Books I read and loved this year
an entirely subjective round up of my favourite books read in 2024
I woke up this morning feeling irritable, like my brain needed a good shake and scratch, and was so restless that I’d cleaned the kitchen, done three loads of laundry, and walked the dog by midday, before I realised that what I really needed to do was to tie up some loose ends left over from the to-do list I abandoned just before Christmas.
So, I’ll keep the preamble brief and get to the point: here are my five favourite books that I’ve read this year (plus a few more that very nearly made the cut so I couldn’t leave them out completely). Come chat with me in the comments if you agree (or disagree!) with my choices ✌🏼
The non-fiction book I found most helpful
In a world of Cal Newports and Jonathan Haidts, we need more Dr Faye Begetis, that is, we need more actual experts who write accessible but informative, science-literate, practical guides, rather than books based on little more than gut feelings, cherry-picked data, confusions between commonality and causality, and more than a little bit of bad thinking (as an aside, an interesting examination of the bad thinking in Haidt’s book is available in this podcast episode If Books Could Kill: The Anxious Generation ).
Begeti’s book has enlightened me about what’s really happening in my brain when I feel out of control of my phone-based habits, and has given me practical tactics I can use to interrupt and replace unhelpful habitual behaviours, all without making me feel terrified or stupid.
Preorder the paperback (out Feb 2025) of The Phone Fix here
The memoir I felt most connected to this year
As
guided me on a pilgrimage around the ghost lake, to various locations that have acted as markers along the journey of her life, I was moved to think about my own connections to the landscapes and places of my 44 years on this planet and how they speak to where I find myself today.
In particular I found resonance in the class consciousness of Pratt’s ideas and the pervasive sense of her being someone used to living on the periphery, who has fought quiet, internal battles to step out of many of the boxes others have placed her in, but it was the startling simplicity of her writing that left the biggest mark on me.
Over and over again I found myself rereading sentences and paragraphs, trying to understand what it was about Pratt’s clean, under-stated voice that had left me reeling. I haven’t figured it out, but I went and bought her poetry collection anyway because whatever it is, I can’t get enough of it.
The children’s book I want everyone to read
Susan Cahill was one of my 1-2-1 clients this year and it’s always a little nerve-wracking when I read clients’ books in case I don’t enjoy them. Thankfully, on this occasion, I didn’t need to worry.
I read The World Between The Rain in one delicious morning, compulsively propelled, page after page, from the very beginning. It’s absolutely stunning. Fast-paced but beautifully written; funny at times but made me cry; its message about allowing ourselves to feel our emotions I think is something many adults would benefit from, not just children, and I think this book will bring enormous comfort to anyone who reads it. Gorgeous. Buy one for your child and make sure you read it too.
Astonishing, magical, meaningful - the absolute best of children’s literature.
Buy The World Between The Rain here
The business book I keep on my desk
I never imagined I’d buy a business book, but behind all the dicking around on the internet is, literally, my business 😉
In the last two years especially I’ve had to learn how to market my own services which is exponentially harder than telling stories about other people’s stuff so my copy of Nassar’s book has a permanent spot on my desk.
This means I can refer to Nasser’s practical advice often, but is also as a reminder that I am allowed to pursue sales, and do deserve to get paid for the work I do (which might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s interesting to observe how uncomfortable it can be, and to dig into the reasons behind the discomfort).
Given that I know quite a few of you are also running small businesses alongside your writing life, I thought
’s More Sales Please was worthy of a mention in my round up.
The novel I read in one sitting
You must have been living under a rock this year to have missed the outrageously talented Percival Everett’s newest novel, James, as it was everywhere in my social media feeds, BUT it was just pipped at the post as my pick for my favourite novel of the year by his earlier book, The Trees, which was Booker Prize nominated in 2022.
It’s not often I get to read an adult novel in one sitting but in this happy case, the stars aligned. I visited our local bookshop one Friday and, deciding to wait for James to come out in paperback (a pledge that didn’t last long), bought The Trees instead, and the next day we had a rare Saturday clear of plans. I sat down mid-morning and barely came up for air for the next 6 hours.
I don’t actually know how to capture the inventiveness, and sheer brilliance of this book. It is bizarre, darkly comic, compulsively propulsive, and had me marvelling throughout. I haven’t got a clue how Everett manages to write about the stomach-dropping, sickening horror of lynching, while making me snort like a pig with laughter, while maintaining a momentum reminiscent of the best thrillers.
It’s absolutely glorious and a total masterclass of something impossible to define.
Other books I loved this year
non-fiction
It’s Not Fair by Is an important, eye-opening, challenging, and motivating treatise that invites us to rethink what we think we know about relationships between children and adults. Eloise’s gift for making challenging ideas accessible and interesting means that this book continues to have an impact on the way I interact with, and parent my own, children.
Now Is Not The Time For Flowers by Stacey Heale. I was already acquainted with Heale’s writing thanks to Facebook and Instagram, but there is an emotional heft to this book that simply cannot be carried by social media.
Home Matters by This book is a fascinating and skilful blend of memoir, interiors, and social commentary, that just happens to also be full of beautiful photographs. Penny’s distinctive warm and compassionate style makes this book as beautiful to read as it is to look at.
fiction
Costanza by I was so looking forward to reading this debut that I packed the hardback to take on holiday with me, and did not regret it one bit! If you’ve enjoyed feminist retellings like Maggie O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait, or Pat Barker’s The Silence Of The Girls, then this is one for you.
James by Percival Everett. There is nothing left to say about this book. Everett is a genius. PS. if you haven’t yet watched American Fiction (based on Everett’s book, Erasure), do yourself a favour and get. on. it.
Parable Of The Sower by Octavia E. Butler. Not a new book, but one that doesn’t get the flowers it deserves. If you love The Handmaid’s Tale, or Station 11, you simply must read this.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. An unconventional dystopian novel that follows a family’s efforts to survive as the Republic of Ireland slips into totalitarianism. In the ‘West’, we like to tell ourselves stories about our relationship with, and commitment to, democracy; Lynch’s story challenges our smug complacency.
A Spell Of Good Things by Ayobámi Adébáyo. A heartbreaking story that examines the effects of violence in multiple guises that may be set in Nigeria but is utterly universal in its exploration of how class and gender shape lives. Adebayo’s voice is understated and quiet, which only amplifies the emotional punch her novel packs.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I completely missed this the first time around, and it’s only Everett’s double-genius that could have beat it to the top of my list this year. It’s a multi-perspective family epic shot through with threads of colonial history that exposes the arrogance and hubris of ‘Western’ thinking. If, like me, you have been introduced to Kingsolver via her more recent smash hit, Demon Copperhead, then this is a solid next backlist move.
Any thoughts? Come tell me 👇🏼
I took Penny's book into work with me and used it in a workshop about housing law. I think it highlighted to me how a hybrid book like the one Penny has created can hit so many different beats.
I *squealed* when I saw MY BOOK made your list - thank you sooo much - what an honour! 🤩❤️Xxx