2024: A Year of Books
Plus a peek at 2025!
I read a crazy number of books this year, so many incredible stories by so many outstanding authors it boggles the mind. I wish I’d kept a list of all the physical, audio, and epub books that have filled my eyes and ears. I’m absolutely doing that throughout 2025! The ones here are likely just a quarter of the full 2024 list. Isn’t reading such fun!
I’ve laughed, cried, relaxed, cringed. I fell in love with some characters and despised others (which was, of course, their purpose—must have villains, bad guys and gals and even otherworldly creatures to rustle up conflict).
Since there’s no way now to go back in time to cover everything, I’ve picked some that really stuck with me (alpha by title with a little snippet from their covers). This may take a bit of time. Grab yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine to peruse the list then do yourself a favor and read them all!
Regal House Treasures
A big focus was on Regal House Publishing, the fabulous woman-owned independent press in Raleigh, NC, that never ever disappoints (and of course I adore them for releasing my debut novella Three Guesses on June 17, 2025).
I am so blessed to have met many of these award-winning genius authors in person this year at RHP’s 10th Anniversary celebration in NC! Their stories caught my breath, melted my heart, made me laugh, brought sad and happy tears, pushed me beyond my comfort zone, plunged me into the past, and delivered such stunning, well-crafted tales and characters I think they all could easily be tapped for movies, limited series, even long-term franchises!
Be sure to stick with me to the end to see the upcoming Summer 2025 RHP releases!
Find a Place for Me by Deirdre Fagan—A memoir about facing a marriage’s last act—a spouse’s death—as a couple united in mind and holding hands. Deirdre and Bob are married eleven years and have two young children when forty-three-year-old Bob is diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease…In this moving, tragic, and surprisingly funny book, Deirdre and Bob raise a glass to love and the life each of them has left while learning how to lovingly say goodbye. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6455003621.
Her Best Self by Mindy Friddle—Janelle Wolf longs to be the woman she once was—an adored wife, a loving mother, a career woman, a force in her community—before a mysterious car accident stole her memories, ruined her reputation, and upended her life… Written with wry humor, this diabolically entertaining tale of deception, temptation, and love is filled with dark twists, exploring what happens when the transgressions of the past come back with a vengeance.
Indigo Field by Marjorie Hudson—In the rural South, a retired colonel in an upscale retirement community grieves the sudden death of his wife on the tennis court. On the other side of the highway, an elderly Black woman grieves the murder of her niece by a white man. Between them lies an abandoned field where three centuries of crimes are hidden, and only she knows the explosive secrets buried there…in Southern-voiced storytelling as deeply layered as that of Pat Conroy, Marjorie Hudson lays out the boundaries of a field that contains the soul of the South, and leads us to a day of reckoning.
L’Air du Temps (1985) by Diane Josefowicz—In 1985, the shooting of Mr. Marfeo disrupts the quiet suburban neighborhood of Maple Bay and prompts thirteen-year-old Zinnia Zompa to reorganize everything she knows about her parents—their preoccupations, obsessions, and above all, their battles with each other. As her understanding of the world grows, Zinnia sees how the violence she witnesses is part of a larger pattern of domination, one that shadows the world far beyond her neighborhood, and that coming of age means reckoning with this darkness.
Life/Insurance by Tara Deal (2022 Fugere Book Prize recipient)—The narrator of this spare novella is a collage artist trying to piece together a life. Her husband is a composer who is unable to talk. Even so, she keeps asking him questions, trying to figure out what he can remember, what he did, what he wants, what he means…In prose that is sometimes suspenseful, sometimes meditative, sometimes provocative, Life/Insurance is a portrait of an artist confronting the problems of existence, knowledge, language, and New York City.
Necessary Deeds by Mark Wish—Matt Connell, a formerly successful literary agent who’s been in prison for four years for a crime of passion…receives an early release from Sing Sing to join an FBI undercover investigation of multiple murders in Manhattan. When he finds his own life in danger, can he stand up for the Bureau’s heralded principles of Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity? See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6332305328.
Snakes of St. Augustine by Ginger Pinholster—The theft of Trina Leigh Dean’s beloved snakes…coincides with the disappearance of a troubled young man named Gethin. While his sister, Serena, searches for him, she gains an unlikely accomplice—Jazz, a homeless community college student. Meanwhile, Trina’s friend Fletch, a burned-out cop, scours St. Augustine, Florida, for the stolen snakes. His quest puts Fletch on a dangerous collision course with Gethin, raising questions about community, family, and the power of compassion. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6454999997.
That Pinson Girl by Gerry Wilson—In a bleak Mississippi farmhouse in 1918, Leona Pinson gives birth to an illegitimate son whose father she refuses to name, but who will, she is convinced, return from the war to rescue her from a hardscrabble life with a distant mother, a dangerous brother, and a dwarf aunt…Told against the backdrop of the deprivation of World War I, the tragedies of the influenza epidemic, and the burden of generations of betrayal, That Pinson Girl unfolds in lyrical, unflinching prose, engaging the timeless issues of racism, sexism, and poverty. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6318317904.
The Kudzu Queen by Mimi Herman—Fifteen-year-old Mattie Lee Watson dreams of men, not boys. So when James T. Cullowee, the Kudzu King, arrives in Cooper County, North Carolina in 1941 to spread the gospel of kudzu—claiming that it will improve the soil, feed cattle at almost no cost, even cure headaches—Mattie is ready…Based on historical facts, The Kudzu Queen unravels a tangle of sexuality, power, race, and kudzu through the voice of an irresistibly delightful (and mostly honest) narrator.
The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves—Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to rendezvous with the ship meant to carry them back to their home in southern Norway…The Last Whaler concerns the impact of humans on pristine environments, the isolation of mental illness, the sustenance of religious faith, and the solace of storytelling.
The Literary Undoing of Virginia Swann by Virginia Pye—Set in Gilded Age Boston, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann tells the story of a successful woman author of romance and adventure novels who becomes a champion of women’s rights as she takes on the literary establishment and finds her true voice, both on and off the page. Everything changes for Victoria when she goes against her publisher’s expectations and abandons her frivolous style to tell her own story.
Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace by Tracey D. Buchanan—It’s 1952 in the small western Kentucky town of Paducah and Mrs. Minerva Place would prefer that everyone mind their own business, follow the rules, and if dead, stay dead…With the help of the living and the dead, Minerva is forced to face issues she thought she had buried. She discovers the power of forgiveness and why it’s worth it to let others into your life, even when it hurts. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6318336540.
Three Muses by Martha Anne Toll—A love story that enthralls; a tale of Holocaust survival venturing through memory, trauma, and identity, while raising the curtain on the unforgiving discipline of ballet…Three muses—Song, Discipline, and Memory—weave their way through love and loss, heartbreak and triumph to leave readers of this prize-winning debut breathless. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5862628474.
Other 2024 Favs
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan—It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man, faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery that forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.
The Good Luck Stone by Heather Bell Adams—At ninety years old, Audrey Thorpe still lives in a historic mansion on palm-tree-lined Victory Drive, determined to retain her independence. But when her health begins to fade, her family hires a part-time caretaker, Laurel. The two women seem to bond—until Audrey disappears. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6726292749.
The Saddest Girl on the Beach by Heather Frese—Grieving her father’s death, Charlotte McConnell seeks solace at the Outer Banks inn owned by her best friend's family, but she finds them dealing with their own family drama and soon lands in the center of an unexpected love triangle. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6455005975.
Vitamins for Ygdrasil and Other Poems by Corey Mesler—Corey Mesler delivers more than poetry in "Vitamins for Ygdrasil and Other Poems." He serves up epic stories that tower over the small lines of this collection like the giant oak, Ygdrasil, that towers over his home…We’re drawn in and tossed about, ‘loosed, in love’ with this extraordinary telling of storied memories. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7052048039.
Exciting Reading Ahead for 2025
I’ve listed just a few here for 2025. I’ve simply run out of time this year. We’ll start with a couple of Memphis friends then more books released by Regal in 2024 then…drumroll… our Summer 2025 RHP cohort that I am truly thrilled and honored to be among.
Akmaral by Judith Lindbergh—Before the Silk Road had a name, nomads roamed the Asian steppes and women fought side by side as equals with men. Like all women of the Sauromatae, Akmaral is bound for battle from birth, training as a girl in horsemanship, archery, spear, and blade. Her prowess ignites the jealousy of Erzhan, a gifted warrior who hates her as much as he desires her…a sweeping tale about a powerful woman who must make peace with making war.
Hemlock Hollow by Cully Holderfield—Caroline McAlister, college professor and lifelong skeptic, is reeling from the loss of her father and her marriage. Her once promising career has come to a standstill. When her father bequeaths the family cabin to her, it comes with a ghost who haunted her childhood. When she discovers a century-old journal in the attic, she awakens the voice of Carson Quinn.
In This Ravishing World by Nina Schuylar—A sweeping, impassioned short story collection, ringing out with joy, despair, and hope for the natural world. Nine connected stories unfold, bringing together an unforgettable cast of dreamers, escapists, activists, and artists, creating a kaleidoscopic view of the climate crisis.
Mississippi Hippie: A Life in 49 Pieces by Willy Bearden—Embark on an extraordinary odyssey through the soul-stirring landscapes of the storied Mississippi Delta and the humming streetscapes of 1970s Memphis. Willy Bearden, a master storyteller, unveils his life's mosaic in a series of poignant and evocative vignettes that resonate with the echoes of a bygone era. From the unforgiving cotton fields to the gritty pool halls and curious beauty shops of Rolling Fork, Bearden's prose transports you to a world teeming with unforgettable characters and untold secrets.
The Art Collector by Susan Bacon—It is February 1987. Seal Larsen is a photographer, denizen of New York’s downtown scene and the subject of one of Andy Warhol’s short films. When she dies in a suspicious fall from the 15th floor of her Manhattan apartment building, her friend and neighbor, Emma Quinn, is determined to find out what happened.
Summer 2025 RHP Releases
Pre-Order these amazing Regal House Summer 2025 titles HERE.
A Small Disturbance on the Far Horizon by Richard Babcock—In the stark Nevada landscape of the 1950s, A Small Disturbance on the Far Horizon explores the aftermath of a murder through the intertwined lives of three individuals…Against the backdrop of the country’s nuclear bomb tests, which ominously shadow the narrative, Tom, Ettie, and Adam each wrestle with their choices and seek redemption from the haunting consequences that relentlessly pursue them.
A Tune Both Familiar and Strange by Rafaella Del Bourgo—“These poems take us to places as far flung as Tasmania or Afghanistan, Israel or Iceland, letting us see across time and space into the lives of others, but also into the love and loss of Del Bourgo’s own life. -Lynne Knight, author of The Language of Forgetting
Closer by Miriam Gershow—Set in 2015 during Obama’s presidency and Trump’s early candidacy, the tranquil college town of Horace, Oregon, is disrupted when white students taunt a Black student in the high school library…When tragedy strikes with the death of a student, the survivors are left grappling with the fault lines in their most intimate relationships and searching for ways to draw closer.
Duet for One by Martha Anne Toll—Haunted by his youthful romance with Dara, gifted and sensitive violinist Adam must confront his past to find a way forward… Duet for One weaves a poignant narrative of loss, connection, and the enduring hope that love can be found where life resides, following her acclaimed debut, Three Muses.
Imhotep and the Quest to Kush by Al Sirois (second book in The Imhotep Chronicles trilogy for young adults)—Imhotep, tasked with finding new remedies for the ailing King Sanakhe, embarks on a perilous journey into the mysterious land of Kush. Along the Nile River, he seeks powerful spells and exotic herbs from local healers. However, Imhotep's path is fraught with danger…His resolve and resourcefulness are tested as he strives to uncover the remedies that could save King Sanakhe and safeguard the realm from imminent peril.
Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko—The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history…Brimming with biting humor, compassion, and quick-witted insight, JUST EMILIA is remarkable journey of self-discovery. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7060230979.
Measure of Devotion by Nell Joslin—Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents’ wishes by enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord…This gripping narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound impacts of war on family bonds.
Peace Like a River by Scott Gould—A lyrical and heartwarming tale of fathers, sons, and grandfathers, and the intricate bonds that define them…A captivating exploration of forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring bonds of family, Peace Like a River invites readers into a world where love and loss intersect with the healing power of nature and introspection.
Sixty Seconds by Richard Mayfield—As the clock ticks down the final minute of World War II in Europe, Sixty Seconds tells the stories of nine people on both sides of the Atlantic…Individually and together, these seemingly disparate and yet inextricably intertwined people hurtle toward their own climactic finishes as midnight and the official beginning of V-E Day approaches on 7 May 1945.
The Bayrose Files by Diane Wald—Ambitious young journalist Violet Maris secures a coveted residency at a prestigious artists’ and writers’ colony in 1980s Provincetown, armed with a file of stories written by a dear, older gay friend. Her intention: to write a captivating exposé based on these narratives. However, Violet’s promising start at the colony takes a dark turn when tragedy strikes—her friend, the true author of the stories, succumbs to AIDS.
The Miniaturist’s Assistant by Katherine Scott Crawford—An art conservator in historic Charleston unearths a familiar face in a 200-year-old miniature portrait and realizes she’s lived more than one life…The Miniaturist’s Assistant explores the mystery of time, how our choices ripple throughout history, and what it means to be a fully-realized woman—in any century.
Three Guesses by Chris McClain Johnson—Three strangers, connected only by a mesmerizing painting named Three Guesses, embark on an extraordinary journey of friendship. Compelled by their agreement to communicate only by mail, they reveal surprisingly intimate, personal details in a series of letters over the course of seven years. Then, as each contends with critical turning points in their lives, the unlikely trio breaks their mail-only pact and makes a life-changing decision to finally meet in person.
Where I Went Wrong by David Galef—Tony Mazza is no stranger to bad days; in fact, they often seem to define his life…Where I Went Wrong is Tony’s story, a novel that blends action with rueful reflection, examining the complexities of failure and success. It poses the question of why some people lose out while others get away with little short of murder, offering a narrative both comic and profoundly serious.
I hope you will seek out and enjoy all of these wonderful books.
Whenever and wherever possible, support your local, independent bookstores.
HAPPY READING IN 2025!