The Phoenix’s Top Books of 2024

The Phoenix’s staff looked beyond the screen — and Spotify — to settle down with the best books of 2024.

“Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” – Brendan Parr

“Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” merges “The Berenstain Bears” with “Dexter.”

Written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath, the comic series follows brown bear Samatha Strong, who investigates a series of killings in the adorable, amorphous town of Woodbrook. On the surface, Strong is a friendly woodshop owner, but she’s secretly a grizzly serial killer.

Strong keeps her murders under wraps by randomly selecting targets outside of town. When a new rival killer begins operating in Woodbrook, Strong tracks them down before authorities can inadvertently discover Strong’s own sadistic spree.

“Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” is a devilishly delightful comic relishing in its own absurd cruelty. The cutesy characters are artfully designed to look as if populating a pastel children’s novel, but the story’s events are anything but childish.

Strong’s killings are brutal to behold, and the crime scenes she investigates are even more ferocious. The paint of bloody violence stands out against a watercolor town, producing a visually bright comic with an emotionally cold center.

“When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s” by John Ganz – Audrey Hogan

If everything went wrong in 1980, things got worse in 1994.  

The ‘90s are often written about and historicized as a distinctly calm time in American history, one without much roil and boil. However, this isn’t patently true, according to author John Ganz’s “When the Clock Broke,” which paints a more complex and agitated portrait of the decade. 

Ganz painstakingly works through the period between 1990 and 1994, chronicling the third-party run of Ross Perot, America’s plummet into economic recession, the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and all the skeletons in between.

Ganz finds a historical pinpoint for the populist and polarized political movement of today. The policies Perot campaigned on — running the government like a business, and deeply alt-right perspectives on immigration and the economy — are all ideological points Trump’s won on. 

To understand this shift in American culture, “When the Clock Broke” is a thoughtful consideration of the unfortunately turning tide.

“The Lion Women of Tehran” by Marjan Kamali — Munya Noman

Set against the evolving social and political landscape of mid-20th-century Tehran, Marjan Kamali’s “The Lion Women of Tehran” narrates the story of Ellie and Homa. 

Centered around a women-dominated family in a patriarchal society, the book follows the two young girls as they navigate decades of love, loss and betrayal. Ellie’s journey from a modest downtown home to the elite circles of Iranian society contrasts with Homa’s resilience as she battles poverty. 

Kamali’s storytelling unfolds in a cinematic approach, capturing the vibrant streets of Tehran against the darkness of the political war. The warmth of shared meals in a stone kitchen contrasts with a country on the brink of revolution, drawing the curtain for Kamali’s message —  love as fuel for igniting change. 

From the colorful stalls of the crowded streets’ Grand Bazaar to fraught positions of privilege, Kamali paints a portrait of a time and place often underrepresented in the news of Iran.

“The Lion Women of Tehran” is a coming-of-age story exploring the fragility of human relationships. Kamali weaves moments of intimacy with grand, heart-wrenching betrayal, balanced with historical context. With emotional depth and a feminist approach, “The Lion Women of Tehran” gives a voice to silenced women — blending history and humanity to tell a tale of love. 

“The Rom-Commers” by Katherine Center – Eliza Thomas

Emma Wheeler loves love. An aspiring screenwriter of romantic-comedies, she put her life on hold to care for her dad. 

But with an unexpected opportunity to ghostwrite a script for her idol and personal hero, Charlie Yates, Emma finally takes a shot at pursuing her dream and moves to Los Angeles for six weeks.

However, Emma realizes the phrase “don’t meet your heroes” actually holds some merit. Charlie Yates wants nothing to do with Emma, nothing to do with rom-coms and especially nothing to do with love. 

Hiding behind the fluffy exterior of a stereotypical rom-com, Center delves into topics of grief, loss and the struggles of interpersonal relationships. 

While Katherine Center’s “The Rom-Commers” is a romance, it shines as a depiction of connection. Charlie and Emma’s story takes the backseat to the story of Emma’s relationship with her family as they navigate their grief after the loss of Emma’s mother.

A testament to the idea of love stories being more than just romance, “The Rom-Commers” is an uplifting and touching story about the power of human connection.