Discover the most anticipated books of 2024 to pre-order and/or add to your reading list. This post helps you make the most of your 2024 reading life. You’ll be ahead of the curve! Prepare to have the most satisfying reading year below.
Most Anticipated Books of 2024: Top Picks
If you’re just looking for a few great books to read this year, these five books made both my list of the most anticipated books of 2024 and GoodReads’ list of most anticipated books of the year (determined by how many readers have already added them to their digital shelves).
I already read and thoroughly enjoyed advanced copies of
- The Fury (My rating: ★★★★☆)
- Just for the Summer (My rating: ★★★★☆)
- The Women (My rating: ★★★★★)
Quick List
As a full-time book blogger, I track new book releases and plan my reading well in advance of the new year. This list of the most anticipated books of 2024 comes from my own Reading Journal and is filled with all the book releases that are most exciting this year.
- Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
- Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
- End of Story by A.J. Finn
- Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
- Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- The Fury by Alex Michaelides
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
- The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
- Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams
- Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
- Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
- The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
- Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
- The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
- One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
- The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
- Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
- The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
- Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
- Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
- Table for Two by Amor Towles
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
Details of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (January 30, 2024)
I thought Reid’s debut novel Such a Fun Age was so fresh and smart, so I’m definitely excited to read her newest release, Come and Get It.
Here, she takes the reader to 2017 at the University of Arkansas, where a senior resident assistant takes a job with a visiting professor, but it’s made complicated by the darker side of college.
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (April 23, 2024)
Sally Hepworth always delivers a solid mystery, so I’m confident Darling Girls will be no different.
Here, three foster sisters who broke away from their foster mother become both witnesses and suspects when a body is discovered under their childhood home.
End of Story by A.J. Finn (February 20, 2024)
Finn’s The Woman in the Window was one of the better thrillers I’ve read, so I’m excited to read what’s next from him in End of Story.
Here, a reclusive mystery writer with months to live invites his correspondent to his mansion to write his life story. There, the correspondent finds a mystery in what really happened to his first wife and son, who vanished twenty years earlier.
And, when a dead body is found in their koi pond, the past becomes even closer to the present.
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle (March 19, 2024)
Serle always delivers emotional stories with a dose of magical realism, so I expect the same satisfaction from Expiration Dates.
For over twenty years, Daphne has received a note when she meets a man, telling her how long they will be together. But, when she goes on a blind date with Jake, there’s no number.
She knows heartbreaking truths he doesn’t and, as their love story unfolds she grapples with the nature of honesty and commitment.
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano (March 5, 2024)
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice continues the Finlay Donovan series about readers’ beloved single mom and author turned detective.
Here, she and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero head to Atlantic City to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s kidnapped childhood crush, and locate a stolen car.
Things get complicated when Finlay’s ex-husband and mother join them, and they find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery.
Funny Story by Emily Henry (April 23, 2024)
Emily Henry’s books are about as popular as a contemporary romance author’s books can be. So, I expect Funny Story to be one of the biggest releases of the year.
After Daphne’s fiance leaves her for his childhood best friend, Petra, Daphne becomes roommates with Petra’s ex, Miles. Makes sense, right?!
They are complete opposites, but together, they form a plan to share misleading photos of themselves together. Naturally, their fake dating has the chance to become very real.
The Fury by Alex Michaelides (January 16, 2024)
Alex Michaelides’s thrillers are known for their plot twists, and The Fury delivers that. (I read an advanced copy and really enjoyed it!) It’s bound to be one of the top new thrillers this Winter.
A former movie star, her best friends, and her family visit her private Greek island, but not everyone leaves alive. And, the narrator? You can’t necessarily believe what he says.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (June 11, 2024)
I nearly squealed when I heard Liz Moore was set to release The God of the Woods. Her prior novel, Long Bright River, was one of the better novels I’ve read.
Here, it’s August 1975 and a young camper, who happens to be the daughter of the owners, has gone missing. Oddly enough, her brother also disappeared years earlier. (I already have chills.)
The search uncovers a dark narrative about the family and the community it employs. I’ve heard some great early reviews so far.
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (May 21, 2024)
Everyone’s favorite gay uncle Patrick from The Guncle returns in The Guncle Abroad for another one of the most anticipated books of the year.
This time, he’s heading to Italy for his brother’s second wedding. He feels compelled to take his niece and nephew back under his wing to help them cope.
From love to exotic travel, wedding drama, and family drama, this novel seems it will have it all. It’s bound to be told with the blend of humor and heart for which Rowley’s known.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins (January 9, 2024)
I read an advanced copy of The Heiress, and I’m telling you now, it’s going to be one of the best thrillers of the year. Picture The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo mixed with a crazy family.
When North Carolina’s most infamous heiress died, her adopted son left it all behind for a “normal” life in Colorado. A decade later, he’s compelled to return home after another family death. He brings along his wife, who also has a difficult past, and reconvenes with long-lost family members and staff at the house.
There, the mysterious life and death of Ruby resurfaces. The truth about everything from what really happened to her four dead husbands to why she adopted a son are methodically revealed.
The twists in this one start and never stop coming. It’s Hawkins’s best book yet, and it will have you on the edge of your seat.
Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams (June 25, 2024)
It feels about time for another juicy historical fiction novel from Beatriz Williams, Husbands and Lovers.
Here, in the present, a single mother’s son has been poisoned and needs a kidney donor. This forces her to face her mother’s adoption and a romance she shared with her childhood friend, now a famous singer, years earlier.
The novel also takes the reader back to Egypt in 1951, where a Hungarian refugee marries a wealthy British diplomat but finds herself in a passionate love affair amidst revolution. Torn between these men, her choices reverberate for generations.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez (April 2, 2024)
Abby Jimenez’s romance novels always hit the mark exactly right for me, so I, like so many other readers, have high hopes for Just for the Summer.
Every woman Justin dates goes on to immediately find her soulmate afterward, so when he meets a woman who feels similarly cursed, they decide to date, then break up to break the curse.
This leads them to a cottage on Lake Minnetonka, which sounds like an ideal summer, but their respective families bring drama that causes them to come closer together than expected as they cope.
I couldn’t dream up a more appealing synopsis!
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (May 21, 2024)
I love a good wedding story in the spring, and I also love Kwan’s escapist writing, which Lies and Weddings promises to deliver.
A future Earl and son of a Hong Kong model is left with one enormous family problem — massive debt. So, they plan for him to seduce a rich woman at his sister’s wedding.
There are an array of women from whom to choose and the plan takes him around the world as the truth threatens to reveal itself.
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (September 3, 2024)
Matt Haig is such a popular author that The Life Impossible is already one of the most anticipated books of the year, despite its Fall release date.
Grace is a retired widow who watches life pass her by from a distance. Then, her friend dies and leaves her a home in Ibiza. This proves that life offers change at all ages.
It seems like Under the Tuscan Sun with a philosophical, life-affirming twist!
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (June 18, 2024)
I read all of Riley Sager’s thrillers and find them all to be different, yet satisfying, so I am definitely excited to read Middle of the Night. It’s one of the most anticipated books of the year already for so many avid readers.
Three decades ago, Ethan’s best friend disappeared. Now, Ethan returns home, where strange things happen in, you guessed it, the middle of the night. Haunted by the past, he’s determined to find answers.
The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine (June 18, 2024)
The Next Mrs. Parrish brings us the follow-up in The Last Mrs. Parrish series.
I don’t want to give away too much to those new to the series, so I’ll simply note that circumstances bring Amber, Daphne, and Jackson together in unexpected ways. It’s said to make you rethink everything you thought you knew.
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (May 21, 2024)
I read all of Ruth Ware’s thrillers, so I’m eager to dive into One Perfect Couple.
A down-on-their-luck couple is cast on a new reality TV show that brings them to paradise, where they will compete against other couples. It seems like a good chance to win a cash prize. But, everything on the island goes wrong, and it becomes a game of life and death.
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (April 23, 2024)
The Paris Novel seems like a lovely spring read from an author whose nonfiction food writing I’ve loved.
Stella’s dead, estranged mother sends her to Paris as her inheritance. So, she takes a chance and finds a new breath of life in everything the Parisian culture offers, from art to fashion and, of course, food.
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo (June 18, 2024)
I adored Lombardo’s family drama The Most Fun We Ever Had, so Same As It Ever Was is a no-brainer.
Here, a middle-aged woman finally feels content in the privileged life she’s built — that is, until her children bring drama that leaves her feeling back in an uncertain past.
It’s an exploration of real life at a certain age and how we and our relationships grow and change over time.
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (April 2, 2024)
I follow Jo Piazza on social media, and she has me so intrigued by The Sicilian Inheritance and the podcast she intends to release about it. Did I mention it’s also set in Italy?!
The death of Sara’s beloved Aunt Rosie brings her to Sicily, where she comes to investigate the possible murder of her feisty great-grandmother there, all the while her husband worked in America.
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
I would read just about anything Monaghan writes, but the title of this one says it all. Summer Romance? Yes, please!
Everything is going wrong in Ali’s life, as a single mom and divorcee whose mother had died, when her dog claims a man for her — by peeing on him.
Since summer romances are so light and non-committal, she takes a chance.
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand (June 11, 2024)
Swan Song is exactly what it proclaims to be — the last Elin Hilderbrand novel, and I’ve already pre-ordered a signed copy to keep on my shelf as a longtime fan of the queen of the beach reads.
Here, Nantucket’s chief of police is set to retire when a newly purchased summer mansion burns to the ground and the owners’ employee goes missing. The mysterious owners are the talk of the town, and everyone’s determined to get answers.
Table for Two by Amor Towles (April 2, 2024)
I firmly believe Towles is one of our greatest living writers, so of course I’ll indulge in Table for Two. It’s a collection of stories based in turn of the 21st century New York along with a Golden Age Hollywood novella.
Millions of Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood, starring one of his most beloved characters of the past, Evelyn Ross.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune (May 7, 2024)
Carley Fortune books are becoming the darlings of summer romance novels. This Summer Will Be Different should bring the same — that is, the same emotional modern love stories readers devour.
While visiting Prince Edward Island, Lucy becomes close with a local named Felix. What she doesn’t know is that he’s her best friend’s younger brother.
It’s a “same time next year” kind of secret that unfolds over the years until a difficult time in the life of Lucy’s best friend changes things.
The Women by Kristin Hannah (February 6, 2024)
The Women is one of the most anticipated books of the year, both because Kristin Hannah books are so popular and because the book is SO good. (I read an advanced copy; it’s as excellent as all her best novels.)
Here, the reader heads to the Vietnam War with a young nursing student who enlists based on her notions of duty. There, she confronts the horrors of war firsthand and, when she’s home, she confronts everything from different perspectives to sexism.
It tackles all of the issues surrounding both the War and this time in American history, and it does it really well. Everyone’s going to be talking about this book in 2024.
Related Post: The Women Book Club Questions
Conclusion
Educating yourself on the most anticipated books of 2024 helps you plan ahead to have the most satisfying reading experience. If you want to start with the the top books you have to read, shop the top five picks that made both my list and GoodReads’ readers lists.
SHOP THE TOP 5 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2024
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- The Fury by Alex Michaelides
- Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
- The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
