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Our readers’ favorite books of 2024 so far
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Sun, sand and a great book – that’s the perfect formula for a relaxing beach vacation. Since we’re firmly in the grasp of summer 2024, it’s about time to choose your next great read. We’ve got a selection of some of the most gripping, moving and entertaining books our readers have loved this year. Whether you love reading on an e-reader like a Kindle or you prefer real paper, there’s something for everyone.
Thriller fans, don’t miss “Eruption” by Michael Crichton and James Patterson. This action-packed epic about a volcanic eruption in Hawaii will have you racing through the pages. It’s the ultimate summer 2024 beach read. Or dive into the psychological suspense of “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden, which follows a mysterious housekeeper who becomes entangled in her wealthy employer’s dark secrets.
In the mood for an uplifting women’s fiction read? Pick up Kristin Hannah’s “The Women,” which is all about the unsung women who served as nurses during the Vietnam War. Or try Celeste Headlee’s “Do Nothing: How to Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing and Underliving” to help you make time for leisure instead of letting hustle culture rule your world.
Grab your sunscreen and a copy of one of these books. Our readers can’t get enough of them, and it’s time to spice up your next beach trip. Check out the full list below.
Our readers’ favorite books of 2024 so far
“Eruption”
Amazon
This “New York Times” bestseller is a dual creation from two powerhouses. “Eruption” was a passion project of the late author Michael Crichton (“Jurassic Park”) that’s been finished by James Patterson. And you’re going to want to be seated for this one.
When billionaire tech CEO John Crowley climbs an active volcano in the exotic island nation of Vanutu, he gets more than he bargained for. The volcano erupts violently while Crowley is on the mountain.
Cut off from his guides, Crowley must make a terrifying solo descent down the mountain to escape. This thrilling tale combines interactions with deadly forces of nature like volcanoes and fast-paced storytelling. It all makes for a thrilling adventure you won’t want to put down.
“Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy”
Amazon
Women are often sidelined when it comes to talking about health. This book offers some much-needed empowerment around the subject, especially for marginalized women of color. Dr. Sharon Malone aims to break the silence surrounding women’s health issues in this helpful guide.
Dr. Malone offers advice on living and aging better and getting the best care along the way. She works to help women realize the power they already have over their health. They just need the right tools and the willingness to use them.
This book makes it easier for women of all ages to start discussions about their help with their doctors, and have better patient-provider relationships that can act as a bridge to saving more lives.
“The Covenant of Water”
Amazon
Spanning 1900 to 1977 in Kerala, India, “The Covenant of Water” follows three generations of a family cursed with death by drowning. Among some of the family members involved include a Christian girl sent by boat to meet her much older husband while grieving her father’s drowning death.
This young bride goes through several massive changes over her life marked by faith, love and loss. Through her journey from child bride to family matriarch, her story explored here paints a portrait of a family afflicted by recurrent tragic drownings, set against the backdrop of Kerala.
Oprah chose this novel as part of her 2023 book club selections.
“What This Comedian Said Will Shock You”
Amazon
Comedian Bill Maher offers his take on American politics and culture in his latest book. It covers topics ranging from free speech and cancel culture to health and romance. Maher reworked and updated many of these “editorials” to directly address life in our current moment to keep things fresh.
The book also provides commentary on the state of America today. Maher shares his uncensored opinions on the media, generations, politics, police, religion and more. If you’re a fan of Maher’s work, you’ll likely enjoy this book as well.
“The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War”
Amazon
Erik Larson recounts the months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the attack on Fort Sumter that sparked the Civil War in this novel. At the time, Southern states seceded from the Union while Lincoln remained powerless to intervene. Larson creates a political thriller out of the story, capturing the betrayals that pushed America to the brink of war.
Drawing on diaries, plantation records and other communications, the book shows how Lincoln desperately tried to avoid conflict even as he dealt with shady advisors. It’s a dark reminder of the bloodshed that would end up taking more than 750,000 lives over the course of the war.
“Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing and Underliving”
Amazon
Celeste Headlee investigates why we are working harder and feeling more anxious and lonely in this nonfiction novel. She suggests that even though we’re working more to better our lives, doing so can end up sabotaging our well-being.
Headlee uses history, science and research to challenge assumptions about productivity and goals. She discusses modern habits that can be broken to make significant changes in our lives, encouraging readers to return to a way of life that lets us thrive.
“Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper”
Amazon
This book explores works created by abstract painter Mark Rothko throughout his career. Though Rothko is known for his large canvases, he made over 1,000 works on paper that he viewed as finished pieces rather than studies.
Ranging from early figures and surrealist works to his famous fields of color, these works showcase Rothko’s art. The book accompanies the first major exhibition of Rothko’s works on paper in forty years, bringing together nearly 100 rarely-seen examples.
“The Women”
Amazon
This inspirational novel might just push you to do some good. Set during the Vietnam War (1965), 20-year-old nursing student Frankie McGrath enlists in the Army Nurse Corps. Frankie quickly becomes part of the chaos of war — a stark contrast to her sheltered upbringing in sunny California. She’s forced to figure out how to navigate life and death daily while getting closer to the soldiers she treats.
Soon, Frankie grows into a seasoned veteran. But the real battle proves to be returning home to a very different America than the one she left behind. As she reconnects with loved ones and immerses herself in the antiwar movement, she learns important facts about humanity and herself.
“You Never Know: A Memoir”
Amazon
Actor Tom Selleck shares the story of his rise to fame in Hollywood in this memoir, talking about the mistakes and hard-won successes he came across along the way. He also pays tribute to mentors like James Garner and the classic Western genre he loves.
For “Magnum P.I.” fans, he reveals how he put his career on the line to make the character more imperfect. Selleck also shares his perspective on a changing industry, explaining how he’s reached iconic status by always staying true to himself.
“The Housemaid”
Amazon
Need an exciting thriller you won’t want to put down? It all starts with “The Housemaid” – and there are sequels, too!
Millie is an ex-convict looking for a fresh start as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina Winchester. At first, the job seems promising. Nina is friendly and welcoming when Millie moves in.
But Nina’s behavior soon takes a disturbing turn. She gives Millie confusing instructions, sometimes failing to mention critical information like her daughter’s severe allergy. Millie soon suspects her new boss may be unwell, or that maybe there’s something else hiding beneath the surface. What kind of secrets will Nina stumble upon? You’ll have to wait and see.
Frito-Lay is recalling a limited number of 13 oz. bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips after being alerted by a consumer contact that the product may contain undeclared milk.
The bags of chips affected by recall were distributed to certain retail stores and e-commerce distributors in Oregon and Washington and were available for sale beginning Nov. 3, 2024.
“Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product,” the Food and Drug Administration said in the recall notice posted Thursday.
No allergic reactions related to the recall have been reported, according to the recall. Additionally, no other Lay’s products, flavors, sizes or variety packs are affected.
FDA
The recalled chips include Lay’s Classic Potato Chips, in flexible 13 oz. (368.5 grams) bags with UPC code 28400 31041, a “Guaranteed Fresh” date of 11 Feb 2025, and one of either two manufacturing codes: 6462307xx or 6463307xx.
General guidelines from the FDA advise consumers who have purchased any recalled food to dispose of the product or return it to the retailer for a full refund.
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What is the debt ceiling? Here’s why Trump wants Congress to abolish it before he takes office
Washington — President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk blew up a GOP-backed deal to fund federal agencies into March, raising the pressure on Republican congressional leaders to craft a plan to avert a government shutdown just before the holidays.
In a statement Wednesday, Trump and Vance lambasted the agreement for including provisions favored by Democrats. But the incoming president and vice president also added a new, significant wrinkle to negotiations when they urged Congress to raise or abolish the debt ceiling now, instead of next year.
“Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch,” Trump and Vance said in their statement. “If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now.”
What is the debt ceiling?
Set by Congress, the debt ceiling, or limit, is the maximum amount of money the U.S. Treasury is authorized to borrow to pay debts incurred by the federal government. Lifting the debt ceiling does not authorize new spending, but instead lets the government spend money on obligations that Congress has already been approved.
Failing to address the debt ceiling could lead the U.S. to default on its debt, which would have devastating effects on the economy. The government has never defaulted, and the Treasury typically uses accounting moves, known as “extraordinary measures,” to delay breaching the debt ceiling.
While raising the debt ceiling used to be routine, legislation addressing it has in recent years been used as leverage to force policy concessions and fuel debates over government spending.
Congress last addressed the debt ceiling in June 2023 as part of a legislative package negotiated by President Biden and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. That deal suspended the debt ceiling through Jan., 1, 2025, ensuring any fight over it would take place after the 2024 elections.
The Treasury Department will likely implement extraordinary measures to stave off a default in the new year. It will also announce an “X date,” the estimated point at which the government will no longer be able to pay its obligations. The Economic Policy Innovation Center, a conservative think tank, projected in an analysis released Monday that it’s possible the debt limit will be reached by June 16.
While the Treasury Department’s use of extraordinary measures would give Congress more time to address the debt ceiling, Trump is now urging lawmakers to take action now, before he takes office.
Why does Trump want to raise the debt ceiling?
The president-elect will come into office with a legislative to-do list that includes securing the border and extending provisions of his signature Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted in 2017 and overhauled the tax code. But a fight over the debt ceiling could complicate efforts by the Republican-led House and Senate to focus on those legislative initiatives and pass them quickly.
Trump is urging lawmakers to eliminate the debt ceiling altogether, a position that some prominent Democrats have endorsed in the past.
“Number one, the debt ceiling should be thrown out entirely,” Trump said in a phone interview Thursday with CBS News’ Robert Costa. “Number two, a lot of the different things they thought they’d receive [in a recently proposed spending deal] are now going to be thrown out, 100 percent. And we’ll see what happens. We’ll see whether or not we have a closure during the Biden administration. But if it’s going to take place, it’s going to take place during Biden, not during Trump.”
Trump separately told ABC News that “there won’t be anything approved unless the debt ceiling is done with,” indicating any spending deal to prevent a shutdown must address the debt limit.
“If we don’t get it, then we’re going to have a shutdown, but it’ll be a Biden shutdown, because shutdowns only [injure] the person who’s president,” he told ABC News.
Whether Republicans and Democrats would go along with such a plan, though, is far from clear. GOP lawmakers in both chambers have opposed raising the debt ceiling without spending reforms, and debates over the debt limit often give way to broader fights over the federal budget, which conservatives in Congress have said is bloated and should be reduced. Plus, Democrats still control the Senate and the White House.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday that shutting down the government would harm families and endanger services Americans rely on.
“Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country,” she said. “President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance ordered Republicans to shut down the government and they are threatening to do just that — while undermining communities recovering from disasters, farmers and ranchers, and community health centers.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries suggested Democrats would not go along with a plan pushed by Republicans to raise the debt limit.
“GOP extremists want House Democrats to raise the debt ceiling so that House Republicans can lower the amount of your Social Security check. Hard pass,” the New York Democrat wrote on the social media platform Bluesky.
Jeffries also told reporters “the debt limit issue and discussion is premature at best.”