My Top Ten Favourite Reads of 2024! I had a bit of a mixed year of reading but I also had about eight 5 star reads which for me is amazing as I usually only give out around 4 or 5. I'm hoping 2025 will be just as good to me. These are in no particular order except for the last one which has claimed the top spot in my bracket game!
Me by Elton John
I read this at the very start of the year and absolutely loved it. I've been a casual fan of Elton John for years and love his music but didn't really know the nitty gritty of his life. After watching Rocketman I knew I wanted to pick up his memoir. Equal parts hilarious and honest, a brilliant look at the life of one of the worlds greatest entertainers.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2024 was the year I finally bit the bullet and started on a YA right of passage AKA The Hunger Games series. I've actually only read the first two in the trilogy so far. I had every intention of reading Mockingjay and Ballad but a very slumpy September-November didn't allow for it. I enjoyed this book immensely, A lot more than I thought I was going to. I'm obviously very familiar with the films so I thought that might dampen my reading experience but it really didn't! I'm excited to actually get through the next two especially as the Haymitch prequel was announced this year.
Sunderworld, Volume I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs
I enjoyed this YA fantasy so much that I smashed it out in a day! This was so entertaining, about a superbly average teenager who discovers that a forgotten 90's tv show is actually a real place and now he's determined to prove that he is the "chosen one" that is needed to save this fantasy world. It's weirdly nostalgic and hilarious and such a good time. It gave me Stranger Things mixed with Locke & Key vibes so if that's your thing, give this one a go.
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Probably my biggest surprise of the year was this historical fiction novel that follows the story of a racehorse across three points in time. It was a bit slow to get going but once I hit the halfway mark I was fully invested. I definitely preferred the 1850's sections more than the others and I felt that a plot point at the end wasn't necessary but overall this has prompted me to pick up more fiction that's considered a bit more literary as this was beautifully written.
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
Another beautifully written book about a man slowly morphing into a great white shark. This book isn't going to be for everyone but I devoured it. As a metaphor for terminal illness, this had me absolutely devastated. A love story unlike anything I've ever read before. I need Emily Habeck to write another book like now!
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
This was such a heartbreaking novel about a young woman dealing with a toxic relationship. Unbearably sad at times, the writing was gorgeous and I felt absolutely everything Adelaide was going through. Amazing that this was a debut novel.
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
I've never read an oral history before but this gave me an insight into the tragedy of 9/11 like no Wikipedia page could have. It's hard to imagine how anyone caught in the middle of it must've felt but hearing all the first hand accounts of the people in the buildings, the planes and the first responders was so eye-opening. Quite a difficult read at times but amazing none the less and I've heard the audiobook is even better.
I adored this literary mystery about two siblings vanishing from a summer camp fourteen years apart. Told through multiple perspectives, this had me hooked the whole time. So well written and for so many POVs, all the characters felt incredibly developed. Definitely want to read Long Bright River this year if I can.
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
The premise is bizarre; a twenty year old gets pregnant by her married professor and to make ends meet, starts an OnlyFans account and ends up being managed by her ex-pro wrestler father. Somehow, Rufi Thorpe manages to make this into a literary masterpiece. This felt like such a breath of fresh air for the genre, so funny and offbeat. Another author I want to read absolutely everything from.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
This novel skyrocketed it's way onto my favourite books of all time when I read it back in March. I didn't expect to love it so much but everything from the characters, the setting, to the writing was mind-blowingly beautiful to read. I loved the detailed prose and I felt completely in this book. I don't often reread books but this is one I absolutely want to read again in the future.
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