Indigo Reveals the Best Books of 2024

Indigo released its annual “Best Books of the Year” list, highlighting exceptional literary works published in 2024. The best books of the year includes titles by two Canadian authors—The Knowing by Tanya Talaga and Real Ones by Katherena Vermette— and also includes Australian, American, Chinese-Australian, English-Cambodian, Irish and Israeli writers. Kaliane Bradley is the only debut author to make the cut this year.

Narrowing the 500,000 books published this year down to ten can be a challenge. Indigo explained the process:

“We source favourite reads from hundreds of employees and customers through the course of the year, which is winnowed down and expanded to include fall releases from the team at our Indigo head office,” said Brandon Forsyth, Buyer at Indigo.  “A committee of booklovers read the entire shortlist and vigorously debate and pare down the final 10 titles over the course of one tumultuous week. The list is definitely a labour of love and something Indigo holds near and dear to its heart.”

Last year’s number one book, Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful, remained on the bestseller list for over nine months into 2024. We expect the same for this year’s pick. Now, for the ten best books of 2024:

#1 Here One Moment: A Novel by Liane Moriarty

The #1 book of the year comes Liane Moriarty, the beloved author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband’s Secret. It is a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world.

#2 The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Serviceberry – Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World is the #2 book on the list. It comes from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass and is a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.

#3 Intermezzo: A Novel by Sally Rooney

The #3 book is an exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family, from the global phenomenon Sally Rooney.

#4 Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

The #4 pick, Just for the Summer, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. The rom-com is said to be a must read by anyone who picked it up.

#5 The Briar Club: A Novel by Kate Quinn

At #5 comes Kate Quinn, the New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era. Quinn was excited by being included:

“I am thrilled to find out that the Briar Club is an Indigo top 10 Book of the Year. Thank you so much to all the readers everywhere who read, reviewed and raved about this book and helped make this a top 10 book,” said Kate Quinn, author of The Briar Club.

#6 Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari

Coming in at #6 is Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari. He is #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sapiens and this is the groundbreaking story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world.

#7 The Knowing: The Enduring Legacy of Residential Schools by Tanya Talaga

From Tanya Talaga, the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Seven Fallen Feathers, comes a riveting exploration of her family’s story and a retelling of the history of the country we now call Canada. This heartbreaking book comes in at #7.

#8 real ones: a novel by Katherena Vermette

At #8 on the Best Books of the Year comes the author of the nationally bestselling Strangers saga comes a heartrending story of two Michif sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity.

#9 The Ministry of Time: A Novel by Kaliane Bradley

#9 on the list is The Ministry of Time: A Novel by debut author Kaliane Bradley. It is a time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all.

#10 A Song to Drown Rivers: Deluxe Edition by Ann Liang

Rounding out the list at #10 is A Song to Drown Rivers – isn’t that a beautiful title? Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic novel steeped in myth about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in a delicate balance.