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, in love, and in Italy—and so was I (at least vicariously).

After breezing through this 1908 novel in just a few days, I promptly added it to my list of easiest classic novels to read—and then made it my mission to read Forster’s entire bibliography. Next up with his 1907 The Longest Journey.

I’ll be honest: This book is (apparently) widely considered to be Forster’s most inferior work in his otherwise illustrious literary career. Sure, this book takes place in rainy England instead of sunkissed Italy, but otherwise… I’m not getting the rebuff. My copy of The Longest Journey is laden with yellow marks (I highlight my favorite lines) and lovingly abused with dozens of dog-eared pages.

Is it a little depressing? Yes, but life is sad and then you die. So if you want a moody book that will make you ponder, consider this your next read.

Available at Better World Books and Barnes & Noble

3. White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

This is a book I never would have picked out for myself. It recounts the truly devastating story of two sisters separated from each other by the horrors of the second world war. My summary will likely be insufficient, so here’s a better overview from Barnes & Noble:

Korea, 1943. Hana saves her younger sister from a Japanese soldier and is herself captured and transported to Manchuria. There she is forced to become a “comfort woman” in a Japanese military brothel.

South Korea, 2011. Emi has spent more than sixty years trying to forget the sacrifice her sister made, but she must confront the past to discover peace. Seeing the healing of her children and her country, can Emi move beyond the legacy of war to find forgiveness?

A friend gave me a copy of this book last year for my birthday, and while it’s something I never would have picked off the shelf by myself, it ended up being one of my most memorable reads of the year.

Fair warning: This definitely isn’t a beach read, and certain parts get pretty graphic. Nonetheless, or rather, for those reasons, this is a story worth telling.

Available at Better World Books and Barnes & Noble

4. Too Late to Awaken by Slavoj Žižek

My husband is a big fan of Slavoj Žižek, though while I’ve born witness to a fair number of memes and videos about the Slovenian philosopher, I hadn’t read any of his works before last year. So when my husband’s cousin gifted him this book for Christmas 2023, my curiosity got the better of me, and I stole it for the plan ride home.

It did not disappoint. I finished this collection of essays (just under 200 pages) in one day, and I’ve recommended it to several friends since.

You know how everyone is always talking about how terrible everything is and how the world is ending? (See my book recommendation #5.) Well, Žižek basically discusses ways we can course-correct (and, sadly, how we probably won’t).

P.S. If you find philosophy daunting, don’t! This short book reads like you’re having a chat with a mate over a beer. The words flow easily, but you’re still left with much to think about.

Available at Better World Books and Barnes & Noble

5. The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell

I believe this is the first book I read in 2024, and it left quite an impression on me. (Side note: I discovered this book via Seth MacFarlane’s Instagram, where (among Family Guy and Ted promo), the writer-actor-producer-singer I once overheard referred to as “The Elon Musk of the Arts” occasionally shares actually pretty good book recommendations.)

Anyway, in case you missed it: Climate change is slowly killing the planet—and soon, us too. (Yay.) But while floods, storms, and other natural disasters usually get the most press coverage, rising temperatures are also horrifically deadly. According to Goodell, we don’t pay nearly enough attention.

If you want to be empowered with facts to tell your friends, family, or the stranger in line next to you at the grocery store, this book won’t uplift but it will inform. And sometimes, that’s really what we all need.

Available at Better World Books and Barnes & Noble

Didn’t hit your reading goals for 2024?

It’s no big deal if you didn’t. Actually, 81% of Americans say, “I don’t read as much as I like to.” It’s easy to see why. Does anybody else feel like they’re absolutely drowning in a near-constant siege of notifications, emails, messages, and other screen-first activities that exhaust, annoy, and enrage?

There’s good news. In the same study, 85% said they believe reading is an investment in their well-being—and themselves. And 55% say they only need to read for at least 15 minutes to feel like they’ve accomplished something.

15 minutes a day. Come on—we can handle that.

If you want to join me in working on my reading goals for 2025 (this year, I’m aiming to read 25 books), then welcome. Sign up for A Merry Loner’s 30-Day Reading Challenge, and let’s make it happen.

Recommended Reading:

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