2024 was a weird reading year for me. It was my 2nd most prolific reading year to date. I read 104 total books last year, resulting in nineteen five star reads. Out of these nineteen five star books, five of those were rereads. Out of the fourteen new five star reads, a whopping eight of them were nonfiction books, which I did not expect at all! Of the remaining books, two were adult Christian romances, one was a clean secular romcom, one was a secular southern fiction, one was a Christian time travel book (bet you can’t guess what series XD) and one was a secular thriller, so my favorite fiction reads came from a variety of genres.

What were my favorite reads of 2024? Keep reading to reveal the books that stole my heart!

Note: These books are listed by date read, not preference. I’ll reveal my top three near the end of the post. For time’s sake, I am excluding rereads from this list.

It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life by Denise Jackson

Denise Jackson is the wife of country music superstar Alan Jackson, and her memoir about her family’s life in the limelight and her faith journey throughout all the struggles they have faced easily became my first five star read of 2024. I thoroughly enjoyed Denise’s reminder that God should be above everyone else in our lives, including family, and that we’ll only find true joy in Him. Within this book, Denise provides real-life examples of why those around us and our present circumstances can never bring us the same type of joy that Christ does. Though this read was short, it was edifying, and I highly recommend it to both fans of Alan Jackson as well as avid readers of Christian nonfiction.

With Fear and Trembling by Grace A. Johnson

This was a short, sweet, and edifying daily devotional that I read throughout January. With 30 days of devotions that are 1 to 2 pages long, With Fear and Trembling is an accessible yet important read for Christians of all ages.

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

In 2023, I read The Cul-de-sac War by Melissa Ferguson and fell in love with her writing. When I read Meet Me in the Margins in February, Ferguson became my all-time favorite clean romcom author. This book felt like it was tailor-made to my reading tastes, with the main character being an aspiring author who works at a publishing company in Nashville, TN. The side characters in this had me cackling, and I LOVED the You’ve Got Mail inspired romance between Savannah and Will. This is one which I’ll definitely reread in the future!

The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart

The Forgiving Kind was the first book I ever borrowed via Prime Reading, as well as my first Donna Everhart book… and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Whew, the sweet tea is strong in this one, y’all, because it’s southern and full of gritty drama! This book takes place in eastern NC, where I’m from, and the author did a phenomenal job describing the area and its history. While this book does have harsh content, strong language, and was hard to read at times due to scenes depicting abuse, I could not put it down and want to get my own copy someday.

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

I randomly got this book from my aunt when she did a book unhaul at a family yard sale years ago, and I finally picked it up last year. I did not know anything about Don Piper going into this book, but by the end, I was so glad I read it. If you’re like me and struggle reading medical scenes due to being squeamish or having medical anxiety, this will be a tough read to get through, but it’s worth it from a Christian perspective. I loved how Piper relayed to readers how what he went through helped him impact lost souls and even lead people to Jesus.

My Jesus by Anne Wilson

Y’all, I cried through this entire book. *Sobs just thinking about it.* My Jesus is Christian singer Anne Wilson’s memoir about the unexpected death of her older brother and how God used her family’s time of mourning to ease her into her calling of making Christ known through her music. Though this can be a heavy book at times, Wilson counters the narrative with messages of hope and the importance of prayer. Wilson’s story is inspiring, and I highly recommend it to those of you who enjoy Christian nonfiction or music-related memoirs.

The Holy Spirit by Billy Graham

Funny story… I actually added this book to my “postponed reading” shelf on Goodreads (basically soft DNF) back in 2021 when I first tried to read it. I decided to give it another chance in 2024 and I’m so glad I did! Graham takes readers on an in-depth study of Who the Holy Spirit is, why He is an important part of the Trinity, and why it’s vital we listen to Him. Out of all the Christian nonfiction I’ve read on theology, this one has impacted me the most. I tabbed and underlined so many sections of this book and hope to revisit it in the future.

For a Lifetime (Timeless, #3) by Gabrielle Meyer

The Timeless series solidified itself as my favorite Christian fiction series last year with book three, For a Lifetime. While I can’t say much about this book for fear of spoiling the first two, I thoroughly enjoyed the time traveling and tea in this book, which goes for every book in this series. I don’t know what Meyer puts in these books, but they’re addicting!

Love and a Little White Lie (State of Grace, #1) by Tammy L. Gray

Tammy L. Gray was a new-to-me author in 2024, where I read two of her Christian romance books. Though I enjoyed both, Love and a Little White Lie holds a special place in my heart. Looking back at my reading notes spreadsheet, a lot of my thoughts are in all caps because I was so emotionally invested. A lot of readers don’t like love triangles, but I ate this one up, y’all. This book has the best banter, and I LOVED who the main character ends up with. I am so hyped to read more by Gray in 2025!

Who Are You Following?: Pursuing Jesus in a Social-Media Obsessed World by Sadie Robertson Huff

As a Christian who uses social media to promote my author platform, I found Who Are You Following? to be an important reminder that we all need to take a good look at what and who we’re interacting with online and ask the Lord for discernment on what/who we need to unfollow. It also reminds readers that we’re to be lights for Jesus on our platforms, and we’re to seek His approval over the world’s.

Autumn by the Sea (Muir Harbor, #1) by Melissa Tagg

Like Tammy L. Gray, Melissa Tagg was a new-to-me author last year who left a great impression on me! Autumn by the Sea has been heavily hyped on Christian BookTube, and I completely understand why. A combination Christian romance and mystery, this book has family secrets/tea, suspense, and I loved the cast of characters. I don’t have book two yet, but I can’t wait to pick it up!

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Did I have this book on my Most Anticipated Reads of 2024 list before I had even read anything by this author? Yes. Did I realize how much I was going to go absolutely crazy for this book? Nope. Daisy Darker, which is said to be similar to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, easily earned the top spot on my favorite Mystery/Thrillers list last year. Though this is a secular book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it contained minimal language (like 2-3 actual words and one bleeped out) and low spice (the “spice” part actually had something to do with the plot, but the details were a little uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it was easy to skip over and still understand what was going on.). Feeney’s writing is downright breathtaking, and I ended up highlighting 45 quotes because of how much I related to them. This was a stunning read, and I can’t wait to read Rock Paper Scissors by Feeney in 2025!

Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Duggar Vuolo

First, I want to commend Jinger for her courage and pursuit of biblical truth in penning this beautiful book. Though I have never been involved in IBLP, over the past few years I’ve read testimonies online and watched YouTube videos about those who had been heavily involved in the community, where they spoke about how deceiving and damaging IBLP can be for young Christians. In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger writes about her faith journey between her involvement in IBLP and now, and how she learned that living in fear and walking by faith are two entirely different pathways.

The Diary of Dem Ole Bitties: Memories of the Sisters from My Perspective by Keiva Sandlin

Let me preface this by saying that, in the south, the term “bitties” isn’t necessarily slang for the b-word or anything vulgar (it’s mostly used as a way to describe a group of older women who may like to gossip or goof off), and that the ladies who are mentioned in this book are a group of fun-loving, Christian sisters who I’m related to through one of my grandpas. I read this entire memoir in the span of a few hours and loved every second of it! This book made me both laugh and cry, and I loved how the author wove in the message of how God will make beauty from ashes through mentioning real situations the family went through. It’s an important piece of my family’s history, and one that I will revisit in the future!

So… Which Books Made My Top 3 of 2024?

*Drumroll* *Dramatic Pause* “And the recipients are…”

3) The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart

2) Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

1) Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

Have you read any of the books on this list? Did you add any of these to your TBR? What were your top three favorite books of 2024? Let me know in the comments!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀