At the end of each year, I look back at all of the books I have read throughout the year and summarise my top books of the year in a post. In 2024, I read a total of 37 books and below are my favourite reads (in the rough order that I read them).
The Rose Code - Kate Quinn
I read this as part of "book club" with my boyfriend and thoroughly enjoyed the story. The plot follows three women working at Bletchley during WWII as spies, intercepting and decoding messages from the Germans. Despite being a hefty book (over 600 pages), it was a gripping read and I was entertained throughout. Following the book club discussion, we then actually visited Bletchley Park, which was referenced several times in the book and was a great day trip from London!
The Joy of Small Things - Hannah Jane Parkinson
I am very much someone who believes that the small things in life are actually the big things and the power of gratitude for all of the little things that make life magical, so when I spotted this title in Daunt Books with a sausage dog on the cover, I didn't think twice about buying it. This was the perfect book to read on the tube as each chapter is exactly two pages, and it was exactly what it said on the tin - a positive book with a focus on appreciating the small things in life, accentuated with lovely illustrations. It was a very cosy read which just made me smile.
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
This may not come as a surprise as this book is one of my favourite books of all time, however whilst travelling South America in the Spring of 2024, I wanted to carry only a couple of big books that I knew I'd enjoy, so this made the cut. In all honesty, I could barely remember anything from the plot but I knew I had loved it previously, so it was an easy choice. The storyline is gripping throughout, the characters are well-developed, and it was interesting to see the impact of Russia's history over the course of the book, from wine bottles having their labels removed to citizens being sent to the Gulag for petty crimes. I've recommended or gifted this book to many people and it's an absolute crowd-pleaser.
I Am Pilgrim - Terry Hayes
This was the other book that I took on my journey across South America as it was a thriller and several close friends had recommended it, so I knew I was likely to enjoy it (plus it was hefty at almost 900 pages so I wouldn't need to carry more books in my suitcase). I Am Pilgrim follows the investigation of a murdered woman in New York, the aftermath of a beheading in Saudi Arabia, and a man who doesn't officially exist. It was very gory in parts but engaging and fast-paced, and I enjoyed how all of the different storylines came together, leaving no loose ends.
Marching Powder - Rusty Young
Whilst in Bolivia, I stayed in an Airbnb overlooking one of the most notorious prisons in the world, where the prisoners run the prison. Children and wives often live in the prison with the prisoners, there are various restaurants, and the highest quality cocaine is made and sold from the prison. At one point, tourists could pay to enter and stay overnight in the prison, and this is the story of the prisoner who ran the tours. Seeing into the prison from our Airbnb, learning about the prison from a local on a walking tour, and reading about the details in this book made it endlessly fascinating to me and I cannot believe this exists in the world that we live in. I would definitely recommend this book for a captivating read.
My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante
My mum was recommended this book as part of her Italian language course, and enjoyed it so much that she in turn bought me this book, alongisde the remaining three books in the series, which I also read throughout 2024. This was also endorsed by an Italian friend of mine and was voted the "Top Book of the Century" by the New York Times. Although this isn't an all-time favourite of mine, it was enjoyable and the author did an incredible job of putting you in the shoes of characters who have had a very disimilar life and creating realistic, complicated characters. The series follows the lives of two childhood friends, with this book being the first chapter of their lives: childhood.
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal - Jeanette Winderson
I picked this memoir up after seeing a fellow tube-rider reading it on a morning commute and being intrigued by the title. It follows an adopted woman who grew up in the North of England and has an unconventional upbringing. The book was very sad at times but fascinating, and the author's relationship with her mother was reminiscent of "I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy (one of my favourite books of 2022).
Just for the Summer - Abby Jimenez
This was another "book club" choice and was intended to be a very easy, fun read. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book as I don't often read romance novels, but I couldn't put it down and both my boyfriend and I were kept entertained throughout (despite the various heartbreaking moments).
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life - William Finnegan
One of my neighbours was moving house so got rid of various books, and I picked this book up on a whim but was very pleasantly surprised; despite being a chunky book on a subject I know little about, I was gripped and consistently excited to pick it back up. It is a memoir written by a surfer and follows his life from a childhood in Hawaii to a becoming corporate journalist travelling the world. I was shocked by how fond I was of this novel (likely due to the author's writing style), although as someone whose family is from Madeira and spends a decent amount of time there, the chapter on Madeira was not the most welcomed.
Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flag - Tim Marshall
This non-fiction book is part of the "Prisoners of Geography" series (another all-time favourite of mine), and explores the relationship humans have with their flags, alongside the history and meaning of certain flags. This is perhaps my second-favourite book in the series (after Prisoners of Geography) as I am fascinated by the relationship between nationality and identity, and I learnt a lot about the specific rules each country has in relation to its flag, as well as the function of other flags, including the LGBT+ flags, the UN flag and even the chequered racing flag. I find Tim Marshall's books similar to Malcolm Gladwell's in that the a're full of information but in an easily digestible style, which is exactly what I want in a non-fiction book.
The Marriage Portrait - Maggie O'Farrell
My last top book of 2024 is set in Italy in the 1500s and follows the tale of a young girl who has a feeling that her husband is planning to kill her. We learn how this came to be, as well as whether he succeeds or not, and the reasoning behind the plot. I was gripped throughout, and there was a unexpected plot twist at the end, which I'm always a fan of.
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