I managed to read 28 books last year, less than in the past. In my defense, I listened to several podcasts of current short fiction. From those 28 books, I’ve selected five to highlight as my favorite reads of 2024.
This list is entirely subjective and non-scientific. To create it, I asked myself one simple question: Would I read it again? While a negative response wasn’t necessarily a judgement on the book’s quality, it did result in disqualification from this prestigious register. Next year, I plan to supplement my criteria with a sleep index computed from nap-induced rewinding.
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, 2023. Details the lives of the black and Jewish residents of early-20th century Pottstown Pennsylvania.
- Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, 2020. The protagonist’s dream? To become KUNG FU MAN. A critique of societal stereotypes told with a strong and creative voice.
- A Natural History of Empty Lots by Christopher Brown (2024). In this outstanding work of non-fiction, an Austin, Texas science fiction writer’ explores the edgelands between human development and the natural world.
- The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud (2023). A dark and haunting novel that is half The Martian Chronicles and half True Grit.
- When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson edited by : Ellen Datlow (2021). I thoroughly enjoyed this chilling collection of short horror by several outstanding contributing authors.
Allow me to add three honorable mentions: As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem (1997), Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell (2018), and The Singularity is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil (2024).
What knocked your socks off in the past year? Post a comment.