Blog
December 20, 2024
“Bookaccino Live” Special Event: Bookreporter Reviewers Share Their Favorite Books of 2024
Comments
On Wednesday, December 11th, we hosted a very special “Bookaccino Live” event where seven Bookreporter reviewers talked about two of their favorite books of 2024.
Our guests were Kate Ayers, Harvey Freedenberg, Pamela Kramer, Bronwyn Miller, Rebecca Munro, Ray Palen and Stuart Shiffman. Four reviewers --- Sarah Rachel Egelman, Megan Elliott, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol and Norah Piehl --- were not able to join us, so we presented their top picks and their comments about them in a slideshow.
Their selections cover a wide variety of genres, and there may be a few titles here that you didn’t have on your radar that you will want to check out.
We wrap up this year’s Holiday Author Blog series with Lisa Unger, the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of over 20 novels. Her upcoming thriller, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10, releases on February 25th and revolves around an extreme game of hide-and-seek that turns deadly. Lisa has received so many books as Christmas presents that it’s impossible for her to choose just one as her favorite. So here she talks about four classic works that were gifted to her during the holidays and what they have meant to her and her family.
In DEAR SISTER, which releases in paperback on January 28th, Michelle Horton battles the criminal justice system to release her incarcerated sister after she kills her longtime abuser. Since the book’s hardcover publication earlier this year, Michelle’s fight, alongside a tireless network of supporters, has resulted in Nikki’s release from prison. In her holiday blog post, Michelle recalls much simpler times --- when she and her sister would hear their father read a Christmas classic to them every December 24th. It’s a tradition that Michelle has kept alive, even in the midst of all that her family has endured these last few years.
Jeff Hobbs, the bestselling author of THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE, is back with a powerful portrayal of American homelessness. SEEKING SHELTER, which releases on February 4th, follows a single mother of six in Los Angeles courageously struggling to keep her family together and her children in school amidst the devastating housing crisis. For many years, Jeff and his family have enjoyed Christmas Day gatherings with the mother of one of their best friends, whom they affectionately call “Nonny.” Nonny’s most recent Christmas present to Jeff was a book by Haruki Murakami, and neither the giver nor the recipient realized how just perfect this gift would be.
Kay Chronister’s latest novel, THE BOG WIFE, is about five siblings in West Virginia who unearth long-buried secrets when the supernatural bargain entwining their fate with their ancestral land is suddenly ruptured. In her holiday blog post, Kay fondly recalls receiving as a Christmas gift an updated and revised edition of the beloved 1977 bestseller, GNOMES, an illustrated survey of gnome life, history and lore. Read on to find out what fascinated her about the book as both an avid reader of fantasy novels and a graduate student studying literature.
In her holiday blog post, Carolyn McBride shares some family history and a cookbook that inspired her to finish writing her holiday novella, SANTA OVERBOARD, which was published this fall. When Carolyn’s mother passed away in 2019, she became the keeper of the family heirlooms and channeled this transition from daughter to family matriarch into her coming-of-middle-age novel, THE CICADA SPRING. Not surprisingly, some of the treasures she found in her mother’s house guided her in developing her latest tale of a female boat captain restoring her inner compass on a rollicking cruise of second chances.
We kick off this year’s Holiday Author Blog series with Amanda Peters, whose nationally bestselling debut novel, THE BERRY PICKERS, is now available in paperback. This Bookreporter.com Bets On pick won the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize. Her first collection of short stories, WAITING FOR THE LONG NIGHT MOON, releases on February 11th. Amanda’s grandfather passed away when she was just a teenager. One Christmas, her grandmother gifted her one of many books that he would read aloud to his family. Amanda has long cherished that book for a very special reason.
Carol Fitzgerald wrote a lovely tribute to the late Nelson DeMille in the September 20th Bookreporter Weekly Update newsletter, and she encouraged readers to share their own thoughts about Nelson and his work. It is clear from the comments we compiled here that this beloved author will be missed, and his numerous books will be cherished for many years to come.
On Tuesday, September 17th, I learned the very sad news that Nelson DeMille passed away. He had been fighting esophageal cancer for about nine months. When I saw a note in my inbox last Tuesday night from his children, Lauren and Alex, I literally yelled “No!’ so loudly that my husband came in from the other room to see what had happened.
Books, algorithms, civics and dragons. Oh my!
The National Book Festival, hosted by the Library of Congress, is one of my favorite days of the year. August 24th marked the festival’s 24th anniversary!
It’s been held on the mall, it’s been held at the convention center, it’s been virtual, and it’s been hybrid.
Question my devotion? Here’s some evidence.
