2024 was the year I fully surrendered to my love of reading. Movies and TV basically vanished from my life, and I can’t say I miss them very much. It was a tremendous year of reading, in which I read much more widely than I have in the past. Not just in terms of genre, but in terms of style and format, too. I dove more deeply into short stories and subscribed to several magazines. I read more manga and graphic novels and fell in love with long form essays online.
So, without further ado, here’s a (far-from-comprehensive) list of what I loved this year.
Standalone Novels
In a world that seems to trend constantly toward series, there’s something truly remarkable about a standalone novel. Not only is it a commercial risk to take as an author and publisher, but it imposes considerable creative constraints. That being said, there were a few standout standalones I read this year.
A Monster Calls. I don’t read much fiction written for younger readers, as it usually doesn’t resonate much with me. This book, though, is an exception, and one I’ve returned to over and over through the years. A monstrous creature haunts a young boy whose mother is dying. It is one of the most poignant explorations of grief and death I’ve seen in any story. A quick read, but not light, it’s an incredible work of art.
The Bear. This is one of those books that the less you know going into, the more impactful it will be. Calling it post-apocalyptic would be accurate, but it avoids most familiar post-apocalyptic tropes. It’s a story of family, of love, and survival, and it’s one of the most beautifully written books I read this year.
Cold West. An SPFBO 9 Finalist and with great reason. This is a dark, gritty fantasy western, and again, written so well that sometimes I simply had to stop and reread a page, just to fully savor what I’d just experienced. Clayton is an incredible talent, and I’m hoping to dive into more of his work next year.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. I’ve been hearing for years about the gorgeous prose of Anna Smith Spark, and I finally got around to reading her this year. I’m pleased to report that the rumors of her excellence are all true. Heavily inspired by Celtic myths, this dark but beautiful story had me enthralled.
Series
Looking over my reading this year, I came to a somewhat startling revelation. I didn’t read many series this year. Plenty of book ones, but there were few that made me excited to read book two. There was one exception, though.
The Broken Earth Series. I still remember when this trilogy came out. It won (I think) the Hugo and Nebula awards both in 2016, 2017, and 2018, which is a mind-blowing feat. I bought the trilogy several years ago and only tackled it this year, and it was really, really, good. It’s a unique blend of fantasy and post-apocalyptic, and captures your attention from the very first page. It is again beautifully written, but what has stayed with me the most is how it manages to be both epic in scope and yet deeply personal at the same time.
Manga
I read a fair amount of manga this year—definitely more than I’ve read in any year previous. I’ve enjoyed most of what I’ve read, but there are two series which rise to the level of general recommendations.
Vinland Saga. This series sometimes feels like one of the greatest bait-and-switches in literary history. It starts, as do so many manga, with a young protagonist in tragic circumstances on a quest to become a strong warrior. He’s motivated by revenge, and the first arc of the series is a bloody, war-filled story.
And then it’s not. I don’t want to spoil the story for those who haven’t experienced it, but it goes from fast paced action to something much slower and contemplative. We spend an enormous amount of time with our characters as they oh-so-slowly change and mature. This is a story of revenge and redemption, of carrying the weight of our past sins on our shoulders. Manga doesn’t usually create the emotional reactions in me that novels do, but this series doesn’t pull any punches.
Frieren. I haven’t made it as far in this series as I’d like, so this is more of a cautious recommendation, but the opening volumes are so well done I’ll recommend it anyway. This series starts after most series would have ended. Our protagonist was part of a party that freed the land from a great evil, and as she’s a long-lived elf, the story asks the question: “What happens after the journey is over?” It’s a gorgeous story about the passing of time, regrets, and meaning.
Anthologies
Most of my short story reading was in magazines this year, but I did pick up a handful of anthologies, and one stood out to me above the rest.
The Alchemy of Sorrow. A collection of short stories about loss and grief. As with all anthologies, some stories will resonate more than others, but I really enjoyed almost all the stories within. Unique worlds, talented storytellers, and powerful depictions of grief. Despite the subject matter, there’s a strong undercurrent of hope that runs throughout these stories, which I appreciated.
Short Stories
I read a lot of short stories this year, and I’m still divided on the format. I want to love short stories, and every once in a while I’ll come across one that I really like, but I do think it’s a challenging format. It’s hard to generate emotion quickly using nothing but words on a page. That being said, there’s one short story that I keep thinking about.
“Happily Ever After Comes Round.” I don’t often read fairy tale retellings, but this retelling of Hansel and Gretel is easily one of my favorite short stories of the year. Dark and haunting, but also beautiful and lyrical. It was published in Uncanny Magazine, and if you’re interested, you can read it online for free.
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