2024 the best books of 2024 review

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(as of Nov 21, 2024 15:12:08 UTC - Details)

Long-listed, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2024

"As narrator, the terrific Laser, an actress and puppeteer, only enhances the swoon-worthy quirks and romance."—Vulture

A Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

Reviewer: Shann
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Deep, Funny, and so much Rhode Island - what else could you want???
Review: I ADORED this book (yes I’m biased because I’m a Rhode Islander). The characters were fabulous, and the story was deep and meaningful while also being witty and funny. It never got slow. It never got boring. I think we can all find a little of ourselves in these characters, and relate to the isolation and its after effects in the wake of the pandemic. Do yourself a favor and read this beautiful book!

Reviewer: Marissa Wilda-Larson
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fun and lighthearted read
Review: This was a fun and lighthearted read. I am smiling as I write this. The author adds charm, wit, and a bit of a laugh to a somewhat serious and important event. It is a great read if you are in the mood for something light and charming.

Reviewer: Carpool Book Club
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Smart and Fun
Review: The Wedding People starts off like your typical rom-com—wedding chaos, quirky characters, plenty of humor—but don’t be fooled. It quickly dives into darker territory, using weddings as a backdrop to explore broken relationships, family dysfunction, and all the messiness that comes with them. The humor stays, but it’s sharper, more nuanced, and set alongside the serious moments.The characters are flawed in a way that feels refreshing and realistic. You’ll be shaking your head at decisions one minute and rooting for them the next. It’s more about self-discovery than happily-ever-after, and that’s what makes it so different and engaging.Espach’s writing really steals the show. Her sharp, witty prose elevates even the mundane moments, and when the story gets darker, her clever observations keep you hooked. If you want a rom-com with more bite and depth, this is a smart, satisfying read.

Reviewer: P. caires
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An Ending Can Ruin a Book - and this one did
Review: Throughout I think I was reading a book like the one the protagonist in the story taught - Victorian with characters depressed and tragic. Well, at least the protagonist was which in turn (to me at least) made her a completely unlikeable character. But then, lo and behold, she gets a Hallmark Movie of the Week ending? No Way. She gets the guy, the family (by way of the daughter), and the freedom to write whatever she wants? Oh, plus the pleasure of rejecting her husband after he rejected her thus getting the closure she needed? Yeah, no way. Others may revel in the ending however I didn't. A very well written book which I really enjoyed till the end.

Reviewer: Susan
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Unexpectedly funny
Review: Great writing style. Even the side characters had interesting backgrounds and communication challenges. The first half was the best part: unpredictable, quirky. As the story developed and the main characters became more complex, the plot became more predictable. Although the overall development and story was extremely pleasing, the relationship development well done, missed the element of surprise that was so well done in the beginning. Overall, great read. Thank you!

Reviewer: Avid Reader
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A True Delight
Review: This novel was one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Although the plot is a tad far fetched (that a bride’s family and close friends would unquestionably accept a stranger as the bride’s longtime friend and last minute replacement maid of honor), the author’s skill in creating the world of this novel is more than sufficient to draw the reader in and be willingly absorbed into the story. The characters are vividly fleshed out and real, there is laugh out loud humor, and there are also sweet pathos and sensitivity. An excellent way for you to spend your time. Enjoy!

Reviewer: LISA Harrington
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: it’s absolutely perfect, insightful, Rhode Island travelogue, funny with a little smattering of Victorian literature
Review: I rarely feel like I want to hang with an author, but… I’m a Rhode Islander with daughters going through wedding planning and my new BFF so captures the absurdity of the outrageous impractical detail and opulence of modern weddings. As her characters have lunch at Flo’s and learn to surf and marvel at the splendor of Cliff Walk, she tosses us little pebbles (or boulders) about our paths to find our inner desires and need to be our true selves. Never so happy for the Internet as I was googling Edith Wharton and the Brontes. Who knew about Lands End and deaths from TB and throwing up. Not me! I will now bully my friends into reading The Wedding People.

Reviewer: Texas Lady
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: enjoyable read
Review: Interesting fun tale of love gone wrong & finding & admitting your true personality. I read it in a couple of days because it was a page turner right up to the last page. The humor in it was enjoyable and the characters entertaining. Recommend.

Reviewer: C. Jones
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Obviously, since I've rated it five stars, I loved this book. I wish I'd had this book to read when I was in my 20s. Life would have been much different. There are so many sensible pieces of advice for women in this story but they're part of Phoebe's journey so the author doesn't sound like she's trying to teach us something. But she IS teaching us how to stand up for ourselves and to love ourselves and what we want in life and out of life. Beautiful story and wonderful characters. Every character has a good reason for being there in the story.Highly recommended.

Reviewer: Lizzie A
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is a fabulous book - funny, sad and thought-provoking, with a perfect ending.

Reviewer: Barbara
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A funny and warm-hearted and surprising book.

Reviewer: Jane C
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Entertaining, funny, dark with astute observations on life, love and happiness. The characters are well drawn and very believable. Recommended.

Reviewer: Leesa Osborne
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A beautifully written and engaging story. Delightful characters who you can't help but love. Couldn't wait to read it each night.