Top Five Reads of 2024

Hey everyone! 2024 is almost over, and I felt like this was a good time to look back on the year and list a few of my top reads! Unlike past years, there were a few notable books for me which I really enjoyed!

Read #5: Spy x Family Volumes 10-12 by Tatsuya Endo

If you’ve read my review for the tenth book or even some of my writing posts, you’ve probably seen that I absolutely LOVE this series! The dynamics of the characters and the genre splices are executed in an A+ way, and both the manga and anime series are adorable! All three of these volumes received five stars from me this year (thus why I included them all here) but frankly, there were only two volumes in the entire series which I gave only four stars vs five.

If you enjoy any of the following genres or elements, I highly recommend you give this manga series a try!

Genre/Elements: Fantasy, Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Romance, Found Family, School-Life, Spies, Assassins, Political Fantasy, and Cold War Fantasy.

My Review: Volume 10

Read #4: The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be Vol. 1 by Yasuko Yamaru

This is one of my most recent reads, but was a great start to this series! I love royalty and I’ve discovered I enjoy romance when it’s in a comedy setting, which this definitely is, with the misunderstandings being quite funny. It also is similar to my main WIP where the male main character is a prince, the main female character is his bodyguard, and there’s people out to assassinate the prince. I haven’t yet continued on in the series to see if it stays good, but I definitely hope it does as I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning to this manga series!

Genre/Elements: Fantasy, Romance, Royalty, Knights, Comedy, and Assassins.

My Review: Volume 1

Read #3: Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince by Sidney Baldwin

Now, we’re out of the mangas and into the actual novels! This novel was my first five star read of the year, and it’s awesome! It’s a shorter books, perfect for Middle Grade and older, and is packed with character-growing lessons and action packed scenes! It also uses one of my favorite tropes–the hidden nobility trope, where a royal or noble has to hide their true identity from others and live a totally different life for an extended period of time. Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince is definitely a great comfort read–and if you don’t have time to sit and read, Lamplighter Ministries also has a dramatic audio which is great as well!

Genre/Elements: Inspirational, MG, Christian, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Knights, Hidden Nobility, and Coming-of-Age.

Review: Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince

Read #2: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Kings and Queens of Britain by Charles Phillips

Yup, my sole non-fiction book on this list is an encyclopedia, and yes, I understand that someone has to be as interested as me in Britain’s royalty to want to read an entire encyclopedia on the subject! However, I really enjoyed this encyclopedia. Most entries were only a couple of pages, giving some light details about each royal. Some of the more modern ones, starting with Queen Elizabeth I had more details about them and their roles in expanding Britain and it’s culture, but again, everything was laid out in an easy and entertaining way to read! In fact, I found myself wanting to learn more about some of the people and events listed in the encyclopedia! So if you’re interested in Britain’s royal history, but don’t want to read an entire textbook with no illustrations and tiny text on it, I highly recommend this encyclopedia!

Genre/Elements: Non-fiction, History, Royalty, and Britain.

Review: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Kings and Queens of Britain

Read #1: Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

And here you have it. My favorite book of the year, Defy the Night! And, ironically, the only book on this list I did not write a review of here. I found this book while looking for comparable titles for one of my WIPs which I am currently querying, and I loved it! In fact, it may be tied with my old most favorite book as of right now. Since I did not write a review of it, here is the synopsis, taken from Goodreads:

The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.

King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited.

Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most–but it’s still not enough.

As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King’s Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.

If that intrigues you, then check out the genres and elements I have listed below to see if you’d like it! I highly recommend it. In fact, I liked it so much, it inspired my newest main work-in-progress! I am planning on rereading it next year and writing a review on it then, so keep an eye out for it!

Disclaimer: This book is the first in a trilogy. However, I am not recommending the second or third books in the series due to the second book being a cliff-hanger book and the third book having LBGTQ+ representation, which I, as a Christian, am not comfortable with reading. However, the first book is great, without any of that junk, and can be read as a stand alone, so I still recommend it!

Genres/Elements: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Medieval, Royalty, Political Intrigue, Secret Identities, Inspired by Robin Hood, Assassins, and Rebellion.

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These are the top five books I read this year! What about you? What were your five top reads of the year? Have you read any of these books? Do you want to read any? Let me know in the comments below, and have a blessed holiday season! ~ Kay Adelin