It’s been a couple years since I shared a favourite-reads-of-the-year post, which is a shame, really, because it’s so fun to share book recommendations.Â
My wish for this post is to perhaps give you some non-BookTok ideas for your reading list. In fact, of the eight books I’ll mention in this post, only one or two of them were recommendations from bookstagrammers.Â
So, welcome to my eclectic reading list. Here are my top 4 favourite reads of 2024:
4. Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
We’re jumping in with a non-fiction book, and a bit of a bummer one, at that. Stolen Focus is Hari’s exploration of how humans don’t have the attention span they used to, and why that’s the case. Hint: You guessed right. Social media and the internet can take some of the blame. Spoiler alert: There are a bunch of other reasons, too! This book is an excellent read for putting your attention frustration into context.Â
3. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Set in 1950s India, Lakshmi is trying to build a life on her own, working as a henna artist. Her real business is more of a secret… The word that convinced me to read this book? Triumphant.Â
This book is about the plights of womanhood, and what it means to be a family. It follows a determined, resourceful, and clever protagonist as she maneuvers a world not built for a woman without male protection.Â
Warning: If you have unresolved trauma surrounding pregnancy, maybe give this one a skip.Â
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2. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
I love the premise of this novel. After conducting a successful experiment in the USA, a team of scientists moves into rural Scotland to reintroduce wolves to the ecosystem, much to the dismay of the locals. Inti and her team know that reintroducing the wolves to the Scottish wilderness will benefit the planet. The local farmers don’t want wolves interfering with their livelihoods. When a man turns up dead not long after the wolf release, people immediately believe the wolves did it. But is it possible someone is using the wolves as a scapegoat?
Content warning: sexual assault, violence
I bawled reading this book: a couple times for a couple reasons. It examines sisterhood, living with trauma, and love. Big recommend!
Before I reveal my favourite read of 2024, here are a few honourable mentions:
The Forest by Edward Rutherford
Rutherford has written a whole series of these books. Each book is set in one location (in this case, the forest of south England), and follows the families that live in the area from pre-history to the modern era. A great read for history nerds.Â
This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This book is a masterclass on the artistry of prose. It’s a sci-fi about two beings on opposite sides of the time war writing letters to each other. It’s weird and wonderful. You’ll either love it or hate it. It was very divisive at our book club!
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
For me, Emily Henry is the pop author of the year. (I know, arguably it’s actually Sara J Maas, but I haven’t read any of her books - don’t hate me!) As a word nerd myself, I enjoyed this fun romance about a couple of book editors.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Cozy fantasy. Who knew this genre would take off? I already have a couple cozy fantasies on my TBR list for 2025. This particular book is about an orc that’s done with adventuring, and wants to open a coffee shop.Â
And now for my favourite read of 2024…
1.The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
It’s the story of how an unlikely group of people become friends through their kind-of-accidental book club. There’s the sweet librarian, the crotchety old man, his estranged son, the has-so-much-love-to-give single mom, and the sass-factor co-worker. Read this for a feel-good tale about relationships, found family, and finding yourself.Â
What were some of your favourite reads this year? I’d love to hear from you!Â
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