Best Books for 2024 from Berkley and Other Penguin Random House Imprints

One of the best books for 2024 from Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, Funny Story, is Emily Henry’s newest novel. Set in the beautiful background of a lakeside Michigan town in the summer, the main female lead, Daphne, finds herself weeks away from her wedding and a fiance, Peter, who declares his love for his childhood best friend, Petra. What you will love most about this story:

• Michigan in the summer. The scenery is fantastic.
• The fun troupes used in the book range from friends to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, and enemies to lovers.
• Daphne is a children’s librarian, and Emily Henry makes it sound like a dream workplace.
• The humor and quick wit dispersed within the story will have you laughing.

Sometimes, the paths one follows are not one’s first or second choice. But when the outcome is even better than planned, authentic living begins. This is one of the best books for 2024 and a must-read before the summer ends.

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung is one of the best books for 2024 for so many reasons. A historical fiction novel based in 1948 Communist China, this will become one of your favorite reads of the year. Grab this book if you:

• Enjoy historical fiction books based on actual people and events
• Cheer for the strong female lead who has everything stacked against her
• Often read dramatic historical fiction that examines a cultural practice, in this case, valuing the lives of males above females
• Can’t stop reading until you know the outcome

The deck is stacked against the women in the Ang family in rural Shandong, China. When the Communist army starts commandeering homes, the men and older women leave Hai and her three sisters and mother. The females escape and forge a thousand-mile journey across the continent to Taiwan. A powerful story of resilience, you will devour every chapter of this gem of a book.

There is nothing quite like a book with a feel-good ending. In Eileen Meriweather’s life in A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston, it doesn’t seem like there is any chance she will ever have her fairy book happily ever after. Ashley Poston is the queen of writing magical realism, which is why this is one of the best books for 2024 from Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House. What you can expect in this book:

• A heroine who is a realist
• A storybook-like town that turns out to be just that…from a book
• Romance that imagines an actual person stuck in a favorite romance series

Most readers have a favorite book series. Poston takes you further and imagines life stuck in your beloved fictitious town. Could this fiction turn into realism for the heroine? Make sure to snag your copy of Ashley Poston’s latest!

The fourth novel in the Lovelight Farms series, you won’t want to miss how the series concludes. Business Casual by B. K. Borison takes the reader back to Inglewild, the beloved setting for this series that is part of the list of best books for 2024 from Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House. This adorable romance includes:

• No strings attached one night stand
• Rugged and casual attraction to up-tight and buttoned-up
• Small town romance
• Undeniable immediate chemistry

This book is a must-read if small-town romances are your thing. While the previous three books help to give insight into the town, this book can be read as a standalone. You will love the Lovelight Farms series and everyone from this tiny town!

Jessica Joyce burst on the romance book scene with her hit, You, With a View. The Ex Vows is just as compelling and includes the same depth of character and honesty in the people as the story develops. You won’t forget this story, as it will find its place in your best books for 2024. The plot in a nutshell:

• The novel starts with three best friends from high school: Georgia, Eli, and Adam.
• Georgia and Eli date seriously through college and after a horrible breakup five years prior.
• When Adam is planning a wedding that seems cursed as everything starts going wrong, Georgia and Eli ignore their history and team up to help their mutual friend have the magical best day of his life.
• When old flames rekindle, Georgia and Eli question where their lives are headed and whether they should follow the same path.

Beautifully written, this is a summer romance that everyone can enjoy. Jessica Joyce is sure to be one of your newest must-buy authors. Now is the time to dive into her catalog of titles!

After reading This Summer Will Be Different, you won’t be able to stop yourself from googling trips to Prince Edward Island. The setting for this novel is breathtaking, and the reader can’t help but get lost in the story and the town where it plays out. Why this book by Carley Fortune, published by Berkley, is one of the best books for 2024:

• The main character, Lucy, has a one-night stand with her best friend’s brother (a fact unknown to both parties).
• This off-limits attraction has remained consistent for years. The pining is real.
• Felix, the main male character, shucks oysters competitively, which you may or may not have realized is a competition sport.
• Set on a beach, this is the perfect summer read, whether during the summer or when you are wistful for summer.

You can’t go wrong with Carley Fortune; this latest novel is no different. Make sure to read this one before the weather starts to chill or you’ll crave the summer temperatures again!

Looking for a thriller that will grab you and have you guessing until the book’s end? Look no further and prepare for the nostalgia of 1995 to wave through you as you read Simone St. James’ latest thriller, Murder Road. What you can find in this story on the list of best books for 2024:

• A newly married couple predominantly in the dark about each other’s past
• A young woman’s death in the back of the newlywed’s car
• A small town seemingly gripped by a supernatural power
• Killer mystery that spans decades

This murder mystery has enough turns to grab your attention and compel you to keep reading until the questions are answered. This is one thriller that will stick with you for weeks to come. Don’t miss out on one of Berkley’s newest thriller releases.

So often, romance novels include warn-out plots. Happily Never After by Lynn Painter has a fresh and unique twist on the meet-cute that will have you laughing and loving the book until the end. This is one of the best books for 2024 because:

• The story answers the question: if someone can hire people for a wedding party, can someone hire a person to object to a marriage?
• It will have you wondering what would happen if a professional wedding objector were a thing—and, for that matter, is it a thing?
• The humor and sweetness carried between the two main characters, two love cynics, will leave you wanting more of their relationship.
• You will ask yourself if there was a more absurd way to meet your future partner: because he was an objector hired for her wedding!

This story is so bonkers that it is adorable. Lynn Painter over-delivers in this summer’s nuptial hit from Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House and on this list of the best books for 2024.

Seven years ago, Kaliya and Danny’s college relationship plummeted. The two were in film school, dreaming of making it big. Fast forward to the present day, and Kaliya jumps at a chance to work with an up-and-coming director after spending years as a receptionist for a film studio. When I Think of You by Myah Ariel is one of the best books for 2024, especially this summer, because:

• the second chance romance between the two leads is compelling and beautifully written
• the fun Hollywood background and fast-moving movie studio make this a world you want to know
• the solid female lead works to make her dreams come true

Find out how this story progresses and concludes by purchasing your copy. A wonderful book about deep connections and vulnerability in relationships, there is something in this romance for every reader.

From the author of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, Sarah Adler, comes the newest quirky hit, Happy Medium. This is one of the best books for 2024, not only for its offbeat humor but also its adorable love story. Here is a quick recap without spoilers:

• Gretchen is a fake spirit medium hired to “cleanse” a haunted property for sale.
• A handsome goat farmer named Charlie is the property owner.
• Gretchen is shocked to find out she actually can communicate with the dead when Everett, a ghost, turns up and asks for her help to avoid the sale of the goat farm, which will curse Charlie.
• With one month to convince Charlie not to sell and avoid being cursed, Gretchen may have bit off more than she can chew with this one.

This is your stop if you are looking for the perfect poolside read. This is one of the best books for 2024 for multiple reasons, but first and foremost, for its readability and fun storyline.

Looking for a cozy mystery? Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson is one of the best books for 2024 because of its charming characters who solve crimes by annoying their neighbors. It’s more complex than that, but never has being a busybody paid off more than it has for these nosy neighbors.

• Dorothy Darling is seventy-seven, and Kat Bennett is twenty-five. The two have nothing in common but a love for where they live, Shelley House, and a slight snooping problem.
• When demolition is possible for their apartments, Dorothy and Kat team together to save their building and seek justice for their neighbors who may lose their homes.
• With a tiny dog at their side, the two women let nothing get in their way of reestablishing ownership over the future of their home.

Fun and feisty, this story will make you laugh and rush to finish. It’s a great book to purchase and read this summer or once the weather starts chasing you indoors.

Hollywood romance may look glamorous, but there is more than meets the eye, as evidenced by the book Take-Two, Birdie Maxwell, which is on this list of the best books for 2024. In this romance, Birdie Robinson is a famous actress whose Hollywood career has made her one of the most sought-after actresses in the business. Unfortunately, when an argument on set goes viral, ruining her reputation, Birdie quickly heads to her hometown to avoid the limelight. Read this one if you love:

• happy endings on and off the big screen
• skeptics turned lovers
• self-understanding before romance

After finding an unsigned letter from a former boyfriend, Birdie sets out on a road trip with journalist Elliot O’Brien to improve her image and see if she has a long-lost love. You will love the main character’s relationship and the unexpected conclusion on this road trip toward redemption.

Out August 27th, Talking to Strangers is the perfect thriller to grab before the fall weather sets in. This story is one of the best books for 2024 because it taps into the fear of the dangers of online dating. Here is what Elise King, the detective assigned to the case, knows about the crime:

• Karen Simmons, the victim, was murdered on Valentine’s Day
• Karen had recently been seeing multiple men through online apps, leading others to blame Karen for her demise
• Single mother Kiki Nunn is hungry to break this case and catapult her news career to the next level

Did Karen know her killer? Is Kiki so involved she is hindering the investigation? Elise is motivated to solve the case, but with so many unanswered questions and variables, there is no telling where this mystery will land.

The Kiss Countdown is on the list of best books for 2024 because of its fun premise of dating an astronaut. And not just any astronaut, a sinfully attractive one. In her novel debut, Etta Easton plays out the fake-dating troupe to a t and hits this one out of the atmosphere…pun intended. If you are not yet sold, here is a quick recap of the plot without spoilers:

• Amerie Price is recently single and jobless, and near homeless.
• When running into her ex and his new girlfriend, Amerie grabs the man she spilled a drink on, Vincent Rogers, and pretends he is her new love.
• Vincent recognizes this as a mutually beneficial opportunity to use Amerie as his fake girlfriend around his family.
• Amerie gets to live in Vincent’s home rent-free leading up to and when he is in space.

This forced-proximity romance will have you swooning and rooting for the characters to fall in love. The only question is, will his time in space ruin everything if they do?

From the author of Dial A for Aunties, Jesse Q. Sutanto, comes her newest novel, The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties. Both hilarious and entertaining, this is one of the best books for 2024. What you will love most about this story:

• The author’s gift of pulling humor into a large family’s celebration of Chinese New Year.
• The meddlesome Aunties are so nosy; they are adorable if you are not related to them.
• However ridiculous the Aunties act, their loyalty toward family and love for their kin is vital and ties the story together.
• The story is set in Jakarta, the perfect backdrop for an accidental move that puts the Aunties in the middle of a decades-long feud.

Read along as the main character, Meddy has to devise a plan to save not only her new husband but all four of her Aunties. Some would say it is impossible. But with humor and wit, Sutanto takes the reader on an amusing ride in The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties.

Nothing is better than having a great thriller to read in time for the fall. That is why Beware the Woman, published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, is on this list of best books for 2024. Jacy is newly married to her husband, Jed, and they are pregnant with their first child. As this is precisely how Jacy saw her life progressing, she is happy to road trip it to Jed’s father’s home in upper Michigan. Once they arrive, Jacy’s experience doesn’t go as planned:

• Jed’s dad is lovely, but his house manager, Mrs. Brandt, leaves much to be desired.
• Pregnant Jacy has a health scare within the first few days, leaving her bedridden in the cabin.
• Details from Jed’s mother’s death begin to surface, causing Jacy to feel trapped.
• Jacy questions her sanity as her fears heighten; while the cabin is in the middle of the dense woods, Jacy fears there could be danger inside the isolated home.

It is a fast-paced thriller; you won’t be able to put this book down until you finish. When a woman who dreams of being a mom feels trapped and in danger while pregnant, there is no telling what lengths she will go to feel safe, not only for herself but for her unborn child.

Hoda Kotb, one of the Today show hosts, used her Instagram page to post sentiments that motivate her. The quotes often resulted in followers responding with “I really needed this today,” hence the title. This is one of the best books for 2024, published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for its uplifting message. What you will find in this book:

• quotes written by Hoda’s favorite authors
• sentiments meant to encourage laughter or love
• everything posted was meaningful to Hoda – and as it turns out – thousands of her followers

This book contains 365 sayings and/ or quotes in total. The reader can use this as a daily affirmation or read it when looking for inspiration, facing changes, or seeking encouragement. Keep this book handy, as it has content relevant to every day and every situation.