Best Reads of 2024
Before you ask. I don't have a Goodreads. So sorry.
I did the numbers. I read 105 books this year.
52 of those books were novels. 53 of those books were graphic novels/complete comic arcs.
Which feels insane to me. This may not seem like an accomplishment to you, but last year I only clocked 53 reads. 32 of those being books and only 21 of those being comics.
This was the main reason why I split my end-of-the-year list into three lists this year (and why it has taken me so long to finish).
IT’S BECAUSE I READ TOO MANY DAMN THINGS IN 2024.
But not only that, I read too many damn good things this year. Last year, I only really had maybe five or six books I really liked. This year I had to think long and hard about what books deserved to be on this list.
I also must mention that I finished off exactly 50% of my TBR this year too. Okay. Done gloating now. I swear.
Counting books is stupid. I know that the comic book number for both this and last year is not completely accurate. Comics are much harder to keep track of in the same way as traditional novels (do you count an omnibus as one book? Or a bunch of smaller volumes? What if you read a bunch of single issues? What does that count as?), but I tried my best.
What really matters is that you enjoy what you are reading. Whether it's one book a year or a thousand. Who knows, maybe one of these books will catch your interest for 2025. If you only read one book a year, I would be honored if even one of mine was considered for that honor.
Okay on with the list!
Favorite Reads of 2024
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 📖 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
Favorite Comedy:
“Goddamn deture!”
𓆩⟡𓆪
Everybody shut up for a second, and let me start this list by talking about one of my favorite writers I discovered this year. Author of over 100 novels written under 18 different pseudonyms, Donald E. Westlake is my favorite literary weirdo at the moment. The movies “Point Blank” and “Grifters” are probably the most famous things Westlake has worked on, but there are so many other things in his catalog.
Though I think a lot of Westlake’s work is really only for pulp fiction enthusiasts, Jimmy the Kid is just so beautifully stupid.
This is the third book in Westlake’s Dortmunder series, which is a collection of mostly standalone books about the misadventures of a petty thief named Dortmunder. Jimmy the Kid follows Dortmunder and his goofy gang of criminals as they try and fail to enact a kidnapping plot that they found in a book.
Jimmy the Kid clocks in around 175 pages and is the perfect palette cleanser between longer or more serious reads. A Dortmunder book feels like an Ocean Eleven movie meets Monty Python skit in the best way. These books actually make me laugh out loud, and no books really manage to get me like that.
Though dated in parts (sorry, these books were written in the 70s guys…. :/ ), Jimmy the Kid is a literary box of donuts. A delightful dessert of a book with all sorts of surprising fillings inside. My favorite bit is that Jimmy the Kid is a book inside a book.
The book Dortmunder and his crew are reading is a Parker novel which is the other famous novel series Westlake wrote. The book jumps between the two narratives and their distinct writing styles setting up a very fun stylistic and meta format.
Sounds confusing? I promise it’s not.
Oh well, you can’t really ever really explain a joke. Guess you’ll just have to read it to be in on the punchline.
Favorite Nonfiction:
“Something is only visible when you recognize it as relevant.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
Hey, did you know that the stethoscope was originally invented because a doctor was so disgusted by a woman’s breasts that he had to invent a tool to avoid touching her?
Yeah.
I didn’t either.
What the heck!!!!
I’m not a doctor and I don’t have any children, but Invisible Labor is a book I am really glad I read. Invisible Labor is a nonfiction book written by researcher Rachel Somerstein about the history of the most common surgery in America- the C-section.
The book was in response to Somerstein’s own botched operation and can be really startling at times. I almost wanted to label this book as the best horror because it was so difficult to get through.
This isn’t a book just about C-sections, it’s also about the history of medicine and how our technological and profit-based hospital models are harming everyone, not just women. It’s an accomplishment when a nonfiction book can introduce a relatively niche issue and explain it in a way that connects its importance to the global picture of topics like abortion, AI, and race.
What really surprised me about this book is how much Somerstein talks about trauma and introduces this new wave of feminist thinking. This book is about facts, but it’s also about the women who are affected by them. Even though the book is about these women’s victimhood, Sommerstein is always quick to establish their personhood.
“This is Justine,” the book says. “She had something terrible happen to her, but she also works in a factory and has a husband who cares about her and works really hard.” Mothers are people, and their pain can’t be ignored.
This is a must-read for anyone living in America. Even if you never plan on having children or don’t identify as a woman, at some point in your life you are going to go to the doctor. Don’t you want a better understanding of your bill?
Count ten people you know who have given birth to children. Statistically, at this point, three of them have had a C-section.
The world is a bad place, man. The first step in fixing it is by learning about it.
Favorite Romance-
“Don’t you wish you were here?”
𓆩⟡𓆪
You know that meme of that cat and it’s crying and it’s standing at the door like-
That’s me.
That’s me when I think about this book.
House on the Cerulean Sea is about a case worker named Linus who is sent to inspect an orphanage that houses magical children. While he is there, he begins to befriend the children and their caretaker, and the story focuses on Linus’s new budding relationships.
When I started this book I wanted to hate it. It seemed like it would be too precious and saccharine-sweet for my own bitter ways. But what can I say? I will never not be charmed by werewolves that read poetry and sentient slimes that want to be bellhops.
I’m a sucker for quirky books about characters finding where they belong. This is one of the rare books that is perfect for adults and children, and its themes of tolerance and self-respect are just so earnest and sweet. This novel is a warm blanket or a kiss on the cheek. To me, this is what it means to be creating work that celebrates queer joy.
(And if anyone cares, my favorite character is Talia the sassy garden gnome. Weird grumpy little girls obsessed with death and gardening are just very important to me.)
Favorite Horror-
“When the old have buried all the young, that’s when the world dies.” / “You were you and I was me and there was this thing between us.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
Cheating here, but I have at least one tie on any list I make. Plus these books go together, and it’s not just because of their titles.
The Between is about a man who becomes haunted by dreams after his family begins receiving racist hate mail. This Thing Between Us is about a man whose wife gets murdered, and his smart speaker starts getting… really weird. Both are different in a lot of ways but are unified in their use of surreal dream sequences and use of horror as social critique. I just really love a good descent into madness story and these two books deliver.
If you want something that is more dreamy with compelling family drama, The Between is the book for you. If you want a slow burn and violent eldritch horror, This Thing Between Us is the better pick. But both books are worth picking up.
(Special shoutout to Gill if she ever reads this. These are both her book club recs, proving that her taste in horror is far superior to mine.)
Favorite Classic:
“I am. I am. I am.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
Thank you, Silvia Plath, for giving us Lana Del Ray and coquette girls. Your service will never be forgotten.
I think most people know what the Bell Jar is about. The book follows a young girl’s mental breakdown and eventual recovery in 1950s America and is essentially Sylvia Plath’s thinly veiled autobiography. You can find it quoted in every moody teenager’s Tumblr blog or on any misunderstood TV character’s bookshelf.
Its touch on pop culture is undeniable. It's almost cliché to like this book, but I fear Ms. Plath, unfortunately, really gets me.
Bell Jar deserves the hype. The prose is incredibly pretty and any early pretentiousness that the novel gives off can be dismissed after the first handful of pages. The story is very emotional and a good critique of social politics.
Who cares that so many people misunderstand this book? I understand it! I don’t glorify it! A piece of art does not exist solely in how other people have decided to perceive it.
This is a book written by a person who struggled with depression about her depression. Because of that, it’s always going to be a complicated read. It will affect people differently based on their own personal history with mental health.
However, that is what makes it important.
That and all the memes.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・.・。.・゜✫・𓆩⟡𓆪・✫・゜・。.・゜゜・．*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
My Top Five Books of the Year
In no particular order, these are my top five books of the year. The order doesn’t really matter. The only ranking that really matters is number one, and even then it still varies.
𓆩⟡𓆪
5. I Who Have Never Known Men- By Jaqueline Harpman
“It’s true,’ she agreed. ‘You are the only one of us who belongs to this country.’
‘No, this country belongs to me.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
This book is such a short easy read. The reason why this book has been appearing in so many bookstores right now is because it has been translated into English again just recently. And people have been reading it for good reason.
I Who Have Never Known Men follows a girl who was trapped in a bunker with thirty-nine other women and follows the girl’s story during her imprisonment and subsequent release. If you are a fan of absurdism, writers like Camu or Margaret Atwood, or shows like The Twilight Zone, this book is for you.
This book is hard to describe to people. On one hand, you can sell it as weird apocalypse fiction, but on the other hand, the book feels like a soothing philosophical mediation. Gender, humanity, and power are themes, but also, at the same time, those elements are not apparent in the book at all. Harpman was a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust. Hopefully, that helps give you more insight into what’s in store in this tiny novel.
This book is just odd, but that’s why I love it. It has so many scenes that stick in your mind. I know I am going to be thinking about the mirror scene probably until I die.
Or I find myself trapped in a bunker with no memories. Whatever comes first.
4. Tress and the Emerald Sea- By Brandon Sanderson
“And then, Tress took the singular step that separated her from people in most stories. The act, it might be said, that defined her as a hero. She did something so incredible, I can barely express its majesty.
'I should consider this more,' Tress thought to herself, 'and not jump to conclusions.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
This is my first Brandon Sanderson book and I am pleased to say it will not be my last. If you liked Princess Bride, Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, or any form of comedic fantasy, this is the book for you.
The story follows a girl named Tress as she embarks upon a pirate voyage to save her lost love. I went into this book completely blind, and I recommend just jumping straight in for the best experience of all its surprises. No spoilers, but I have not met a single person who has read this book who didn’t love it.
And I have recommended this book a lot.
However, what I will say about this book is how much I appreciate the sense of radical empathy that is present in this tale. Fantasy is a genre that is fixated on the concepts of heroism, but many fail to depict the softer side of bravery that Sanderson chooses to explore in this work. I just love modern-day novels that read like fairy tales. This book is close to perfect, and I have no complaints. I think I finished this book in three days. That’s how much I enjoyed it.
Moments of kindness are just something that Tress of the Emerald Sea has a lot of, and that is something we, unfortunately, can find lacking in this day and age. That and not enough pretty tea cups. Or appreciation for the interstellar importance of the name Doug.
But never fear. Tress has enough love for any Doug to go around.
3. Bunny- By Mona Awad
“Why do you lie so much? About the weirdest little things?’ my mother always asked me.
‘I don’t know’ I always said.
But I did know. It was very simple. Because it was a better story.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
Oh… Bunny, you’re so crazy Bunny. Nobody gets you like we do, Bunny.
Let me list all the cutesy, wittle things we like about you, Bunny. We like your story Bunny, the one about a girl who gets sucked into a cult in grad school! So important writing, Bunny!
Hmmmmm. Did we say cult? Maybe that’s derivative.
Try a more glittery word. We mean writing workshop! Hehe! So silly.
That’s a cute bracelet there, Bunny. The use of language and perspective is so good here! Where did you get the bracelet? We like that you work on projects and your twisty, whisty plots. You talk soooo much about big things like art and weird female friendships. And axes. And animal people. And cupcakes!
LET’S GO BUY TEN MORE BRACELETS!
It’ll be so much fun.
Oh Bunny, we love youuu. 😊
2. Beloved- By Toni Morrison
“Love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
I, like most rational people, get annoyed when book banning is brought up. I try not to get too fussy about it since a) there is little I can do about it, and b) when books are banned legends like Harper Lee are relatively safe. But there is something about how often Toni Morrison’s work is challenged by the book-burning community that really gets my blood boiling.
Beloved tells the story of a dysfunctional family of former slaves after they are haunted by a malicious spirit. Many critics claim that this book is THE American Horror novel, and I don’t think that is an exaggeration. This book is just so well done.
Everything element is interesting from the way Morrison plays with language to the gorgeous imagery she painstakingly pens. The themes of humanity, community, and how racism affects so many things are so thought-provoking. I feel like I need to read this book for a second time in order to appreciate it fully.
This is a hard book to read, mostly because so much of it is horrifying. The ghosts really aren’t the problem, the problem in Beloved is hatred. That’s what makes it so good. In this book, the concept of haunting is not just regulated to the supernatural… or reserved to the fictitious.
However, that’s why people should read it. It is okay for things to be hard! That is the only way we can grow and learn.
So just give this to the eleventh graders.
They’ll be fine.
I promise.
1. Broken Earth Trilogy- By N.K. Jemison
“Let's start with the end of the world, why don't we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things.”
𓆩⟡𓆪
There is nothing in this world I love more than a book that surprises me.
And N.K. Jemison did it.
So many times.
The Broken Earth Trilogy takes place on an Earth that is constantly riddled by natural disasters. When an apocalyptic earthquake called a Season strikes, the main plot follows a woman as she attempts to find her daughter before the world ends. This series has everything. The world and the characters are so complex and the magical world inspired by real science is so unique.
I love a book that is the good type of confusing. Instead of being annoying, any unexplained details are done for immersion and future narrative reveal. These books are even written in second person POV, have an unconventional story structure, and still manage to be good (???)
These books are crazy. Please believe me.
I love how Jemison writes and how catty the prose is. I normally don’t love long books, but I plowed through this series in less than two months. At no point does the series fall flat or experience middle-book fatigue.
There is a reason why this book is the only fantasy book on the New York Times 100 best books of the 21st century. Every award it has been given is deserved. The plot twist at the end of the first book is so amazing that I am still thinking about it now.
Anybody who doesn’t think fantasy is not a serious genre has never experienced how effortlessly Jemison spins a story about survival, power, and race. I even loved the audiobook narrator! That’s right! I loved this series so much a duel wielded it so I didn’t have to put it down ever!
Dune who? I don’t even know her. I am just so excited whenever I think about this series, and it makes me hope that one day I will be just as good at writing.
Because of this series, the standard of what I consider to be a good piece of art has risen. This is the highest praise I think I can give to any book.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.・゜゜・.・。.・゜✫・𓆩⟡𓆪・✫・゜・。.・゜゜・．*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Alright, that’s it! Hopefully one of these books sounds interesting to you. I have done my job if I can spread at least just a handful of the joy that these authors have given to me this year.
Here’s to a new year and hopefully 106 more books to read.