As an innately nostalgic person, New Year’s Eve might be one of my favourite days of the year. It’s a day where it’s fully allowed, nay, insisted upon, that we look back over the past year. We’re allowed to languish in the past, reflect on our achievements and shortcomings, and use these lessons to guide us through the year ahead. It’s not yet 11am so I’m still very much in the nostalgia time of the day, so here are my favourite books I read in 2024.
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
Shark Heart was a very expected find for me. It was recommended by a good friend who said “It’s a book about a man who turns into a shark and how he and his wife navigate their relationship after he changes.” Weird concept, and I am intrigued. I find the book in the library and give it a go. It’s an easy read with multiple POVs that keep me gripped and as many pages aren’t filled with text, it doesn’t take me long to get through.
This is the most moving book I have read all year. I wept and wept and wept. The way Habeck understands deep, unconditional love and the beautiful prose she weaves to describe this is unlike anything I have read before. It’s a book that I am looking to add to my personal library.
Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang
The first book I read this year was an absolute tome. If you’ve been reading this blog since the beginning of the year, you will have read about Babel in my January 2024 TBR, so you’ll know the synopsis. If you haven’t, go read that and come back here!
The magic system, the rising tensions between Britain and China that mirrored the dynamics of the protagonist friendship group, alongside Kuang’s ability to hit you with a heartwrenching curveball – made this a hugely enjoyable read for me. I love a book where you can tell that the author has done EXTENSIVE research, and isn’t afraid of showing you just how knowledgable they are. I gobbled that up.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
From the longest five star read to the shortest, Piranesi is a book I have had on my shelves since 2020 and I have now kicked myself for not picking up sooner. Part fantasy, part murder mystery, Piranesi follows the tale of Piranesi (duh), a man who lives in a house that is infinite, with corridors, rooms and alcoves filled with statues. Piranesi works with The Other to discover A Great and Secret Knowledge but as Piranesi digs deeper, he discovers a world outside his own.
Beginning very much ‘wtf is going on’, the reader’s understanding of the plot grows at the same time as Piranesi’s. With that in mind, you gotta stick with it until the end of the first part! This book struck a beautiful balance of how sublime the world can be and how cruel the people within it can act. Both the world and character building I found to be artfully done, and I’m sure this will be a book that I will get new things out of each time I read it.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
The only sequel to grace the best books list, Leigh Bardugo can truly do no wrong for me. The Alex Stern series is sooooo good, Dark Academic Fantasy at its finest IMO!! It took me a while to really get into book one, but I didn’t find this at all with Hell Bent. I was eager to find out what happened to our Darlington and (no spoilers) but I thoroughly enjoyed what Bardugo did with his character. Also, poor Dawes. That girl cannot catch a break.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The sci-fi side (time-travel) feels secondary in Bradley’s The Ministry of Time, with the contemporary literature prose and romantic plot taking centre-stage. Who doesn’t love a moody 19th-century man, flung into a time that is not his own, falling in love with the woman assigned to support his first year in present day? An unlikely romance underscored by a nefarious government plot, with queer characters to boot – this book hit so many high notes for me. I have written an in-depth review of The Ministry of Time if you want to learn more before you buy it!
In writing this post I have learnt that the BBC are adapted TMOT into a six-part series – exciting!
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
I’m going to say it – The Tainted Cup is my favourite book of the entire year. Although I enjoyed it hugely at the time, it has only been in post-reading that I’ve understood just how fantastic it is, I continue to think about it, daydreaming about the world and characters that RJB has created. A Sherlock-and-Watson-esque duo, Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol investigate a bizarre murder where a tree is found growing out of an engineer’s body. Set as a leviathan approaches to break the sea walls of the city, Dolabra and Kol race to solve the engineer’s murder before more die. However, instead of an easy win, they find themselves deep within the politics of the powerful families of Khanum.
Although you could read this novel and feel a level of closure, RJB is gracing us with a sequel in April 2025.
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Last but certainly not least, my favourite ‘classic’ of the year. Joe bought me Flowers For Algernon on our second date and has been pestering me to read it ever since. I sort of fell into this book, not lifting my eyes for an entire weekend until it was complete. I’m sure many of you know but if not, it follows Charlie, a man with a lower than average IQ who undertakes an operation that makes him incredibly smart. This, of course, has been tested beforehand on mice and Algernon, has flourished since his operation.
Eventually though, smart little Algernon begins to deteritoriate and Charlie must learn if the same fate will befell him. A beautiful story that forces you to think about how you view yourself at present, with the faculties and tools you have, as well as the relationships surrounding you, Algernon was an introspective read that I was (once again) annoyed I hadn’t gotten to sooner.
And that’s it! My seven best books of 2024. All of them must-reads, and all of them will be re-reads for me in the future. I hope you find one that peaks your interest and if you do read it, then please let me know!
Happy NYE reading, bookworms!
