Now it is my turn. What makes a best book of the year? It is hard to choose when there are 107 books (so far) and 20 five-star reads to review in my reading journal. My criteria may be different than yours. Three questions I ask myself when making my choice are:

  1. How long after turning the last page am I still thinking about the story?
  2. Did the story evoke strong emotion?
  3. Did I learn something?

And sometimes the most important factor pushes a book to the top. Was it the right book at the right time? For example, my favorite book of 2022 was Beartown by Fredrik Backman. After two failed attempts and five years of not reading more than 25 pages, I finally read it in two days! Beartown was the right book in January 2022, not in 2017 or during lockdown in 2020.

My reading life includes new releases and backlist books. This year, the five-star reads were split down the middle. Ten published in 2024 and ten published earlier. Trust me. I counted twice. All but two books were genre fiction novels, and the other two were nonfiction, a sociology book and a children’s book. I have recommended eight of them to you this year.

What have I been saving for today? The longest book I read this year. 608 pages divided into 261 chapters. Readers, do not be deterred by the pages. Despite being a slow burn, I read the book in four days.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Whitaker begins the story in 1975 and a mystery remains unsolved until the 21st century. A mystery, yes, but also so much more. The story is a character-driven drama, and the main characters are Patch and Saint, young teens and best friends in a small Missouri town where teenage girls are disappearing.

Patch becomes an unlikely hero when he helps save the daughter of the wealthiest family in town. This could be the ending. Patch could ride off into the sunset to live a wonderful life but he does not. Patch and Saint’s lives are changed forever, and as readers, we witness the highs and lows over the next 25 years. All the Colors of the Dark is a story about obsession, desperation, hope and friendship.

This book contains mentions of domestic abuse.

Do not wait. Put this book at the top of your reading list and then let me know your thoughts.

Next week, I will share my best audiobook of 2024.

Look for this recommendation and other books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent bookstore each week.

Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to make you one, too. For more recommendations or just to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.