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    • The 5 Best Books I Read in 2024

      Merry

      of the 17 I read, these are the crème de la crème

      My 2024 books-read tally isn’t all that impressive, though I like to tell myself that that’s because I also spend a lot of time reading magazines and articles that don’t make their way into my precious GoodReads tracker. (Plus, I’ll unnecessarily point out that one of the books I read in 2024 was almost 500 words, so surely that’s got to count for something?)

      Then again, reading isn’t a numbers game. It’s for the art, the entertainment, the culture, the knowledge, and—above all—the pleasure.

      Out of the 17 books I shelved this year (from fiction to philosophy to history), these are my top five:

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      1. Normal People by Sally Rooney

      Yes, I am super behind the times. I know everyone already read this book back in 2018 when it came out, but I’ve only just been bitten by the Sally Rooney bug.

      And it was a quick case of obsession. I devoured this angsty, intoxicating novel in less than 48 hours. In true Merry Loner fashion, I stayed in one Friday night, made myself delicious gluten-free pasta with fresh tomato sauce, and drank far too much rosé while I cocooned under my favorite woolen blanket in my reading nook for hours on end, nose in book. No regrets.

      I think I was finally called to read Normal People because I kept seeing Intermezzo in every bookshop window whenever I went outside for a walk (and every article and round-up whenever I did some doom-scrolling). So I’m working my way through the Sally Rooney bibliography: I’m currently reading Beautiful World, Where Are You? and Conversations with Friends is in the wings on my shelf.

      I understand Sally Rooney is a bit of a controversial writer—the real, love-it-or-hate-it type. If you’ve read her books, which side are you on?

      Available at Better World Books and Barnes & Noble

      2. The Longest Journey by E. M. Forster

      Last year, I fell in love with E.M. Forster after reading A Room With a View. I remember it well. It was a glorious April day. I sat outside on my balcony with my feet up on the flower boxes and my well-loved Roland-Garros straw hat keeping out the sun rays. Lucy was young,