200 Books (and More) of 2024
Total books: 202. Fiction: 161. Nonfiction: 41. I'm surprised that 80% of my reading is fiction. 
Genre breakdown:
I had my own silly little rating system that I used, it is vaguely useful for me.
Big themes: 2024 was the year of compelling illustrations and urban fantasy grit, for me.
The nonfiction that made the list is either radical and brain-changing (see: Tricia Hersey) or very important based on my current circumstance, Birds of Aotearoa goes into the mythology, poetry, and place native birds hold within Maori and Kiwi culture.
Kitten also struck a chord because it was based in New Zealand, but the main character was also somebody I could be friends with (though the BDSM-instead-of-therapy ending was a low blow, could it please be BDSM-with-additional-therapy?)
Highlighted books are ones I wish people would seek out with urgency.
5 ***** I would recommend this book (kind of regardless of what kind of things the other person likes to read, I'm that enthused).
4 **** This was a good book, mileage may vary for others depending on genre, etc.
3 *** This book was fine. It may just have been Not For Me (see most romance novels)
2 ** Not memorable. When you read as much as I do this is a significant category.
1 * Y'all, this is a bad book.
The Good (books I recommend)
 |
| Jon Klassen - The Skull |
Kitten also struck a chord because it was based in New Zealand, but the main character was also somebody I could be friends with (though the BDSM-instead-of-therapy ending was a low blow, could it please be BDSM-with-additional-therapy?) Miranda July has an ability to write inside of a character's head in a way that reminds me that everybody is messed up and nonetheless lovable.
Mary Roach is always worth a read, her deep dives give me the best conversational trivia.
Aaronovitch wrote my favorite new series with Rivers of London and Pratchett's Discworld is always going to be a favorite--I just lucked out this year because the Christchurch library system has a bunch of his novels as audiobooks.
Highlighted books are ones I wish people would seek out with urgency.
All my DNFs:
*The Everlasting Meal Cookbook - Tamar Adler & Caitlin Winner
Solitaire - Alice Osmann
The Extinction of Irena Rey - Jennifer Croft
*Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains - Bethany Brookshire
Inconceivable: Super Sperm Donors, Off-the-Grid Insemination, and Unconventional Family Planning - Valerie Bauman
Silver Under Nightfall - Rin Chupeco
*The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - Shannon Chakraboty
*The Whale Rider - Witi Ihimaera
*The Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell us About Ourselves - Eric Kandel
The Sting of the Wild - Justin Schmidt
*Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life - Marshall Rosenberg
*Never Home Alone - Rob Dunn
*Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know - Alexandra Horowitz
*The Everlasting Meal Cookbook - Tamar Adler & Caitlin Winner
Solitaire - Alice Osmann
The Extinction of Irena Rey - Jennifer Croft
*Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains - Bethany Brookshire
Inconceivable: Super Sperm Donors, Off-the-Grid Insemination, and Unconventional Family Planning - Valerie Bauman
Silver Under Nightfall - Rin Chupeco
*The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - Shannon Chakraboty
*The Whale Rider - Witi Ihimaera
*The Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell us About Ourselves - Eric Kandel
The Sting of the Wild - Justin Schmidt
*Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life - Marshall Rosenberg
*Never Home Alone - Rob Dunn
*Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know - Alexandra Horowitz
*=I will probably get back to this book eventually, but maybe in a different format such as print instead of audio.
The Bad: Oh, Dear
I finished these damn books, so I feel like I earned the right to moan about them and sharpen my claws and tear into them.
The worst one of the lot was More, I read it when Brennan was visiting me and he counted that I was heaving at least one deep sigh for every ten pages I read. It was also very much the most fun terrible book to read, so I guess I almost recommend it? But only so you can howl in frustration in duet with me.
- A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality - Kate Khavari. Historical Romance.
Ahistorical. The botany isn’t even real! Somehow everyone is an enlightened feminist except the Villainous & Wicked Conflict Producing Characters. Blech.
- The Midwest Survival Guide: How We Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat Everything with Ranch - Charles Berens. Humor.
Hella unfunny. Trite. Boring stereotypes of midwestern culture.
- Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus. Historical fiction.
Barf and a half. And why is there a talking dog? That poor dog belonged in an entirely different novel.
- Look Me in the Eye - John Elder Robison. Memoir.
- Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero. Horror.
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Victoria Schwab. Fantasy.
- A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons, Kate Khavari. Historical Romance.
Why, oh why did I do this to myself a second time?! Still ahistorical. The botany still isn’t accurate, and the superfluous love triangle makes me wanna wail in frustration. Pointless for me to read. I should just go back and read some of the Sally Lockhart series by Phillip Pullman if I want to spend time in this era in fiction.
- The Plea - Steve Cavangh. Thriller.
- Murder on the Caronia - Conrad Allen. Historical Mystery.
Ahistorical, boring, least mysterious mysteries that are solved with ease and not even any fun Agatha Christie style interpersonal shennanigans.
- The Socialite's Guide to Murder - S.K. Golden.
- More: A Memoir of Open Marriage - Molly Roden Winters. Memoir.
The worst one of the lot was More, I read it when Brennan was visiting me and he counted that I was heaving at least one deep sigh for every ten pages I read. It was also very much the most fun terrible book to read, so I guess I almost recommend it? But only so you can howl in frustration in duet with me.
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