This is one of those posts that just does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a list of all the books I’ve managed to read in 2024. There were four that I had to abandon, right at the start of the year – I simply couldn’t get on with them and dreaded having to pick them up night after night – so my total tally would have been slightly higher, had I persevered with those, but even so it has been a relatively fruitful year of reading.
I usually make very short notes after I finish a book – just three or four words to jolt my brain into remembering whether I thoroughly enjoyed something or was left disappointed – and so I thought that I’d include those too. They’re not reviews and were not jotted down with any sort of intention to publicly share, but I thought that they’d add a splash of colour and personality to what would otherwise be quite a boring list.
Here we go then. I haven’t included the abandoned books because it looks like a bit of a diss and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings…
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My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh: buy here*
(Loved this! Crackers idea. Brett Easton Ellis vibes. Messy.)
Antarctica, Claire Keegan: buy here*
(11/10. There are three of the short stories I can’t stop thinking about. Mind-changing.)
So Late In The Day, Claire Keegan: buy here*
(WTF why is this so short, Brilliant but could have been a pamphlet.)
10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World, Elif Shafak: buy here*
(Sad. Gorgeous. Raced through first half, second half found myself skipping pages!)
Another Life, Jodie Chapman: buy here*
(Another knockout! Writes so well I’d read her shopping lists.)
The Mad Women’s Ball, Victoria Mas: buy here*
(Argh, amazing! Too short.)
Strange Flowers, Donal Ryan: buy here*
(Incredible. Another Tee** winner. Couldn’t have loved this more.)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey: buy here*
(Re-read. Don’t remember this being so sad and monstrous, everyone should read this.)
The Child’s Child, Barbara Vine: buy here*
(Tore through this, wrapped up too quickly at the end. 4th Vine book and not sure she’s for me!)
Crook Manifesto, Colson Whitehead, buy here*
(Loved the first in this trilogy, this was so impressively detailed but found it really hard going.)
The Minotaur, Barbara Vine: buy here*
(I went in again. Creepy and kept me hooked but ending left me disappointed.)
Sociopath, Patric Gagne: buy here*
(Fascinating as a subject but v repetitive.)
All My Puny Sorrows, Miriam Toews: buy here*
(Beautiful! Opening chapters some of the best I’ve read. Made me feel hopeless though.)
All My Mothers, Augusta Hope: buy here*
(Brilliant first half. Got a bit poetic for me. Excellent cover design.)
I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpman: buy here*
(Everyone should read this. Put on school syllabus! Absolutely 11/10.)
Long Island, Colm Toibin: buy here*
(Just amazing. Couldn’t remember what happened in Brooklyn but doesn’t matter.)
Everything I Know About Love, Dolly Alderton: buy here*
(Ripped through this. Felt young but was funny and so readable.)
My Favourite Mistake, Marian Keyes: buy here*
(Easy holiday read, amazing dialogue. Must read more MK.)
In Memoriam, Alice Winn: buy now*
(Sad and brilliant. There were tears. Underground tunnels: hard no.)
Intermezzo, Sally Rooney: buy now*
(Emoji of a party popper.)
Still Life, Sarah Winman: buy now*
(Glorious. Best characters, completely alive for me. Spans decades and is just beautiful.)
Fair Rosaline, Natasha Solomons: buy here*
(Dark, twisted rewrite of Romeo + Juliet. Loved. End got messy.)
Rabbits, Hugo Rifkind: buy now*
(Relaxed pace, dark story.)
Blue Sisters, Coco Mellors: buy here*
(Why were people moaning about this? Thought was excellent.)
All Fours, Miranda July: buy here*
(Bat shit crazy. Ending tested me but rest was an absolute romp.)
James, Percival Everett: buy here*
(Pick of the year? felt all the emotions, writing brilliant.)
Villager, Tom Cox: buy here*
(Marathon of a book. So detailed and complex! Good SOH.)
Our London Lives, Christine Dwyer Hickey: buy here*
(Currently reading: so far faultless!)
**Tee is a friend who has the most impeccable taste in books. I mean really. I get all of my best recommendations from her and in turn pass them on to you, but really she should set up her own book blog. And a style blog. And just generally tell everyone what to buy in life.