What to read next: Amazon Editors’ personal picks from our Best of the Year So Far list
While we love all the books on our Best of the Year So Far list, we can’t help but have our favorites. Below are the Amazon Editors’ personal picks from this year’s list, including our #1 pick James, which is a riveting retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, an eerie supernatural thriller, a gripping nonfiction read about an Asian drug cartel, an empowering romance, and more. Check out more of our Best of the Year So Far selections across genres, including romance, mystery and thriller, nonfiction, and literature and fiction.
With the same fiery wit, snap, and energy of his previous work, Percival Everett brings to life a retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and in so doing delivers an entirely new classic, one that is rip-roaringly American, wry, and hard-hitting. A knock-out—which is why we named it the overall #1 pick for the Best Book of 2024 So Far. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Underdogs and supervillains, cults and cannibalism, the CIA and the DEA: a riveting—and true—tale of a secret state, drugs, crime, and power that shockingly has never been told. Perfect for fans of The Wire and The Godfather. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
This is the remarkable story of a beekeeper and a pirate who meet and become fast friends, the kidnapping that changes the trajectory of their lives, who they become over years of an obsession, and the people who help and hurt them along the way. All the Colors of the Dark has everything I look for in a favorite book: smart, funny, unforgettable characters, a mystery that runs like a dark vein through the heart of the story, love and friendship that both fill your heart and break it, and an ending that makes you heave a big, satisfied sigh then hand it to a friend. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Need a read that's unsettling, unnerving, a little nostalgic, and deeply creepy, to fill that Stephen King-shaped hole in your TBR stack? Then Lost Man's Lane is the horror-tinged '90s-era coming-of-age tale for you: sublime and sharp, poignant, and unsettling, even funny when it needs to be. Carson's portrait of a teenage boy is spookily spot-on, as is the way he takes the novel terrifyingly sideways. Just crack it open and let the author lead you down the rabbit hole, because this is that rare gem, the discovery read that people will thank you later for recommending to them. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
Yet again, things are not all quiet on the Midwestern front in Leif Enger’s latest, set on and around Lake Superior in the near future. The country is now ruled by baleful billionaires who preside over work camps, and an absconder from one such camp inadvertently upends the lives of the couple who take him in, forcing our hero, Rainy, to embark on a treacherous journey–both to escape those who hunt him, and to reunite with the love of his life. Harrowing but hopeful, and beautifully told. I cheerfully endorse it. —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor
It’s almost impossible to describe this genre-bending debut, which makes it so much fun to read! It’s a time travel-spy thriller-government conspiracy-love story that explores humanity in all its frailty and potential, and how love can alter the course of history. Funny, riveting, fantastical, and unputdownable. —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor
Kevin Kwan manages to write books that are light yet weighty, funny yet thought-provoking, and always fun to read. Is he today's answer to Jane Austen? The answer, dear reader, might just be yes. —Sarah Gelman, Editorial Director
Utterly compelling from page one, Bardugo masterfully weaves a classic tale for the modern reader. Magic, romance, and history pull you in and refuse to let you go until you've read the whole thing. —Ben Grange, Amazon Editor
This book is so multi-dimensional, just as life is—Kennedy Ryan covers divorce, self-discovery, autism, raising kids, the power of friendships and other huge life changes, but it is done in a way that is so real and relatable. —Kami Tei, Amazon Editor
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