing her mother, her luck seems to change after she inherits a Victorian Home. The original architect who built it claimed it influenced the mind. Nilda’s new home does bring a gift a housekeeper named Helen who cleans the home for free & a handsome neighbor named Graham whose tonic brings forth her creativity. Not long after moving in and working on a painting inspired by revenge, strange things occur. Nilda’s daughter Sidney befriends a boy named Alex that might not be an imaginary friend. Graham & his tonics aren’t what they seem… What makes this a great book is there’s a mystery and there’s ghosts! It was slow at times, but I still enjoyed it and it kept you interested till the last page. That ending was a twist! I could see a haunting sequel.

8. The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

Category: Worst

Nineteen-year-old Yayoi lives with her loving parents and her brother Tetsuo. Lately though, Yayoi has been haunted by a feeling that she’s forgotten something from her childhood and her past. This premonition grows stronger, and it is as though she was being called to it, goes to stay with her Aunt Yukino. Yukino is rather odd, when she isn’t working, she is in her pajamas, clipping her nails and trimming her ends. Yukino eats only when she feels like it & falls asleep on her side in the hallway. Yukino wakes Yayoi up at 2 am to be her drinking buddy and serves flan in a serving bowl for dinner and watches Friday the 13^th to comfort herself. As the story goes on, Yayoi starts to remember things and her beloved Aunt Yukino disappears and Yayoi must find out what happened to her. I’ve been reading lots of Japanese fiction the past few years and I’ve heard rave reviews of Banana Yoshimoto, so I gave her a try. I liked the concept, and I thought they were going to do more with the premonition and the ghosts. Sadly, I was disappointed. I do like the characters of Yayoi & her Aunt Yukino, who is really her sister. What’s very creepy is even though Testuo is not really Yayoi’s brother, they end up having sexy time and its rather creepy considering while they aren’t blood related, they grew up like siblings. I will give Banana Yoshimoto a chance in the future so she might have better work out there.

7. Tokyo Noir by Jake Adelstein

Category: Best

In this long-awaited sequel to 2009’s Tokyo Vice, in Tokyo Noir Jake has gotten his enemy Goto Tadamasa banished from the yakuza and he’s gone from investigative reporter to private eye doing due diligence work. Things seem to be fine until hardship hits Jake like a bus when he finds out he has another enemy to defeat, himself. While many times sequels aren’t as good as the original, there are times where the sequel is just as good, or even surpass the original. Tokyo Noir surpasses Tokyo Vice. It was interesting reading about TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) & the Fukishima Meltdown. We also read about the Olympic committee having yakuza ties. When it came to Jake suffering in his personal life, be prepared to get water works. I know I had to pray several rosaries to get through it. It was rough reading about Jake suffering through liver cancer, him making choices that were not good and then the death of his friend Michel.  Saigo, from The Last Yakuza was back a few times and he gave Jake great advice, and I thought, Wow someone who used to be from the yakuza and I agree on this! What I did find humorous was Jake’s daughter Beni had to tell Jake what BFF meant because he didn’t know what that meant. My favorite line from Tokyo Noir is If you don’t really want to know the answer, don’t ask the question. Many people think they want the truth, or ought to know the truth, but when you tell it to them, they act as though you’ve personally assaulted them. Many of us relate to this quote because we all know people who think that they are always right despite knowing the contrary. Tokyo Noir is part true crime & part memoir and a reminder that yes life is tough but we are tougher.

6. The Last Time She Saw Him by Kate White

Category: Worst

It’s summertime in New York City, but Katherine “Kiki” Reed isn’t in a sunny mood. Kiki recently broke off her engagement to Jamie Larsson, who’s a great guy just not her guy and while she knows it’s for the best, she feels guilty for breaking his heart. When Kiki is invited to go to a close friend’s party at her summer house in Connecticut, Kiki excepts. Jamie will be there, but Kiki doesn’t let that stop her. Their interaction post break up is brief and slightly awkward. That would be the last time Kiki sees him alive as Jamie is found dead in his car from a gunshot wound. The police rule it as a suicide, but Kiki knows Jamie wouldn’t kill himself. Kiki is determined to find the truth, no matter the cost to her own life.  The Last Time She Saw Him, is your typical murder mystery & the writing was decent. While I didn’t like Sam, the best friend of the dead ex-fiancé, I did grow to like him. I liked the chemistry between him and Kiki even if how they get together is a bit morbid. While the reveal is a twist, I think how the reveal was well revealed was not the greatest.

5. The Vacancy In Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass 

Category: Best

The Vacancy In Room 10 is from the point of view of two women. Anna is a widow grieving the supposed suicide of her husband Henry. Henry claimed that he killed someone. Though the suicide was ruled out when his body washed up on the Rio Grande & police told her, he was already dead when they found his body. Anna must put the pieces together to find out what happened and why someone would want Henry dead. Cassidy has been running the Sycamores, after being kicked out by her wealthy cheating long term boyfriend. Cass barely makes it as a superintendent and ends up blackmailing sleazy men threatening to expose their infidelity to their wives if they don’t pay up. Blackmailing is easy and no one gets hurt until the wrong one does get hurt. Both situations force Anna & Cass in each other’s presence questioning if they can trust each other. I love Anna & Cass & I also thought the side characters were hilarious! I love the fact the setting was out West and that the twist as to who killed Henry and why was a twist & more secrets are exposed!

4. April Storm by Leila Meacham

Category: Worst

Kathryn Walker lives a life many would dream of. Kathryn’s husband is a successful doctor, her children are brilliant and in college, & Kathryn herself devotes her time to charity work which makes everyone in her Colorado community feel grateful. Though the month of April comes and it’s always a difficult time for her after losing a baby that month many years ago. Kathryn also has a stalker coming after her. Kathryn with the help of an ex veteran Mike, must figure out who’s following her what he wants and why? It was a great concept, and I know it was Leila’s final book before passing away in 2021, but it was her first time writing a mystery book. I like Mike who chose to help her and how he had his own personal reasons for doing so. The other characters I didn’t care for & for a short book it dragged! As to who was stalking Kathryn & why, the reveal made sense but unfortunately it was disappointing. Everything also seemed to be tied up too neatly and conveniently. I might read her other books which many readers of hers said were better.

3. The Happy High Achiever 8 Essentials To Overcome Anxiety, Manage Stress, And Energize Yourself For Success-Without Losing Your Edge by Mary E. Anderson 

Category: Best

The Happy High Achiever 8 Essentials To Overcome Anxiety, Manage Stress, And Energize Yourself For Success-Without Losing Your Edge by Mary E. Anderson is an important book to read as it gives great advice for us all, especially us goal oriented people to deal with stress, & anxiety. It’s good not just for work but for your personal life as well. There is so much I could talk about with this book but I would end up spoiling the entire thing. For a small book there is a ton of meat in there like a Cuban sandwich with pork, ham, Swiss cheese and mustard. The book gives healthy tools on how to deal with overthinking, anxiety and negative thoughts. Negative thoughts will sneak in, but we can tell ourselves things that will poke holes through them. Say for example, this list of best and worst books sucked. The way I can poke holes through this thought is, This is my personal opinion. My writing whether its reviews, newsletters Q&As and all the other book related topics are my own creative inventions & it’s what makes my blog uniquely mine. It was also great that Mary acknowledged the importance of all of us believing in a higher power that would help us. In 2019 I felt the call to watch a 5-day free email course about blogging and I knew it was Jesus calling me to do it. I thought to myself, “You know what? Why not? I have nothing to lose. Since then, I’ve never given up.

2. The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Category: Worst

James Becker who’s the curator at a museum focusing on the foundation of the now deceased famous (or infamous) artist Vanessa Chapman. Even in death, Vanessa still has her critics as one of her pieces has been revealed to have human bones instead of animal ones. It doesn’t make Vanessa look worse than she is, as her unfaithful husband Julian disappeared two decades before.  Becker is now going to have to get to the bottom of this and makes multiple trips to Eris Island. The island is only accessible 12 hours a day before high tide. Becker meets Grace who is still squatting at Vanessa’s home on the island. Becker doesn’t understand Vanessa & Grace’s relationship with one another but as he reads old journal entries and letters of Vanessa the truth slowly but surely becomes disturbingly clear. I love the concept for the novel, I’ve always been a huge fan of Paula Hawkins when I read The Girl On The Train back in 2016 & then three years ago, read Slow Fires Burning. The Scottish Island that is Eris Island was spectacular I love the setting. I also enjoyed reading Vanessa’s diary entries to see her side of the story. Naturally, I expected Paula to hit a slam dunk out of this. Here is where The Blue Hour became The Boring Hour or The Slog Hour. There was so much wordiness that it dragged. Douglas Lennox’s suspicious death was hinted at & we were proven right but then that plot was never touched on again. SPOILER The widow was the suspect! The ending isn’t clear. Is James dying or is he imagining that he is? I will still give Paula’s books a chance, but this one was The Boring Hour.

1. The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni

Category: Best

It is the year of the wood dragon and Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo Japan to open the legendary Dragon Box. The Dragon Box is a mysterious box created in the 19^th century that has remained unopened & unsolved for 150 years. Many have tried to open the box over the years, unfortunately the tricks, booby traps and poisons had gotten to them first. While the idea of him possibly dying and facing off against a faction from a disgraced samurai family working with an old enemy of course makes him nervous, he doesn’t let any of this deter him from solving this puzzle. The story and writing are exquisite! Danielle Trussoni is a master storyteller. I enjoy the fact that the setting is in Japan, and you don’t have to read the previous book to read this one. I love the characters of Mike, Sakura and the Japanese royal family. I even think the villains are well written and not one-dimensional cartoon villains. I like how in this book Mike had to learn that while life hadn’t worked out the way he would have liked, he had to recognize the true nature of his extraordinary gift.