Our readers’ favorite books of 2024 so far are the perfect fall page-turners

Fall is here. There’s never been a more perfect time to curl up on the sofa with a big blanket and a great book. Now that the weather is starting to get chilly, it’s time to get lost in your next great read. That’s why we’ve sifted through tons of titles to bring you some of the most exciting books our readers haven’t been able to get enough of this year. Whether you love reading on an e-reader like a Kindle or thumbing through the pages of a “real” book, there’s something for everyone to read. 

Looking to dig into politics? Try Hillary Rodham Clinton’s new memoir, “Something Lost, Something Gained.” 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 was one of our favorite summer 2024 beach reads. 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.

Are you 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. 

Our readers’ favorite books of 2024 so far

Snuggle up with a cup of coffee and one of these can’t-miss books and settle in for a great fall with these intriguing reads. These are the books that CBS Essentials readers are buying the most in 2024. 

“It Ends With Us”

Lily is a woman with a tough past who’s been working to build a successful life. After graduating from college, moving to Boston and starting her own business, her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. It’s love at first sight, but it might not be the right kind Lily is looking for.

Powerful Lily finds herself drawn to Ryle’s assertive and sometimes arrogant personality. But he has a sensitive side, too, and he’s totally attracted to her. But he’s just not into having relationships, something that Lily ends up questioning since she’s quickly becoming an exception to his strange “no dating” rule.

That’s about the time when Atlas Corrigan, Lily’s first love and a connection to the past, shows up. Atlas, who was once Lily’s protector, threatens her new relationship after she’s forced to face some difficult truths about her fledgling romance. 

This Colleen Hoover bestseller is now a movie starring Blake Lively. 

“This Summer Will Be Different”

Lucy, a tourist visiting Prince Edward Island, finds herself drawn to Felix, a local who shows her around the area. But Lucy has no idea that Felix is the younger brother of her best friend, Bridget. Despite their best efforts to resist temptation and keep their distance, Lucy and Felix find it increasingly difficult to deny their feelings for each other during Lucy’s yearly visits.

Each year, Lucy looks forward to getting away, and she spends quality time with Bridget when she gets to the island. But when Bridget unexpectedly leaves Toronto just a week before her wedding, Lucy rushes to the island to support her friend. While with Bridget, Lucy also struggles to resist the allure of Felix, who seems to have transformed their last meeting. 

While the pair swear they won’t fall to the pressure of being in a relationship and will break the cycle, that isn’t exactly what ends up happening. This steamy read will end up keeping you warm long after the fall chill starts to set in.

“The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House”

Nancy Pelosi shares her journey from housewife to becoming the first female Speaker of the House. In this memoir, she discusses her personal and professional life as well as the challenges she faced and the skills she developed to succeed in a male-dominated field. She dives into her role in passing important legislation and highlights her ability to find common ground or stand on her own with difficult presidents. 

There’s also room for personal stories and reflections on her interactions with soldiers, inspiring women, and human rights activists. She also discusses her early positions on issues like the Iraq War and the Chinese government’s various transgressions in conduct. Later, Pelosi discusses her relationship with former President Donald Trump and the attack on her husband, Paul.

Pelosi is transparent and engaging in this memoir, which works best as an inspirational read and offers a series of uplifting and personal stories for eager political readers. 

“Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis”

In “Hillbilly Elegy,” J.D. Vance shares the struggles of working-class Americans as well as their decline over the last few decades. Vance shares his story, starting with his grandparents’ move from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in search of a better life. While they managed to raise a middle-class family, with Vance himself graduating from Yale Law School, he discusses the challenges his family members faced, including abuse, alcoholism and poverty.

Throughout this book, Vance explores the impact of his family history on his life. There’s levity with some moments of humor, but he focuses on what he believes to be the loss of the “American dream” in a somber few portions of the book while offering a bit of an insider’s look at the situation.

This memoir should interest anyone looking to explore other facets of culture and those interested in a more complete portrait of the political landscape this election season from another personality invested in the race.  

“Connie: A Memoir”

Journalist Connie Chung shares her journey as the first Asian woman to break through the barriers of a predominantly white, male-dominated TV news industry in this new memoir. Born to Chinese parents and raised in the United States, Chung pursued important stories, secured interviews with in-demand figures and covered major national events like the Watergate scandal. In the end, these accomplishments made her a household name.

In this book, Chung gives readers a look back at her life and career, from being the first woman as a co-anchor on the CBS Evening News and the first Asian woman to star as a news anchor. She also touches on the stories that defined her career, as well as her interactions with her husband Maury Povich. 

This memoir is a great option for anyone seeking a career in journalism as well as women (or anyone, really) who want to look back on a storied rise to fame in the realm of TV news.

“Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty”

Need a candid-yet-adventurous memoir to page through? You’ve found it in this bestseller. Hillary Clinton invites you to learn about her life, experiences and the challenges we face as a society in “Something Lost, Something Gained”. 

Drawing from her roles as a politician and activist, Clinton shares wisdom as well as the strength she derives from her friendships, faith and marriage to former President Bill Clinton. She also explores her role as a college professor and activism for women’s rights. 

Clinton also offers insights into meetings with world leaders like Vladimir Putin and shares her thoughts on hot-button issues with American voters. This memoir is a look back at her thoughts on making a positive impact while embracing the challenges and joys of aging with humor and grace.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned in this book. If you’re a fan of Clinton and the impact she’s had over the years, this memoir should scratch your itch in several ways. 

“Eruption”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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. 

If you’re the type of person who ends up doing a little too much no matter what project you’re working on, Celeste’s advice may end up resonating with you. It’s worth a read to see if there are potential tips you can pick up on that might end up changing the way you see things and start “living” once more. 

“Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper”

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”

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”

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”

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.

Brittany Vincent

Brittany Vincent has been covering gaming, tech, and all things entertainment for 16 years for a variety of online and print publications. She’s been covering the commerce space for nearly a decade.