Best Books of 2024

Earlier this year I made an Instagram reel about not counting the number of books I read. Well, I have to take that back. I gave in. I counted.

I could see from my reading journal that I’d read more books this year than any year since childhood, and I really had to know the number. The grand total as of Boxing Day 2024 is 68. There have been a lot of good ones and a lot of bad ones, including several that made me want to throw the book across the room.

But I want to end the year on a positive note, so here are my favourite reads of 2024.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Best read of the year, hands down. I loved Bardugo’s Shadow & Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, as well as Ninth House and Hell Bent, so I was excited for this one. It didn’t disappoint. Unusual and beautiful, with an ending that made me cry with happiness, and that doesn’t happen a lot. Gorgeous.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde is a close second in the favourite books of the year. I’m guilty of judging a book by its cover with these: the floral imagery made me think they might be a bit too cutesy. How wrong I was. They absolutely are charming and funny and clever, but the faeries are dark, and there’s a sinister undercurrent running through the books. Love Emily, and recognise myself in her. The love story is also different from the usual fantasy romances, and so refreshing. Needless to say I’m hanging out for the next in the series.

Some good fantasy books this year. Image by Cederic Vandenberghe

Dark Mode by Ashleigh Kalagian Blunt

Creepy, unsettling, and way too believable. One of the best Australian crime novels I’ve read in recent years.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Another fantastic crime novel, with a spiky and funny protagonist. It upended a few stereotypes in my mind, with male and female characters behaving in ways that we don’t always see in print.

Listen for the Lie tackles true crime podcasts in a clever and funny way. Photo by Elice Moore on Unsplash

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Such an original fantasy novel. A delight to read. Delly is a hilarious protagonist, and her world is unique. Her love interest is a female troll, and I just adore that. There are lots of ways the story challenges gender stereotypes. Romantic, exciting and funny.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

This book broke me. It really resonated with me as a woman and mother. It was bittersweet. Side note, I tried to watch the film adaptation, and it was so far removed from what the book is that I couldn’t do it.

The Idea of You was my favourite love story I read this year. Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Speaking of adaptations, I have yet to watch the Prime series of this, but the book itself was wonderful. Exquisite prose and full of complex characters who behave in ways that you both understand and criticise, showing how our world is not black and white.

Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare

After reading this, Pomare went straight on my auto-buy list. I managed to pick up most of his books from the local op-shop and I’ve been gradually working my way through them all. However, none so far has topped this first book. Tense and original, I couldn’t stop reading it until I’d finished.

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

I came to this series via the Apple+ adaptation. I LOVE the show. I’ve watched each season several times, cos that’s what I do when I get obsessed with something. This year I decided to try the books, and now I love them too. They are, however, very different to the show: I actually think it’s better to view the Slough House books as separate pieces of art. Herron’s writing style is unique and highly entertaining, and you get a lot more character depth. The TV series, however, is more thrilling and action-packed. Both are well worth a look.

Servos at night are weird. Photo by Hans Eiskonen on Unsplash

Servo: Tales from the Graveyard Shift by David Goodwin

Goodwin tells the story of his time working in servos in the western suburbs of Melbourne twenty years ago, and it’s both hilarious and eye-opening. It says a lot about the way retail and service workers are treated. It was also nostalgic for me, as it took me back to the early 2000s and my time working retail by day and partying by night.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Another great Aussie crime writer. We really do have some of the best in the world. I’m always impressed when crime writers create something new for the genre, as it’s so hard to do. This book is clever, original and laugh-out-loud funny.  

So, 68 books. I’m pretty damn happy with that. That said, 68 is not a nice round number. I think I’ll have to quickly read two more over the next week, just to make things even.