If I had to pick a singular theme for the books I read this year, it would be – thoughtful non-fiction. While non-fiction makes up 34% of the 38 books I read this year, most of the ones I read had a significant impact on my thoughts during this year. I suppose that is the most significant metric I use to determine which of the books I read this year were not only good but also impactful.
I think this is the first time I am writing one of these book of the year lists, this should be fun.
The list is below, these are in chronological order of when I read them.
Table of Contents
Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
The other characters in the book such as Wendell Bartleby and the residents of the village of Hrafnsvik are all interesting and fun characters. I greatly enjoyed the slow build of the romance subplot in this book. It’s charming, heartwarming…and funny, the last of which I don’t usually get from romance subplots in fantasy novels.
Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
I started off the year strong with one of my most favourite new fantasy series of the year. The timing of me reading this book was extremely good because the sequel Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands came out just as I was reading this book. So it just so happened that I read one book after the other. As a fantasy liker I am looking forward to future books Heather Fawcett puts out.
Becky Chambers and the Wayfarer Series
Review: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
I think Becky Chambers is one of the best sc-ifi writers of our time. Seriously. If there is someone who is as good at writing sci-fi as she is please let me know because I want to read their books as well. It is a joy to be back in the world of the Wayfarers series and I am going to continue by reading the next book in the series next week. Reading a book series sequentially seems to be the theme of the year for me so far!
Becky Chambers has not missed yet, this series continues to be some of the best speculative fiction I’ve ever read. Yes, I know I said that in the previous book‘s review, it needs to be said again. I am of course going to be continuing reading the series next week: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. That is as far as I know the last book in the series, I am very much looking forward to seeing how the series wraps up.
Review: Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
All the characters in this book are aliens, there is not a Human in sight throughout. However, at no point did I feel alienated. Fundamentally alien, yes but not beyond our understanding thanks to the great writing on display. In a lot of sci-fi, “alien” is treated as something to be afraid of but this book and indeed this series embraces a more nuanced treatment of the concept. A deeper understanding of the differences but also an exploration of the similarities. This is the kind of sci-fi I want to see more of.
This series is without a doubt some of the best speculative fiction I’ve experienced in my life so far and I will be thinking about it for years to come. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, if you enjoy reading sci-fi, you should read the Wayfarer series. I am looking forward to whatever Becky will write next.
Review: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
I think the above quotes from my review of the second, third, and fourth books in the Wayfarers are sufficient to demonstrate how much I enjoyed Becky Chambers work. I’ll restate it here – Becky Chambers set a new standard by which I now measure other works of sci-fi and it is a high bar indeed.
Babel by R.F Kuang
The word I have in mind when describing this book is: sublime. The way it weaves the various aspects of colonialism such as race, military domination, language, religion, labour into the narrative makes for a masterful treatise on how colonialism affects those it subjugates and the systems that keep the machine going. The book’s themes are not subtle but it understands the subtleties of colonialism quite well.
One such theme is how established institutions like academia further the goals of empire by lending the veneer of high education, knowledge, and progress to systems of oppression. As someone who has a lot of uhhh..personal baggage when it comes to academia, I felt personally vindicated in a way that I haven’t been before.
Review: Babel by R.F Kuang
Babel was a book I put off reading for a while due to its length and its subject matter and I’ll say this: Babel and its subject matter of colonialism is what motivated to finally start tackling the non-fiction that was sitting in my to-be-read pile and that is no small compliment. Any book that encourages me to read more and more importantly read more widely is one that deserves its spot on this list.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates writing here is poetic without being overwrought. There is a flow to the writing that feels just right. At one point in the book, Coates quotes a line from a Nas song and I found myself thinking that his writing is like Nas’ raps. Every word in the right place at the right time.
Review: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I don’t have much else to say about Coates’ writing other than as a writer myself I just enjoy reading his writing from a technical standpoint. Just gorgeous prose, some of the best prose I’ve read this year has been from Coates.
The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
Review: The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
Concluding my review of this book, I’m glad I finally got around to reading this. I don’t think I’ll be reading other Marxist literature any time soon but if I do I have a lot of concepts to use as jumping points for further exploration. I think this is essential reading for anyone who considers themselves a leftist.
Reader: I did end up reading a bunch more Marxist thought after I read this book. So much so that I ended up writing a entire blog post on the Ten Forward blog using the Mao texts I had read this year. Impactful indeed.
Palo Alto by Malcolm Harris
The biggest compliment I can give this book is that I’ll never look at computers the same way. The smartphone sitting on my desk is the product of more than a hundred years of oppressive forces that continues to wreak destruction on people and the planet we all share.
All the silicon we use is drenched in the blood of the people capital seeks to exploit in the name of its never-ending desire for growth and this book catalogues just exactly how we got here. Well worth a read.
Review: Palo Alto by Malcolm Harris
I think the quote from my review of Palo Alto summarizes well what I think of this book. This book changed how I view all the computer systems we all use and interact with everyday.
The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
I found this book a very interesting read, It presented a way of looking at the world we live in ways that I don’t usually think about. Like the last book I read, I don’t think the book is trying to prescribe any solutions to our problems of precarity but is instead exploring other ways of existing in harmony with what the book calls the “latent commons”. The matsutake is a real thing but in this book it feels more like a metaphor for this latent commons.
Review: The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
In hindsight, interesting is the wrong word to describe this particular book. A better descriptor is – weird. This is the weirdest and the most niche book I’ve read this year and I love it. I am glad I read it.
How Infrastructure Works by Deb Chachra
While The Mushroom at the End of the World felt a little abstract in its talk of precarity. This book tackles it in the more concrete world of infrastructure that is increasingly under constant siege from the climate changing around us. What do solar powered micro grids look like? What does sustainable and resilient public transportation of the future look like? What happens when infrastructure is a thing we all have to actively think about on communal basis?
Review: How Infrastructure Works by Deb Chachra
This book was another one that had significant impact on me and how I viewed all the various pieces of infrastructure that we use and interact with on a daily basis. It allowed me to understand infrastructure as a concept in a more holistic way.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This book is the best romance I’ve read in a long time. The last book I read that had good romance was The Beautiful Ones by Silivia Moreno-Garcia which I read two years ago. This book is making me think I need to read (more) romance novels. However, any other romance title is going to have a challenge on its hand matching up with this one as it sets a new and unreasonable standard of romance.
Review: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
One of those highly rated books that definitely deserves all the praise it got. This book was a treat to me as someone who both enjoys reading good prose and is also a romantic.
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
This book was in my to-be-read queue and my library hold list for a while. There was a long wait for this book due to the number of holds on it which considering current events is not surprising. The library system in fact ordered more copies to meet demand which was not enough. There are currently 201 holds and 34 copies. I think they need a few more copies.
Review: The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
If I had to pick one book on this list year that I consider the most relevant books for the despair inducing times we live in, its this one. I consider this book a must read for everyone.
The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean
This book is genuinely one of those rare books that made me cry and laugh, often both at the same time. The dialogue between the characters, the romance, the fantasy plot with its wonderful fantasy animals, the zoo Aila works for. Everything about this book felt like a soothing balm for my heart and soul.
Review: The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean
I just love everything about this book so much. I am so glad that I preordered this one and read it at just the right time this year. Give me more like this, please and thank you!
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates continues to be an inspiration for me as a writer. I found myself wanting to continue to practice the craft and keep getting better as a writer. Reading The Message made me want to write more and that is the highest of praises I can sing about any book.
I think everyone should read The Message, Between the World and Me and The 1619 Project. Especially if you are an American who currently is in a state of despair and has fallen into a deep nihilism. Reading such works will enlighten you and provide a foundation upon which to build further revolutionary sentiment on.
Review: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Last on this list but definitely not the least is this book. I’ll just let the quote from my review do the talking. with this one
Concluding Thoughts
While I was making this list, the conclusion I came to was that I read some damn good books this year. Even the least interesting book this year was not bad, just not interesting.
For 2024, I set a reading goal of 24 books or 2 books a month, I exceeded this goal by 158% with a total of 38 books read this year. I haven’t yet decided what my goal for 2025 is going to be but I thinking going back to 52 books or 1 book a week is entirely a possibility for this upcoming year.
Here’s hoping that next year’s books are just as good or better than the ones I read this year.
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