238 books read this year, which is a personal record. Unfortunately, I also set a record for money spent on books this year ($1017). Considering how many books I read, that isn't so bad but....It's still a thousand dollars, so maybe I need to chill out in 2025....yeah right.

Here is the breakdown of books read, by genre:

Horror: 92
Young adult: 54
Graphic novels: 37
General fiction: 16
Crime: 13
Fantasy: 10
Science fiction: 9
Non-fiction: 7

Since I read so much this year, a top ten doesn't seem like enough. How about a list of honorable mentions?

(both Honorable Mentions and Top Ten are comprised of books READ in 2024, not necessarily published in 2024)

Honorable Mentions for 2024:

Houses of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker (writer) and Sean Philips (artist). This may be my favorite from the all-star duo of Brubaker/Philips.

The Women by Kristin Hannah. A story about the less-celebrated members of the military: combat nurses.

Somna by Becky Cloonan (writer) and Tula Lotay (artist). Witch-themed, Eisner-winning graphic novel. Hopefully they do another one together.

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks. Known for the Carnegie Medal-winning The Bunker Diary, Kevin impresses again with this violent YA novel.

The Burning by Laura Bates. A very creative, young adult cautionary tale. With witches!

The YA Horror 400 by Tony Jones. This is the reason I read so many young adult books this year.

Pay the Piper by Daniel Kraus/George A Romero. No zombies this time. Keep going through those storage boxes Daniel!

Grizzlyshark by Ryan Ottley (story and art). This is exactly what it sounds like. Hilarious and gory.

The Pigman by Paul Zindel. This book is a classic for good reason.

And now....*drumroll*...

THE TOP TEN OF 2024

10. Feral by Tony Fleecs (writer) and Trish Forster (artist). Figuring how much I loved their dog-themed comics (Stray Dogs), it's not surprising I love the cat-themed one.

9. Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel (story and art). Another stellar graphic novel read this year. A charming middle grade comic which manages to be dark, genuinely funny, and wholesome. All at the same time.

8. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. So wholesome, it could be a Studio Ghibli film.

7. Far From the Tree by Robin Benway. If the tv show This is Us was a YA novel. Nation Book Award-winner.

6. Scythe by Neal Shusterman. What happens after we conquer death? How does society respond to life being devalued?

5. Sexcastle by Kyle Starks (story and art). Quite possibly the funniest graphic novel I've ever read.

4. City in Ruins by Don Winslow. I still can't believe it's over. What a run.

3. The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak. Miraculously, he has topped both The Impossible Fortress and Hidden Pictures. Can't wait to see what he does next.

2. Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. The best book Malerman has written, and my favorite horror novel of 2024.

1. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. World Fantasy Award-winner, and Bram Stoker Award-winner, to absolutely no one's surprise. Also, the best book of Due's career thus far.

Bring on 2025!

Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
Bluesky: @jasoncavallaro.bsky.social

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