Books I Read in 2024

My annual list of literary breadcrumbs that help me remember all the other things

Through the course of the year, I log the books I’ve read and jot down a short review. More than anything, my intention is to create a memory trigger that brings the book back to life. Inevitably, a short couple of sentences is enough to redesign the landscape of a moment. Each entry transports me back to where and when I consumed a particular book, and I suddenly feel what I felt back then. In the case of 2024, this feels more diverse than usual. In fact, as I looked at this year’s book list, I was surprised by the early titles—reading them seems like so long ago. What a year it’s been!

This year I read fewer books than I usually do. I blame the Fall—both the season and the verb. In October, while vacationing in Montana, my mom lost her balance in the shower and severely fractured her femur. Since then, my focus has been her and her recovery. Any book I’ve completed since then has been consumed in tiny chunks. A page here, a page there. Reaching the ends have taken a lifetime longer than they would have otherwise.

Reading, for me, is not escapism. If I am distracted, I distractedly flip pages only to suddenly realize I’ve retained nothing. Then I go back to reread those same pages, often repeating this process more than once. Frankly, reading anything for fun in these last few months has been frustrating.

This year I also started and quit more books than I ever have before. Honestly, I see this detail as a personal win. In the old days I’d suffer through a book even if it sucked. But I’ve reached a point in my life where if things don’t bring me joy, I chuck them with a quickness. And though this applies to most everything, books are a way to regularly practice this on a small level.

This year, however, I probably threw in the towel prematurely in a few cases. But whatever—my attention span was compromised. Unless a book was immediately engaging, I discarded it. My mind was just not open enough to endure the warm-up period that some books require.

And also, in an attempt to indulge in faster bursts of literary satisfaction, I sought out zines and other less demanding works. They kept me reading, but most of them left me scratching my head.

I hope you’ll enjoy my year of books! I’ve arranged them in the order I read them. The bold-faced entries are my top 5 reads of the year (in no particular order).

Thanks for checking out my list!

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So Late In the Day, Claire Keegan (Fiction/Stories): I love the way this author writes. So clear. So concise. Makes me want to write. Specifically loved the story about a happily married woman who seeks out a forgettable weekend affair that turns out to be anything but forgettable.

Knock Turn, Jeb Loy Nichols (Fiction): A beautiful reflection on a couple’s later years during which they leave their busy London lives to live on a canal-traveling longboat in Wales. The complexity of utter simplicity. Of a life accepted rather than regretted. Of being OK with brokenness. Like letting go might be precisely how we come to feel the love we spend a lifetime fighting for. “People care about what there are told to care about. That’s how culture works.” A doozy.

My First Vision Was of Gabriel Standing in a Fire, Joshua Edwards (Poetry): Ten-word poems written during the author’s commute walks in NYC. Language gathered from various places en route. Signs, posters, graffiti, etc. The poem type, Cortina, as named by the author. Love this work. Seems he’s always incorporating elements of walking and thinking and creating. More of this, please!

Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan (Fiction): This author has a way of telling a story that makes it impossible to put the book down. The pacing, language, and clarity that she packs into such a small book is impressive and enthralling. Even the Irish accent is well heard in her turns of phrase. Her work makes me want to read more. Her work makes me want to write more.

Time to Make Art, Jeff Mack (Children’s): Super cool kid’s book about what makes art, art. Great illustrations and an even better message to readers of all ages.

(TOP 5!) Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar (Fiction): Well shit—if this isn’t the best book of the year then I’m in for some amazing books! What a read! An amazing journey of a young man as he navigates his mother’s and father’s deaths, while also trying to figure out why it even matters to stay alive. His obsession with people who died in a way that matters becomes thematic. Example: The problem with “not doing” things to lead a good life (not killing, not coveting, not stealing, basically the commandments)—and yet all this not doing is also an avoidance of actually doing good. Loved the main character’s relationship with Zee, his lover, and with Orkideh with whom he examined his own life as she died at MOMA. My favorite lines: “Behind me is silence, and ahead of me is silence.” Also, A Sufi prayer that reads, “Lord, increase my bewilderment.” Plus, it turned me onto Allegri’s Miserere. I could go on. A 2024 top read for sure. Absolutely loved it.

Anti-Baby, Karla Paloma (Zine): Dark zines are the best. This is in that category.

Mort Grim, Doug Fraser (Zine): I recognize the artwork but I’m not sure where from. Love how the story needs no words to be terrifying and poignant.

Today Will Be Better, David Alvarado (Zine): I love zines because they are so raw and unrefined. This art—ok. This story—ok. But when the two exist together = awesome.

We Live in Water, Jess Walter (Fiction/Stories): I was feeling nostalgic for Spokane and knew Jess Walter would bring me back! It did. Made me then go down a rabbit hole to see how much my apartment there is now renting for. Regardless, these are great stories with fantastic characters. Tragic, lovable, and terrifically self destructive. But the way he brings in the local landscape (his hometown) is genius, and exactly what I was hoping for.

Photographs Taken at One-Hour Intervals During a Walk From Galveston Island to the West Texas Town of Marfa, Joshua Edwards (Nonfiction/Art): Again, I can’t say enough about how much I dig this guy’s work. This piece accompanies his book of poems (Architecture for Travelers). He took a photo every hour as he walked for some 40 days from, well, as the title says, Galveston Island to Marfa. I appreciate that he includes walking in his art, and that he writes about it en route.

Naked in the Dining Room, Peaches Kawamata (Nonfiction/Business): Fantastic and fresh approach to customer service as written from the perspective of an ex-stripper. Truly a marvelous read. Informative to what I spend my living doing, and super enjoyable! Plus, I got to meet with the author to discuss the viability of her taking her message on the road. Loved this bit: “Being a rockstar bartender means you are more attached to us. It means you are more susceptible to be injured if we don’t care for you tenderly. Being a rockstar isn’t about being hot shit, it is about offering the highest level of intimate care.” So good!

The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa, Michael Kimmelman (Nonfiction/Essays): A slow read, but a fascinating book of essays found on my dad’s shelf when he died. “The moment one says one is happy, one no longer is.” “It is better to be bored on one’s own that with others.” “Let the flowers wilt…that way they’ll have more presence.” Enjoyed ideas like: the art of collections, the art of a pilgrimage, etc.

Freedom, Sebastian Junger (Nonfiction): An odd, short little book about the author’s long walk along a railroad track with friends, bisecting the heartland of Pennsylvania America and contemplating the histories they impose themselves on. Rich with backstory and honors for what came before the colonists, and also a lauding for people of the modern era. There’s an apocalyptic hint to it, which makes it ominous and dark, but there is also hope. I only wish the author had walked a little farther. Seems famous people get to write books about short walks.

The Invention of Morel, Adolfo Bioy Casares (Fiction): Though first published in 1940, this book explains all too succinctly the idea of A.I. and the reality of technological loneliness. A man on the lam goes to a desert island to evade jail. One day he wakes up to a bunch of others on the island. He secretly follows them around, only to eventually realize they are images (like holograms) that live out a captured memory of long ago but in the present. We’d call it video, or some sort of fancy film, but technology at the time didn’t have language for it. Once the man realizes the images are fake, he turns melancholy. But ultimately he feels better off with fake companionship than none at all. A profound line: “Someday they…will destroy [the island’s] defenseless inhabitants, or will exile them by disconnecting their machines.” Sounds like what might happen if our iPhones are taken away. A scary and profound premonition from 80+ years ago.

Nothing but the Rain, Naomi Salman (Fiction): A journal left behind by a woman who’s surviving a dystopian world where water immediately erases memory. Each entry is meant to be something to remind her of what she needs to know—although sometimes her memory goes so far away that she has no recollection of the journal. It presents a terrifying reality about a police state, collective trauma, and terrific danger, while also shining a light on the human drive to live, even under the worst circumstances. Good read.

My Death, Lisa Tuttle (Fiction): The story of a woman who has revered an artist since she was a kid, then later, after deciding to write the artist’s biography, meets her and becomes her friend. The story’s twist comes when the artist’s past mirrors the narrator’s—and eventually the narrator wakes up naked on an island having become the artist. It’s twisted and weird, but a great story. It’s pacing is just right. It’s clean and well written. And I couldn’t put it down.

Novelist as a Vocation, Haruki Murakami (Nonfiction): Perfect timing. Haruki’s books always get me back to writing—and since I want the next month to be nothing but writing, reading this was serendipitous. A couple doozy quotes: “The mental toughness I’m talking about isn’t actual toughness on the level of daily life. In real life I’m just an ordinary person. I get hurt over trivial things and, conversely, shoot my mouth off when I shouldn’t and afterwards deeply regret it. I find it hard to resist temptation, and try my best to shirk obligations I have no interest in. I get upset over all kinds of trivial things, then let down my guard and completely overlook things that are really important. I make it a point not to make excuses, yet at times I let them slip out. One day I think I’ll skip drinking, then go ahead and grab a beer from the fridge. I imagine this makes me pretty much in line with most people in the world. Or perhaps even below average.” Also…Who would I be if I weren’t seeking anything? vs. the more common question, What am I seeking?

First Person Singular, Haruki Murakami (Fiction/Stories): Again, Murakami’s work really revs me up. As he said in Novelist as a Vocation, he intentionally doesn’t explain things away—thus allowing for the reader to come to their own conclusions. This, he believes, makes more time for the story. I appreciate the strangeness of his work that, though it may seem odd at first, quickly aligns with our known reality.

The Membranes, Chi Ta-Wei (Fiction): Set in a world that’s moved to domes at the bottom of the sea to escape the effects of climate change, this book depicts the life of Momo—a celebrated esthetician who is able to read people’s needs through her use of a product that adds luster to the skin. But after meeting her estranged mother she explores her new-found true identity—one that calls into question gender, memory, and ultimately reality. A slow but thought-provoking and amazing read.

(TOP 5!) The Quiet Tenant, Clémence Michallon (Fiction): Well shitgoddamn. For the first time in years, a book I simply can't put a book down. I eschewed work, exercise, and eating to nose into this to see what the heck was going to happen next. The gist—it’s the story of a serial killer from the perspective of 3 main women, 1) the killer’s daughter, 2) a possible next target, and 3) a woman who, at least initially, is living in a shed in his backyard (and has been for 5 years). The voices of 9 of his previous victims are also present as 1-page chapters. This book got may heart racing and I burst out crying at the end. One of the top reads of the year!

Murakami T, Haruki Murakami (Nonfiction/Art): You can’t win ‘em all, Haruki! I generally gush about anything written by Murakami, but this was a total fail and, if I may be so bold, cringe-worthy and gratuitous. I guess once you’ve sold millions of books you’re allowed to make a book about anything. And in this case, a crap book about Murakami’s (supposed) T-shirt collection. This was terrible. Glad I found it at the library rather than spend money on it. I definitely don’t want it in my collection of his stuff.

Crook Manifesto, Colson Whitehead (Fiction): A historical fiction set in Harlem during 3 focal years, 1971, 1973, and 1976. A slow start—wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue. But I’m happy I did. Whitehead’s 2 Pulitzers hint to the sort of writing to expect—and this sucker is heavy with detail, dense in history and period-language, and rich with an obvious researched culture. It follows a furniture store owner, Carney, as he lives out his post-crime life into an era of legitimacy, only to fall back into what he knows best. I love the characters, the realism, and the cadence. It was slow and grimy, but so was NY back then. A super solid read.

The Houseguest, Amparo Dávila (Fiction/Stories): Found this book recommended by some post on Instagram and it was at the library. So I nabbed it. Weird little stories that turn nightmares into reality. But what makes the stories extra interesting is how Dávila incorporates the horrifying unknown into the mundane. For example, an unnamed entity lives in a family’s basement and controls their every move; Or two living beings named Moses and Gaspar that may be cats, but also may be something else, who together wreak havoc on their new home after their owner (?) dies; Also, a man who plans his own funeral only to then watch his procession while he’s out for a walk. These stories throw a wrench in the expected paradigm of story endings. A super-worthwhile read. Loved the 80-word final sentence of “Tina Reyes” that assures the reader of the protagonist’s mental state as her mental state reaches a capitulating point of no return.

Only Yesterday, Mutsuo Takahashi (Poetry): I’ve been reading this book here and there for a few months, and just now finished it. Poems by a queer Japanese man reflecting his lifetime infatuation with Greek culture. As much a reflection on life as it is a bit of cultural nostalgia. I liked it more as it went on. For me it was too dense to consume at once. My favorite part was the last section (in lieu of an afterward) depicting the reasons for the author’s Hellenic love affair.

Inciting Joy, Ross Gay (Nonfiction/Essays): I started this book last year, just before my dad died. And when he did, I had no interest in reading about joy. But now, well, now’s a different story. Summary—less grit, more love, (and), if we hold each other’s stories, and if our stories are our lives, then we hold each other’s lives. Ross Gay’s writing style, regular digressions and all, is an absolute delight. From his modern references to garden metaphors and deep introspection, there’s always a world within a world that makes anything he creates worth a close look.

Thirty Two Words for Field: Last Words of the Irish Landscape, Manchan Magan (Nonfiction): Loved this book! Sent to me a year ago by a dear friend in Sligo, Ireland. A few highlights: Language is a container for collective memory. It manifests elements of the landscape into being. It alters our perception of the environment so that our minds read the land on a more profound and unfettered level. Yes! Irish speakers of old believed sounds themselves had potential to alter their surroundings. Also, the word mothaim: Now defined as a common life detail that used to be considered magic. Also, the Irish thesaurus of synonyms for penis was hilarious.

At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life, Fenton Johnson (Nonfiction): A friend intrigued me with a book about solitary creatives—and though I am unsure if I love the premise, I did love a lot of this book's content. From the author’s life in backwoods Kentucky, including his dad who built a hermit’s cabin in the middle of nowhere from available resources, to the many profound quotes about art and life including, “Until we have begun to fail we have no way of working out our success”(Merton), and “Never change your plans because of the weather,” and “The measure in which your solitude is hard is the measure of the reward it offers,” and so many others. I walked away more inspired to create art—which was enough for me to love the fact that I crossed paths with this title.

We Had to Remove This Post, Hanna Bervoets (Fiction): A frighteningly real story that is likely based on truths. It follows the main character as they take a job at a social media company (~Facebook) and is tasked with looking at questionable content to determine if it meets their community guidelines. They and their fellow coworkers all are affected by the abundance of traumatic videos and imagery (of course!), which leads to a class action sort of suit against the company for trauma endured. The book is a series of letters to the lawyer leading the case, and shares all the intricate ways their work environment ruined individual lives. The selected sources at the book’s end was a laundry list of bibliographical references about lawsuits against Facebook and the like. An important little book that depicts the mess of a medium so many of us are stuck on.

The Sun is a Compass, Caroline Van Hemert (Nonfiction/Memoir): Amazing story (and beautifully written) book (blurbed by Barry Lopez…yay!) that documents the author and her husband’s 4000 mile pack/paddle journey across Alaska. Fantastic landscapes and metaphorical lessons from the author’s life as an ornithologist. I’m struck by the way we, as humans, do what we do when we choose to do it, even if we are not ready, or equipped, or prepared, or sure of our success. Isn’t this what life should be about? A perfect read in advance of my own Arctic adventure!

Chlorine, Jade Song (Fiction): The opening epigraph, “For those who swim to stay afloat,” assured me this was going to be a good one. And it was. A young woman joins the swim team and grows so deeply enamored by it that she decides to follow her childhood passion and become a mermaid. Social twists and turns and high school swim meets highlight minor characters as the speaker prepares readers for her ultimate transformation. The ultimate passage wrought with needles and gory flesh made me cringe, but in a good way because the writing is fantastic. Such an alarming debut novel.

Tough Women: Adventure Stories, Jenny Tough (Nonfiction/Essays): Ugh. I wanted so bad for this book to be good. It was not. The writing was atrocious. Unsure if the unreadability was due to the editing, or lack thereof. Whatever the case, I endured for 2 essays, but I wasn't tough enough to suffer through more (see what I did there?).

XO, Sara Rauch (Nonfiction/Memoir): I know Sara, and I was in the space where her relationship with our professor began, so I was extra curious about this book. It left me scratching my heads and wondering who. But it also was a grand reflection on vulnerability and empowerment. It made me think about how critical choices can be when made in a position of power. Far more than just a scandalous affair—this book was about deepening self knowledge as much as anything else. Both interesting and beautifully written. Cheers, friend!

(TOP 5!) The Horse, Willy Vlautin (Fiction): I pretty much love anything by Willy Vlautin. Whether his writing or music. All of his narratives are about cast away characters who are down on their luck, and this one is no exception. The old man caring for this horse has had a rough go. He makes an effort to save a blind horse who shows up at his house unexpectedly. The bit I liked the most—the last scene where his buddy says something like “How can you be a bad person if you took the time to help a horse?” As if one act can absolve us of our shitty behavior. I, for one, would like to think this is true. Likely a top read of the year.

Crossing Open Ground, Barry Lopez (Nonfiction/Essays): A reread. And as always, Barry makes me want to write more and be a better person. He is my mentor, my life coach. When I’m feeling the need for a nudge, his work always takes me to just the right place. I’ve read these essays before, but wanted to revisit them, especially the one about the whales that beached themselves in Oregon. I remember crying the first time I read it. But this time I was disgusted by the people who viewed the tragedy as a spectacle of entertainment. Perspective and timing can really change the voice of an essay. Perspective and timing can really change how I digest details. Love you, B. Lo.

(TOP 5!) Another Word for Love, Carvel Wallace (Nonfiction/Memoir): Holy cow. The best book of 2024. My friend Katie read it (as a library book) and I didn’t have time to read it before it was due. When I found it in a street side free library, it seemed like fate had stepped in. And better to have jy own copy because this is an underline every passage sort of book. I finished it and immediately sent the author a note on his IG. I said: Forgive me for taking up your space here, but after reading your beautiful book, Another Word for Love, I am driven to express my bowing gratitude to you for giving me/us such a tremendous gift. Your words found the deepest parts of me and gave a nudge. They made me forget all the things that don’t matter and focus on the most important remaining things. The loved things. What a joy it’s been to read your words. Because they are all of our words. He didn’t write back, but I didn’t expect him to.

Anyone’s Ghost, August Thompson (Fiction): A fantastic book about a young boy’s coming of age. Written from the perspective of the main character, Theron. There are a ton of amazing introspective moments within that bring age 15 back to life. Though it seems like maybe he and his best pal are “just kids”, they are complex—which is maybe something we forget about teenagers. The young bond between these boys is beautiful to witness. We get to watch it grow and crumble. A very enjoyable read.

Jim the Boy, Tony Early (Fiction): A coming of age story of Jim Glass, who lives with his mother and 3 uncles in the fictional town of Aliceville, NC. Jim lives a depression-era life in rural NC and gathers breadcrumb memories of his father who died before he was born. Tall tales and lore become his histories and dreams. The book could just as easily be a YA book, but I enjoyed it as a story of a boy who’s taking in so many influences and moments at a young age—moments that ultimately will turn him into an adult. [Side note: Musician Paul Burch (member of the Merge band Lambchop), was the author’s neighbor. He wrote an album about this book. It’s called Last of My Kind.]

The Descent of Man, Grayson Perry (Nonfiction): I learned that this book was a major inspiration for the creation of song lyrics by my current musical obsession—Idles. The premise is great—fuck the patriarchy, fix toxic masculinity, get over yourself (and more stuff like that). But I had a hard time with the author’s voice—it’s a bit too clever, too snarky, a too monologue-ish. I joke that many 50-something men suddenly have A LOT to say to anyone who’ll listen. This book reminds me of this displeasing phenomenon. Still, I love the fact that this book exists, even if it’s not the sort of tone that appeals to me. Rock on, Mr. Perry. The descent of man, indeed.

Suggested in the Stars, Yoko Towada (Fiction): Another fail. I’ve read other books by this author and LOVED them. But this one is written in a voice that had me reeling from its chalkboard scratches more than enjoying the narrative flow. Sometimes you gotta stop reading and move on to something else. Life’s too short to endure books that don’t make you happy.

The Vegetarian, Han Kang (Fiction): A collection of connected stories about a woman who stopped eating meat. A curious artistic approach since the stories were all written from other people’s perspectives—never from the perspective of the actual vegetarian.

Terminal Boredom, Izumi Suzuki (Fiction): I couldn’t get into it—so I put it down after reading 1.5 stories. Ugh.

Remembering Medo Halimy: The Gardener of Gaza, A Mobo Creation (Zine): Found this little book at Open Eye Cafe. It tells a profound story of a young man who kept a garden in wartime Gaza as a way to stay alive. He died when a nearby explosion filled his body with shrapnel. Included within the zine are poppy seeds. They symbolize sacrifice and rebirth even in the midst of harsh conditions. A lovely and tragic tribute.

Medicinal Mushrooms, Christopher Hobbs (Nonfiction): I really want to learn more about mushrooms, especially medicinal ones. Found this at the library after listening to an interview with the author on NPR. Browsed it this first time, but I’ll definitely get back to it.

I is for Inuksuk, Mary Wallace (Children’s): A kid’s book about Inuit inuksuks—the trail markers left behind so others may find their way thorough harsh Arctic landscapes. Found this book at the library after my own visit to the Canadian Arctic where I followed inuksuks through Akshayuk Pass on Baffin Island.

Common Plants of Nunavut, Carolyn Mallory and Susan Aiken (Nonfiction): Found this book at the ranger station in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, where I completed my hike on Baffin Island. I used it to reference the zillions of photos I took of flowers and plants I found as I hiked the rugged pass. Super helpful and amazing to read about plants that succeed in such a harsh environment.

Kindling, Zia Gordon (Zine): A strange little art book of uncertain meaning. Sketches of a human born from a flower who collects strands of something while enduring an indecipherable set of obstacles. The human ultimately arrives somewhere to tell the reader, “I think you’d like this place.” It’s artful, sure, but also cryptic and weird.

Wellington: Ten Frames, Volume Six, Mark E. Phillips (Zine): Ten photos from the author’s trip to Wellington, New Zealand. Everyday shots of this and that—none of which scream NEW ZEALAND. Still, a lovely little collection.

San Francisco: Ten Frames, Volume Five, Mark E. Phillips (Zine): Ten photos from the author’s trip to San Francisco, California. Everyday shots of this and that—none of which scream SAN FRANCISCO. Still, a lovely little collection.

(TOP 5!) The Only Sound is the Wind, Pascha Sotolongo (Fiction/Stories): An amazing collection of spellbinding and dystopian magical realism. Speculative and surreal: A mail order clone, a man whose mustache keeps getting shaved off in their middle of the night. A woman who wears a moth as a coat. There’s so much poetic imagery here—so much fresh metaphor. Took me forever to read since I started it a day before my mom fell in Montana (when for weeks I barely read at all), but every time I picked it up it whisked me away. A top read of the year, for sure.

The Other Valley, Scott Alexander Howard (Fiction): My friend, Sam, who always recommends the BEST books put this one on my radar, and it didn’t disappoint. A story themed by a fresh sort of time travel (no machine necessary!), a police state, government whistle-blowers, pervasive underage drinking, and hierarchal labor. Once it got going, it swept me away. Ending the year on a high note. Thanks Sam!

Vera Violet, Melissa Anne Peterson (Fiction): I love books with downtrodden characters. Folks whose paths are dismal and lost, dirty and broken. I love grit. Opportunity for upheaval even if it’s elusive. I love when a book’s utter sadness, utter realness, makes me wish for more of both. Humanity is wired by destruction. And this book tells one tiny story to illustrate this. This was my second read of this novel and I enjoyed it even more this time around.

The Untethered Soul, Michael Alan Singer (Nonfiction): Found this book while researching a program for spiritual guides and was immediately struck by it. The gist—let that shit go! Every page was a keeper. I wanted to underline it all. It spoke to me more than any self help book ever has. I should probably have a copy of my own.