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This was a great year for reading. I read so many good books, and got so much happiness from reading and writing about and talking about them. I'm sure I'm forgetting some, so apologies to the excellent books that I accidentally left off this list. I've ranked them according to how much pure enjoyment and happiness I got out of reading them, not objective merit.
My Personal Favorites
All That's Left in the World, by Erik J. Brown. Two teenage boys, one gay, one questioning, after a covid-informed pandemic apocalypse. I adored this and insta-bought the sequel, which I haven't read yet. Full review to come.
LA Son, by Roy Choi. Is this the best-written chef's memoir I ever read? No. Does it totally leave out the work he's most famous for? Yes. Was the audiobook of him reading it a wonderful experience? Oh hell yes.
The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins. Very weird, very dark, very polarizing dark fantasy; every content warning ever; I loved it.
Dr. C. Lillefisk's Sirenology: A Guide to Mermaids and Other Under-the-Sea Phenomenon, by Jana Heidersorf. Absolutely gorgeous art book/guide to mermaids. Fantastic art and really interesting and original worldbuilding. Full review to come.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price, by Holly Jackson. Incredibly fun, incredibly twisty mystery where it all, for once, actually made complete sense by the end.
You Like it Darker, by Stephen King. The anthology as a whole was mixed, but it's here on the basis that my favorite stories brought me so much joy.
Moon of the Turning Leaves, by Waubgeshig Rice. Sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow. Immersive, compelling, creates a whole world and community that I wanted to live in forever.
A Succession of Bad Days & Safely You Deliver, by Graydon Saunders. Complex, difficult, weird, attention-demanding, deeply enjoyable, and often oddly cozy fantasy with some of the most interesting worldbuilding I've ever encountered. I shall re-read these then proceed to the next books when I have a stretch of time that will allow me to really sink in.
House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland. Dark, lush fantasy reminiscent of The Belles and Tanith Lee.
Camp Damascus, by Chuck Tingle. Light horror/dark fantasy about fundamentalism and homophobia; also one of the most joyous and uplifting books I read all year. Review to come.
Excellent and Enjoyable Books That Didn't Quite Hit My Arbitrary Top Ten List
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, by Alison Arngrim.
People of the Sky, by Clare Bell. Batshit 80s SF is the best.
A Scent of New-Mown Hay & For Fear of Little Men, by John Blackburn. Pandemics! Spies! Weird science! Hypnotism! Nazis! The kitchen sink!
Light a Single Candle, by Beverly Butler.
A Heart that Works, by Rob Delaney.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett. Utterly charming.
Into the Drowning Deep, by Mira Grant. MURDER MERMAIDS.
Briardark & Waywarden, by S. A. Hadrian.
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, by Nathan Hale. The WWI one (review to come) was my favorite but I've enjoyed them all.
Cold Moon Over Babylon, by Michael McDowell. Apparently the only book of his I read in 2024? I must remedy that in 2025.
The September House, by Carissa Orlando.
Rite of Passage, by Alexei Panshin.
The I Survived series, by Lauren Tarshis.
Bury Your Gays, by Chuck Tingle. Really fun, inventive dark fantasy that wasn't quite as good as Camp Damascus. Review to come.
Wilding, by Isabella Tree. Probably the single most influential and important-to-me book I read all year, just not in my top eight most enjoyable reading experiences.
Looking Glass Sound, by Catriona Ward. One of the most technically accomplished books I've ever read. Enormous fun to read but not as emotionally involving as her others. Review to come, hopefully.
My Personal Favorites
All That's Left in the World, by Erik J. Brown. Two teenage boys, one gay, one questioning, after a covid-informed pandemic apocalypse. I adored this and insta-bought the sequel, which I haven't read yet. Full review to come.
LA Son, by Roy Choi. Is this the best-written chef's memoir I ever read? No. Does it totally leave out the work he's most famous for? Yes. Was the audiobook of him reading it a wonderful experience? Oh hell yes.
The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins. Very weird, very dark, very polarizing dark fantasy; every content warning ever; I loved it.
Dr. C. Lillefisk's Sirenology: A Guide to Mermaids and Other Under-the-Sea Phenomenon, by Jana Heidersorf. Absolutely gorgeous art book/guide to mermaids. Fantastic art and really interesting and original worldbuilding. Full review to come.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price, by Holly Jackson. Incredibly fun, incredibly twisty mystery where it all, for once, actually made complete sense by the end.
You Like it Darker, by Stephen King. The anthology as a whole was mixed, but it's here on the basis that my favorite stories brought me so much joy.
Moon of the Turning Leaves, by Waubgeshig Rice. Sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow. Immersive, compelling, creates a whole world and community that I wanted to live in forever.
A Succession of Bad Days & Safely You Deliver, by Graydon Saunders. Complex, difficult, weird, attention-demanding, deeply enjoyable, and often oddly cozy fantasy with some of the most interesting worldbuilding I've ever encountered. I shall re-read these then proceed to the next books when I have a stretch of time that will allow me to really sink in.
House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland. Dark, lush fantasy reminiscent of The Belles and Tanith Lee.
Camp Damascus, by Chuck Tingle. Light horror/dark fantasy about fundamentalism and homophobia; also one of the most joyous and uplifting books I read all year. Review to come.
Excellent and Enjoyable Books That Didn't Quite Hit My Arbitrary Top Ten List
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, by Alison Arngrim.
People of the Sky, by Clare Bell. Batshit 80s SF is the best.
A Scent of New-Mown Hay & For Fear of Little Men, by John Blackburn. Pandemics! Spies! Weird science! Hypnotism! Nazis! The kitchen sink!
Light a Single Candle, by Beverly Butler.
A Heart that Works, by Rob Delaney.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett. Utterly charming.
Into the Drowning Deep, by Mira Grant. MURDER MERMAIDS.
Briardark & Waywarden, by S. A. Hadrian.
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, by Nathan Hale. The WWI one (review to come) was my favorite but I've enjoyed them all.
Cold Moon Over Babylon, by Michael McDowell. Apparently the only book of his I read in 2024? I must remedy that in 2025.
The September House, by Carissa Orlando.
Rite of Passage, by Alexei Panshin.
The I Survived series, by Lauren Tarshis.
Bury Your Gays, by Chuck Tingle. Really fun, inventive dark fantasy that wasn't quite as good as Camp Damascus. Review to come.
Wilding, by Isabella Tree. Probably the single most influential and important-to-me book I read all year, just not in my top eight most enjoyable reading experiences.
Looking Glass Sound, by Catriona Ward. One of the most technically accomplished books I've ever read. Enormous fun to read but not as emotionally involving as her others. Review to come, hopefully.
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