2024 book list - fiction

This is part I of my books-I've-read-this-year-list. You can find part II (non-fiction) here.

As 2024 came to an end, I’m happy to share my annual reading list with you. Last year, I set a goal of reading 30 books, and I’m happy to have achieved it - even if only just.

As in past years, my reading choices leaned heavily towards fiction. My non-fiction list can be consulted here; below is a selection of my fiction list, presented in the order I read them (so, nothing to do with quality).

We are all made of molecules, by Susin Nielsen

A young adult book about an intellectually gifted boy, that has been on my to-read-list for years but somehow, I never got around to it. However, after reading Life of Pi (Yann Martel), I was in desperate need for some light reading. The first chapter was right up my alley. Although the newly introduced family happiness quickly took a dramatic turn, I couldn't help but laugh at everything else. Loved the author's writing style and very much enjoyed her decision to name the main character's cat Schrödinger.

Migrations, by Charlotte McConaghy

In this book, McConaghy paints a picture of a world (almost) devoid of animals. At the center is a tormented woman who stubbornly pursues the dreams of her bird-loving husband, taking her on a journey across the Atlantic. A book that took my breath away and made me fervently hope that the world she describes never becomes reality.

Once there were wolves, by Charlotte McConaghy

In Once There Were Wolves, McConaghy beautifully portrays the vulnerabilities of rewilding and other conservation initiatives - nature and farming balanced on a knife's edge. I read it just before the massive farmer protests in February, when our Flemish politicians also - wrongly - pitted nature and agriculture against each other. A beautiful read that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I was more blown away by Migrations.

The Love Hypothesis, by Ali Hazelwood

My little 'guilty pleasure' this year. It doesn't have much depth - feel free to call it a dime-store romance set in the halls of academia. Not much of a plot, really. But against all expectations, I still (secretly) enjoyed this slightly trashy airport novel.

One Day, by Daving Nicholls

The film adaptation was a huge Netflix hype last year. Although I usually let a big hype pass me by, I somehow couldn't resist picking up this book. It was an enjoyable experience - not a holy-moly-this-was-amazing! kind of read, but still good.

Hello Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano

About a close-knit group of sisters who drift apart and find their way back to each other. A story about love, loss, and grief. Not the best I've read this year, but that's only because I've read some pretty amazing books. I did really enjoy this one.

Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett

An enjoyable book about the dynamics between a mother and her daughters, set in a beautiful cherry orchard during COVID, with memories of the mother's past life on stage. Worth mentioning separately, but not my best read of the year. Then again, there was some stiff competition.

Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver

Of all the books I've read this year, I think this might be the one I'd recommend the most. I started reading it on my Kindle and bought a Dutch copy the same week to give to my father so we could read it simultaneously. It's about drug abuse in a trailer park in the USA, growing up with no prospects, and raising your teenage mother instead of being raised by her. A heartfelt story that truly moved me to my core.

The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne

Not just worth mentioning, but deserving of an entire separate blog post. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Demon Copperhead might have to share 2024's top spot with this one.

The humans, Matt Haig

Appreciated the book's perspective on humanity. It encourages you to question some of our deeply ingrained human habits.

Fresh water for flowers, Valérie Perrin

A contender for my top 3. Perrin manages to make the setting of a graveyard surprisingly enjoyable. I was reading this book during All Saints, which may have added to its atmosphere. Definitely a book I recommend reading.

Wolf, Lara Taveirne

Completely captivated by this book during the first 52 pages. Later on, the writing style shifted somewhat as the author began incorporating not just her own words, but those of her father and brother as well. Still, it’s a remarkable achievement, if only for the way it captures the pain and sorrow the author has experienced since losing her brother.

Les oubliés du dimanche, Valérie Perrin (yes! in French!)

First book I've read in French since secondary school - hooray! I enjoyed the story a bit less than Fresh Water for Flowers by the same author, probably because I was expecting the two storylines to come together in some way. That said, I still enjoyed it, though I likely missed some details due to reading in a language I'm not used to.

Also read

• Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
• Pauwl, by Erik Jan Harmens
• Irreplaceable, by Stephen Lovely
• Waar ik liever niet aan denk, by Jente Posthuma
• Goede vaders wijzen niet, by Jan Van den Bosch
• Le Gros Chat et la Sorcière grincheuse (vol. 01), by Hiro Kashiwaba (manga)
• Shark Heart, by Emily Habeck
• Verzamel de liefde, by Bart Moeyaert (poetry)

Currently reading 

• Star of the Sea, Joseph O'Connor

And for anyone interested in some personal reflections on 2024: that post is available here.