Something funny happened during the time that I spent writing my book: I stopped reading for pleasure. Not because I wanted to, but because I was reading so much for research that reading began to feel like work. But then my book came out, and I traveled around the country giving book talks at lovely bookstores and the whole experience made me fall back in love with reading.
Since then, I’ve been keeping track of the books I read (as well as a list of the books I want to read next), and the fun part about it is that I can look back on the year and remember what I read.
Here are my highlights from 2024. As of December 19, I’ve read 40 books, and I’m partway through several others that I’ll probably finish before the new year. These books weren’t necessarily published in 2024, that’s just when I happened to read them. They are listed in the order that I read them. I loved them all, and don’t have a clear favorite among them.
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Book #2 of 2024. I picked this one for my book club before I’d read it (based on how much I’d liked Nguyen’s memoir, “A Man of Two Faces”) and there was a lot to talk about. It’s a thought-provoking story about the Vietnam War told through the lens of a communist double agent. There are so many layers here. There’s the stories of refugees, which Nguyen has persuasively argued must be understood as war stories; as well as explorations of identity, love, Hollywood’s propaganda machine, friendship and betrayal. Nguyen is a tremendous writer and I will read anything he writes. Highly, highly recommended. The book was also made into an HBO mini series, which is also quite good, though can be hard to watch. If you’re going to watch, read the book first.
Easy Beauty by Chloé Cooper Jones
Book #17. I loved this memoir so much. The writing is revelatory and honest. Cooper Jones was born without a sacrum, a condition that caused her to be extremely short, walk with a wobble and have chronic pain. The book recounts what it’s like to move through the world in a body that our society wasn’t built for and her internal struggle dealing with the injustices she’s encountered. This is a beautiful narrative of revelation. Yes, things happen in the book — she has a son and travels around the world. But the real movement in this story happens internally, as we witness a transformation within Cooper Jones as she reshapes her view of herself and her interactions with others. This publicity synopsis puts it well: “Her memoir begins at the point when, challenged on the ethics of giving birth to disabled children—and on the value of her own life—Cooper Jones realizes she has allowed the discomfort of others to limit her choices.” I listened to the audio version, read by the author, who makes it feel really intimate. Also, be forewarned: this book will make you want to see Beyonce in concert. I highly recommend this book to anyone writing a memoir, because it’s a master class.
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
Book #23 WOW! This beautiful novel really earns its status a classic. The writing is absolutely gorgeous. The story takes place mostly in Nebraska and follows Jim Burden, a young orphan boy from Virginia who is sent to Nebraska to live with his grandparents. On the train ride there, Jim meets Antonia and her family, who are immigrating from Bohemia. He and Antonia form a lifelong friendship even as their lives take different paths. The book is rich with sense of place, friendship, and the hardships of immigrant life on the prairie. The ending is a perfect — the final paragraph a masterpiece.
Absolution by Alice McDermott
Book#29 When I posted that I’d hated The Women by Kristin Hannah (such horrible writing, and a ridiculous plot) but wanted to love it so much because the topic —American nurses who served in the Vietnam War — was so interesting, several people told me that this was a much better take on a similar subject. The novel follows two women who are in Saigon in the early 1960s with their husbands working in country to for oil companies and other American interests. It’s a layered exploration of white savior complex that asks what it means to do good and who really benefits. The narrative is so well constructed and rich, and it gets deeper and deeper as it goes. Highly recommend.
Wellness by Nathan Hill
Book #30 I was thrilled to discover that my book club’s pick in September was a novel exploring some of my favorite topics — placebos, uncertainty and the power of belief. It’s also about marriage, the stories we tell, and the absurdity of the wellness industry. I loved Hill’s writing too, enough so that I went on to read his first novel Nix, which I didn’t like as much.
James by Percival Everett
Book #39 There’s a reason this novel is on so many best of the year lists. It’s a reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, a runaway slave who becomes Huck’s friend. The character development is superb as is the novel’s exploration of racism, slavery and code switching. It also delves into the power of reading and books. I will be picking this for my book club this year, unless someone else in our club beats me to it.
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Image: Dall-e’s ridiculous, incompetent attempt to create an image of me reading in my office chair.
Christie, you and I have read about the same number of books this year. I’d like to again recommend Elizabeth Becker’s “You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War” (2021)–nonfiction and thoroughly annotated–in place of Hannah’s book. It is also a nice complement to “Absolution,” which I also read.