BurgerChamp’s 2024 Book Rankings

Written By Burgerchamp

Behold! A list of my favorite reads of 2024. I’ve pared down the massive list into this sliver of goodness just for you. Not all of these books were released in 2024, but I read them all for the first time in 2024. First, let me address the elephant in the room. I tried hard to make it so each category had an equal number of entries for symmetry’s sake, but I found myself either eliminating something deserving or adding something I wasn’t 100% sure belongs on this list. I’ve come to terms with that, so you have to deal with it. Now, on to the list (sorted by type, in alphabetical order):

But first (again), a few ground rules:

  1. I am not including books I’ve previously read. I reread a handful (comparatively) of great books in 2024, but there’s no point in rehashing old reads I may have recommended before. 

  2. I’ve done my best to avoid recommending currently ongoing series or series that have a lot of volumes. Anything in a series (only really applies to graphic novels) is completed and available in trade form and tops out at three volumes or less. 

  3. No repeat authors. One book per artist. Writers already have egos and I don’t want to be the one feeding those egos further. 

I didn’t feel like it would be a good use of my time or yours to write a synopsis of each book, so I’m including links to the Goodreads entry for each book. At the end of the list, I’ll include a ranked shortlist of my top books of the year, regardless of category, with a short blurb on why I loved it and maybe why you should read it. 

Fiction

Graphic Novel/Comics/Manga

Nonfiction

  • Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts, and Gonzo Filmmaking by Charles Band - Confessions of a Puppetmaster

  • Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham & Jim McCloskey - Framed

  • Homey Don’t Play That!: The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution by David Peisner - Homey Don’t Play That!

  • The King of Diamonds: The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief by Rena Pederson - The King of Diamonds

  • The Last Yakuza: Life and Death in the Japanese Underworld - The Last Yakuza

  • Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer - Opposable Thumbs

  • Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman - Oscar Wars

  • Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs by Jamie Loftus - Raw Dog

  • Saint Mick: My Journey From Hardcore Legend to Santa’s Jolly Elf by Mick Foley - Saint Mick

  • The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule - The Stranger Beside Me

  • Strong Female Character by Fern Brady - Strong Female Character

  • What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes - What It Is Like to Go to War

The Best Books I Read in 2024 Ranked

10 - Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs by Jamie Loftus

I read this book after hearing the author talk about it on a podcast. What’s not to love about a book about traveling the country with your boyfriend and trying every hot dog you can find? Turns out it was much more than just a food travelogue. It’s a book about living with someone else under extreme circumstances. It’s a book about living with yourself. But it’s mostly about eating a shitload of hot dogs. And developing a huge crunch on Jamie Loftus. Maybe I’m reading more into that last part than the author intended. 

9 - The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark

I’m not sure what originally compelled me to add this to my wishlist. Maybe it was the Plinko reference. Whatever the reason, I’m glad that I did. Clark is like a more cerebral, more darkly funny John Grisham with a lot of moral gray areas. This book set me on a path of reading a lot more Martin Clark books. While I enjoyed them all, this was the most clever of the lot. 

8 - Homey Don’t Play That!: The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution by David Peisner

In Living Color was a touchstone of comedy for me in my early teens. This book does a great job of detailing not only the ups and downs of the show, but the broader history of the comedy involving persons of color that got Keenan Ivory Wayans to where he went. There were plenty of surprising and far reaching ripples in the entertainment world with ILC at the centerpoint, like Friends, The Daily Show, and even the success of HBO. A must read for comedy fans. 

7 - Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron

Jason Aaron first entered my periphery with his brilliant Reservation tragedy Scalped. This three book series is a beautiful examination of what it’s like to love and be loved, the shame of feeling or not feeling, and the highs and lows of ambition. And also how things come together when all of that falls apart. A generation spanning love story for the ages. Phenomenal art and incredible storytelling. Loved it from start to extremely weird finish. 

6 - Whalefall by Daniel KRAUs

On its surface (and honestly also deep down) this is a book about a professional diver being swallowed by a whale. But this isn’t Jonah and it isn’t Gepatto. This book is a scientifically accurate whale snack. But it's really a book about grief. And loss. And it’s pretty gross. And pretty great. 

5 - Plastic by Doug Wagner

As you can probably tell by this cover, this is another love story. Edwyn loves Virginia and when she gets taken, he’ll go to any lengths to get her back. And none of that is what you think it is. I won’t spoil the surprises. It was hard to narrow down Wagner’s work to just one choice. Just go read anything Doug Wagner. They’re all weird, extremely violent, darkly funny stories about abnormal people that just want to live their normal lives. Or is it we that are the abnormal ones?

4 - Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

Not only is this a brilliant telling of the Scottish comedian’s upbringing through the hindsight of a late life autism diagnosis, but this book also helped me to better understand some of my own daughter’s struggles with mental health a little better. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and ultimately defiantly encouraging. This one stuck with me for a while. 

3 - The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule

There’s a reason commercials for Ann Rule books were in constant rotation on the TV when I was a kid (though I guess Dianetics commercials were rampant as well, so maybe marketing budget isn’t a sign of quality after all). This book is incredible. It’s truly the template for most great modern true crime books. Rule’s periphery to the subject offers a really unique perspective and really sets this book apart. If you like true crime at all, this is a must read. 

2 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

This one took me by surprise. I had read and enjoyed Amor Towles in the past. I kept checking this one out and renewing it and returning it for months. It’s one of those where the length is on the precipice of daunting, so you keep putting it off for “when I have more time”. When I finally crossed the threshold into this world, I couldn’t put it down. The characters are so charming and well realized. There’s actually not much of an exciting narrative on the surface. Most of this book is the day to day of a man forced to stay put, but I was transfixed. This book pushed Towles into the pantheon of the greatest modern American writers for me. 

1 - Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath

Far and away my favorite read this year. Loved it so much I read it twice. It’s David Fincher’s Busytown. An absolutely genius noir serial killer/detective yarn set in an idyllic town of anthropomorphic animals. Every frame is gorgeous. Every twist is flawless. Even when I knew what was going to happen, I found myself surprised again and again. Do not sleep on this one. 


I hope you enjoyed this. I hope you added something to your list. If you didn’t have a list, I hope this convinced you to start one. If you’d like to see the rest of what I read this year or you want further recommendations, find me on Goodreads. Thanks for letting me ramble. 

Burgerchamp

Champion of burgers. Reader of books. Mast of trivia.

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