Between holidays and some life chaos, this post is heading to you much later than I had intended. Read through for my favorite reads of the year, reflections on a whole year of posting, and my plans for this Substack going forward. Happy new year, friends!
Looking back on the books I’ve read this year is an interesting exercise—I find myself sometimes surprised by the ratings I assigned on Goodreads. I gave about 1/3 of the books I read five stars (I think it was a year of particularly good books, not overly indulgent rating), but those aren’t always the ones that stuck with me months later. So without further ado, here are my very favorite reads of 2024, the ones still rattling around in my head.
Graphic Novels:
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood
Sheets by Brenna Thummler
Both of these books hit such a great balance of dark and light (heads up, Thoroughgood’s book is extremely bleak but incredibly creative), and use the genre to tell a story that couldn’t be similarly conveyed in words alone.
Non-Fiction:
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlanger
Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
My favorite kind of non-fiction books are those that challenge how I think about a topic, and all three of these did so profoundly. The ideas have stuck with me and pop into my head regularly.
Poetry:
A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush
Y’all know I cannot stop talking about my love for this collection that makes me laugh, makes me cry, and makes me feel seen. Try it out if you think you don’t like poetry!
Novels:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria E. Schwab
The Guest by Emma Cline
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Erasure by Percival Everett
Looking over this list, so many of my favorite novels this year were deeply uncomfortable (The Guest, Entitlement) and or truly weird in the best way (Big Swiss, Yellowface). I found all of these incredibly written and full of surprises. A great year for books all around.
I’ve been so enjoying writing these posts every month, and particularly the conversations with you all as a result both via Substack and “real life” channels. They’ve made me think more about why I enjoy the books I do, see patterns in my reading, and identify gaps where I’d like to be more well-rounded.
That said, I’m going to slow the pace and shift gears a bit in order to create more time for other fun and creative writing of my own. My current plan is to write posts here every 1-2 months, and just describe the books I loved rather than everything I read. Please expect no fewer cat pictures, though.
What were your favorite books of 2024? What are you currently reading during this snowy season?