Well, 2024 comes to a close and it’s been an unusual one for me from a bookish perspective as its the first year I’ve noticed a decline in my reading rate. I usually have blips throughout most years but in 2024 I went weeks without reading, which is not something I ever remember doing before… Because of that I didn’t hit my ready challenge (which was basically one book a week) but I’m OK with it! Reading is my fun, escape place – I will not stress about it!
My 2025 reading mantra is therefore: Read at whatever pace comes my way.
So, when it came to choosing my favourites books of 2024, I kept it tight, selecting the ones that really jumped out at me when scanning back over my reviews and that I find myself recommending to people all the time. Enjoy!
My 2024 Books of the Year
Starting on a wild read. Miranda July is a unique genius! The unnamed narrator finds herself in peri-menopause, questioning every aspect of her life and making some off-beat decisions. Funny and smart with such great observations on human nature, All Fours is a fantastic read.
Translated from French, I heard good things about I Who Have Never Known Men and was truly blown away by it. Dystopian fiction, it drops us into a world where 40 women are kept in a cage, until one day they are mysteriously freed. The writing is beautiful and plot doesn’t go where you think it will. It’s so tender and brutal at the same time. Stunning.
Oh Mel B! What a woman, she’s been through so much! Brutally Honest is her memoir that details, along with her rise to fame as a Spice Girl, her 10 year abusive marriage. Alongside documenting what happened to her, she uses the book as a call out to any women who find themselves in similar positions. I admire her so much.
Another memoir makes my books of the year post. This one is here because I learnt so much reading about Fern Brady’s account of not being diagnosed with autism until she was in her 30s. It was so insightful, from how she struggled when she was young to finally getting her diagnosis as an adult. As she is a comedian, it’s written in such a warm and funny way, a really great read.
/ Hey Zoey by Sarah Crossan
I love Sarah Crossan’s writing style and when you combine that with her unique plot, Hey Zoey was always going to be a winner. Dolores is devastated when she discovers her husband has purchased an AI sex doll, but she ends up developing an unlikely friendship with it. A book I still think about.
This was such a powerful read. I don’t usually read books set during WWI – just not my preferred genre – but after hearing so many people love it, I picked it up and could not put it down! It’s the love story of Sidney and Henry, from school boys to soldiers and every heart-breaking thing that happens inbetween.
I’ve also written a blog on my most-read reviews of 2024, there are two books that features in both this and that blog, can you guess which ones?
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year – can’t wait to see what reading delights 2025 brings!
