My best reads in 2024
- Emma Urbanová
- Dec 20, 2024
- 5 min read
As a writer, but also for my personal leisure and enjoyment, I read extensively. I make it a habit to note down every book I read - not just to keep track, but to remember those that touched me in some way to recommend them or revisit them later. I also occasionally post book reviews on my Instagram - if you're interested in some reading tips, feel free to follow.
That being said, 2024 was a very strong year for me reading-wise. I think this is mostly due to my taste developing and refining throughout the past few years, arriving at a very specific type of book I like - though this is not always a good thing. I know now exactly what will captivate me and keep me interested, but this rather narrow set of preferences can be limiting at the same time. I try my best to make sure there is some variety in what I read, though, as my list reveals, I don't always succeed.
Here are the books that mesmerized me in 2024 and continued to resonate with me long after I've turned the final page (in no particular order):
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
I read Big Swiss early into the year and it set the tone for what would captivate me throughout: comically surrealist novels by eccentric female narrators. When a transcriber meets her platonic crush and the disembodied voice gains the form of a tall blonde woman, the two embark on a strange exploratory relationship. I marvelled at Beagin's incredible imagination and the bizzarre world of her fiction.
Love, If That's What It Is by Marijke Schermer
I chose this novel for my thesis on Dutch writers in English translation because I loved reading it. The stark psychological realism of Schermer's scheidingsroman (divorce novel) leaves nothing unsaid, baring afresh the consequences of divorce for a family of four. You will find the mother, Terri, truly ruthless, and the book might leave you traumatized, but it is a heart-wrenching meditation on modern relationships relevant across contexts and cultures. I deeply recommend.
My Husband by Maud Ventura
Ventura's debut was highly critically acclaimed in France but the English translation has received mixed reviews - a portrayal of a woman's obsessive love for her husband didn't sit right with some of the readers. For me, however, this was a striking, unique novel with good pacing and suspense. The wife's submissiveness or her undoubtedly anxious attachment style did not bother me; instead, they served as a vehicle of satire of marriage culture. And no, I did not find the ending "persnickety and predictable" - it swept me off my feet!
Julia by Sandra Newman
In 2024, I read 1984 for the first time and a couple of days later, I picked up this feminist retelling out of curiosity. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Orwell's world has stayed fresh in my mind and I was able to see how well has Newman researched it, offering Julia's perspective without sacrificing the story. If you're wondering what life in Oceania was like for women, this is definitely the book for you. Can we have more women reclaiming the canon, please?
The Guest by Emma Cline
This novel by one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists tells the story of displacement and the ingenious ability to conjure up a new identity for oneself. Alex is stranded on Long Island and trying to make it back to New York City by pretending to be someone she isn't. The Guest raises questions about hospitality, strangers and boundaries - an uncanny, immersive read that I would happily repeat again.
Turkish Delight by Jan Wolkers
Originally published in 1969 as Turks Fruit, this Dutch novel was fiercely criticised for its explicit sexuality and frankness but nevertheless seen as a liberation in language, influencing writers for decades to come. The slim volume narrates in vignettes the story of a sculptor's infatuation with his wife and muse, Olga, exposing every detail. Turkish Delight is not for the faint-hearted - but partial to the occassional Bukowski or Miller, I found it just perfect. This iconic novella definitely deserves more recognition on the anglophone scene!
7. In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
I've loved Machado's Her Body and Other Parties, so this year, I also decided to pick up her memoir. Spoiler: it might be one of the most impactful books I've read. Ever. This goes as much for the content as the style - Machado's effective refashioning and reimagining of the dream house as a myth central to her portrait of lesbian domestic abuse is utterly original. I was continuously in awe during reading. This is one of the greatest living authors - if you haven't read anything by Machado, you should start!
De havermelkelite by Jonas Kooyman
The only non-fiction book on my list (if you don't count Machado's memoir) is "The oat milk élite", penned by the journalist and influencer behind the popular Dutch meme account @havermelkelite. Chronicling Amsterdam's gentrification and the rise of "the new yup" obsessed with status, Aesop soap and oat milk matcha lattes, Kooyman's eye is sharp and unforgiving, holding a mirror up to his generation of new money Amsterdammers and expats - including himself. A radical, enlightening read sadly not yet translated into English.
She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
Published by Faber & Faber, She's Always Hungry was perhaps my most anticipated release of 2024. I'm not exaggerating - I ran to the bookstore as soon as the day came. After finishing Boy Parts, which was a strong contender for this list, I couldn't help but immediately join Eliza Clark's fanclub. The promo for this short story collection was genius, and it didn't fall short of its premise - several increasingly strange little worlds of body horror and gore, establishing Clark as perhaps the weirdest and most original contemporary British novelist.
Service by Sarah Gilmartin
Gilmartin's sophomore novel fuses early millenial Dublin with the behind-the-scenes of hospitality industry to paint a case of sexual assault. Daniel Costello, the star chef of a prestigious restaurant, finds his former waitresses turned against him in what is arguably a #MeToo novel. While I don't usually seek out this genre, I enjoyed Gilmartin's descriptive and detail-laden writing and Hannah's experience of the restaurant enough to make this one of my top ten in 2024.
What were your top reads this year? Let me know in the comments! If you're curious about what I read next, stay tuned for my upcoming article about 2025 releases on my radar.
See you in 2025!
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