In Episode 184, Susie (@NovelVisits) and I close out the year with our Best Books of 2024 Genre Awards. We reveal our Overall Best Books (Fiction and Nonfiction) and our full breakdown by genre, including: Best Literary Fiction, Best Romance, Best Brain Candy, Best Genre Mash-Up, and more! Plus, we're sharing the winners for these same genres as chosen by the Sarah's Bookshelves Live Patreon community! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcements My 2025 Reading Tracker is out! Plus, this year we've added another option — a LITE Tracker. Once again, the Tracker is ONLY available to Superstars patrons (i.e., no longer available as a separate purchase for $14.99 here on my website). Also, to avoid Apple's 30% fee, be sure to join directly from Patreon's site, mobile or desktop. Become a Superstars Patron here! Instructions for how to give an SBL Patreon membership as a gift. Highlights Podcast reflections from 2024 — including top episodes based on download stats. A brief overview of Susie's and Sarah's 2024 year in reading. Our favorite books of the year: overall and by genre, including the SBL Patreon Community's picks. 2024 Genre Awards [16:45] Sarah Leaving by Roxana Robinson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:52] Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:21] Anna Bright is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:12] The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:42] The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:26] JFK Jr. by RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:25] Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:42] How To End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:11] Real Americans by Rachel Khong | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:46] Victim by Andrew Boryga | Amazon | Bookshop.org [57:26] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:40] Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:04:24] Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:07:09] Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:08:47] Susie Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:59] Sandwich by Catherine Newman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:05] Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:42] What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:43] The Women by Kristin Hannah | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:41] The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:16] One Day I'll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman by Abi Maxwell | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:47] Funny Story by Emily Henry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:23] Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:54] The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:02] The Husbands by Holly Gramazio | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:18] Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:14] Perris, California by Rachel Stark | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:02:44] Liars by Sarah Manguso | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:05:18] Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:07:09] Patrons James by Percival Everett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:55] Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:43] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:16] The Women by Kristin Hannah | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:35] The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:10] Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten | Amazon | Bookshop.org[43:33] Funny Story by Emily Henry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:59] Annie Bot by Sierra Greer | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:28] The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56;10] You Like It Darker by Stephen King | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:39] Victim by Andrew Boryga | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:58] Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:54] Piglet by Lottie Hazzell | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:03:22] The Husbands by Holly Gramazio | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:06:16] Other Books Mentioned Mercury by Amy Jo Burns [20:10] Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout [20:13] All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker [20:27] The Wedding People by Alison Espach [20:37] We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman [22:17] Bad Blood by John Carreyrou [24:27] She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey [24:40] Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford [28:10] A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey [28:23] Good Material by Dolly Alderton [28:27] The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz [28:57] Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra [31:55] The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean [32:00] Worst Case Scenario by T. J. Newman [32:05] Falling by T. J. Newman [32:20] Drowning by T. J. Newman [32:21] The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali [36:03] Spare by Prince Harry [37:20] The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt [40:00] Challenger by Adam Higginbotham [40:28] The Wives by Simone Gorrindo [44:46] Sociopath by Patric Gagne, Ph.D. [45:09] Consent by Jill Ciment [45:15] The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop [45:21] Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley [45:31] One Way Back by Christine Blasey Ford [45:34] Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner [45:43] There's Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib [45:48] People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry [47:10] Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez [48:51] The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center [48:59] Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood [49:02] Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan [49:34] Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell [49:44] The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard [53:47] The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown [56:12] Bride by Ali Hazelwood [56:27] Diavola by Jennifer Thorne [57:06] We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer [57:11] Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller [59:17] Colored Television by Danzy Senna [59:22] I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue [59:27] We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay by Gary Janneti [59:35] There There by Tommy Orange [1:00:27] Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez [1:01:40] When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson [1:01:59] Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar [1:03:35] Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen [1:03:56] How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica [1:04:11] The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden [1:04:21] Bear by Julia Phillips [1:06:18] The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley [1:06:25] The Fury by Alex Michaelides [1:06:51] The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff [1:08:10] Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver [1:10:27] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [1:10:28] Top Podcast Episodes [4:40] Ep. 158: Best Books of 2023 Genre Awards with Susie (@NovelVisits) Ep. 160: The Best Backlist Books We Read in 2023 with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) Ep. 159: Winter 2024 Book Preview with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) Ep. 157: Best Books of 2023 Superlatives with Susie (@NovelVisits) Ep. 164: Winter 2024 Circle Back with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) Ep. 163: Classics & Retellings 101 with Sara Hildreth (@FictionMatters) Ep. 156: 2023 State of the Industry with Sarah Landis (Literary Agent) Ep. 162: BookTok 101 with Leigh Stein (Author & Journalist) Ep. 178: Behind the Scenes of Amazon's Best Books Lists with Al Woodworth, Senior Editor & Manager of Amazon Books Editorial Ep. 179: From Corporate America to Indie Bookstore Owner with Gayle Weiswasser (Co-Founder of Wonderland Books) Ep. 167: Circling Back to 2018 in Books with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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