My Favourite Books Of 2024

Just seven. That's it.

In 2023 I picked five books as my favourites of the year, publishing this Substack to my faithful 50-something subscribers, and hoping someone out there would find something useful in my list. At the end of 2024, I’ve picked seven books as my favourites of the year, but found over 1000 subscribers which is wild and totally daunting, but mostly thrilling.

Thank you for being here this year; for subscribing and sticking with me; for commenting on and sharing my work. I started this Substack when I was on parental leave and felt like my brain was elsewhere and the world was moving on without me, everyone busy and interesting while I was covered in breastmilk. But now there’s a 1000-ish of you—hello!—and I hope you find something here to take with you into in 2025.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This book is really like nothing I’ve read before and when I first wrote about it here, I noted that I had to turn back to the first page after about five minutes because I had absolutely no clue what I was reading, and realised I’d need to stop assuming I knew what was going to happen. It’s a wild ride, and even if you’re not into magical realism, you should read this.

New Animal by Ella Baxter

This was so beautifully written and so thoughtful about complicated topics like grief, death, and sex. That it also manages to be funny at the same time makes it a forever-favourite of mine.

The Pisces by Melissa Broder

More magical realism, more need to suspend the assumption you know what’s going on. Just enjoy the ride, one fish at a time.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

I wrote about this book back in August and I still think about all the time, research, and care Gyasi poured into this book. The sheer amount of history, the character development, and narratives she crafts and navigates is astonishing.

I’m A Fan by Sheena Patel

This is an easy, short read but there’s so many sentences and paragraphs I wish I’d been clever enough to write. So many astute observations and funny one-liners that made me a huge fan of Patel.

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly

I found this refreshing to read; I love the dialogue and the characters Reilly brings to life. It’s kinda like making a whole bunch of new friends instantly.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

If you’ve been here a while you know I read a lot of witchy stuff, but as I mentioned here, Dawson’s blending of magic and mythology in this series is so easy to disappear into which, in my mind, is the mark of a great book. I will be reading the rest in the series next year without a doubt.

See you in 2025.

Enjoy!