My Top 12 Reads of 2024

In 2024 I read 83 books - this includes audiobooks because listening to books is still reading! I thought I would assign myself the mammoth task of curating a list of my top 12 reads from last year.

So, in no particular order, here goes!

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Kindred is a sci-fi, historical fiction (wonderfully oxymoronic) that will have you swept up into the pages of the story and transported back in time. The way Butler writes makes it feel as though you are right there with the characters: you can smell their sweat and feel their heartbeats, you’re that immersed in their world.

A truly incredible piece of literature that stands the test of time (first published in 1979). I am in awe of Butler’s writing and annoyed at myself that this is my first time reading her work (it certainly won’t be the last).

Kindred, in my opinion, is an absolute must read.

The Maid by Nita Prose

I really loved this book and was hooked right from the first chapter and immediately drawn into Molly’s world.

I saw a lot of reviews saying they didn’t like Molly’s character and all I can say to that is I hope those same people are as passionate about disliking Sheldon Cooper as they are Molly. Although not specifically stated it is quite clear Molly is autistic and as an autistic person myself I liked how her autism was woven into the narrative.

Overall felt like a really easy going read (even though it involved murder lol) and I devoured it in two sittings.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

This was a fascinating and truly thought provoking book as told by the protagonist - a young girl who doesn’t know her own name. We follow her through a planet and world that is unknown to her because she has spent all of her life in an underground bunker, held captive along with 39 other women.

I was left with so many questions about the story itself and a hollow but hopeful feeling in my chest. It provoked profound questions about what our purpose in life is and how we would live if we had nothing and no one to live for.

I expected to have my questions answered but then again, I was not promised any. That somehow makes it even more haunting and mesmerising. A brilliant read that I would highly recommend.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

I’ve just finished this glorious book and my gosh what an incredible piece of art. I haven’t read any of Shafak’s work before and I’m kicking myself for it - I can see her becoming a fast favourite. Her writing is both lyrical and raw with the most incredible use of imagery I’ve ever seen.

‘People always assumed that a corpse was no more alive than a fallen tree or a hollow stump, devoid of consciousness’.
‘She regarded her memory as a graveyard; segments of her life were buried there, lying in separate graves, and she had no intention of reviving them’.
‘Depression was common among the women on this street, tearing into their souls as fire tears into wood’.
‘Pink was fuchsia without grit; pale and lifeless as a bedsheet worn thin from too much washing’.

The novel starts at the end: Leila in a wheelie bin after being murdered. With each minute that follows her death she recalls a rich memory from her life and remembers the friends that she made along the way. It is a story of found family and identity: of sex work and love: of loss and dangerous hope. It is the profound tale of Leila’s bittersweet existence.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Glorious, glorious, GLORIOUS!

The writing, the characters, the plot, the imagery! It was all magical and thoroughly enjoyable right from the get go.

Weyward is Emilia Hart’s debut novel about three women, their tumultuous lives and their determination to survive against the odds.

I devoured this book like oxygen and feel like I can’t breathe now it’s finished. If powerful, witchy, feminist novels are your thing then you will love this book.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Gosh, this book is a work of art. The cover is stunning yes, but the prose inside is just gorgeous. The way Vuong writes is so tender and lyrical and raw and intense, I adore it. Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese American poet and this is his debut novel.

The book deals with heavy themes such as abuse, race, and the traumatic effects of war and is written in such a way that you can’t help but be pulled into the heart of the story. An epistolary novel, it is written in the form of a letter from a Vietnamese American son to his illiterate mother who continues to be traumatised by the Vietnam war. It is a harrowing and complicated read, making me wince at times, but that is exactly what it set out to be and it achieves this completely whilst still being beautiful.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

This is the first Greek mythology book I've ever read and I loved it so much. It's a queer retelling of the Trojan war from the perspective of Patroclus and follows the coming-of-age of him and Achilles as their friendship blossoms into something beautiful.

Yes, this is Greek mythology and yes it's about war but at its core this is a love story of two young boys and a heartbreaking depiction of love, loss and their struggles to stay together.

Be warned, you will cry.

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

I loved how twisty this book was. The writing itself isn’t a literary masterpiece but the plot carried it with its shock value and twists and turns.

It had me gasping out loud multiple times through the book and I know it will stay with me for a long time.

If you love a good psychological thriller that will keep you guessing then I really recommend this book.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

Minor Detail is split into two parts; the first part is from the perspective of an Israeli soldier and the second part from the perspective of a Palestinian woman living under occupation. It is written by a Palestinian author and was translated into English in 2020.

The book is harrowing and explores heavy subjects that you would expect to find in a story of genocide, occupation and ethnic cleansing.

'A haunting meditation on war, violence and memory, Minor Detail cuts to the heart of the Palestinian experience of dispossession, life under occupation, and the persistent difficulty of piecing together a narrative in the face of ongoing erasure and disempowerment.'

The Coven by Lizzie Fry

This book had me in an absolute chokehold.

Feminism, witches, prison escapes, rebellion, villains, action, strong female characters littered throughout. What more could you want??

This book so cleverly blurs the line between this fictional world where magic exists and is feared with the very real issues women face in our misogynistic society. It felt dystopian in a way that wouldn’t be too far fetched if witches were in fact real.

I loved the multiple perspectives and narratives throughout so we could really get a glimpse into each character and what drives them. The pacing felt spot on for me and the end tied up nicely.

Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands

Utterly adored this debut novel from Tom Newlands. It was raw and funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.

The book follows the story of young Cora Mowat, a 14 year old girl with undiagnosed ADHD growing up in 1990’s post-industrial Scotland. We follow her coming-of-age journey as she attempts to navigate friendship, grief, school and her ‘fizzy brain’.

This book was written with so much care and detail into Cora’s brain and as a fellow ADHDer I really connected with her chaotic trail of thought throughout. Tom did a fantastic job of immersing us into the story and showcasing the mundanity of council estate life as a teenager.

The Hierarchies by Ros Anderson

In a dystopian reality, we follow the story of Sylv.ie, one of many AI ‘pleasure robots’ created with the sole purpose of fulfilling men’s sexual desires. The book tackles the question of consent - can you consent if you are programmed to obey? - and the ethics of sex robots as artificial intelligence becomes more sentient.

A thought-provoking, dark and fascinating take on AI, moulded into fiction.

If you loved Humans (the Netflix show) and Handmaids Tale, you'll enjoy this.

Ok, wow, that was hard to pick for an indecisive AuDHDer like me but there you go - my top 12 of 2024! What was one of your favourite reads from last year?

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Thanks for reading :)

Georgia @ The Book Nook