Prologue
As part of deciding to embark on employment instead of being freelance, I really wanted to return to hobbies that had filled me up once. And whilst I’ve managed to read over the past few years, I know that I tend to have dry periods and not engage as much as I had wanted to.
In 2024, I came to this: I wanted to make sure I carved time out and actually really love the books that I read.
So, for you, dear reader – I’ve made a list of my favourite books I’ve engulfed in 2024.
I’ve tried to include a brief synopsis, how it made me feel and any standout moments.
1. The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf (Audiobook: Audible)
The Boy at the Back of the Class is a children’s book that follows nine year old Alexa as she welcomes new boy, Ahmet into her class. Despite language barriers and with the trusty help of a pomegranate; they soon become friends and Alexa goes on many a mission to understand Ahmet’s background as a refugee and reunite him with his family. I first read a couple of pages when I was TA’ing in a Year 8 class a couple of years ago and I had always wanted to know what happened and if Brendan the Bully ever got his comeuppance!
It's a beautiful story about the power of friendship and how we’re not so different after all. I listened to this on Audible and found myself crying at the ending whilst I was cooking pasta. Totally worth it. I recommend it as mandatory reading for all and would highly recommend the stage adaptation that recently toured. Even though it’s a children’s book, because of the POV and unreliable narration, it’s an interesting read for adults and doesn’t feel like you are pandered to.

2. Yellowface by R.F Kuang (Physical Book)
Yellowface follows ambitious writer June Hayward as she sees the demise of her somewhat friend, fellow (and more successful) writer, Athena Lieu. On the night of Athena’s death, June steals Athena’s unfinished manuscript about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I and proceeds to pass it off as her own. June truly becomes an abhorrent anti-hero whom you are at the edge of your seat to see if karma gets her.
It's a powerful story about privilege, the rights of storytelling and cultural appropriation written from a woman who has gone way too far. I might have a thing for unreliable narrators as it’s so interesting to see June unravel, theorize and justify her choices. I really was struck by the paranoia linking to the supernatural and I could not put the book down until I got the answers I needed. A must read.

3. Know My Name by Chanel Miller (Audiobook: Audible)
The trial of Brock Turner can probably bring to mind the toothy grin of a curly blonde haired boy’s mugshot. But I bet it doesn’t bring up Chanel Miller’s name. ‘Know My Name’ is the memoir of Chanel Miller, the victim of Brock’s crime as she chronicles the experience and the subsequent trial. At the end of the book., there’s also a reading of her victim impact statement – which although is 51 minutes and recaps a lot of the feelings discussed already in the book; you wouldn’t dare skip.
What I really relished about the book is the way in which Chanel shares with us all the different facets of her identity and personality. This is something most 20 somethings do but it’s worked through whilst in the thick of dealing with trauma. The section about her doing stand up comedy is one of my favorite sections as you feel so happy for her that she’s started to get some escapism from this ordeal and she is figuring out who she is a person in her early twenties – not tied to her rape.
The section where the University goes back and forth with the creation of a memorial garden near the dumpster where she was raped is another stand out – but this time for an abhorrent reason. I found myself slack jawed and tutting at the lack of tact, respect and accountability they took to protect her in any of the process. It’s one of the most important memoirs I have ever read.

4. Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin Manuel Miranda (Physical Book)
I had a Hamilton moment this year, okay. And when I found out that there was a book that annotated and took us through the process of making the groundbreaking musical – I was sold. Theatre kid unleashed.
Lin Manuel Miranda is such an engaging writer in the way that he is so uniquely compassionate and expressive about both his art and the people around him. I really loved reading about all of the moving parts, the bars that we’re cut, the bars that we’re added, how the staging came to be and where inspiration came from. I especially appreciated what a musical aficionado Miranda is finding out all of the different references and samples he managed to cram into his magnus opus. For a theatre geek like me, a massively engaging and exciting read.

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hogson Burnett (Audiobook: Audible)
After her parents die in India, eleven-year-old Mary Lennox is shipped off to live with her uncle in the Yorkshire Moors. She finds everything grey, miserable and boring until she finds a locked garden. What follows is magical, mystical and shows the true importance of the outside, friends, family and hope.
The audiobook proved just as warming and nostalgic as I hoped it be. The 1993 film is one of my favourites and there definitely was a lot to live up to. And whilst the book is definitely a product of the time (there are lines even in the film that have aged like milk), the descriptions of nature and Mary’s expanding heart are truly heartwarming. The book paces really well and I especially enjoyed the narration from Carrie Hope Fletcher in this book with her distinctive performances and characterizations.

6. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntzozake Shange (Audiobook: Audible)
The feelings of joy and then sadness come to me in succession when I think about this book. It wouldn’t even be fair to call my consumption of it a book; it truly was a performance and it was its own art. There is nothing quite like it in format, performance and the way in which the lines have been crafted together. This is a series of poetic monologues that tell the stories of seven women of colour who have suffered oppression in their racist and sexist society.
Thandiwe Newton does outstanding narration in the audio version to the point where you kind of forget that she is narrating all of the characters? Stand outs for me are: graduation night, abortion cycle #1 and a nite with beau willie brown. The latter especially is haunting and has stuck with me to this day. It’s safe to say that it’s a devastating read/listen but beautifully complex and equal parts joyous as saddening. I’m so glad I read this book!

7. Good Material by Dolly Alderton (Audiobook: Audible)
Good Material follows struggling comedian Andy in his search for peace and clarity after his breakup with long term girlfriend, Jen. Between short lived stays on houseboats, tattooed romantic pursuits and (my favourite) Morris; his elderly conspiracy theorist housemate – this is a joy of a read.
In equal parts hilarious and cathartic, this is the book that made me want to know who Dolly Alderton was as a writer. I found myself flawed by the humanity of it. Going in, I thought that I might be consuming a light hearted and perhaps cliched take on the pit that are break ups. Instead, what I found is a delightful dive into the concept of what we owe to each other when you have committed yourself to someone for so long and then suddenly – don’t. Arthur Darvill and Vanessa Kirby’s narration added another layer of humanness and everything combined made the perfect storm that make me weep in my kitchen. Again!

8. Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion edited by Susan Hagen (Physical Book)
This book is in equal parts excellent photojournalism as it is outstanding verbatim interviews of a myriad of female first responders to 9/11. Picked up at the bookshop of the 9/11 Museum during our trip to New York, I tend not to buy books on instinct but with this, I just felt drawn to.
This is a book to definitely pace yourself with as if you want to get the full impact, you have to give as much weight to the stories as the stories are giving to you. You can’t binge and hope it all sinks in. The book aims to actively give the women who responded a voice and it certainly does that. The highlight of the book is the way it’s structured to give you glimpses into how all of these women intersected or saw each other throughout the dreaded day. Even though I don’t think that was intentional; it’s testament to the lack of diversity in their fields and how their visibility stuck with each woman.
This is especially powerful with the standout of the book, the stories of three first responders that died during 9/11: Kathy N. Mazza, Yamel Josefina Merino and Moira Ann Smith.

9. How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie (Audiobook: Audible)
Gloriously complicated and intelligent Grace Bernard goes on a vendetta against her absent father and his family in the most convoluted, twisted, hilarious and stupid ways – by deciding to murder all of them. I love a good anti hero and Bella Mackie gives us one in abundance.
It’s a gripping and witty read where I genuinely could not predict what was going to come next and I found myself almost cringing at how each of her twisted plots were unfolding. It really is a fantastically done satire and wickedly smart; always keeping you on your toes. Loved the writing, obsessed with the ending (I shall not spoil for I am a good person!) An outstanding modern read.

10. Everything I Know About Love (Audiobook: Audible) by Dolly Alderton
Dolly Alderton’s memoir which is basically a love letter to her female friendships essentially feels like a hug from your big sister. Needed, reassuring and a good template for what to (or sometimes) what not to do. The audiobook feels like you’re having a cup of tea with an old friend telling you about long off stories she’s had with her best mate, Farly.
I had wanted to read this for ages (shoutout to Annie for putting it on both my radar and our bookshelf when we lived together!) as I really felt like it summed up the period of my life that I was in; the housemate era of the 20s was pretty grand. And now a little later (she’s in her ‘living with her partner’ era) I read it with a sense of nostalgia for my shared history with those friends whilst so excited for what’s to come in front of me. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Highlights are Dolly’s fling in New York, her saga with her long awaited therapist and everything we learn about Florence.

In Summary:
I really enjoyed that this year; I really loved the books I read and learned a lot for them. I wasn’t just reading for the sake of reading but because – I couldn’t put them down. I loved the characters. I loved the wit. I loved the stories. I was moved.
I would highly recommend any of the books in my top 10 (as I do most of the ones I below!) and I’m so excited to see what stories I uncover this year. Let’s go.
Epilogue:
Other books I read in 2024 that got pipped to the post of top 10 were:
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Physical Book)
I Never Knew That About New York by Christopher Winn (Physical Book)
To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History by Lawrence Levy (Audiobook: Audible)
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg (Audiobook: Audible)
The Quizmaster by Jay Flynn (Audiobook: Audible)
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Audiobook: Audible)
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond (Physical Book)
Mythos by Stephen Fry (Audiobook: Audible)
The Mismatch by Sara Jafari (Audiobook: Spotify)
The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson (Audiobook: Audible)
A Winter’s Dream by Sophie Clare (Audiobook: Audible)
Men and Women Talking by Gloria Steinem (Audiobook: Audible)
Comments