Best Of 2024: Books

The panelists of the Great Pop Culture Debate have nominated their favorite books of 2024. Check out their recommendations below. (Unlike previous years, we did not do an actual episode devoted to Best Of 2024; we’re just doing listicles on the website.) Books discussed include Democracy or Else by Pod Saves America, How to Become the Dark Lord or Die Trying by Django Wexler, It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant, Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna, The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown, The Husbands by Holly Gramazio, and more.

Want to drop your own favorite books? Feel free to share them in the comments.

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Bored Gay Werewolf

By Tony Santorella (Atlantic Books, 272 pages)


Bored Gay Werewolf is an irreverent take on the werewolf genre. Max is looking for something different in his life. Unsure where he fits in, he meets a mysterious stranger who sparks an existential transformation far more scary than his usual lupine form. Filled with self-discovery and humor, this book is a hoot (or maybe a howl). (Bob Erlenback)


Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps

By Pod Saves America (Zando, 192 pages)


Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor are the boys of the Pod Save America podcast. If you don't know who they are, they are former Obama speech writers who, since 2017, have been having irreverent but topical political conversations on their show. They balance the world of insider politics in Washington, as well as having an outsider progressive voice. This is not a normal how-to book. It’s a cross between how to get involved, even as it makes sure that you laugh your tits off. It talks about how you should not only just watch the news. but you also have to be participatory in our democratic system. If you love Pod Save America and its tongue-in-cheek way of interpreting political news, this will be right up your alley. It's a great reminder to not only become a volunteer, but also to be an active person within the political sphere. It’s just as relevant, if not more so than ever, in 2025. (Jonny Minogue)


How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

By Django Wexler (Orbit, 432 pages)


This is the epitome of the anti-hero novel. It is humorous, it has a fantastic action line that goes through the whole thing. Basically the story is, you have this hero who's trying to save the world, but he keeps failing and getting reincarnated time after time. And after about a thousand or so reincarnations, he says, What the hell? What's it like if I become the bad guy instead? It is again, once again, the first book in a new series. But I picked it up just from reading the jacket and reading the first page. I got hooked, and want to dive into this world. I can't wait for the next book to come out, whenever that's going to be, so that I can devour that one as well. (Michael Schwarz)


It’s Elementary

By Elise Bryant (Berkley, 368 pages)


I absolutely loved this murder mystery about a PTA meeting that goes horribly wrong. I read this book right after the election and it was the perfect place to retreat. (Jennifer Chen)


Liars

By Sarah Manguso (Hogarth, 272 pages)

Two aspiring artists marry, and what follows is a slow dissolution of the wife’s ambitions in favor of the husband’s. Add in a child and unequal domestic duties and you have a story that is depressingly familiar, down to infidelity and its aftermath. And yet, there is hope here, and humor, and a refreshing honesty in looking at oneself and one’s choices, making adjustments, and moving forward. One warning: There is an elderly cat storyline that is also depressingly familiar. (Karissa Kloss)


This book explores the profound impact of information networks on human civilization. Harari is known for exploring the history of humankind in his books Sapiens and Unstoppable Us, and reflecting on that history to inform our future in his books Homo Deus and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. His newest book, Nexus, examines how information has shaped societies, politics, and power structures throughout history and delves into the ethical implications of AI and the future of information networks. As we look into the immediate future of 2025 and beyond, Nexus is an important read for everyone to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of technology and communication in our connected future. (Jim Czadzeck)


One Killer Problem

By Justine Pucella Winans (HarperTeen, 336 pages)

One Killer Problem is a YA murder mystery, but filled with gay love stories and a grumpy sapphic main character who will worm her way into your heart. I read this one so fast because I had to know who did it! (Jennifer Chen)


Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk

By Kathleen Hanna (Ecco, 326 pages)

One of the most important voices of third wave feminism and the Riot Grrrl movement finally tells her story in her own words. At times funny, sad, enraging, and inspirational, Hanna discusses her childhood, the 90s indie rock scene, the death of her friend Kurt Cobain, her love story with Ad-Rock, and much more. There are some great behind-the-scenes anecdotes, including a Bikini Kill recording with Steve Albini (spoiler: they hated it). (Karissa Kloss)


Skater Boy

By Anthony Nerada (Soho Teen, 312 pages)

Skater Boy is a gay YA romance centering on the unexpected relationship between a talented skater, Ben, and a shy, artistic boy named Tyler. Both discovering who they are and struggling to understand their feelings, this story of first love is refreshing and edgy for fans of LGBTQ+ romance. (Bob Erlenback)


The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

By P. Djeli Clark (Tordotcom, 213 pages)

Last year I recommended the same author for his Master of Djinn novel, which was a steampunk tale set in Cairo. Fantastic. This one is a bit closer to a novella than it is to a novel, but in the 200 pages of this book, Clark creates and executes an immersive world along with a fantastic storyline of death, what makes us who we are, and how time works. I have become hooked on this author, and I am looking for more and more to come from him. (Michael Schwarz)


The Husbands

By Holly Gramazio (Doubleday, 352 pages)

A woman comes home from a bachelorette party to discover her husband coming down from the attic… except she doesn’t have a husband. She sends him back up, only for a different husband to return. Thus begins this fun and surprising novel, which asks big questions with a large dose of humor and charm. If our lives are just the result of a series of choices, how many different people could we be? Hands down my favorite book of the year. (Karissa Kloss)


The Only Light Left Burning

By Erik J. Brown (Blazer + Bray, 415 pags)

This is a thrilling gay YA novel set in a post-apocalyptic world, where love persists amidst devastation. The story follows two young men navigating a bleak, devastated society and challenges them to find a connection that defies adversity. This book is a reminder that even in the most desperate circumstances, love can light your path. (Bob Erlenback)


The Return of Ellie Black

B

y Emiko Jean (Simon & Schuster, 299 pages)

If you’re looking for a feminist psychological thriller, this is one for you. Endorsed by Stephen King, this page-turner is getting a sequel, so Detective Chelsea will return, too! (Jennifer Chen)


The Tainted Cup

By Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey, 410 pages)

This fantastic novel is Sherlock Holmes meets a fantasy world. The main character has a Holmesian quality about her as she investigates a murder that leads to a giant conspiracy, and she gets forced together with a sidekick who is very Watson-like in terms of managing the Holmesian character’s attitude. This was fantastic world-building. After I picked it up, read it, got hooked, I realized that it was book one of a series to come. I'm definitely going to be reading more of this series. (Michael Schwarz)


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Best Of 2024: Games

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Best Of 2024: Television