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The Best Books Of 2024 – So Far…
After reading over 365 books in 2023, it’s safe to say I’m slowing it down slightly this year. But you can’t keep a good reader down. So, I’m still ploughing my way through the pages – albeit at a slightly less frantic pace. A bit after the year’s halfway point, I have some solid, stunning recommendations that have been my biannual standouts.
Arrangements In Blue by Amy Key
This book is all about love, particularly Amy Key’s lack of romantic fulfilment in her adult life. It’s beautifully written and poetic yet heart-wrenchingly accessible and true to reality. While it may sound a little highfalutin, I found it eminently readable—although the chapters on her late friend, Roddy, were a little difficult to stomach.
Four Stars by Joel Golby
The conceit of a book based on reviewing the minutiae of everyday life is a smart one. If you put it in the hands of Joel Golby, it becomes both hilarious and deeply touching. Topics like mental health, alcoholism, money worries and ageing are all tackled with a gentle touch, and while it may make you cry, it’ll also definitely make you laugh (often within a few sentences).
Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna
I love a sprawling story with an expansive cast of characters, and Evenings and Weekends perfectly fulfils that brief. Set over one hot London weekend, the story captures the interwoven personal narratives of a whole host of friends and acquaintances as they deal with love, family, sexuality, and more.
Scrap by Calla Henkel
On paper, Scrap is basically the perfect novel for me. I love anything slightly weird and offbeat that deals with rich people having dark secrets, and I’ve previously loved Calla Henkel’s Other People’s Clothes. Luckily, I was not disappointed. It’s a very ‘me’ book, but I think I have great taste, so it is one of this year’s best books.
My Death by Lisa Tuttle
Another weird and wonderful little piece of work is Lisa Tuttle’s My Death. The story of a writer working on a biography of a mysterious artist, this book takes a turn for the uncanny and its abrupt and frightening ending left me gasping for breath. It’s short enough to read in a single sitting, but don’t let its diminutive size fool you…
Couplets by Maggie Milner
I’m not much of a poetry girlie, but this collection of verse detailing the breakdown of a relationship and an exploration of sexuality really got me going. It’s clever, sweet, funny, and sad – and for anyone in a reading slump, it’s the perfect way to get back into practice.
