My Year in Books 2024

Ruth

Dec 17, 2024

I feel like I read constantly yet never enough.

Though, if I stop to pull the threads of that thought for even two seconds, the entire idea falls apart.

What would reading “enough” look like?

Enough to—what? Keep up?

Keep up with what?

With new books published every day, adding to a wealth of generations worth of books already at our fingertips, how would one even begin to “keep up”?

And why would I want to?

In truth, there is no keeping up. Nor is there any need to.

Once a book is out, it’s out forever. There for us to discover when the time is right.

And for that, I’m truly thankful.

So far in 2024, I have read 115 books.

Here are the 10 standouts.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

When I first heard the series title, I had the same reaction you did.

But I received enough recommendations from the right people that I knew I had to give The Murderbot Diaries a chance.

I was immediately on board. I loved the premise and the author’s inventive use of point-of-view, and I quickly blitzed through the entire series.

All Systems Red is absolutely engaging—and, though the cover may lead you to believe otherwise—surprisingly whimsical at times! (Though, I must admit, amid swears galore.)

I laughed twice in the first chapter and found myself sympathizing time and again with this depressed, mercenary SecUnit (security unit) who’s so horrified by his own past assignments that he’s nicknamed himself “Murderbot”; who craves love and affection even as he claims not to experience emotions and just wants to be left alone so he can go back to his pod and watch his favorite shows.

But, whoops—his team is in trouble again.

Better go save the humans.

Because it’s his job, of course—not because he cares about them.

My storytelling catnip!

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson

This latest offering from Erik Larson has everything I have come to expect from his books. Sprawling narrative starting at Genesis 1:1 of whatever historical event he plans to unfold—in this case, the fall of Fort Sumter.

This narrative consistency and attention to detail is one of the primary reasons he remains among my favorite writers of historical narrative nonfiction.

As an added bonus this time around, I read this book while living in the region where many of the events described take place. It was fun to hear familiar sounding names crop up and learn why things are named after them (Anderson, Pickens, the Wade Hamptons, etc.).

JUSTICE FOR WADE HAMPTON II’S DAUGHTERS!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Never before have I been so engrossed in a book in which I despised the main character so entirely.

All the characters, actually.

I usually don’t like books in which I don’t have a character to root for, but here’s the thing. Yellowface is a wild ride from start to finish.

At no point could I guess what our central character would do next, except I knew whatever it was, it would be the worst possible idea anyone has ever had in their lives.

Along the way, Kuang is making points about publishing and race and class and all that—sure.

But, unlike with her book Babel, in which I felt the social commentary eclipsed the story, Yellowface stays grounded in the narrative and pulls the reader fully through to the end.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

I tend to enjoy Center’s books in general, but there was something special about this one.

Maybe it’s the fact that the central characters are both writers and word people. Maybe it’s the self-aware way the story plays on the classic rom-com tropes and beats even as the co-writing pair at the center of the story are debating their effectiveness.

Whatever the reason, the subject matter, character development, the dialogue—pretty much all of it worked for me.

Which is not to say the characters all made good decisions or I liked every single story development. (On the contrary. I’d tell you one of the things I didn’t like, but it would spoil a major plot point.)

All I can say is that when it comes to pacing and story beats, Center hit all the right notes without anything feeling cliche.

Which, within the context of such a tropey genre, is quite a feat.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

I read quite a few books this year that featured neurodivergent characters, and this is by far my favorite of the lot.

It’s cute and funny and sad and very real.

I loved the character growth and relational development between the central characters, and the dual POVs (which is not always my favorite thing) actually worked well.

If you’re looking for a book that opens a window into the mind of a young character with autism trying to navigate complicated feelings, this is your next read.

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton

If you’ve been here long enough, you already know how I feel about survival/disaster stories.

They are everything!

The absolutely unhinged drama that unfolds when ships full of men who consider themselves “civilized” find themselves freezing, starving, and stranded—far from help or hope—is unmatched in other genres.

When reading stories like these, at no point can I guess what’s coming next, and I think that’s one of the things I love best about them.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

I read a lot of Kate Quinn this year, and although it was hard to choose a favorite, I think The Huntress might be the one.

The story she tells—hinging on friendship, love, loyalty, courage, and sacrifice—is complicated, unspooling across multiple timelines and weaving together many characters and plotlines.

The plot and emotional journeys are complex and could easily have come across as convoluted and confusing if not so well-executed.

The Wager by David Grann

In January of 1742, thirty shipwreck survivors of the British ship Wager washed up on the coast of Brazil, telling a harrowing story of heroism, courage, and adventure in the face of certain death.

Six months later, three more survivors of the same wreck washed ashore in Chile telling a very different tale—one of tyranny, anarchy, mutiny, and murder.

As always David Grann knows exactly how to layer the story for maximum effect.

10/10 will read again.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney #1) by Claudia Gray

This one turned out to be quite different from what I expected—in a good way!

Even though the word murder appears in the title, I thought there would be more of a comedy of manners feel than it does, but again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

We’ve had Austen retellings and adaptions before. In spades.

What we haven’t seen before is an author who sets all our favorite Austen characters in the same story, has them interacting with each other, and gives us a second generation of complex but lovable characters to root for.

This is not fluff.

The Darcys, deep in grief, are practically estranged; Col. Brandon and Marianne are off to a shaky footing as newlyweds; Fanny is keeping secrets from Edmund.

But it’s crime-solving duo Jonathan Darcy (who is clearly on the spectrum) and Juliet Tilney (who takes after her mom) who have my heart.

They’re going to be a fun pair to track through the series, especially since it’s not hard to sense that they’re catching feelings.

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur (허주은)

As Hur notes in her acknowledgements, it's important that we confront the dark corners of history and not look away when we find unsettling things there.

This is exactly what she does in A Crane Among Wolves, which unfolds a very real and very dark chapter in Korean history.

I especially appreciated the way Hur developed relationships amidst all the bloodshed and heartbreak.

BONUS BOOK:

I’d just finalized this list a few days ago, and wouldn’t you know it, read a book that absolutely knocked my socks off.

While I didn’t want to redo my list, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it here.

Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, short enough to be read in a sitting or two, packs a strong emotional punch.

The less you know about the book before you pick it up, the stronger effect it will likely have.

Trust me and go get it.

And Another Thing

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