Best Books of the Year
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Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2024

Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2024 names 110 books across 3 categories. 50 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

10 Best Books

  1. Colored Television by Danzy Sennasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition by Lucy Santesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. James by Percival Everettsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. My Friends by Hisham Matarsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Playground by Richard Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Question 7 by Richard Flanagansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World by Atossa Araxia Abrahamiansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messudsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. V13: Chronicle of a Trial by Emmanuel Carrère, translated by John Lambertsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s by John Ganzsource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Fiction

  1. Aednan: An Epic by Linnea Axelsson, translated by Saskia Vogelsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All Fours by Miranda Julysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Beautiful Days by Zach Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darrajsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spuffordsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicenciosource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Clear by Carys Daviessource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Come and Get It by Kiley Reidsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Creation Lake by Rachel Kushnersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Enlightenment by Sarah Perrysource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Entitlement by Rumaan Alamsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Great Expectations by Vinson Cunninghamsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Held by Anne Michaelssource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai, translated by Ottilie Mulzetsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Engersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Intermezzo by Sally Rooneysource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Lazarus Man by Richard Pricesource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Lesser Ruins by Mark Habersource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Long Island by Colm Tóibínsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Aknersource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpesource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbarsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Mice 1961 by Stacey Levinesource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Neighbors by Diane Oliversource (opens in a new tab)
  25. On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara Havelandsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurstsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Collsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Reboot by Justin Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardosource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Shy Creatures by Clare Chamberssource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Small Rain by Garth Greenwellsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestusource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Swift River by Essie Chamberssource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgeysource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Book of George by Kate Greatheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Husbands by Holly Gramaziosource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Magnificent Ruins by Nayantara Roysource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Most by Jessica Anthonysource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howardsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Portersource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Safekeep by Yael van der Woudensource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahotasource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbellsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. The Wildes by Louis Bayardsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. The Women Behind the Door by Roddy Doylesource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Wandering Stars by Tommy Orangesource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Wild Houses by Colin Barrettsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Worry by Alexandra Tannersource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Nonfiction

  1. All Things Are Too Small: Essays in Praise of Excess by Becca Rothfeldsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. America Last: The Right’s Century-Long Romance With Foreign Dictators by Jacob Heilbrunnsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Any Person Is the Only Self: Essays by Elisa Gabbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning With China by Edward Wongsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics by Elle Reevesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbothamsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O’Briensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Christopher Isherwood Inside Out by Katherine Bucknellsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Circle of Hope: A Reckoning With Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church by Eliza Griswoldsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chungsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Consent: A Memoir by Jill Cimentsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Didion & Babitz by Lili Anoliksource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzersource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Fi: A Memoir by Alexandra Fullersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Fierce Desires: A New History of Sex and Sexuality in America by Rebecca L. Davissource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosleysource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Hell Gate Bridge: A Memoir of Motherhood, Madness, and Hope by Barrie Miskinsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses by M.G. Sheftallsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority by Marie Aranasource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World by Peter Godfrey-Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success by Russ Buettner and Susanne Craigsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya Milessource (opens in a new tab)
  24. No Road Leading Back: An Improbable Escape From the Nazis and the Tangled Way We Tell the Story of the Holocaust by Chris Heathsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphysource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Out of the Darkness: The Germans, 1942-2022 by Frank Trentmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism by Sebastian Smeesource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny, translated by Arch Tait and Stephen Dalzielsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Q: A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring by Brad Goochsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Bootsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Riding Like the Wind: The Life of Sanora Babb by Iris Jamahl Dunklesource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Selected Amazon Reviews by Kevin Killiansource (opens in a new tab)
  34. Stranger Than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth-Century Novel by Edwin Franksource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq by Steve Collsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidtsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America by Aaron Robertsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlangersource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometichsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Minotaur at Calle Lanza by Zito Madusource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Rebel’s Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon by Adam Shatzsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World by Ben Macintyresource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Silenced Muse: Emily Hale, T.S. Eliot, and the Role of a Lifetime by Sara Fitzgeraldsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Survivors of the Clotilda: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the American Slave Trade by Hannah Durkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqibsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Twenty Years: Hope, War, and the Betrayal of an Afghan Generation by Sune Engel Rasmussensource (opens in a new tab)
  49. We Loved It All: A Memory of Life by Lydia Milletsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Whiskey Tender: A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffasource (opens in a new tab)

About the Washington Post Best Books of the Year

Three lists a year: 10 Best Books, Notable Fiction, and Notable Nonfiction. 2011-2025 notable lists are WaPo's 50 notable works of fiction and nonfiction. 2006-2010 notable lists are Book World's holiday Best Books of the year, whose genre subsections are folded into fiction and nonfiction; 2006 and 2011 top lists are top five fiction plus top five nonfiction. WaPo pages were read through the Wayback Machine because washingtonpost.com blocks direct fetches. Secondary sources where no WaPo copy was readable: the 2008 top 10 and nine of the 2010 top 10 come from Publishers Lunch; the 2025 lists are cut off by the paywall in every archived copy and come from yearendlists.com (item 1 on each WaPo page matches). WaPo's separate genre lists (thrillers, SF, poetry, graphic novels) and critics' personal picks are left out. No list is ranked.

Organization: The Washington Post. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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