It’s awards season, baybee! But instead of rolling out the red carpet, I’m rolling out the book cart to honor some of the books I read last year. I even created my very own The Chapman Chronicles Annual Reading Awards seal to make it look official.

Let’s hand out some awards!

HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

Talk about some serious competition for this first category. Each of these debuts are award-worthy, but as a romance girly to my core, I have to give the award to How To End A Love Story by Yulin Kuang. Come for the spice (ahem, that scene in the empty writers room) but stay for the deeply layered love story that deals with grief, family dynamics, and learning to let go. I can’t wait to see what Yulin writes next!

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

A story that’s so wild you’d think for certain it’s fiction. And yet, you won’t find The Wager by David Grann nestled in between the Lee Childs and John Grishams at your local bookstore. That’s because sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Apart from a casual celebrity memoir here and there, I don’t dip my toe into the non-fiction pool all that often, but with The Wager, it felt like I did a cannonball into the deep end. You name it, this book has got it: priceless treasures, a fearless captain, munity, and murder. Overall, it was a thrilling true story to listen to on my daily commutes. Here’s hoping Jerry Bruckheimer turns it into a blockbuster film! 

The Wager also receives the award from being the Most Surprising Book I Read in 2024.

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

I loved listening to The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop as an audiobook because its narrated by the queen herself, Emily Gilmore Kelly Bishop. In her memoir, Kelly gives insight into her sixty year career in show business. From A Chorus Line to Dirty Dancing to Gilmore Girls to her later work in The Watchful Eye and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, she gives us all the deets about the makings of these productions and what was going on in her life at those times. If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan, I think you’ll have just as much fun as I did reading this memoir.

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these four fierce suffragists as they fought for women’s rights in Victorian England, but all good things must come to an end. I thought The League of Extraordinary Women series wrapped up nicely with the final book, The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore. If you love historical romance that perfectly balances the history aspect with romance, then give this series a read. 

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

This was the hardest category to pick a winner because each of the nominated books were gripping reads. But, there was one book that sucked me from the first page and that was The Most Wonderful Crime of The Year by Ally Carter. Ally Carter knows how to craft an action-packed romance that’ll keeping you guessing until the very end. The best way to describe The Most Wonderful Crime of The Year is Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist. Who doesn’t want to deck the halls with a murder mystery?

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

After flying through this delightfully charming YA book, I was shocked to see very few people mention it last year. Told over the course of one night, The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson is the perfect balance between YV lighthearted-ness and more mature personal growth. This book also has a little bit of everything: road trips, chaotic families, rockstars, charming small towns, instalove, and so many puns. A hidden gem for sure that will hopefully get the recognition it deserves.

Morgan Matson also wins the award for being my Favorite Repeat Author I Read In 2024. Besides reading The Ballad of Darcy and Russell, I also read one of her earlier books, Since You’ve Been Gone and loved it too.

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

Maybe the name of this award is a little misleading. When I think of something that is beautifully written, I think of something with lush writing (like The Gentleman’s Gambit), beautiful descriptions of the natural world (like Weyward and Bewilderment), or interesting uses of the story’s structure (like The Fury). But yet, there was one book that kept sticking out to me as I tried to narrow down a winner. I wouldn’t call the writing lush in My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. It’s raw, gritty, and at times tough to get through. To quote The New York Times, “Reading this uncompromising, unforgettable novel is like riding a bike on gravel: It’s gritty and slippery and nerve-racking, all at the same time.” However, there are slices of sunshine and moments about friendship and love that’ll take your breath away with how unequivocally human they are; so for me, that is what makes My Brilliant Friend worthy of this award. 

My Brilliant Friend is also taking home the Most Vivid Setting award, and the Most Memorable Character award goes to Lila Cerullo.

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HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

THIS BOOK!!! Out of the 21 books I read last year, Happy Place by Emily Henry was the one I loved the most. Emily Henry rarely disappoints with her adult rom-coms, so I already had high expectations when I first picked it up to read. In Happy Place, Emily Henry perfectly blends humor with heartbreak. There are moments where you’ll cry with laughter and moments where you’ll literally cry. Here’s the gist of Happy Place – a couple who broke up months ago make a deal to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. With humor, romance, friendship, and a cute coastal town in Maine as the backdrop, what more could you want in a book?