Favourite books of 2024

It was like trying to choose which is my favourite child, but I managed it. Sort of.

Photo by Ashton Mullins on Unsplash

This is the first post in the new section which I’ve (rather originally) named:

“mel reads books”

I know.

You’re astounded by my creative genius.🤓

I did this so that if you don’t want to be inundated with my thoughts on the books I’ve been reading and my thoughts on reading in general — potentially rather detailed thoughts — you don’t have to be. I’ve tended to limit my enthusiasm in the past, lest I reveal the full force of my passion for reading and become tiresome with it¹, but I’m done with that self-censoring nonsense. Still, as a reader of my words, you ought to have options.

To manage your subscription - first, click on your own icon in the top right corner:

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Click on the ‘manage subscription’ option.

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You can then select which of my letters you’d like to receive. Or not.

Right! Onwards!

I’ve never attempted to do a Favourite Books round-up before, but after having watched a couple on YouTube, I decided to give it a go. As the subtitle of this letter suggests, picking a favourite isn’t something that necessarily comes easily. A good way to leave me speechless or babbling idiotically is to ask me what is my favourite book of all time.

Can’t do it. Can’t be done.

BUT…I can review the year’s reading and pick out some notables…and narrow it down..somewhat…into the realm of favourites.

One of the Booktubers I watched divided her reading into “best of” categories, which was rather fun to watch, then finished with an overall favourite, but I’m not that organized…and it would only feed my inability to actually choose my favourite. But if I were going to use categories, my 2024 could be roughly grouped into:

Mysteries, Fantasy/SciFi, Classics, Literary and an assortment of what would probably be classified as Contemporary/Women’s Fiction (?)

And now I’m tempted to do “best of” each category…no…no, must stay the course…

Right.

First, the stats.

I read 107 books this year, most of which were physical books (ie. not e-books) and 16 were audiobooks. Included in these were some re-reads and, as far as the audiobooks went, were from a long-accumulating stockpile from both Audible and Chirp.². Most of my reading material comes from the library, though I did buy quite a few books this year.

Now, when I was looking over my reading journal and trying to figure out which books were stand-outs, I discovered that my ‘enjoyment’ of a book can fall into more than one category. Some books, I can deem ‘enjoyable’ from a mere entertainment perspective, others I recognized as being expertly crafted and so memorable in that regard and yet others stayed with me for another reason — the author nailed the emotional connection, or perhaps taught me something or enlightened me in some way.

So, roughly in the order in which I read them, here are our finalists:

1. Ninth House & Hell Bent - Leigh Bardugo (I’m putting these together because they’re a duology. 👈🏻 See? I’m cheating already!)

2. A Psalm for the Wild Built - Becky Chambers

3. The Covenant of Water - Abraham Verghese

4. Moon of the Crusted Snow & Moon of the Turning Leaves - Waubgeshig Rice (doing it again!)

5. The Summer Book - Tove Jansson

6. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets - Eva Rice

7. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

8. Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby van Pelt

9. Three Apples Fell from the Sky - Narine Abgaryan

10. Miss Mole - E.H. Young

11. Villager - Tom Cox

12. The Fortnight in September - R.C. Sherriff

13. O Caledonia - Elspeth Barker

14. Starling House - Alix Harrow

15. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

I realize a Top Ten would have been more traditional but from 100+ books, I think narrowing it down to 15 is a huge accomplishment - for me, anyway.

I’m already in agonies as I look over my monthly records and think of other books I’d like to add!

Looking over that list, and thinking about what made me choose them as ones I would consider favourites, I think that it’s the emotional connection that appeals to me most in a book - I want to feel something, either about the characters or the ideas - and the most successful books (to me) can do both; they can make me feel something for the characters and the plot and themes also touch me in some way.

I have an enormous fondness for books that offer a glimpse into simpler worlds and times (hence, my love for earlier fiction, particularly the inter-war years or post-WWII) or those that can offer some kind of hope for this damaged world. I also love books that go deep into the psychology of the main characters - I love well-grounded motivations and satisfying arcs and being able to relate, even a little, to the imaginary people between the pages. My taste has changed a lot over the years, but those things remain the same, no matter the genre or the delivery.

Anyway…all of this is just postponing the inevitable, which is choosing an Absolute Favourite from this year…

…and it’s just so HARD!! 😭😭😭.

So…gun-to-my-head, if absolutely FORCED to pick just one…

*drum roll*

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.

.

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A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers was my favourite (fiction) book of 2024.³

Here’s what I wrote about it in my February Reads post:

I have to confess that I’ve avoided this book for a long time. Why? Robots. I’m just not that into them. I was initially drawn to it by the fact the main character is a tea monk (I mean, obviously), but then because it’s sci-fi and there’s robots and not-Earth and well, I evidently have biases so I didn’t pick it up. I’m glad I overcame those biases because I LOVE THIS BOOK. If you only take one recommendation from this month, read this book.

It’s a story about what happens when humans make the right choice — when they’re facing catastrophe and do the right thing. It’s so full of hope and warmth and possibility and it’s a superbly clever twist on ‘what happens if the robots achieve self-awareness’. Utterly, effing, gorgeous. Go on, read it.

And I’d suggest a slight rewording to say:

“If you only take one recommendation from this past year, read this book.”

Of all the reasons that I might love a book, one that paints the world as a kinder, more healed and beautiful place will always steal my heart, and this book is definitely one that does that very well. It shows how, even amid worst-case scenarios, we can always do better, choose better, be better. Perhaps this is a function of getting older, or maybe the diabolical state that our world is in, or most likely a combination of both, but I make no apologies for wanting to read hopeful things.

Also, it’s good to read outside of your comfort-zone/habitual genres. 😉

There.

I did it.

Phew!

Of course, there were the re-reads that are the true hallmark of readerly devotion - this year it was (as it often is) Miss Read and Rosamunde Pilcher…which make up a large part of my annual festive book-fort. I also re-read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, to set my up to read the second two of the trilogy, whose existence had somehow escaped me. Incidentally, those three would be on my Honourable Mentions list.

I haven’t mentioned non-fiction or poetry, as I didn’t read as much of those as I would have liked — though I resolve to rectify that in 2025 (more on that to come).

Now, what about you? Do you have a favourite from this past year, or are you like me and struggle to raise one book above the others? Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message…your fave could be next on my TBR!

until next time, happy reading!

~m. xo

1. It’s probably going to take some un-learning of this behaviour, so effusions may still be somewhat subdued at first.

2. I haven’t had an Audible subscription for a while and Chirp isn’t subscription-based so I had some credits and unread books in my library. I’m not a person who can multitask when listening to audio - or, at least, I can only do very specific things (ie. walking, housework - not cooking - or repetitive labour tasks in the garden - in other words, tasks that don’t require me to think!) - so it’s taken me a while to find a groove with audiobooks and I have to say that I really do enjoy having one on the go.

3. with The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Price coming in a very close second 😎