\n <\/p>\n
1. First Lie Wins<\/em> by Ashley Elston<\/h3>\nI\u2019ve been recommending First Lie Wins<\/em> to everyone complaining about being in a reading slump. Nothing like a juicy thriller to get you back in the game. First Lie Wins<\/em> follows a con woman Evie Porter who is on a mission under a fake identity. She meets a woman whose profile and name matches Porter\u2019s real identity. But that\u2019s just the beginning; there\u2019s double crossing, love, secrets, murder\u2014everything to keep you hooked!<\/p>\nBuy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
2. Butter<\/em> by Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton<\/h3>\nEveryone and their mother was reading Butter<\/em> in 2024. I read an e-copy kindly sent by the publisher, but I would highly recommend buying yourself a physical copy. It is the right size, big enough and not too short. It is ideal to keep aside when you take a break to get yourself something to eat\u2014something that you\u2019ll be doing very often as you leaf through this book. I was shocked to learn that Butter<\/em> was inspired by a true crime (the Konkatsu killer<\/a>). It follows a journalist Rika Machida and an imprisoned gourmet chef Manako Kajii who killed men after seducing them with food. A killer combo with the pleasures of food colliding with misogyny. It\u2019ll make you crave rice, butter, food. <\/p>\nBuy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
3. The Labyrinth House Murders<\/em> by Yukito Ayatsuji, translated by Ho-Ling Wong<\/h3>\nThis might be my favorite among the house mysteries (The Decagon House Murders<\/em> (Read on Satchel Notes #23<\/a>), The Mill House Murders<\/em>) by Yukito Ayatsuji. It is cozy and plain awesome. <\/p>\nA legendary mystery writer Miyagaki Yotaro invites four young Japanese crime writers, his editors and detective Shimada Kiyoshi to his home for his 60th birthday party. The writers must compete with one another and write four crime stories that solve their fictional murders. Each story must feature the cast gathered for the birthday party. The winner gets Yotaro\u2019s inheritance. Things go wrong when the writers start getting murdered in the same gruesome ways as they\u2019ve been imagining in their stories. Chilling, twisty and worth your time. It was definitely one of my best books of 2024.<\/p>\n
Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a>
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\n![\"10](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\")
10 best books of 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\nAlso Read<\/em> <\/strong>: Best novels on scams and obsession<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n4. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich <\/em>by Deya Muniz<\/h3>\nThe first book I read in 2024 and it was a fun ride. This graphic novel follows Lady Camembert who disguises herself as a count because the law of the land states that women cannot inherit their father\u2019s property. But her friendship with the feisty activist Princess Brie, who has an eye for fashion, might be developing into something more. This cute YA rom com about queer love and mistaken identity is a quick read. Don\u2019t forget to keep a bowl of tomato soup and the cheesiest grilled sandwich on the side.<\/p>\n
Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
5. Close to Death<\/em> by Anthony Horowitz<\/h3>\nI adored this cozy murder mystery set in a small town where a new, loud, disagreeable neighbor is found murdered with a crossbow struck to his heart. If there\u2019s something you need to know about close knit communities, it is that they hate outsiders and that they will stick up for one another. Not an easy situation to find a murderer. The author is a fictional character in this story, which makes the mystery even more delicious. Not gonna lie, I googled if this was a real incident soon after reading it.<\/p>\n
Buy on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
6. Maria, Just Maria<\/em> Sandhya Mary, translated by Jayasree Kalathil<\/h3>\nA quirky novel set in the Syrian Malabar community, following Maria admitted to a psychiatric facility. It is a novel about nostalgia, surrealism, societal expectations and mental illness. But I was captured most by the enormity of the cast\u2014a toddy shop wandering grandfather, an eccentric aunt, a talking dog, saints who visit in dreams.<\/p>\n
Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n7. Lost Souls Meet under a Full Moon <\/em>by Mizuki Tsujimura, translated by Yuki Tejima<\/h3>\nThis book is for those who know what it is like to lose a loved one. Told in five episodes, this book is about one\u2019s wish to meet a dead person once again. A go-between can help with the meet but the rules state that you can meet only one deceased person in your lifetime. If you are dead, you can meet only one living person. This is a book about love, memories, yearning. More than the characters, it is how they remind you of yourself or someone special that make this book a winner.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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8. Airplane Mode <\/em>by Shahnaz Habib<\/h3>\nThis was my favorite book read in 2024. It is also a book I carried with me on several plane rides, reading a few pages or none at all. Somehow it felt comforting to me that this book kept me company in my backpack even when I wouldn\u2019t read it on a trip. <\/p>\n
I first read Airplane Mode<\/em> as a non-interacting, distracted reader. I found it to be a very good book. But on my second read, it became a deeply personal experience\u2014I found myself underlining long passages, taking photos of paragraphs and sharing it. I lost track of time once and almost missed my cab, and back home, I continued reading it over a solo candlelit dinner, and then early in the morning before having my coffee.<\/p>\nAirplane Mode<\/em> is a book about travel from the lens of a woman of color. It gives us a history of travel, the eliteness of early travel and the rise of the modern traveler, the phenomenon of #wanderlust, and most of all, visa problems that keep you out from exploring a world demarcated by man-made borders. Brilliant!<\/p>\nBuy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\nAlso Read<\/em> <\/strong>: Summer Reading List 2023<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n9. There are Rivers in the Sky<\/em> by Elif Shafak<\/h3>\nThose who are familiar with Elif Shafak would know that she is an expert in weaving together multiple plotlines into one spectacular novel. There are Rivers in the Sky<\/em> is no different. Shafak brings together the ancient city of Ninevah, London in 1840, Turkey in 2014 and London in 2018 together. The prose is river-like\u2014poetic at places, slowing flowing at others, and still at a few places. We read about dreams of people, history, cultural theft, heavy weight issues like the rise of ISIS, and climate change. <\/p>\nBuy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n10. Greta & Valdin<\/em> by Rebecca K. Reilly<\/h3>\nGreta & Valdin<\/em> is one of those books that leave you satisfied when you finish reading. It is chaotic, funny, fresh and eccentric. This novel follows two Ma\u014dri-Russian-Catalonian siblings in the unconventional Vladisavljevic family in New Zealand. Queerness, secrets, and dinner table drama come together in this debut novel pitched for fans of Schitt\u2019s Creek<\/em> and Sally Rooney.<\/p>\nBuy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nAlso Read<\/em><\/strong> : 70+ Asian books to read in 2023<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nIf you liked this post on Best Books of 2024, PIN IT<\/strong><\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\nMurders, con women, family drama and more come together in 10 best books of 2024 <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\nIf you loved this post, you might enjoy<\/h5>\n
12 Best books of 2023<\/a>
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Satchel Notes<\/em>, a monthly newsletter about books, curated culture pieces on the internet, creativity and other awesome sauce could be in your inbox. Subscribe!
\n
Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everyone and their mother was reading Butter<\/em> in 2024. I read an e-copy kindly sent by the publisher, but I would highly recommend buying yourself a physical copy. It is the right size, big enough and not too short. It is ideal to keep aside when you take a break to get yourself something to eat\u2014something that you\u2019ll be doing very often as you leaf through this book. I was shocked to learn that Butter<\/em> was inspired by a true crime (the Konkatsu killer<\/a>). It follows a journalist Rika Machida and an imprisoned gourmet chef Manako Kajii who killed men after seducing them with food. A killer combo with the pleasures of food colliding with misogyny. It\u2019ll make you crave rice, butter, food. <\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This might be my favorite among the house mysteries (The Decagon House Murders<\/em> (Read on Satchel Notes #23<\/a>), The Mill House Murders<\/em>) by Yukito Ayatsuji. It is cozy and plain awesome. <\/p>\n A legendary mystery writer Miyagaki Yotaro invites four young Japanese crime writers, his editors and detective Shimada Kiyoshi to his home for his 60th birthday party. The writers must compete with one another and write four crime stories that solve their fictional murders. Each story must feature the cast gathered for the birthday party. The winner gets Yotaro\u2019s inheritance. Things go wrong when the writers start getting murdered in the same gruesome ways as they\u2019ve been imagining in their stories. Chilling, twisty and worth your time. It was definitely one of my best books of 2024.<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a> Also Read<\/em> <\/strong>: Best novels on scams and obsession<\/a> The first book I read in 2024 and it was a fun ride. This graphic novel follows Lady Camembert who disguises herself as a count because the law of the land states that women cannot inherit their father\u2019s property. But her friendship with the feisty activist Princess Brie, who has an eye for fashion, might be developing into something more. This cute YA rom com about queer love and mistaken identity is a quick read. Don\u2019t forget to keep a bowl of tomato soup and the cheesiest grilled sandwich on the side.<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I adored this cozy murder mystery set in a small town where a new, loud, disagreeable neighbor is found murdered with a crossbow struck to his heart. If there\u2019s something you need to know about close knit communities, it is that they hate outsiders and that they will stick up for one another. Not an easy situation to find a murderer. The author is a fictional character in this story, which makes the mystery even more delicious. Not gonna lie, I googled if this was a real incident soon after reading it.<\/p>\n Buy on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A quirky novel set in the Syrian Malabar community, following Maria admitted to a psychiatric facility. It is a novel about nostalgia, surrealism, societal expectations and mental illness. But I was captured most by the enormity of the cast\u2014a toddy shop wandering grandfather, an eccentric aunt, a talking dog, saints who visit in dreams.<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a> This book is for those who know what it is like to lose a loved one. Told in five episodes, this book is about one\u2019s wish to meet a dead person once again. A go-between can help with the meet but the rules state that you can meet only one deceased person in your lifetime. If you are dead, you can meet only one living person. This is a book about love, memories, yearning. More than the characters, it is how they remind you of yourself or someone special that make this book a winner.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This was my favorite book read in 2024. It is also a book I carried with me on several plane rides, reading a few pages or none at all. Somehow it felt comforting to me that this book kept me company in my backpack even when I wouldn\u2019t read it on a trip. <\/p>\n I first read Airplane Mode<\/em> as a non-interacting, distracted reader. I found it to be a very good book. But on my second read, it became a deeply personal experience\u2014I found myself underlining long passages, taking photos of paragraphs and sharing it. I lost track of time once and almost missed my cab, and back home, I continued reading it over a solo candlelit dinner, and then early in the morning before having my coffee.<\/p>\n Airplane Mode<\/em> is a book about travel from the lens of a woman of color. It gives us a history of travel, the eliteness of early travel and the rise of the modern traveler, the phenomenon of #wanderlust, and most of all, visa problems that keep you out from exploring a world demarcated by man-made borders. Brilliant!<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a><\/p>\n Also Read<\/em> <\/strong>: Summer Reading List 2023<\/a> Those who are familiar with Elif Shafak would know that she is an expert in weaving together multiple plotlines into one spectacular novel. There are Rivers in the Sky<\/em> is no different. Shafak brings together the ancient city of Ninevah, London in 1840, Turkey in 2014 and London in 2018 together. The prose is river-like\u2014poetic at places, slowing flowing at others, and still at a few places. We read about dreams of people, history, cultural theft, heavy weight issues like the rise of ISIS, and climate change. <\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a> Greta & Valdin<\/em> is one of those books that leave you satisfied when you finish reading. It is chaotic, funny, fresh and eccentric. This novel follows two Ma\u014dri-Russian-Catalonian siblings in the unconventional Vladisavljevic family in New Zealand. Queerness, secrets, and dinner table drama come together in this debut novel pitched for fans of Schitt\u2019s Creek<\/em> and Sally Rooney.<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong> on Amazon US<\/a> | Amazon In<\/a> Also Read<\/em><\/strong> : 70+ Asian books to read in 2023<\/a> If you liked this post on Best Books of 2024, PIN IT<\/strong><\/strong> <\/p>\nMurders, con women, family drama and more come together in 10 best books of 2024 <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n 12 Best books of 2023<\/a> Satchel Notes<\/em>, a monthly newsletter about books, curated culture pieces on the internet, creativity and other awesome sauce could be in your inbox. Subscribe!2. Butter<\/em> by Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton<\/h3>\n
3. The Labyrinth House Murders<\/em> by Yukito Ayatsuji, translated by Ho-Ling Wong<\/h3>\n
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\n![\"10](\"https:\/\/www.thebooksatchel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/1-819x1024.jpg\")
\n <\/p>\n4. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich <\/em>by Deya Muniz<\/h3>\n
5. Close to Death<\/em> by Anthony Horowitz<\/h3>\n
6. Maria, Just Maria<\/em> Sandhya Mary, translated by Jayasree Kalathil<\/h3>\n
\n <\/p>\n7. Lost Souls Meet under a Full Moon <\/em>by Mizuki Tsujimura, translated by Yuki Tejima<\/h3>\n
![\"10](\"https:\/\/www.thebooksatchel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2-819x1024.jpg\")
\n <\/p>\n8. Airplane Mode <\/em>by Shahnaz Habib<\/h3>\n
\n <\/p>\n9. There are Rivers in the Sky<\/em> by Elif Shafak<\/h3>\n
\n <\/p>\n10. Greta & Valdin<\/em> by Rebecca K. Reilly<\/h3>\n
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\n![\"10](\"https:\/\/www.thebooksatchel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/3-819x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIf you loved this post, you might enjoy<\/h5>\n
\n70+ Asian books to read in 2023 <\/a><\/p>\nSubscribe<\/h2>\n
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