We overlap a bit; I loved Margo's Got Money Troubles and The Ministry of Time, which you recommended! I thought the new Kate Atkinson was okay, but overlong. The best book I read this year was The North Woods by Daniel Mason, which was inventive, accessible, and really different. The other best-for-me were:
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub (much more thoughtful than it sounds)
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
Glassworks by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (terrible cover, GREAT book)
I just discovered a new/old author that you might like: Jane Haddam. Her style and protagonist is reminding me of Jackson Brodie. If you enjoy them, there are 30 of them! Whee!
I've read The Night Circus and I don't think you need to twist yourself into a pretzel to finish it. It's not a bad book, but it's also not the best book ever. I was not moved to read The Starless Sea afterward, let's put it that way.
I think with Night Circus, you sort of have to just drift along and enjoy the visuals more than the details of the story. But I liked Night Circus better than Starless Sea, so 🤷♀️
Glad you pushed through with Yellowface! Funny, I'm slogging a bit through Starless Sea right now and loved Night Circus. I really appreciate your book posts. I discovered Kate Atkinson through you!
My favorite reads of 2024:
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsh - wow, everything I want in a book. Page turning thriller/sci-fi/horror. You should give it a try.
In The Woods by Tana French - per your enthusiasm, finally got my book club to read it and it was great!
Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott - writing advice that is 100% on point!
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - cozy fantasy. It's what we need right now.
11/22/63 by Steven King - damn that guy can write!
11/22/63 is SO GOOD. Probably longer than it needs to be but that's our boy.
We overlap a bit; I loved Margo's Got Money Troubles and The Ministry of Time, which you recommended! I thought the new Kate Atkinson was okay, but overlong. The best book I read this year was The North Woods by Daniel Mason, which was inventive, accessible, and really different. The other best-for-me were:
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub (much more thoughtful than it sounds)
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
Glassworks by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (terrible cover, GREAT book)
I just discovered a new/old author that you might like: Jane Haddam. Her style and protagonist is reminding me of Jackson Brodie. If you enjoy them, there are 30 of them! Whee!
Oh, Lev Grossman! I didn't know he had a new book out, thank you! And this is a great list - I haven't read any of these.
I've read The Night Circus and I don't think you need to twist yourself into a pretzel to finish it. It's not a bad book, but it's also not the best book ever. I was not moved to read The Starless Sea afterward, let's put it that way.
But, see, I loved The Starless Sea which is why I keep trying with The Night Circus.
I think with Night Circus, you sort of have to just drift along and enjoy the visuals more than the details of the story. But I liked Night Circus better than Starless Sea, so 🤷♀️
Glad you pushed through with Yellowface! Funny, I'm slogging a bit through Starless Sea right now and loved Night Circus. I really appreciate your book posts. I discovered Kate Atkinson through you!
I love that I've introduced someone to Kate Atkinson! And it seems like people really like Starless Sea or Night Circus but not both.
I'm trying to find that balance of knowing when to just abandon a book v. pushing through and maybe finding something surprising!
I’ve read most of your list and want to thank you for the recs and reviews. Happy reading!
Fiction:
Finna - Nino Cipri
The Great Divide - Cristina Henriquez
Wellness - Nathan Hill
Weyward - Emilia Hart
Chemistry - Weike Wang
Chain-Gang All Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Radicalized - Cory Doctorow
Nonfiction:
Exit Interview - Kristi Coulter
The Art of Showing Up - Rachel Wilkerson Miller
Flower Confidential - Amy Stewart
Demystifying Disability - Amy Ladau
Bite by Bite - Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Great list, thank you!
Did you read All the Colors of the Dark? OMG it was incredible. I would love to know what you think.
Adding a few from your list to my TBR!
I haven't! I'll add it to my list.