2024 delivered many new novels for readers. From sequels in popular fantasy series, intriguing romantic comedies, celebrity memoirs and some authors’ anticipated return to the shelves, 2024 was an exciting year for bookworms and publishers alike. I wanted to provide reviews and a closer look at some of 2024’s most popular new titles.
“Funny Story”
According to Goodreads, Emily Henry’s “Funny Story” was one of 2024’s most anticipated book releases. Henry’s latest achievement is not shocking, with five consecutive No.1 New York Times bestsellers under her belt and a significant fanbase on TikTok.
“Funny Story” follows Daphne and Miles, acquaintances with vast differences in their personalities and lifestyles, but with one major commonality: they are now roommates. Daphne and Miles, mourning the ends of their respective relationships, move in with each other.
As Henry readers may expect, living with someone who knows exactly what the other is feeling leads to even more feelings and a slow-burn romance.
In the face of overused, predictable romance tropes in the current publishing industry, Henry’s writing about the complications of falling in love with an ex-financés new financés ex provides an interesting, refreshing romance trope to keep fans of contemporary fiction and romance entertained.
“Funny Story” is an emotional, hopeful novel about facing life’s tumultuous changes and gathering the strength to move on from the past and start a new chapter in life. Although I enjoyed “Funny Story,” I did not like Henry’s latest novel as much as her novels “Book Lovers” and “Beach Read.”
“The Paradise Problem”
Romantic comedy power duo Christina Lauren delivered 2024’s ninth most-read release, and it will not disappoint fans of the rom-com genre. Lauren’s 20th novel follows a marriage of convenience between Anna, an artist living in California and Liam, the heir to one of America’s biggest grocery chains.
To keep the “family” aspect of the family business alive for generations, Liam’s father has made it so that Liam’s inheritance depends on him having a wife. To avoid bad press and family gossip, Liam has to bring his wife Anna along with him to his sister’s wedding.
Despite being married for years, the two barely know each other as Anna is thrown into Liam’s family’s lavish, chaotic world. Against this backdrop, Anna and Liam must keep up their charade, pretending they have been sharing their lives for years.
Amidst the familial pressure, the obnoxious entitlement and the $100 million on the line, their fake relationship starts to feel more and more real.
“The Paradise Problem” is an entertaining, hilarious romance filled with “rich people problems” and a genuinely interesting plot. It’s a romantic comedy that’s funny and has an outstanding balance between its comedic and romantic elements; I found it to be a perfect vacation read.
“Intermezzo”
Sally Rooney is a once-in-a-generation talent. Her novels display unique artistry and her latest, “Intermezzo,” is no exception.
“Intermezzo” follows the stories of brothers Peter and Ivan. With a significant age gap and emotional differences, the brothers had primarily lived disconnected lives. After their father’s death, the two brothers begin to reconnect.
Peter, a lawyer living in Dublin, grapples not only with the death of a parent he was not emotionally close to but also has to balance between two women in his life: Sylvia, his first love turned mostly platonic friend, and Naomi, a college student squatting in Dublin and working a side job as an online sex worker.
With Ivan, Rooney tells the story of a young professional chess player who displays multiple symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and falls in love with Margaret, a woman fourteen years his senior.
Rooney explores a strained relationship between brothers, age gaps in sexual and romantic relationships and economic inequality. As an avid Rooney fan, I thought “Intermezzo” felt different from her other works from the first page.
The book has a stream-of-consciousness quality — a choice that worked well for communicating men’s narratives. Rooney’s writing is intentional to the point where slight silences between characters or a single added word in a moment of dialogue reveal as much about “Intermezzo” characters as other authors would try to convey in an entire page monologue.
Although I enjoyed “Intermezzo” and found its writing at a similar level to Rooney’s other works, I did not love the novel as much as Rooney’s novels “Normal People” or “Beautiful World, Where Are You.” I also found Rooney’s latest to be a slower read than her previous works. However, I consider “Intermezzo” the best-written and most elegantly crafted new novel published this year.
