My favorite 2024 books (so far)

+ honorable mentions, a new Libby feature, and more!

On the U-Bahn this morning, I saw an ad reminding Berliners there are only six weeks left in the year. How have you spend it? the poster inquired.

Immediately, my mind tensed. Where did the last 10.5 months go?

This time of the year — from Thanksgiving through New Year’s — is one of my favorites, pulsing with energy and activity. It can be hard to find time to read, but there’s also some good pockets when you know where to look — reading while your pie is finishing in the oven, listening to an audiobook on a crispy Fall walk, or catching up during your plane ride home.

I’m sure there will be a bunch of “best of” lists coming soon, but I wanted to give a preview of my favorite books of the year (so far). These books are also super engrossing, so it’s easy to dive in amid a busy holiday calendar.

(PS — this list is not comprehensive, and I limited myself to only books that were published this year. Honorable mentions include Piglet by Lottie Hazell, Liars by Sarah Manguso, and The Examiner by Janice Hallett).

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

I’ve recommended this book to so many friends, and I’ll reup how my pal Brandon Tensley described it in the first edition of The Slice:

Summer camp? Urban legends? Rich people beefin'? Extremely my shit. On a more serious note, the book is just incredibly smart in how it explores an array of subjects — adolescence and parenthood, class, memory, power, place — and I loved spending time with each and every one of the characters.

Pro tip: I also loved Long Bright River, Moore’s meticulously researched thriller. Read if you liked “Mare of Easttown” on HBO.

(Bookshop, Thriftbooks)

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

This dreamy, thick story follows the Blue sisters — Avery, a high-power lawyer and recovering heroin addict; Bonnie, a boxing champion working as a bouncer; and Lucky, a young, adrift model. All three are grappling with the loss of their beloved middle sister, Nicky.

Crisscrossing through London, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York, this book isn’t without its flaws. Some of the choices felt forced, and I did not enjoy the three sisters equally. (I kept wanting to spend more time with Bonnie!).

But I love how Mellors writes about addiction, family, and aimlessness. If you like this one, I also thoroughly recommend her debut novel, Cleopatra and Frankenstein.

(Thriftbooks, Bookshop)

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

As I wrote in an earlier Bookpeach, I’ve been a longtime fan of the author Rufi Thorpe. I’m so glad she’s finally getting her flowers! I love her realistic, funny-but-sad prose, and Margo’s Got Money Troubles really delivers.

Margo is attending community college when she meets Mark, a married professor (and total dud). After getting pregnant, she turns to OnlyFans to support a life for her and her son. Despite this grim-sounding premise, this book actually feels very light and uplifting. I loved the side characters, like Margo’s dad Jinx, a former professional wrestler with a huge heart. In our culture obsessed with moralizing sex work, this book was like a breath of fresh air.

BTW, be sure and check out The Knockout Queen (2020), a coming-of-age story from the perspective of a closeted gay teen. I also love The Girls from Corona del Mar (2014), Thorpe’s blazing debut about female friendship.

(Bookshop)

All Fours by Miranda July

Okay, this novel is capital F FREAKY. Definitely not-safe-for-work content.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the book follow a nameless 45-year-old artist (loosely based on July herself) as she embarks on a cross-country road trip. A few minutes into the drive, she exits the freeway, and rents a motel room. Hijinks ensue.

This autofiction is lush and inventive, exploring marriage, desire, and what it means to be a “fully realized” woman. And yes, I desperately want to own the “All Fours Book Club” hat that’s making its way through Brooklyn.

(Thriftbooks, Bookshop)

📚 On my shelf

• I’m about 60% through Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak, and will have more fulsome thoughts soon. She has a new book out I’m really keen to read, There Are Rivers in the Sky. I saw it in my favorite English-language bookstore here, and it looks just gorgeous.

• I’m craving a twisty thriller for my long train rides, and I just downloaded Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. There’s a new feature on Libby that allows you to “skip the line” (look for the green shamrock ☘️) and it’s been a boon for back catalogue, popular books I missed.

• I also have The Safekeep by Dutch writer Yael Van Der Wouden on my TBR. This buzzy, Booker finalist follows Isabel, a woman living in a country house in Holland in 1961. Love a page-turning literary thriller with a historical element! Shall report back.

📚 Links and Things

• This absolutely bonkers feature on the “guru” who guarantees your kid admission to an Ivy — for a steep price tag. 💸

• Been eyeing Dan Pelosi’s pumpkin cardamom crumb muffins… 

• My friend Imari has the best eye for fashion, and I’ve been loving her thrift hauls. Check out her latest commission for our other BFF, Rikha:

  

  @iamimari3008obsessed with all of the fall fashion looks in this thrift bundle haul! #thrifthaul #stylebundle #falloutfits #thriftbundle

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• This week’s Just Trust Me

Happy reading! 💛

XOX

Alli