I did away with ‘top tens’ a few years ago, and instead I finish the reading year with a recap of the books that are still speaking to me (less about four and five-star ratings, more about what has stuck).
A handful of stories have lingered for their clever plots and impressive writing – Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood; Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor; Body Friend by Katherine Brabon; Long Island by Colm Tóibín; Intermezzo by Sally Rooney; and Scaffolding by Lauren Elkin.
For absolutely beautiful writing – those sentences you want to read over and over – Clear by Carys Davies.
For articulating some of the things that I’ve thought about for years – The Bureau of Past Management by Iris Hanika.
I am always drawn to grief memoirs and this year I read some exceptional ones. Two were described as auto-fiction – Into a Star by Puk Qvortrup, which was tightly focused on the period of time immediately after the death of the author’s husband, and Unquiet by Linn Ullmann, which was composed of vignettes spanning the author’s whole life, linked by her evolving relationship with her father.
Love Death and Other Scenes by Nova Weetman and Levels of Life by Julian Barnes also examine the death of a spouse – the writing style of each was outstanding, and I particularly enjoyed the Melbourne elements of Weetman’s book. Lastly in this category is Annette Trevitt’s astounding story of the ‘administration of death’, I Had a Father in Karratha.
Two nonfiction books (that were a mix of memoir and investigative writing) that have kept me thinking were Good Girls by Hadley Freeman and Beginners by Tom Vanderbilt.
Books that had me laughing out loud – Good Material by Dolly Aderton (and for the ingenious structure); I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (the premise is hilarious); You Are Here by David Nicholls (my kind of love story); and Love & Missed by Susie Boyt (a book that also made me cry).
And to the books that, if forced to choose absolute favourites, would top my list – The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes for its memorable cast of characters and Hughes’s wry humour, and Miranda July’s All Fours – this is the book that I have not stopped thinking about. It’s hilarious. It’s real. It’s mad. It made me cry. It has prompted dozens of conversations.
Thanks for your readership and I look forward to sharing more books in 2025.
I’ve only read Stone Yard Devotional from your list, but have the Irish ones — Rooney, Toibin & Hughes — lying in wait!
A big burst of Irish summer reading ahead?!
I’m reading the Toibin now. It’s like a big glorious Maeve Binchy tale!
It’s a joy to read!
I’ve read a good few of these, and yes, I had a Father in Karratha is a standout and so is Stone Yard Devotional.
All the best for 2025!
From memory, I read Father in Karratha based on your recommendation 🙂
Glad to hear how much you enjoyed The Alternatives. I hope to read All Fours soon.
Will look forward to your thoughts on All Fours (I thought it was ground-breaking).
Thanks for sharing your favourites!
Great post! I love your reasoning…”less about four and five-star ratings, more about what has stuck”. I totally agree. Thanks for your recommendations!
I enjoyed reading about your favourites and I really like the mosaic-styled image of all the covers! The book you’ve read that stands out to me is the new Rooney; she does have a way of making characters stick, doesn’t she. And the one that you’ve read that I have really wanted to read (but, as of yet, haven’t) is the Dolly Atherton. The library copy arrived at the wrong time and I renewed until I couldn’t and it still didn’t happen. Hopefully I can give it another shot because it seems to have the perfect combo of heart and humour (light, but not too frothy either). Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2025 (which I guess you’re already enjoying as I write this)!
I hope you get to re-acquire the Alderton soon – definitely not frothy but still light.
Sad to say I haven’t read any of those, although most of my year was taken up by older books because of A Century of Books. However, I do have Long Island on my pile and am looking forward to it.