Top 10 Books of 2024
Another year. Another 72 books. Another post about my favorite reads from the past 12 months. I’ve narrowed the list down to my top 10 books from 2024, but I can only offer them to you in the order I read them. Please don’t ask me to rank them any further than that.
Also, realize this top 10 excludes the Bible, which truly would be at the top of my list every time, as I re-read it cover-to-cover each year following this reading plan. If you have time to read only one book in 2025, that’s always the first one I’d recommend.
But if you have time for more, check the following titles:
My 10 Best Books of 2024
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
A young orphan girl is as timid and nervous as the three spinster aunts who are bringing her up. But when one aunt falls sick, Betsy is sent to live with relatives whose ways are completely foreign to her, and a marvelous transformation occurs.
Fans of the Little House books or Anne of Green Gables series are sure to love Understood Betsy as much as we did. It’s a sweet and heartwarming story.
Another Gospel by Alisa Childers
Another Gospel examines the claims of progressive Christianity and explains why the progressive “gospel” is no gospel at all. In the foreword, Lee Strobel urges readers to share favorite quotes on social media from this must-read book, so here’s one of my favorites: “In years past, it was assumed that if you called yourself a Christian, you believed in biblical authority. But now as progressive Christianity infiltrates and infects the true church, we all must decide: How much authority does this book hold in our lives? To inform our view of the Bible, we can choose to follow the whims of a godless culture or we can choose to follow Jesus. I choose Jesus.”
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, an inspiring tale about the extremely brilliant and largely self-educated Nathanial Bowditch.
When a 9-year-indentureship dashes his hopes of attending Harvard, young Nat begins studying on his own: physics, astronomy, mathematics, Latin, French, navigation — he is interested and becomes proficient at it all. His understanding of science and his precise mathematical calculations changed the way navigation was conducted and thereby made sailing the seven seas much safer for everyone who heeded his counsel.
On Writing (and Writers) by C.S. Lewis
I found C.S. Lewis’s On Writing absolutely delightful. Filled with sound advice and sage tips in easily digestible tidbits, the entire book is comprised of selected portions on the topic from his voluminous personal correspondence. The most impressive part of the book lies not in the very excellent and practical guidelines provided, but in the fact that the entire content of the book was gleaned from the countless, thoughtfully-crafted letters Lewis sent to friends and colleagues over the years. Oh, that modern man would weigh his thoughts so carefully and express them so articulately — in private as well as in public!
Love Not the World by Watchman Nee
Love Not the World by Watchman Nee is a brief but challenging book that is well worth the read. One of my favorite quotes from this work:
“Every glory that is not glory to God is vain glory, and it is amazing what paltry successes can produce vain glory. Wherever we meet pride, we meet the world. And there is an immediate leakage in our fellowship with God. O, that God would open our eyes to see clearly what the world is. Not only evil things but all those things that draw us ever so gently away from God are units of that system that is antagonistic to Him.”
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier
Bad Therapy is a New York Times bestseller for good reason. I wish every parent on the planet would read. It explains how and why so many popular parenting and educational philosophies are terribly misguided. In their risk-avoidant efforts to keep kids safe and to protect their mental health, these tactics are doing far more harm than good. They’ve produced an entire generation of kids who are intently focused on their own emotions but seem incapable of empathizing with anyone else’s, who want all the perks of adulthood and none of the responsibilities, who are plagued by anxiety and terrified of growing up.
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Tree-ear is an orphan who observes and admires the work of a master potter from afar. When the potter is away, he creeps closer for a better look at the intricate greenware. The potter returns unexpectedly and startles Tree-ear, who drops the piece he was examining, shattering it at his feet. When the boy volunteers to work off the debt, his life takes a series of turns he never could have anticipated.
I read A Single Shard aloud to my kids and grandkids but was crying so hard by the end of it, I had to pause several times to regain my composure. 😭 Such a sweet story! I highly recommend it.
How Not to Diet by Michael Greger
It took me several months to get through Michael Greger’s massive tome, How Not to Diet. He originally intended the book to be an examination and discussion of the safety and effectiveness of the most popular diet trends and weight-loss fads, but — in typical Greger fashion — it ballooned into so much more than that. What resulted was some of the most compelling, science-based suggestions for achieving healthy and sustained weight loss you’ll ever find, including 21 cutting-edge tweaks to accelerate and multiply your weight loss in simple and easily achievable ways. He even created a free app to help you keep track of these suggestions.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My daughter and I read Pride & Prejudice together for the first time last year. Of course, we were already familiar with the storyline, having watched the 2005 film version. But as is so often the case, the book was far richer and provided fuller descriptions of every character and scene. I especially enjoyed the witty exchanges between Elizabeth and her father. I was more deeply appalled by the entitled prejudices of her mother and younger sister. And I found the slow and steady growth of respect, understanding, and finally love between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy heartwarmingly beautiful.
Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
The seemingly endless number of choices, possibilities and opportunities available these days is enough to paralyze a lot of people. They are so afraid of making the wrong decision that they fail to decide on anything at all (which, o is itself a decision). In Just Do Something, Kevin DeYoung argues that, instead of waiting for God to spell out, in advance, a step-by-step plan for your life, you should use the general principles of His Word to map out your own course of action and pursue it, trusting that God will redirect you if He has something different in mind for your life.
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Several years ago I read Pride and Prejudice and exclaimed, “THIS is why the story is so beloved!” The movies just cannot replicate the depth of feeling in the book. It’s funny, because nothing much happens from page to page, but you can’t put it down! I didn’t want to go to bed, and I didn’t want the story to end. I then rewatched ALL of the P&P movies! That year for Christmas my husband bought me all of the movies based on Jane’s novels. I haven’t yet read any of the others, but I should!
I also LOVED Understood Betsy and Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (esp when I realized it was a true story!).