In 2024, I struggled with reading some books and barely managed to finish them. But I also read some great ones I truly enjoyed either because they moved me, or they made me re-think the meaning of life or simply because of their sociological and/or historical value of portraying life at the time the author lived. There were a few that just made me feel I spent good quality time reading them. So, my top 10 novels of 2024, in no particular order, are
You Are Here
This was a 2024 book by David Nicholls, which I was thrilled to read. The book follows a beautiful walking trip and the story of a couple that meets during the walk. As with other books by Nicholls, there is his story and her story, and their story and the narratives are, as always, beautiful. Read more in my blog here.
Found in a Bookshop
Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland is the second book in the series, and this second one is even better than the first one. The first one introduces characters connected to a bookshop in York, England, and this second book beautifully tackles the COVID-19 pandemic. The bookshop is closed during the pandemic, and staff is creating reading lists for people who write them letters and say what they like. I was struggling with reading lists thinking when I would read all that until a customer letter came that spoke to me and I realised that was my list, so I ordered those books (haven’t read them yet but they are on my to-read list). Absolutely beautiful and worth reading. Read the blog here. The first book is called The Lost for Words Bookshop, the blog is here.
The Story Collector
A beautiful story of fairies by Evie Woods I read in December also found its place on the top 10 list. An American woman of Irish origin accidentally ends up on a holiday in Ireland, healing her broken heart and then accidentally finds a diary of an Irish teenager who lived in Ireland exactly 100 years before. An intertwined story of love and disappointment 100 years apart. Read my blog here.
The Humans: A Novel
A wonderful sci-fi story by Matt Haig narrates human existence, nature and experience from the point of an alien who unwillingly became one of us. At first, the alien despises humanity but then slowly learns its beautiful side. A wonderful appraisal of humanity and its advantages, as well as its shortcomings. The book has philosophical value and makes one stop and consider the meaning of life. Blog here.
Sweet Sorrow
An older book by David Nicholls, which I read but did not blog about so I re-read it and wrote a blog. A beautiful story of first love and the long summer after school, an appraisal of theatre and arts, and a class story (as with all Nicholls’ books). This might be my favourite book by Nicholls. It used to be One Day but this one made me stop and think so many times.
Station 11
A dystopian novel by Emily St John Mandel that entered my dreams and made me re-think the COVID-19 pandemic. I kept thinking, what if we did not lock down countries, too many people fell ill, and society fell apart. Societal disintegration is what happens in Station 11 following the outbreak of the Georgia flu, and global societies fall apart. We follow a story of survivors and their lives, as well as a story of attempts to rebuild society, preserve memories of what used to be and a dilemma whether to preserve those memories or just adapt to the new world. Read the blog here.
The Age of Innocence
A 1921 Pulitzer winner by Edith Wharton, and the last book I blogged about in 2024, but that made it to the list due to the beautiful narrative and sociological and historical value of the book. The book follows the story of a couple in New York society of the 1870s, which was at the point of change that happened during the ‘roaring 20s’, which is also mentioned in the book. A critique of an upper-class society as well as social change. Blog here.
Us
Another book by David Nicholls. This was also a re-read and a beautiful one. This is a story of a marriage and personal and class differences that cause marriage to face difficulties. Read my blog here.
Before the coffee gets cold
This is a series of books about the same topic by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, so I am technically cheating when just naming the first one because I read the whole series and I am adding links to my blogs below. A very unusual and creative time travel series of books depicting the life stories of visitors who come to a time travel café in Tokyo to go back to the past to visit someone for various reasons, which depend from book to book. Each book has a theme that makes people want to return to the past. The return can only last for as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold, but people find it valuable. Read my blogs here: book 1, book 2, book 3, book 4, book 5.
Brothers Bound
A novel by Bruce Berger, professor emeritus at the University of Alabama and a Vietnam vet. This is not a genre I normally read, but I enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The book is a story of two soldiers trying to escape a prisoner camp in Vietnam. It is a story of friendship, loyalty and perseverance. Some beautiful elements in the book, particularly memories, which keep soldiers going through a harrowing ordeal in a prison camp. Read my blog here.
Thank you for reading!