Are you as shocked as me that we’re already halfway through 2024?
It feels like the year is slipping between my fingers no matter how hard I try to desperately keep hold of it. The days are seriously flying by, the weeks inevitably turning into months. I sometimes find myself wishing time would slow down.
But this halfway mark also allows for reflection. And part of that reflection has been spending some time thinking back on the 31 books I’ve read in 2024 so far.
part i: my top three favourites
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab: This book isn’t just my favourite book of 2024, it’s my new favourite book of all time. It follows Addie LaRue as she navigates the world after selling her soul to a forest god in exchange for living forever. However, she’s also cursed with being forgotten by everyone she ever meets. But suddenly, after three hundred long years, everything in her life changes when she meets someone who says “I remember you”. The writing is luscious, so beautifully poetic that I spent days walking around drunk on Schwab’s spectacular storytelling. And the characters are incredibly compelling and so human-like that I don’t think I’ll ever forget them. If you want to read a more in-depth review, you can read my love letter to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue here.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides: I knew I would like this book, but I was surprised with just how much I fell in love with this beautiful modern classic. It’s an interesting, heart-wrenching examination of the strange ambivalence of girlhood through the lens of a group of neighbourhood boys obsessed with the mysterious and secluded Lisbon sisters who all commit suicide. This book is incredibly intoxicating in such a visceral way. I felt the suffocation of growing up, the way your breathing constricts as you’re being perceived as one entity when you feel entirely like another. The unfairness of it, the cruelty. The claustrophobia. I am in total awe of how Eugenides wrote this book. If you want more of my thoughts, you can read my love letter to The Virgin Suicides here.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors: This book was on my wishlist for the longest time, and I’m so happy that I decided to finally pick it up. It follows the impulsive marriage between the twenty-four year old Cleo and forty-something year old Frank, which ultimately transforms their lives and the lives of those around them. It’s a realistic snapshot of life — the ups and downs, the wins and the losses, the beauty and the ugliness — as well as a reminder of the repercussions that our decisions can create. Overall I thought this book was beautifully written and so heartbreaking in places that I have no doubt I’ll always carry the story and its conclusion with me. You can read my mini love letter to Cleopatra and Frankenstein here.
part ii: other books i can’t stop thinking about
Normal People by Sally Rooney: A surprise favourite amongst the books I’ve read so far this year, this book chronicles the complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell from their late teenage years to their early twenties. Sometimes they’re together, sometimes they’re not, but they’re always in each other’s orbit. I loved this book to pieces and found their relationship to be exceptionally written, a wonderful reminder of the impact we have on other people in our lives. I’m currently writing a love letter to this book that I can’t wait to share with you.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber: This young adult fantasy has been out for years, but I only just had the pleasure of reading it. But trust me, I’m obsessed. It follows sisters Scarlett and Donatella who receive invitations to the mysterious and magical Caraval — where the audience participates in a week-long performance and game. But when Donatella is suddenly kidnapped by the brilliant game master known only as Legend, Scarlett has to do everything she can to save her sister before it’s too late. The other two books in the trilogy, Legendary and Finale, are just as great as this one. It’s honestly such an enchanting series that you’ll never forget.
Funny Story by Emily Henry: I only became an Emily Henry super fan this year, but this book has become my all time favourite of hers. So far anyway. The basic premise of this story is that Daphne moves in with Miles after her fiancé leaves her for Miles’s girlfriend. But like Emily Henry’s other books, the story has so much more depth. Daphne soon realises she has no friends or life outside of her relationship with her ex-fiancé, so she and Miles begin trying new things to help her find a life of her own, while also coming up with a plan to make their exes jealous. But their relationship slowly deepens into something more intimate and Daphne has to decide what she wants the next chapter of her life looks like. I laughed, I cried, I cheered. Such a wonderful book.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: This quickly became a favourite of mine, but trust me, this book deserves the reputation it has as the most depressing and unsettling book of all time. The story follows the withdrawn and enigmatic Jude across five decades, slowly revealing the sad childhood he experienced and the ever-lasting trauma, both physical and mental, that resulted from it. This book made me cry ugly tears and often stare up at the ceiling in utter disbelief, and left me in the end feeling numb. If you decide to read this book, I definitely recommend being in a good headspace and saving a happy book to read afterwards. You can read some of my deeper thoughts and feelings in my love letter to A Little Life here.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman: I was not expecting this book to leave such a strong impression on me, but I haven’t stopped thinking about this story since I closed the final page. It is set in a small and isolated town that is obsessed with hockey. The junior team is set to win the grand final, but everything falls to pieces after a sexual assault at a party. It’s a gut-wrenching story, with many heart-breaking scenes, while somehow making you feel like a resident of Beartown too. It also has some excellent social commentary on sports culture, rape and small town living — and touches on so many heavy emotions of being a teenager and being a parent. You can read my mini love letter to Beartown here.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Fe Lanu: This is the cult story that inspired Dracula, and it was honestly such a powerful read for a book that only lasted 156 pages. It tells the dark tale of Carmilla, who begins an intimate friendship with a girl named Laura before being revealed as a dangerous and bloodthirsty vampire. The novella explores the period’s anxieties of female sexuality and women’s empowerment, while also being atmospheric and a little creepy. At one point I was clutching the book so tightly that my hands were sore because one scene in particular freaked me out. If you want to read more of my thoughts, you can read my love letter to Carmilla here.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid: The more I think about this dark academia fantasy, the more I love it. The story follows Effy as she travels to the crumbling, decrepit estate of her favourite author who recently passed away to redesign the house for his family. However, Effy isn’t the only one there. To her dismay, a literature student named Preston is studying the author’s papers to prove that he was fraud who didn’t write his own books. The two rivals become entangled in the mystery surrounding this author and soon come face-to-face with a dark and magical force threatening to bring both of them to ruin. I was honestly on the edge of my seat from beginning to end — such an incredible book that perfectly balances magic and mystery with lots of dark academia vibes.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh: I was initially unsure with how I felt about this book, but the longer I’ve sat with my thoughts and feelings, the more I can say I really loved it. This strange book is about one of the most selfish, privileged and despicable human beings to ever walk the earth who decides to put herself in a year-long medicated sleep so she comes out ‘reborn’. It might seem weird that an entire book could be written about someone sleeping for a year, but a lot of stuff actually happens. I’m honestly in awe that Moshfegh could write such a horrible main character while simultaneously writing an intriguing story about them that I couldn’t put down. I’m also writing a love letter to this book that delves into my complicated feelings for this book that I can’t wait to share with you.
part iii: my honourable mentions
I read so many other incredible books in the past six months that I think deserve some honourable mentions too!
This year I started my journey into the world of romance books. I instantly loved Book Lovers by Emily Henry and Happy Place by Emily Henry. She’s probably my favourite romance author so far. I also read The Duke and I by Julia Quinn and The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, and found them to be such great books to read when I wanted to relax. I love the adaption of the series too. And I also found myself strangely obsessed with the Magnolia Parks Universe by Jessa Hastings despite how toxic the story can be in places. I just can’t stop reading them, they remind me of the days when I would binge-watch Gossip Girl. The ultimate guilty pleasure read.
I also really, really enjoyed Wilder Girls by Rory Power, which is a very strange and unsettling young adult book that includes a mysterious plague, some sickening body horror, an isolated all girls’ boarding school and an intimate focus on female friendship/romance. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf was another great surprise for the year — it’s such a wonderful exploration of women and literature. I also reread The Folk of Air by Holly Black, which is a trilogy that follows Jude as she navigates the world of faerie. This series made me fall in love with the enemies-to-lovers trope, so it was fun to go back and read them.
And that’s my mid year reading check-in for 2024.
I’m still in utter disbelief that we’re already halfway through the year — it’s gone by so fast. I can’t wait to see what books become new favourites in the second half, and how this list will change by the end of the year.
What are your favourite books of 2024 so far? Are any of our favourites the same? Tell me in the comments below.
Until next time,
- Madeline
Omg whyyyy is no one talking about Addie LaRue!!?? I read that book a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. It does not get the hype it deserves.
I've heard great things about Cleopatra and Frankenstein. Officially adding to my list!
so many books that are my favorites and that i want to read! a little life and my year of rest and relaxation are my favorite books, i relate so much to them, to their sickness, their depression... the ones i'm looking forward to reading: beartown, normal people (can't wait to read ALL of sally rooney's work!), cleopatra and frankestein & the invisible life of addie larue. my TBR is never ending, but i hope i can get to normal people and cleopatra and frankestein this year!