2024 in books 📚✨
Every year I tell myself I'm gonna do this, and every year I don't follow through.
Until now!
Breaking this trend with actually sharing my book history for this year. I'm not going to rank them, or give them stars, or provide any in-depth analysis. I'll simply present them in the order they were read, with a few thoughts from my personal experience. Let's go!
The Expanse, James S. A. Corey
About humanity's expansion into space, interplanetary politics, and survival.
In 2023 I started reading The Expanse, which consists of seven books, and as the compulsive maniac I am, I had to read them all in one go. Three of them were finished in January this year. This series was a ton of fun to read, I loved the characters and the world building, but five books would have been enough. Thus, this resulted in a sci-fi overdose and it took me six months to even read the latest Murderbot, because I wanted nothing to do with space.
I have almost recovered, so maybe 2025 will be the return of sci-fi indulgence.
Read if you love a good space opera, interesting characters and politics.
In Order To Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom, Yeonmi Park
About Yeonmi Park's escape from North Korea and her experiences under the regime.
Heard an interview with Yeonmi and decided to pick up the book. Fascinating story, worth a read.
Read if you want to learn more about life in North Korea.
The Book of Form and Emptiness, Ruth Ozeki
About loss and mental health struggles.
I'm not sure about this one. The writing was pleasant enough and the characters felt real. But the magical element felt a bit uninspired. Maybe because I'm a grumpy reader who has read too many books romantising books and this one just didn't do it for me.
Read if you like family stories that deal with mental health.
Happy Place, Emily Henry
About a couple forced to confront their unresolved issues during a vacation with friends.
TikTok and Booktube is all over Emily Henry and I thought a lighthearted chick-lit could be fun for a change. But the premise felt unrealistic and I struggled to enjoy it. But I did like the depiction of friendship!
Read if you're on a beach and want something light for your brain.
White Nights, Fyodor Dostoevsky
About a lonely man who forms a brief but meaningful connection with a woman.
My partner always mocks me for my love of "the Russian masters" (his words, not mine), but I honestly really enjoy them. I read Crime and Punishment as a teenager and was blown away, and don't get me started on Gogol's short stories. They are funny! I promise!
White Nights is not exactly funny, but it is captivating and beautifully written.
Read if you like a short, well-written book that can serve as a gateway to the larger volumes.
Minor Detail, Adania Shibli
About a historical incident in Palestine, told through two interconnected narratives.
A brutal story which takes you to Palestine and confronts you with a few of the horrible things that has happened there. It stayed with me long after finishing it.
Read if you want to understand more about Palestine from an emotional perspective.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
About relationships, love and philosophy.
I'm a sucker for beautiful language and philosophical meanderings, so I guess this was an obvious favorite this year.
Read if you, too, love beautiful language and philosophical meanderings.
Table for Two, Amor Towles
About class, ambition, and human connection.
I rarely read short story collections, but someone hyped this on a podcast and I bought it instantly. It was a captivating read!
Read if you're in the mood for short stories.
Permafrost, Eva Baltasar
About a woman's inner life, her relationships, and her desire for freedom.
I read it in June and at time of writing this, I cannot remember a single thing about it. I gave it three stars on GoodReads, so I guess it was ok, but evidently did not leave a lasting impression.
Read if the blurb speaks to you?
Coventry, Rachel Cusk
A collection of essays reflecting on art, family, and the self.
I love Rachel Cusk, but I have to admit many of these essays went a little over my head. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it, might reread in the future.
Read if you're a Cusk stan.
System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7), Martha Wells
The seventh installment in a sci-fi series about a self-aware security robot navigating moral dilemmas.
After The Expanse-marathon I suffered from a sci-fi hangover and it took me six months to actually read this one. Not my favourite Murderbot-story, it felt a bit exaggerated. Almost like a caricature of itself? Still — Murderbot stan for life!
Read if you love Murderbot.
Evenings and Weekends, Oisín McKenna
About relationships, intimacy, and the complexities of modern love.
I fell hard for this book and could barely put it down. The characters feel so real and you can tell it’s written by a spoken word poet. I’ve already gushed about it in my newsletter, and to every single person I talk with about books, so I’ll leave it at that. Can’t wait to read what he does next.
Read if you love a beautifully crafted modern relationship drama.
The Bee Sting, Paul Murray
About family in Ireland, unraveling secrets, failures, and resilience.
This has been the year of Irish authors! The Bee Sting was not an immediate crush, but a family saga that developed slowly. Love being in the hands of a skilled writer (and editor) who can do multiple POV's in a way that add layers to the story, without feeling haphazard.
Read if you enjoy a well-written family saga that keeps you invested.
A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
About a young wizard's journey to understand power and responsibility.
I finally read an Ursula K. Le Guin book! This was a classic fantasy, cosy and enjoyable.
Read if you want to get back into fantasy.
The Orange and Other Poems, Wendy Cope
About love, life, and everyday moments.
I bought a physical copy of this and have been reading a poem here and there. I love Wendy Cope. Serious Concerns is my favourite collection from her though, but this is a beautiful book to have on the table.
Read if you love poetry with a bit of sass to it.
“The day he moved out was terrible –
That evening she went through hell.
His absence wasn’t a problem
But the corkscrew had gone as well.”
A Cavern of Black Ice (Sword of Shadows, #1), by J.V. Jones
Classic fantasy, set in a harsh, icy world.
With the sci-fi hangover still going strong, I thought it was time to get back into some classic high fantasy. This came recommended and it was fun! Interesting world and magic system, but did not feel called to read the next one. Maybe because I really don't enjoy being in the cold, even in a fiction world?
Read if you crave some classic fantasy.
The Wedding People, Alison Espach
About love, relationships, and unexpected connections.
This was a surprise! A writer recommended it and I bought it without even reading the blurb, craving a lighthearted read. This could probably be categorised as chick-lit, you know, with the obvious happy ending, but the road there was both interesting and funny.
Read if you're in the mood for a high-quality chick-lit.
The Way Forward, Yung Pueblo
About self-awareness and emotional growth.
I started this one 2023, and abandoned midway through. Finally finished it. I like the general message of Yung Pueblo, but it does get very repetitive, so I would recommend it as a physical copy you can pick up every once in a while.
Read if you need to tweet-sized buddhistic reminders.
The Hike, Lucy Clarke
About four friends on a hiking trip in isolated wilderness.
Well, you should ignore my reviews of thriller books. I rarely read them, and when I do, I’m usually disappointed. I think it’s because plot is usually the focus, and I’m a solid character-and-language-girl who can happily read 700 pages with no action, as long as the characters has layers and the writing style resonates with me. This one was, for that reason, disappointing. Having four POV made every character one-dimensional to me, and the fundamental unrealistic premise that three friends just casually forget their supposed best friend when hiking? That happened early and annoyed me for the rest of the book.
Read if you like thrillers and have no hiking experience what-so-ever.
Babel, R.F. Kuang
Historical fantasy novel exploring language, colonialism, and power through magical linguistics.
This one had me conflicted. I find etymology fascinating and enjoyed the deep-dive into language. Also, the discussions about imperialism. But the characters fell flat to me, and the magic system hollow.
Read if you find etymology fun.
Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney
About friendship, love, and self-discovery through the lens of complex relationships.
Intermezzo had just came out, but I did not feel like paying €25 for a Kindle book, so decided to catch up on Rooney’s back-catalogue instead! Loved it, of course. Minimal plot, maximal being in the head of characters and of course, the writing is exactly what it needs to be. Is Rooney our times Jane Austen?
Read if you have the same taste as me.
All Fours, Miranda July
About desire, identity, and midlife transformation.
Well, this was a wild ride. The more books you read, the rarer it is to be genuinely surprised, but with this one I never knew what the next chapter would hold. The writing feels real. Not for the squeamish people.
Read if reflections about women in menopause and unconventional relationships sound intriguing.
The Coast Road, Alan Murrin
About loss and longing, set in rural Ireland.
Yet another Irish writer! This one will stay with me for a while. Loved how it was written, though very sad.
Read if you like when books break your heart.
The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman
About a group of elderly friends solving crimes in their retirement village.
I watched A Man on the Inside, where Ted Danson infiltrates a retirement home, and after eight episodes I wanted to keep hanging out with quirky old people, so decided to give this one a chance. It’s a nice vacation read.
Read if you like hanging out with older people and classic murder-mysteries.
You Exist Too Much, Zaina Arafat
About identity, love addiction, and the struggles of self-acceptance.
I was intrigued in the beginning and found the culture depictions interesting. However, there seems to be little actual growth in the main character and at the end, I truly did not understand what the point of this book was.
Read if, well, maybe don't.
Our Wives Under the Sea, Julia Armfield
About love, grief, and the mysteries of the deep sea.
Somehow described as horror, which it is not. It is eerie though. But fundamentally also a sweet love story that does not feel cliché.
Read if the ocean fascinates you and you're okay with ambiguous stories.
Elena Knows, Claudia Piñeiro
About a mother's relentless search for truth while battling Parkinson's disease.
A quick read I technically finished January 1, but I'm gonna count it here, since I read most of it in 2024. My blog, my rules!
This was unexpected. It's dark, darker than I expected, and really got under my skin. The way Piñeiro writes living with severe Parkinsons will stay with me for a long time.
Read if you want to read something that makes you feel.
Ended up being 29 books this year. I found that whatever I set as a reading goal on Goodreads, I usually end up short with one or two books. I like the aspirational part of it as a bit of motivation to read more, and by extension, be on my phone less. So let's aim for 40 this year!
The newsletter
Every once in a while I will share updates – feel free to subscribe.
