Everything I read 2024: what I loved & loathed

I promised myself I would write this blog throughout the year. As each book ends I would diligently track it in a google doc, writing my reflections and ranking whilst the books were still fresh in my mind.?

Reader, the google doc did not happen.?

Instead, we're relying on my creaky memory to get this done. I have spent pockets of time getting this written, making the most of a quiet train journey or typing on my iPhone notes over Hallmark Christmas classics. While it may have not come to life in the organised way it was intended, I am proud to say: it exists!!! 2024 books have been ranked and categorised.?

If you didn’t make it to 2023’s blog, you can catch up here. The general idea is I write a short, unsolicited book summary and share some brief or sometimes somewhat not brief reflections on what I liked or didn’t.?

Debating books, sharing opinions and receiving recommendations are some of my favourite topics to discuss, so please do send thoughts.

Context & rules?

I’m a part of one official book club and one unofficial book club with a friend. The latter is essentially us reading some of the same titles and discussing them when we’re together.

I usually won’t read the same author twice in the same year, exceptions were made this year. More on that below.

All books were read on paper/hardback & audible. I tend to avoid kindles as I plan to have a huge library of books one day. But, I’m off on a big sabbatical this year (exciting), so in the first half of 2025 I will be switching to kindle for ease.

2024 in numbers?

30 books (target was 32, but narrowly missed it). At the point of writing this intro, I am midway through two books started at the close of 2024, which will be unfairly bulking up 2025’s total. Felt that context was needed!

Pages read: 9,382 (less than 2023 with the same number of books read)

Shortest book: 47 pages, So Late in the Day (spoiler, the best book this year! But, more on that below)

Longest book: 560 pages, Demon Copperhead

The gender split is as follows (I should caveat, this is as far as I know at the time of writing, so happy to stand corrected if there is now more up to date information available)

Female authors: 20, very positive indeed!

Male authors: 7?

Non-binary: 1?

Beyond the binary: 1 and I learned a lot.

My average rating was a bit lower this year, Goodreads tells me it's 3.8 stars. I felt I read a lot of great books. There were significantly less absolutely amazing, I-will-cry-and-wax-lyrical-about-them-books.

Alas, tell me what you think too?

Enjoy!

PS there might be spoilers, soz!

Bronze tier

Don't think these will make it to Atticus Finch's bookshelf, but quite good on the whole

Olive, Emma Gannon, 2020

In a line: Woman in her 30s grapples with a decision to be child-free by choice.?

Reflections: Maybe I came to this too late but it felt like I was reading conversations from 2017 and somehow lacked nuance despite that being the overall aim of the book. I love reading stories about child-free women but unfortunately the characters let this story down for me and I struggled to emotionally connect. The main friendship group felt particularly 1 dimensional (characters rarely attempt to empathise with each others’ views) and at points, are completely unbelievable - Olive breaks up with her partner of 9 years and doesn’t tell her best friends for months… highly unlikely. Good topic, meh execution.?

Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies, Maddie Mortimer, 2022

In a line: A mother battling with cancer, hers and her daughters story told through a number of different voices, typography and lyrics.??

Reflections: This was incredibly moving and did grip me at points. But, despite the creativity, I think my main reflection was that it was trying to be a little too clever and it lost me at points. The layering of voices and lyrical elements meant the narrative got a little lost for me and I found it difficult to fully invest. Perhaps if I read this in a more concentrated headspace it would have ranked higher for me.?

Of Women of Salt, Gabriella Garcia, 2021

In a line: Intertwining stories of different generations of Cuban women and the struggles they face.

Reflections: I really struggle to know how to articulate this book. On the one hand it covers a grim and important topic, illegal immigration and how that affects women from Latin America. On the other hand, I found it so, painfully, clunky. It was littered with odd descriptions, a choppy timeline that was difficult to follow and underdeveloped characters and themes. I feel its attempt to be terse rendered it contrived. Sorry, not for me.

The School of Life: An Emotional Education, Alain de Botton, 2019

In a line: The title says it all really, school for your emotions. All the most important lessons you’re never taught.

Reflections: I love Alain de Botton so I was excited to pick this up, but it didn’t quite hit the expected heights for me. To its credit, it uses plain and simple language (which was a real relief after the flowery explosion that was Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies) to cover tricky topics such as ‘anxiety’ ‘relationships’ and ‘work’. I did learn a lot from these musings. To its discredit, it covers very white, middle-class problems which leaves the book feeling quite detached from reality. I also found it a little patronising at points, but maybe de Botton will tell me I’m defensive and need to go back to school!?

Dear Dolly, Dolly Alderton, 2022

In a line: A collection of Dolly Alderton’s agony aunt columns.?

Reflections: I got this book during a book swap in Barcelona. It did share a lot of great advice and a few cracking one liners that really tickled me, Alderton is genuinely very funny and I love her books for that. Ultimately, I felt this book didn’t work as a collection format, a lot of the advice appeared a little samey and I prefer to read the columns week on week.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt, 2022

In a line: An aquarium cleaner and an aged octopus become pals. Mysteries unravel.?

Reflections: A great friend in my book club said “it’s the type of book I would have read at 16 and felt really clever about it.” Absolutely made me laugh a lot so I’m stealing for here, thank you. In short, a bit basic but quite endearing. I won't be eating pulpo for a while.?

Silver tier

To me, you are, not quite perfect but I really enjoyed you a lot. A bit like reading Oliver Burkeman.

None of the above: Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary, Travis Alabanza,?2022

In a line: Travis Alabanza’s memoir come collection or educational essays of them wrestling with their identity and the shackles that gender brings

Reflections: I checked this out of the library on a whim and I’m so glad I did. I learnt so much about the trans community. It was a really beautiful book with so many complex and raw sections. The real, personal experiences shared allowed me to get a window of understanding into what it’s like to be trans living in both a very violent and at times a welcoming world.?

If You Still Recognise Me, Cynthia So, 2022

In a line: YA queer coming of age novel?

Reflections: I’ve read and watched a lot of YA content this year and this fits very nicely in a bucket with Sex Education, They Both Die at the End and Heartstopper: something you wished you’d read/watched when growing up. The emotional maturity of these teens is something else!!!! It was a beautiful story about queer love, friendship, inter-racial identity and will make you want to spend a summer in Cornwall with your pals.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold, 2019

In a line: The histories of the five women murdered by Jack the Ripper (but really nothing to do with him and everything to do with them)

Reflections: A Christmas gift from my Mum who gives the best books. This was an excellent lesson in the socio-economic history of women in the late 1800s casting a fresh perspective on what it’s really like to be poor living in the squalor of Victorian London. This book is non-fiction but Rubenfold’s writing reads like a thrilling fiction book, hearing about the perils of the workhouse, societal judgement on things like romance and alcohol, then drudgery of day to day chores and the often nightly struggle of finding a safe place to sleep, I felt like I knew these women, I felt compassion for them and empathy like we’d been long-term friends.?

The Dip: A little book that teaches you when to quit, Seth Godin, 2007?

In a line: I think the title covers that; when to quit something and when to continue.

Reflections: Despite being 100 pages I think it could have been shorter. A friend recommended it to me during a crossroads in 2024 and while it was helpful in that it provides a framework for when to quit and when to continue, it does that in about 3 pages. The rest is kinda filler.?

Taste: My Life through Food, Stanley Tucci, 2021

In a line: Tucci’s memoir (semi), food diary (mainly).

Reflections: I’m sooooo torn on this book. Growing up with an Italian family, I loved the beautiful, nostalgic descriptions of a multi-generational family sharing a meal together. There were many parts I laughed out loud to and felt captured the joy of shovelling down a plate of rich, thick tomato sauce with your loved ones. But, I just found it a little too name droppy? Tucci tries to separate himself from the acting world whilst also reminding us how he can eat for free in any given restaurant, it was a strange vibe, I think somewhat reflective of his uneasiness with his success and fame, but who am I to psychoanalyse?! It should be listened to on audible as Tucci narrates it, but also it should be read as it’s in part a cookbook with real recipes inside.?

This Tender Land, William Kent Krueger, 2019??

In a line: Children escape from an abusive orphanage and journey across Minnesota together.?

Reflections: I think Demon Copperhead was inspired by this as I saw a lot of similarities of a young person traversing cruel, unforgiving landscapes, alone in the world. It also reminded me a little of The Nickel Boys (one go my first reads of 2023 which I’m so excited to see is coming to cinemas early 2025). Odie is a brilliant narrator, seeing the light and dark in people, attempting to understand a very complex adult world through the still maturing mind of a child. The landscapes are also superbly rich and stunning, it’s worth a read for this alone.

Soldier Sailor, Claire Kilroy, 2023?

In a line: Woman has baby. Man does no emotional or physical labour. It’s hell.?

This book was probably one of the rawest descriptions of motherhood I have ever read. I felt like the narrator was being torn in two, ripped at the seams as her love for her child and her loss of herself. Essential reading for all soon to be fathers to understand the realities of how parenthood, in my humble and totally underqualified opinion as someone who is not a parent.

Romantic Comedy, Curtis Sittenfeld, 2023

In a line: Love story set to the background of fictionalised SNL.?

Reflections: I’ve only watched a few SNL skits online, never a full episode but I surprised myself by absolutely loving this. It was so well researched. I felt like I was transported to midnight in the writing rooms of America’s favourite comedy show: politics, relationships, razor sharp comedy and all. A speedy read too, would be ideal light relief for a holiday.?

A woman is no man, Etaf Rum, 2019?

In a line: We’re given a look inside the lives of a very strict and conservative Palastinian family living in Brooklyn.

Reflections: This was such an interesting read that showed me what happens when old customs pull against the modern world and how this can unravel. At points, I found it very difficult to read about cultural shame that can be piled on a woman for just being a woman. But, I really felt so many emotions for the characters in this story: anger, empathy, love, sorrow, horror at the injustice and for me this breadth of emotions is the sign of an excellent book.

They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera, 2017??

In a line: Fantasy dystopian world where you get called on the day of your death to notify you of your impending end. The book follows two young boys as they live out their last day on earth.?

Reflections: I so thought I knew how this was going to end but I was caught off guard. It was dark and funny, explored coming out, loneliness, self-sabotage and representation amongst a lot of other things. It’s the type of book that makes you want seize every second of this fragile life and live your experiences to the maximum so when it’s your time to go, you’ll look back on those brief moments of adventure.

The Book of Form and Emptiness, Ruth Ozeki, 2021

In a line: impossible to describe in a line. Boy tragically loses his father and then begins to hear voices in the house. Objects begin to talk to him as he discovers more about himself.?

Reflections: this very nearly made gold tier, but I think it was a little too long and went into too many territories? The voices of the objects taking up space in Benny’s brain, demanding attention and pulling him away from his reality was so well done. Spending time in that crowded brain made me feel visibility distressed, a testament to Ozeki’s empathic writing.?

Gold tier!!!

Go and check these out from the library immediately

A cool thirteen made it into the top tier and this year I have ranked them in order - so scroll ahead now if you just want to see 2024's number one!

13. Just Kids, Patti Smith, 2010?

In a line: because the night, belongs to Patti Smith and Robert Maplethorpe?

Reflections: a colleague and friend recommended this magical memoir to me. Probably the most creative book I’ll ever read. It made me want to squeeze my best friends, run around a city together and eat anchovy sandwiches.?

12. To love and hate men, Gina Martin, 2024

In a line: An essay on what it means to believe in men but also watch extreme violence against women everyday.?

Reflections: I picked this up on the Pound project, a great indie publisher that runs limited releases of books for ￡1. In a year where we’ve experienced horrors such as Gisele and the police calling violence against women a ‘national emergency’ in England and Wales, this felt even more urgent to read. It was a tough 70 odd pages, asking the reader to confront some very difficult truths about the patriarchal world we live in. I would 100% recommend you read it and then gift it to any man in your life, I will be doing the same.?

11. The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Dare, 2020

In a line: A 14 year old girl is slave trafficked in Lagos. She yearns for an education and fiercely fights for herself against all odds.?

Reflections: I couldn’t stop thinking about Adunni’s desperate and powerful voice for a long time after reading this. Hearing her story completely broke my heart, her plight felt so unbelievably real and the sad thing is that Nigeria still faces this problem. This book will completely break you and then give you the hope that you can put yourself back together again.

A lot of this is written in a dialect, despite reading on paper, would recommend one for audible.?

10. In Memoriam, Alice Winn, 2023?

In a line: A gay love story during WW1.

Reflections: I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve recommended this to. The latest recruit read about three pages and said ‘ooh this is good’ and that’s basically all you need to know. I tried to list out some of the themes: Rejection of love, rejection of self, propaganda, heroic death, class and wow how on earth does Winn cover this much with so much grace?

9. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingslover, 2022

In a line: An epic bildungsroman covering one boy’s journey forced into adulthood far too soon, facing the perils of foster care, addiction, loss and grief.

Kingslover did not shy away from taking an unflinching look at the problems rife in Southern Appalachia and beyond. Facing poverty, the Oxy crisis, abusive romantic relationships, abusive parental relationships and so much more head on, it’s a deeply depressing and difficult read. But also one beauty in such moments of darkness, you root for Demon, when he’s on the brink, his clear unwavering voice remains true.?

8. I’m a Fan, Sheena Patel, 2020

In a line: An unfaithful relationship which prompts the narrator to become obsessed with the other woman, scrutinising her every move on Instagram. Underneath all this it’s a conversation about power dynamics, toxic relationships, race and the evils of social media.

Reflections: I think this book got a lot of hate but I was obsessed with it. It was the kind of unflinching honesty where you’re screaming ‘STOP, DON’T DO THAT’ but you’re also morbidity reading on wanting to hear more about the twisted behaviour.?Well worth the ride, imo.

7. Small things like these, Claire Keegan, 2021?

In a line: a day in 1980s rural, Catholic Ireland.?

Reflections: this book is a drop in the ocean in the best way possible. The bleak winter setting, clipped dialogue that left so much unsaid lingering in the air left me wanting so much more. I felt like I was peering through the cracks of a creaky door, tightening my tweed coat around me, listening to whispering conversations of abuse, oppression and morals whilst the wind whistled on. Recommend to read by candlelight for max vibes.?

PS I read before I knew there would be a film, it would be out, or Cillian Murphy would play the lead. All excellent pieces of news.

6. Intermezzo, Sally Rooney, 2024?

In a line: Two brothers navigate grief, relationships with age gaps, internalised misogyny and their sibling bond.

Reflections: The library really delivered on this one as there was somehow an audio copy available within about 2 weeks of publication. Wild. My favourite parts were the incredibly beautiful descriptions of grief and entrenched sibling relationships. Rooney managed to so accurately capture how your family will always view you how you were when you were 16 which I enjoyed. The most impressive feat of this book for me, was that both Peter and Ivan were really strong, developed characters with their own voices and opinions on super meaty topics. I found there was so much to grapple with in their opinions of such topics and of themselves, so when the narrative switched I was excited to read about the other brother - the true hallmark of multi-pov success. Side note, but I found the sex scenes really cringe, did anyone else???

5. Us, David Nicholls, 2014?

In a line: After thirty years of marriage, wife tells husband she wants a divorce. But not before they go interrailing with their moody 17 year old son.

Reflections: Of course, I watched and cried a lot at One Day this year. After I’d cycled through a significant amount of memes, BTS content and actor interviews about the characters, I needed some fresh content, but with the same excellent David Nicholls writing. It was selected for the Man Booker prize, although? I’m not sure it’s worthy of such a high accolade, I really enjoyed it. I felt so much empathy towards Douglas and could see how his social awkwardness had both endeared people to him and turned them away. Also hugely made me want to do another interrailing trip.?

4. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir, 2021?

In a line: The sun is dying. We have a mere 20 years to save it.

Reflections: This was chokka block full of science and so much heart. I absolutely loved it. It starts in a very dramatic scene in space, while we slowly unravel what happened to Dr. Grace and his quest to save earth. Absolutely did not want it to end, so I was heartened to hear it will be a film coming in 2026.

There were a lot of spooky parallels to the dystopian universe we live in right now, although depressingly the fictional earth on the brink of collapse was a lot more hopeful than this one. Where is our Stratt to save us all?!

3. Wandering Souls, Cecile Pin, 2023?

In a line: After escaping the end of the Vietnam war, three children are left orphaned and their older sister becomes their guardian, navigating life in the UK.?

Reflections: This weaves personal grief with collective, historical grief so beautifully. It gave me a fraction of an understanding what it must be like to be displaced from your home and everything you know. It feels like the type of important work that will soon be taught in schools as we begin to understand the devastating consequences of the Vietnam war and how far it reaches.?

2. All My Mothers, Joanna Glen, 2021

In a line: One girl's journey to find her birth mother and a place where she feels a home.

Reflections: I read this book in six very wet and cold days in January. It made me take a trip to Cordoba, stand in the colourful patioed courtyards, looking at the stunning orange trees. It was a visually stunning journey both through Iberia and Eva’s heart.?

1. So Late in the Day, Claire Keegan, 2023

In a line: A sinister afternoon in the life of Cathal, an Irish man, as recalls another path his life could have taken.?

Reflections: I broke my rule of not reading the same author in the same year as 70 odd pages of Claire Keegan alone is not enough!!! Also, it was short and I wanted to hit my target (I’m sorry). But, in surprising news (especially as someone who loves a doorstop of a book) this turned out to be my absolute favourite book of the year. It was 47 pages of perfection. Told from one man’s perspective over one lonely afternoon, but speaks to generations of misogyny, a dangerous lack of generosity and entrenched stereotypes. The whole book felt tense, exposed ugly truths in a really subtle way and every word felt so carefully chosen. Outside of the main theme, I felt like the second big issue it addressed is that life is what happens in the small moments, similar to Rooney's Intermezzo, it urges us to take pleasure in the seemingly inconsequential.

Life is the joy of someone wanting to make you a cherry tart, love is someone hand rolling you pastry, embrace that before it slips away.

On that note, I'm off for another year.

2025 resolution: take better pictures of books!

On my reading list so far:

• The Book You Want Everyone You Love To Read, Philippa Perry. S/o to my colleague who recommended this. I love Grayson's work so can only imagine this completely different but as excellent.
• The Good Immigrant, edited by Nikesh Shukla. Been on my list for too long, it's time to shelf this baby. When I say shelf, I mean read so I can then put it back on my shelf achieve it's 'read' status.
• All Fours, Miranda July. Exciting book club pick.
• The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy. Buzzed to read this IN INDIA!!!

Send recs,

See you in 2026!!