Top books of 2024 chosen by California High Desert book clubs
For some, 2024 was rife with adventurous peril, romantic endeavors, carefully curtailed narratives, and lighthearted engagement; but not in the tangible way you’d think.
The encounters poured off the pages for certain bookworms in the High Desert. Real-world heroes of the year like Simone Biles and Patrick Mahomes were instead replaced by literary juggernauts, modern Huck Finns and more contemporary Jane Eyres.
For these individuals, like the High Desert Mom’s Book Club and The Bookish Bunch of the Victor Valley, 2024 delivered 12 solid months of hard-to-put-down reading.
Daily Press staff consulted local bibliophiles to gather the top books of the year that imprinted bold enough impressions in the High Desert and beyond. Topics of the diverse narratives range from romance, racism, the dissolution of historical fiction, and more.
There were so many good books this year that it was “hard to narrow it down,” said Nicky Luley of the High Desert Mom’s Book Club. Here are the top 10 books of 2024 as chosen by High Desert book clubs:
‘The Women’ by Kristin Hannah
“The Women” is a tale of bravado. The protagonist, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War era but her real transformation comes when she returns home to a changed and divided America.
Hannah shines a spotlight on all women who’ve made grave sacrifices and even grander commitments to their country that have too often been forgotten. The novel follows deep friendships and undertones of bold patriotism.
“The amount of people raving about this book makes me want to drop all other reads until I have my hands on it,” said Christina Rodriguez of High Desert Mom’s Book Club. It was also the best book that Fran Readman Cooper Collier of Apple Valley read this year, she told the Daily Press.
‘Fourth wing’ by Rebecca Yaro
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros has created a unique world of adventure fantasy filled with dragon riders, a world in war, and academia. An unexpected ending keeps readers’ interests piqued throughout and the enemies-to-lovers arch makes it one of the most intriguing fantasy romances of the year.
It was “for sure” Victorville resident Salina Flores’s favorite read of the year, she said.
‘The Housemaid’ by Frieda McFadden
An exciting thriller, “The Housemaid” is filled with mystery and psychological terror. The plot isn’t always what’s expected, especially with a Frieda McFadden novel.
Millie, a recent parolee, was homeless before getting hired by the Winchesters as a housemaid. The increasing temper of the homeowners, the language barrier, and getting locked in the basement set the cool tone for an epic plot twist at the end. The literary work is a rollercoaster from start to finish.
According to Rodriguez of the High Desert Mom’s Book Club, “The Housemaid” is compelling and has “very well-developed characters with polarizing but believable twists.” She said she couldn’t put the book down.
‘The Letters I Will Never Send’ by Isabella Dorta
“The Letters I Will Never Send” is an engaging booklet of poems by TikTok poet Isabella Dorta. It is one of Caity Stocki’s favorite books of the year, a member of The Bookish Bunch book club in the High Desert.
Dorta’s poems chronicle love, heartbreak, mental health, and self-discovery. Over 100 poems are written in the form of confessional letters and the author encourages readers to “read, rip out, burn, or send” the letters to the most fitting recipient of the reader’s life.
‘Just For the Summer’ by Abby Jimenez
This High Desert Mom’s Book Club pick was also scored at No. 4 on the Goodreads Best Books of 2024 list, a book app that is increasingly popular among bibliomaniacs that lets users set reading goals for the year and keep track of finished books.
It was nominated for the Goodreads Reader’s Favorite Romance and Readers’ Favorite Audiobook for this year as well.
Every one of Justin’s relationships is cursed. Right after he breaks up with a woman, she finds her soulmate immediately after the split. He eventually finds Emma who seems to be pained with the same curse. They devise a plan to date and mutually break up to cancel out the jinx.
Sequestered feelings become intimacy in a predictable love twist in “Just For the Summer.”
‘The Familiar’ by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is a New York Times bestselling author with her books “Ninth House” and “Hell Bent.” “The Familiar” is a historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age.
The bored servant protagonist, Luzia Cotado, uses magic to appease her mundane, listless days before her master uncovers her secret. She is then forced to use her powers for others’ selfishness and eventually, to aid Spain’s victory in the war.
The author, who left a review on her own book on Goodreads, argues that the novel, which was inspired by her family history, is worthy of five stars.
‘Funny Story’ by Emily Henry
“Funny Story’s” official synopsis notes that the Henry book is a “joyful novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.”
A ballot of heartbreak defines Henry’s eighth novel. A cheating husband, a now-ex-wife faced with new solitude and a fresh start, and love triangles keep readers engaged in the steamy story.
“Ain’t nothing funny about the way my heart was tugged while reading this book,” commented “Ayman” on the book’s Goodreads review.
‘The Reformatory’ by Tananarive Due
“The Reformatory” is set in Jim Crowe Florida in 1950. The novel follows 12-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr. around the discriminatory reformatory school he is sent to for defending his sister against the violence of his town’s largest landowner’s son.
The lengthy historical fiction novel brings to light the experience of Tananarive Due’s family during the segregation period in America. Becky Spratford describes the book as nuanced and engrossing in an online review.
‘Happily Never After’ by Lynn Painter
Sophie and Max are “The Objectors,” wedding crashers in the most literal sense. They are hired to break off weddings as “professional objectors” who are supposedly anti-love themselves.
The two non-believers ultimately fall in love with each other over the course of a 300-page read. The book has received very mixed reviews online, likely a reflection of how readers themselves view the concept of “happily ever after.”
The book was nominated by Paulina Krahl of the Victor Valley, an administrator of the High Desert Mom’s Book Club.
‘The Unmarked Witch’ by Miranda Lyn
“The Unmarked Witch” also known as Raven lives in a magical realm plagued by deception. It is the first gripping book in Miranda Lyn’s duology, the author responsible for the heart-pounding fantasy series Fae Rising.
This new darkly ambitious tale is an overall enjoyable read with elemental magic, fantasy romance, and an enemies-to-lovers plot. The death of a coven leader heralds witch trials, which Raven must overcome to triumph.
High Desert Mom’s Book Club
The High Desert Mom’s Book Club group is about sharing the love of reading, they said via social media. They select a new book to read every month based on the group’s recommended genres and book titles via polls.
No genre is left out- the group aims to read every genre in their leisure time. Books of the month are selected at the monthly meet-ups. High Desert residents interested in joining should contact the group administrators via the High Desert Mom’s Book Club Facebook group.
The Bookish Bunch
The Bookish Bunch is a High Desert book club open to any inquiring bookworms. The group also chooses their books via polls on social media. They have virtual Zoom meetings to discuss the book of the month with likeminded readers in the Victor Valley area.
For more information, check out The Bookish Bunch Facebook group page.
McKenna Mobley is a reporter at the Victorville Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@gannett.com.
