2024 Book Wrap Up

Unlike last year, this year, I won’t promote full series I’ve read or ensure that only the books with the broadest appeal will feature. No, this year, I will list my favourite books, and if those books are part of an ongoing series, I will mention that. Sometimes, I may consolidate multiple favourites in a series into a single entry.

As with last year, my main genres are LitRPG, Fantasy, Sci-fi and a bit of Thriller thrown in for good measure. I will call out the genre with each listed book.

Without further ado, here are my top ten books of 2024.

Top Ten Books/Series of 2024

10. Systems of the Apocalypse

This was the first series I read in 2024, and it was a good way to kick off the new year. As with many series from newer authors, this one gets better over time, with the later books being a bit higher on my list.

9. Eruption

I’m a long-time Crichton fan, and this was a book he had started on before passing away. The equally accomplished James Patterson took it over the line, resulting in a thriller that was as believable as it was exciting. I wouldn’t say it was either author’s best work, but it was worth reading.

8. 9d6

This book is a collection of six short stories set in the Caverns & Creatures universe. As the name suggests, this is the ninth one of those collections, and it is hilarious. It is a rare series that can get me to laugh out loud in public while listening to the audiobooks.

In case that is a factor, the humour is crude but well executed, especially when read by Jonathan Sleep for the audiobooks.

7. The Grim Guys

I love Eric Ugland’s books—all of them. But I didn’t want to read this because I’m sure there will be more to this series, and I hate that I now have to wait for it.

Otherwise, if you like his other series set in the same world, The Good Guys and The Bad Guys, you will undoubtedly enjoy this. I want there to be more.

6. Toxic Prey

It’s the only book I read on old-fashioned paper this year. It was a nostalgic experience and a great book. It was the usual fare you’d expect from a Lucas Davenport book, and the plot was one we’ve seen a few times before as someone feels we need to reset humanity. So, while it may be a tad formulaic, that familiarity was exactly what I wanted, and it was well executed regardless.

5. Not Till We Are Lost

This book is the latest installment in the hit Bobiverse series. If you liked the others in the series, this one does not disappoint. It could have used a bit of a recap at the beginning, and I would not recommend this book if you haven’t read the others in the series. But this is an excellent series if you like a bit of satirical sci-fi.

4. Salvos

I read so many books in this series this year… eleven. And I gave the majority of them five stars. It isn’t often that a series can output such consistently good books. It follows the titular Salvos, a demon who accidentally finds herself in the human world, power levelling through life with the help of a young man transplanted from Earth. It is a fun, light LitRPG that will certainly draw you in.

3. Brute Force

I’ve enjoyed all of Scott Meyer’s books, and I’m slowly working through his Magic 2.0 series with my kids, but this particular book is standalone. It has the comedic snark that Meyer is known for, along with a dose of violence and intergalactic politics.

2. Clockwork Chimera

Finding this series was a happy accident. I was searching for a book with Chimera in the title as part of a conversation with some colleagues. I don’t recall the exact reason, but I saw this series and thought it looked interesting enough to add to my to-read list. I am very glad that I did.

This is a complete five-book series that stays interesting throughout. It does contain a healthy dose of time travel, which is a plus for me, but it isn’t for everyone.

1. Arise

I read the first two books in this series back in 2022, which was all that was available then. They were awesome books, and I remember wanting more. I made a particular note to watch the series and was not disappointed. I’m on the author’s Discord server, so I was aware he was working on finishing the series. I decided to wait until the whole series was available so I could binge it all at once. And that is what I’m doing at the moment. At the time of this article, I’m part way through book 6 in the series, having just read books 3, 4 and 5. There are six books in total.

The series is light on the LitRPG aspects of stats, at least in the traditional form of stat sheets. It is a progression-based series, and it reminds me of Tao Wong’s System Apocalypse in that it starts on modern Earth and ends up (at least as of book 5) as a space opera. That doesn’t give anything away, as I could see that coming early. It is a bit on the darker side, not sparing the details of death and dismemberment.

I look forward to finishing this and the author’s other series as soon as possible.

Closing Thoughts

This year, I’ve delved into 161 books, mostly by indie authors in the genres above. This review captures just a glimpse of my reading journey. You can see my full year of books on my Goodreads 2024 Year in Books. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss any of these titles further.