I always begin the year by sharing with you my favourite reads from the previous year. Sometimes it is so hard to choose, but here are my favourite books from 2024 in alphabetical order (according to the author’s surname):
- Carol Atherton, Reading Lessons. This was simply the best book I’ve read all year! I loved it, as have all the friends I’ve encouraged to read it too (most have gone out and bought their own copies, as it’s a book one just has to own). Superb from beginning to end.
- Inger Sigrun Bredkjaer Brodey, Jane Austen and the Price of Happiness . It can be hard to find new things to say about Jane Austen, but this excellent critical book manages it, and makes you think again about the endings of the novels and the future happiness of the characters.
- Paula Byrne, Hardy Women: Mother, Sisters, Wives, Muses. A fabulous biography of Thomas Hardy through the lens of the women he loved.
- Stéphane Carlier, Clara Reads Proust. This short novel had such charm and such insight into Proust. I loved it!
- Judi Dench, Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent . I thought at first that the interview format of this book would put me off, but I loved all the insights in acting different roles, anecdotes of theatrical mishaps, and the story of a remarkable life on stage.
- Percival Everett, James. I wrote about this fabulous new novel in my newsletter earlier in the year and since then it has been winning many literary prizes – deservedly!
- S.G. Maclean, The Seeker series. I’m cheating here by choosing 5 books, but I did love this series of historical detective novels.
- David Nicholls, You Are Here. This was quirky, moving and set in a glorious part of the world – a novel that stayed with me a long time after the last page.
- Tan Twan Eng, The House of Doors. This lovely novel has W. Somerset Maugham as a major character and brings to life his time in Malaya. Beautifully written.
- Redmer Yska, Katherine Mansfield’s Europe: Station to Station. This book about the great New Zealand writer’s restless travels in Europe in search of better health was so fascinating. I felt like I was travelling with her.
I see that my choices this year are evenly split between fiction and non-fiction. Some have been fabulous unabridged audio books (audio books really are one of the greatest joys of my life!) and I deeply grieved the death of Timothy West in 2024 as he was my favourite audio book reader of all time, especially when he read Trollope. I’ve read some trashy fun (the latest Jilly Cooper novel being one example, but she does write such enjoyable trash), I’ve continued many excellent detective series, I’ve mourned C.J. Sansom who should NOT have died, and I’ve spent wonderful hours in libraries and book shops, browsing and finding more amazing books to read. The year was hugely enriched by books, and I hope it was the same for you.
Tell me what books you’ve enjoyed the most this year. Please leave a comment.
Susannah Fullerton: My 2023 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2022 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2021 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2020 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2019 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2018 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2017 Favourites
Susannah Fullerton: My 2016 Favourites
Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton
Jane Austen and the Price of Happiness by Inger Sigrun Bredkjaer Brodey
Hardy Women: Mother, Sisters, Wives, Muses by Paula Byrne
Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier
Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench
James by Percival Everett
The Seeker series by S.G. Maclean
You Are Here by David Nicholls
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Katherine Mansfield’s Europe: Station to Station by Redmer Yska
Susannah Fullerton: Reading Lessons
Susannah Fullerton: Thomas Hardy’s Women
Susannah Fullerton: Clara Reads Proust
Susannah Fullerton: Percival Everitt
Susannah Fullerton: You Are Here
Susannah Fullerton: The House of Doors
Susannah Fullerton: A Burning Dilemma for Redmer Yska
Margaret Debenham
A very happy and (obviously) exciting 2025, Susannah. My 2024 favourites also included Judi Dench’s “Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent” (of course). Others were “To the City” by Alexander Christie-Miller, a fascinating look at Istanbul focusing on the various gates in the Theodosian Walls, their historical significance and the people who live around (and hang around) them today; “The Librarians of Rue de Picardie” by Janet Skeslien Charles, a novel based on fact, about an American librarian who established a children’s library just behind the front lines in 1918 France, an exciting and inspiring book; “A House in Sicily” by Daphne Phelps, just gorgeous – must go there (thank you, Susannah); “Italy in a Wine Glass: by Marc Millon – snippets of regional Italian history, modern Italy, and lots of wine-tasting – which prompted me to read “Christ Stopped at Eboli” by Carlo Levi, an extraordinaru look at southern Italy 80 years ago, a world quite set apart from the rest of Italy; “Looking for Theophrastus” by Laura Beatty (subtitled “Travels in Search of a Lost Philosopher”), which reveals a largely forgotten but rather delightful philosopher/scientist/naturalist – AND he invented the Wife of Bath (sort of). “Clara Reads Proust” was enjoyable, but I wanted more explanation of why Proust appealed to her so much. I confess I have only started reading Proust this year (shameful, I know) – books 1 and 2 completed, 3 and 4 on the shelf waiting to go – and I’m still not sure whether he is one of my favourite reads this year or one of my most frustrating reads this year. Those long long sentences, with so so many subclauses, so that I lose the sense of them and have to go back to the beginning and start again; and the long long paragraphs! I know Clara mentions these things, but she seems to forgive him quite happily, whereas I get frustrated. And the self-absorption! However then I come to sections of absolutely beautiful, brilliant writing, unlike anything I’ve read before, and I love them, and I too forgive him. And I shall begin book 3 – any day now….
Susannah Fullerton
Thanks for that great list, Margaret. I will add the Janet Seskien Charles book to my list for this year as I loved her previous book. And I am so glad you enjoyed the Daphne Phelps book. I loved it too.
Happy reading for 2025.
chris browne
Hi Susannah
Happy New Year to you from both of us.
My favourite new books for 2024 were Mick Herron’s “Slough House/Slow Horses” series of 8 thrillers, which I only discovered after watching the TV versions of the first three books at my daughters insistence. I have now read all 8 and thoroughly enjoyed them, the best espionage series since Le Carre without any doubt.
I also read and enjoyed the Le Carre continuation, “Karla’s Choice” by Le Carre’s son, Nick Cornwell, writing as Nick Harkaway. It is not quite as good as the original Smiley books, but is worth reading for the final third, where the pace and tension are both very well maintained. Anthony Horowitz’s “Close to Death” also is worth an honourable mention.
I also enjoyed “The Bookshop Woman” by Nanako Hanada (in translation I hasten to add.) I always enjoy novels set in the world of bookshops, particularly from unusual cultural perspectives.
Otherwise, when I reflect on my reading in 2024, I read mainly old favourites, including “Jane Eyre” which I had not read for a decade at least, and Captain Marryat’s “The Children of the New Forest” which I had not read for more than 50 years!
Happy reading in 2025
Chris
Susannah Fullerton
I must add Mick Herreon to my lsit, as you have mentioned him to me before.
Yes, rereading ‘Jane Eyre’ is always wonderful. I read Children of the New Forext as a child, but was amused to ehar some years ago from a friend of mine who bribed her children to read it because she loved it so much! I should have tried that with my kids and a Jane Austen novel.
May 2025 be packed with wonderful books!
Patricia Ricketts
Delighted that you included Katherine Mansfields Station to Station
Susannah Fullerton
I loved it! Redmer is a friend of mine, but I included it because I thought it was so good!
Maria
Happy New Year Susannah, and thank you for your book recommendations. I enjoyed Jennette McCurdy’s memoir “I’m glad my Mom Died” for its unflinching honesty and the resilient spirit of the author. Anna Funder’s “Wifedom” gave fascinating insights into the life and times of Eileen and George Orwell. However, I wasn’t always persuaded that Funder was sufficiently impartial, and I didn’t like the way she inserted details of her own life into Mrs Orwell’s story. For sheer escapism and pleasure, I heartily recommend any of S J Bennett’s books in which Queen Elizabeth investigates murders. The latest, A Death in Diamonds was a delight.
Susannah Fullerton
I will look out SJ Bennett as that series sounds intriguing.
I agree about Wifedom – a fascinating tale of an awful marriage, but I wasn’t keen on the personal bits of the narrative where Funder writes about her own life. Still very glad I read it though.