Top Reads of 2024

On the penultimate day of 2024, here are my top reads for the year. These are the books I gave 5-stars to. They are books that made me cry, rage, think, and feel deeply. There were several other good books this year – books that I rated 4, 4.5 or 4.75 – but in the end, I had to narrow it down. In no particular order, these are my favourite read:

• Say Nothing: One of the best narrative nonfiction works I have read about the IRA and Troubles in Northern Ireland.
• The Pulling: A memoir about trichotillamania, the secret, the shame
• The Accidental Tourist: One man living a life where he lets things happen to him without actually choosing to participate in it.
• Digging to America: Two couples adopt two babies from South Korea and become unlikely friends. It’s not just about their children but also about belonging, identity and what it is like to move countries and build a whole new life.
• The Glass Girl: A teenager’s struggle with alcoholism.
• The Burrow: A beautiful, quiet novel about grief and its impact on a family.
• Bright Young Women: A fictionalised story of the women who were murdered by Ted Bundy, disbelieved by the police and the loss of their lives while also questioning poor policing and how we deify serial killers.
• Prophet Song: A dystopian novel set in Ireland where society collapses and it was tense and harrowing throughout.
• Here One Moment: A captivating exploration of grief, and the question of destiny versus free will.
• Amma: Three women from three generations – the daughter, the mother, the grandmother; their relationships with each other and the choices they make.

Reading Stats for 2024

• 85 books
• 26,596 pages
• 20 hours of listening {mainly re-reads and a couple of nonfiction books}
• 80% fiction, 20% nonfiction
• Top genre: Literary fiction
• 63 women authors, 22 men

Reading plans for 2025

I don’t set very large reading goals and I will continue to aim for 40 books in the year. There’s less pressure that way! I will continue to read only one book at a time as opposed to multiple books {like I did in 2020, 2021 and 2022 – I blame Covid lockdowns}. I do plan on reading more books from my shelves. I counted that I have 506 unread books on my shelves which is nuts! Even though I read a fair bit from my own shelves, I also bought a lot this year. My plan is to borrow more from the library, only buy a few books {for instance, a couple of writer friends are coming out with books in 2025, and so in Anne Tyler}. I am contemplating continuing to read a Tyler a month as I’ve managed to get the rest of her books second-hand. So here’s to The Reading from my Shelves challenge and another My Year with Anne Tyler. With the former, I hope to also calculate how much money I save. Finally, I’m also thinking of doing an Irish Lit challenge as I do have a fair few Irish authors on my shelves and let’s face it, I do love Irish lit!

What are your favourite reads for 2024? Any plans for 2025?

Do share!