My best reads of 2024

This year I smashed through all my previous records for number-of-books-read. How did I manage that? Well, I joined the jury for The Kitschies Awards along with Leila Abu El Hawa, Nick Mamatas and Molly Tanzer. Not surprisingly, my best reads of 2024 can be summarised by reminding you of the shortlists. It was such fun to spend the year talking books. And I’m pleased to say that the judges were in very close agreement on the shortlists and winners!

The awards search out progressive, intelligent and entertaining novels with a speculative element. Back in 2014 – a decade ago! – I was bowled over when my novel A Calculated Life was shortlisted for The Kitschies debut award. So, I have a fondness for their shortlists, which invariably bring overlooked books to our attention.

Sadly, this turned out to be the last year of the Kitschies. So, in retrospect, I feel doubly delighted and honoured to have joined the jury for the Red Tentacle (Best Novel) won by Julia by Sandra Newman, and the Golden Tentacle (Best Debut) won by The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi.

Needless to say, in the course of reading the submissions, I came across a number of speculative novels that made a great impression on me and I can heartily recommend two alternate history novels – Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford and Biography of X by Catherine Lacey. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the multiverse novel Bridge by Lauren Beukes for its fascinating exploration of a mother-daughter relationship. One of the debut novels that impressed me was Sarah K Jackson’s Not Alone, which combined a post-apocalyptic story with wonderful nature writing.

Beyond reading for the awards, I dipped into non-fiction anthologies and collections for the sake of varying my diet! I adored Hilary Mantel’s A Memoir of My Former Self, which brings together her essays and other non-fiction works including film reviews and her Reith Lectures. I have also appreciated Antlers of Water, Writing on the Nature and Environment of Scotland edited by Kathleen Jamie. Plus Fen, Bog and Swamp by Annie Proulx.

In May, I spent a few sunny days at Hay Literature Festival and caught fascinating talks about bird watching by Hamza Yassin and Mark Cocker. And having already read Cahokia Jazz, I made a bee-line for Francis Spufford’s interview – a totally engaging insight into his research. During October, I visited Wigtown Book Festival in Dumfries and Galloway, and the highlight was a conversation between author Carys Davies and critic Stuart Kelly about Davies’ brilliant historical novel, Clear.

And, most recently, I’ve enjoyed something completely different – Ursula K Le Guin’s generation-starship novella, Paradises Lost.

Two of my favourite novels of 2023 (In Ascension by Martin MacInnes and Orbital by Samantha Harvey) featured this month on Barack Obama’s best reads of the year. Not that I’m suggesting the former president follows my book recommendations! (But let’s see which books he selects next year).

On my bedside table, I have a mountain of books that I simply didn’t have time to read this year. I now want to read them all at the same time! I’m desperate to get to the following, in no particular order:

Curandera by Irenosen Okojie, Parade by Rachel Cusk, 381 by Aliya Whiteley, The Deluge by Stephen Markley, Day by Michael Cunningham, Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid­, The Work of Art by Adam Moss, The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.

Will I read them all in 2025, or will I be diverted throughout the year, as usually happens, by recommendations from other writers, reviewers and readers? Already I must add Deborah Levy’s The Position of Spoons which I received as a gift – a book I can’t wait to read having devoured all her memoirs to date.

And no doubt when I read other end-of-year lists, my TBR pile will immediately double in height!

Happy reading, everyone! All my best wishes for 2025!