Whew, January is already over and here I am finally sitting down to do my year-end wrap on books from 2024.
What exactly have I been doing with my life? Well, searching for a day job after joining one of the many game dev studios getting shut down last year. Writing a video game (personal project). Signing with a literary agent (hi Alisha! You’re amazing.) Editing a book. And managing my mental health while the world does, uh, this *gestures broadly at the state of the world*.
But I’m still here! I’m still reading and writing.
So let’s talk books.
I read 63 books last year, not including works in progress by writer friends. The following are my top 17 across various genres, in no particular order.
Sci-Fi / Fantasy Reads
Jessie Mihalik’s Starlight’s Shadow trilogy (Eclipse the Moon, book 2 & Capture the Sun, book 3)
I believe I read the first book in this series (Hunt the Stars) back in 2023. I’m not a heavy sci-fi reader, but I was instantly hooked to this series because it had very strong female leads and a fox creature that can telepathically communicate when it wants its humans to put more food in its bowl (I mean, come on!). These books each follow a different member of the crew on a ship of bounty hunters. It was teased to me as being Firefly-esque, and I was NOT disappointed.
There is a romantic subplot. If you’re not into romance, do not let this scare you away. If you are into romance, welcome to this trilogy. It’s delightful.
Ocean’s Godori – Elaine U. Cho
This book sat on my shelf for longer than it should have because I was, once again, intimidated by sci-fi. This is yet another book that I picked up because it was billed as being Becky Chambers meets Firefly. I guess I have a type. What scared me off was the additional description of “Korean Space Opera”. I see space opera and freeze up. I just…I struggle with them. And this book did take me about 30-50 pages to settle into, but then I was addicted and couldn’t put it down.
Dive in for the world-building but stick around for a little mystery that you really want to understand, and characters you end up loving.
Caution – not a stand alone. I mean…yes, the story is complete. I don’t recall there being a big cliff hanger, but I was deeply committed to the world and characters by the end so went to Storygraph to see if there’s another book planned (this is a debut, so always a risk). The sequel, Teo’s Durumi, is due out in 2025.
The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fischer – E.M. Anderson
Are you tired of reading about teenagers saving the world? Have you read books with ‘older’ protagonists and then scoffed because they were 30? Yeah, same.
This book follows Edna, who is in her 80s, and much to everyone’s utter disbelief is the latest Chosen One.
That alone made me pick up the book. But then I was thrust into a book that tackled so many wonderful topics and issues, and yet still also had this fascinating world with dragons and magic and an evil that needed to be fought to save humanity. I love fantasy books with social commentary. And rarely do we get fantasy books with social commentary about aging and family. We get plenty of fantasy books that deal with death and grief. This one does that too. This book also has a beautiful found family thing going. I love those. But this one stood out to me because this Chosen One had arthritis, got tired, and generally felt overwhelmed, but still went on that journey and made tough decisions.
A very refreshing point of view.
Starling House – Alix E. Harrow
Looking for your next gothic fantasy read? Here it is.
This book has received a far amount of press, so I don’t feel the need to add to the hype. I will say, I struggled to get into the book, but that might have had more to do with my state of mind early last year than this book. Once I settled in for the read (30 pages in I think?), I really wanted to figure out what was going on. I think I like my mysteries front-loaded a bit more than this, but it’s a gothic novel, so I forgive it for needing to give me that dark, brooding, and creepy house vibe for a bit before shoving the mystery down my throat.
Witch King – Martha Wells
I think you all should know by now that I have a huge book crush on Martha Wells. Murderbot is hands down one of my favorite series of all time. But Murderbot is sci-fi and this…well this is fantasy. And not contemporary fantasy. High Fantasy.
Martha Wells has a writing career spanning decades. This is NOT her first foray into high fantasy. But it is her most recent work, and my first Martha Wells fantasy novel.
I got a free sample of the opening chapters from Tor (you know you can sign up for their newsletter and get awesome samples in your inbox right?). I was traveling and had foolishly run out of books on my e-reader, so I opened up this sample and then I bemoaned the fact I did not have the full book. First chapter hooked me instantly.
This book follows a witch king, Kai, who has been trapped by magic and essentially left for dead but without the being dead element. When Kai gets freed, he goes on a mission to find out what happened. Beautifully written. Exploration of power, made families, and strong friendships.
There will be a sequel (Queen Demon) coming out this October.
Romance
These could have gone above, honestly, as they’re fantasy books too, but just in case people want a stronger call out for romance novels, here you go!
Glimmer Falls series by Sarah Hawley (A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch, book 2 & A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire, book 3)
Again, I read book one back in 2023. I was, shall I say skeptical? about both of these books. Here’s why. Book one introduces the demon who is the love interest in book 2 and I could not see a way to redeem that jerk. Seriously, I read the book out of pure intrigue, expecting to put it down after the first chapter. But then…Hawley did it. She managed to make him lovable while also making you feel okay about the redemption of a truly terrible person from book 1. Well done. Seriously. I didn’t think it was possible.
Then book three came out and I have a particular dislike for werewolves. Someday I will sit down with my best friend who is a voracious reader of everything, but in particular paranormal romance, and we’ll outline all the horrible aspects of the alpha wolf setup in romance. I seriously avoid werewolf books like they’re the plague. I have a favorite author who wrote a whole series of werewolf books I won’t read. BUT. Hawley did it again. She introduced this werewolf in book one and and two and there is NOTHING alpha about him. He’s a nice guy. And he also has his own struggles and is complex and interesting. So I figured, okay, Hawley, you redeemed that schmuck of a demon, show me how you werewolf. Bonus, show me how you vampire (actually a succubus, so that was better for me. I have opinions about vampires too).
And then she did. And it was…well one of my top reads last year.
So there you have it. Two romance novels with lovable characters, healthy relationship dynamics while also being characters with flaws and personal stuff to overcome.
Graphic Novels
Bubble – Sarah Morgan, Jordan Morris with Natalie Riess (Illustrator), Tony Cliff (Illustrator)
I had no idea there was a podcast, but I saw this on a rec list for graphic novels and was intrigued. It’s a hilariously funny satire that occasionally hits too close to home –The bubble is a corporate built and maintained community that’s supposed to be protecting you from the dangerous outside world of heathens.
I laughed so many times while reading this, getting vague Buffy vibes at times, and other times just enjoying the snark.
Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles – Mark Russell with Mike Feehan (Illustrator)
This graphic novel is from 2018, so I’m a bit late in finding it, but I’m glad I did. Snagglepuss is a playwright in the 1950s during the Red Scare. He’s navigating Hollywood while the government is hunting down ‘subversives’. Not only is this incredible commentary on the current events unfolding in the U.S., but it’s a wonderful reflection back on a period of time that apparently many Americans have forgotten.
It’s funny. It’s tragic. And it’s timely.
Third Shift Society – Meredith Moriarty
I found this graphic novel by way of Webtoon. I have a thing for paranormal detectives, and I really enjoyed the art style, so it was a good fit for me.
Children’s Picture Books
I Want to be Spaghetti – Kiera Wright-Ruiz (author), Claudia Lam (Illustrator)
Ramen is sad because there are so many types of noodles and spaghetti that people seem to enjoy and want, leaving Ramen to feel lesser. So Ramen thinks that it needs to be Spaghetti. But when when Ramen is cooked up, it learns that it’s exactly what /who it needs to be.
I love this messaging for children (let’s face it, some adults need this messaging too) and the way of presenting the themes felt new and fresh.
Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate – Sara Levine (author), Masha D’Yans (Illustrator)
I really enjoy children’s books where I get to, as an adult, learn something new too. This book taught me some new information about plants that maybe learned once upon a time and have since forgotten, or maybe is newer intel that scientists didn’t know when I was a kid. Either way, it was an engaging read featuring lovely artwork.
Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall – Lynn Brunelle (Author), Jason Chin (Illustrator
This is a beautiful book that not only explains life cycles in the ocean, but also explains that once something dies it lives on by feeding other living things. It’s another kid’s book that had scientific information that I found interesting and new.
I also left the book feeling weirdly peaceful and even a bit hopeful. So a good read for stressful times.
Non-Fiction
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America – Michael Harrot
Some history books are a bit dry. Not this one.
I have several books on my shelf that I know are important political and historical reads, but I’m struggling to pick up and engage with because I’m also a bit fatigued. This book managed to talk about and educate on topics that are very challenging but in a way that made them digestible. I was able to sit with this book and not feel an overwhelming sense of history repeating itself and doom….despite seeing how much history is repeating itself in this book.
It was extraordinary to me to read something that’s show how connected current events are to the founding of the U.S. and not walk away feeling as though nothing can be done.
It’s a great read that puts the necessary context into American history.
And if you’re tempted to say “oh, but this is presenting one specific view of history”, perhaps you should take a look at what’s already being taught as the absolute truth of history and realize that everything ever written is coming through the filter of someone’s experience. This is filling a gap that’s been intentionally carved for the last two plus centuries.
Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness – Jamil Zaki
I don’t consider myself a cynic, but 2024 left me desperate for hope. When I saw this, I checked it out from the library immediately.
Here’s the thing – there is good in the world, and despite what we see via the media, people are more likely to do good than evil. Don’t believe me? Read this book. This book literally has statistics. It has evidence. And that’s what I needed last year. I needed cold hard numbers and facts to counteract all the blabbering nastiness I was seeing online.
If you find yourself wanting even more evidence of human goodness, I recommend checking out https://reasonstobecheerful.world/, which is recommended in this book. They highlight stories of humans doing good things. You can even get a newsletter in your inbox with happier news than what you’d find elsewhere.
The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control – Katherine Morgan Schafler
I’ve been described as Type-A and a Perfectionist for most of my life. In the last several years, it’s been suggested that I would be happier if I tried to be less of a perfectionist. That my anxiety would go away if I could be happy with a lower standard. And y’all, I tried.
This is the first book I’ve read in my journey of better myself where the author doesn’t argue against my natural tendencies. Instead, the author argues that being a perfectionist can be a super power. If you’re also a perfectionist looking for a way to ‘manage your expectations’ and find ‘realistic’ goals, I highly recommend this book.
And that’s 2024!
I thought about sneaking in some reads from this month for y’all, but I’ve got game writing to do!
A. K. Hudson 