Top 45 Guilty Pleasure Books of 2024

Positive lists!

I will be a Doom Mistress no longer.

These are the books that are not quite great enough to be on my Top Best Books list proper, but I like them anyway. Some I enjoy despite myself, some merely give me a warm, happy feeling, content and critique be damned. They're just fun, or fit my inclinations and viewpoints exactly, and that's good enough; worthy enough in this world.

And nothing is perfect, nor is anything meant to fit everyone's tastes.

Here they are, the silly joys, from my least to most - for lack of a better word - embarrassing:

45. Disney Mirrorverse: Belle by Alex Singer (Writer), Irene Flores (Artist), Jan Apple (Storyboard Artist) - review link here.

44. Save Yourself! by Bones Leopard (Writer, Creator), Kelly & Nichole Matthews (Artists), Jim Campbell (Letterer) - review link here.

43. The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by Melissa Marr (Writer), Jenn St-Onge (Artist), Lea Caballero (Co-Artist), Jeremy Lawson (Colourist), Lucas Gattoni (Letterer) - review link here.

42. The Final Girls by Cara Ellison (Writer), Sally Cantirino (Artist), Gab Contreras (Colourist), Joamette Gil (Letterer) - review link here.

41 Disney Cruella: The Manga: Black, White, and Red by Hachi Ishie - review link here.

40. A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon, Anton Hur (Translator), Kim Sanho (Illustrator) - review link here.

39. Little Witch Academia: The Nonsensical Witch and the Country of the Fairies by Momo Tachibana (Writer), Taylor Engel (Translator), Eku Uekura (Artist), TRIGGER and Yoh Yoshinari (Original Story) - review link here.

38. Sabrina The Teen-Age Witch: 60 Magical Stories by Archie Comic Publications, Various - review link here.

37. My Mummy is a Witch by Helena Garcia (Writer), Jess Rose (Illustrator) - review link here.

36. Of Her Own Design by Birdie Willis (Writer), Nicole Andelfinger (Writer), Vash Taylor (Artist), Fiona Marchbank (Artist), Laurent Reis (Artist), Eva Cabrera (Artist), Rowan MacColl (Penciller/Inker), Linden Cahill (Colourist), Saida Temofonte (Letterer) - review link here.

35. Birds of Prey, Vol. 1: Megadeath by Kelly Thompson (Writer), Leonardo Romero (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colourist), Arist Deyn (Artist, Colourist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer) - review link here.

34. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc, Vol. 1 by Magica Quartet (Writer), Hanokage (Artist) - review link here.

33. Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story, Vol. 1 by Magica Quartet (Writer, Creator), U35 (Artist) - review link here.

32. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie -Rebellion-, Vol. 1 by Magica Quartet (Story), Hanokage (Artist) - review link here.

31. My Lovesick Life as a '90s Otaku, Vol. 1 by Nico Nicholson - review link here.

30. Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: The Omen by Alyssa Wong (Writer), Jan Bazaldua (Artist), Ruairi Coleman (Artist), Bryan Valenza (Colour Artist), Carlos Lopez (Colour Artist), Ariana Maher (Letterer) - review link here.

29. Imelda and the Goblin King by Briony May Smith - review link here.

28. Goldilocks in Space (Futuristic Fairy Tales) by Peter Bently (Writer), Chris Jevons (Illustrator) - review link here.

27. The Worst Sleepover in the World by Sophie Dahl (Writer), Luciano Lozano (Illustrator) - review link here.

26. Flavor Girls (#1-3) by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky (Writer, Artist), Angel De Santiago (Colourist), Chris Eubank (Colour Assistant), Eli Nova (Colour Assistant) - review link here.

25. Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant by Iman Vellani (Writer), Sabir Pirzada (Writer), Carlos Gómez (Artist), Adam Gorham (Artist), Erick Arciniega (Colourist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer) - review link here.

24. Winx Club, Vol. 1: Bloom's Discovery by Iginio Straffi (Creator) - review link here.

23. Winx Club Vol. 1: Welcome To Magix by Iginio Straffi (Creator) - review link here.

22. W.I.T.C.H. Adventures, #1: When Lightning Strikes by Lene Kaaberbol (Writer), Disney Enterprises, Inc. - review link here.

21. Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic by Sangu Mandanna (Writer), Pablo Ballesteros (Artist) - review link here.

20. Marnie Midnight and the Moon Mystery by Laura Ellen Anderson - review link here.

19. Wicked: I Am Elphaba by Mary Man-Kong (Writer), Elsa Chang (Illustrator) - review link here.

18. Magic Girls: Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess by Megan Brennan - review link here.

17. I Am Sally (Disney's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas) by Nicole Johnson (Writer), Jeannette Arroyo (Illustrator), Disney Storybook Art Team - review link here.

16. W.I.T.C.H. Annual 2008 - review link here.

15. Scarlett, Vol 1: Special Mission by Kelly Thompson (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colourist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) - review link here.

14. The Fairytale Hairdresser and Rapunzel, The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Little Mermaid, and

The Fairytale Hairdresser and Red Riding Hood by Abie Longstaff (Writer), Lauren Beard (Illustrator) - review links here, here and here respectively.

13. Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Vol. 1 by Julietta Suzuki - review link here.

12. Wicked: I Am Glinda by Mary Man-Kong (Writer), Elsa Chang (Illustrator) - review link here.

11. Power Girl Vol. 1: Electric Dreams by Leah Williams (Writer), Eduardo Pansica (Artist), Julio Ferreira (Artist), Marguerite Sauvage (Artist, Colourist), David Baldeón (Artist), Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Colourist), Becca Carey (Letterer) - review link here.

10. Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within, Vol. 1 by Tania del Rio (Writer, Penciller, Letterer), Jim Amash (Inker), Jeff Powell (Letterer) - review link here.

9. Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis by Tini Howard (Writer), Sweeney Boo (Artist, Colourist), Erica Henderson (Writer, Artist, Colourist), Hayden Sherman (Artist), Adam Warren (Writer, Artist), Mindy Lee (Artist, Colourist), Ben Templesmith (Artist, Colourist), Triona Farrell (Colourist), Various - review link here.

8. Storm: Blowback (Storm (2023) #1-5) by Ann Nocenti (Writer), Sid Kotian (Artist), Geraldo Borges (Artist), Andrew Dalhouse (Colourist), Ariana Maher (Letterer) - review link here.

7. Power Girl Returns by Leah Williams (Writer), Marguerite Sauvage (Artist, Colourist), Vasco Georgiev (Artist), Marissa Louise (Colourist), Alex Guimarães (Colourist), Becca Carey (Letterer) - review link here.

6. Princess Pumpkin Patch by Andi Cann (Writer), Elena Schweitzer (Illustrator) - review link here.

5. Not-So-Sleeping Beauty: An Untraditional Graphic Novel (I Fell Into a Fairy Tale) by Katie Schenkel (Writer), Vincent Batignole (Artist) - review link here.

4. Bibi & Miyu, Volume 1 by Olivia Vieweg (Writer), Hirara Natsume (Artist), Susanne C. Stephan (Editor) - review link here.

3. Zodiac P.I., Vol. 1 by Natsumi Ando - review link here.

2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Homura's Revenge!, Vol. 1 by Magica Quartet (Story), Masugitsune/Kawazukuu (Art) - review link here.

1. magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical by Briana Lawrence (Writer, Artist, Creator), Various Artists - review link here.

Now, finally, onto my absolute Best Books of 2024 list, to close this year out.