Everything I've read so far in 2024
We started with a bang and then it all fell apart
When: January, February and March 2024
Books read: 13
In January I read eight books, which felt like an absolutely cracking start to 2024. I thought ‘finally, maybe this year will be the one where I surpass reading 50 books.’ Oh, optimism. Since the start of the year, my reading progress in terms of books I’ve actually finished has hit a major slump, leaving me with only two books read in the whole of March. Still, thirteen books finished in the first quarter of 2024 is nothing to sniff at, so I thought it’d be worthwhile taking a look back at everything I’ve read so far and to highlight the books I particularly enjoyed.
January
In my hubris, when I finished eight books in January, I thought I was just doing really good, as if you can be some kind of exceptionally talented reader. In reality, it was just about having enough time to sit down and actually read something.
After almost working right through Christmas in 2022 due to my retail job and generally being bad at having holidays, I made an intention the next year that I would take two whole weeks off from everything - my part-time jobs, my attempts to resurrect a semblance of a freelance illustration career, my daily existential spirals. It was time for a break where all I *had* to do was read and work on my 2024 planner. I don’t think of myself as a workaholic, but I do have a lot of creative projects on the go, which makes me terrible at actually resting. Taking a break from the general concerns of life was restorative and I’m still figuring out how to have more restful periods like that one throughout the year. During this break I wasn’t reading all the time, but it did put me in the right headspace to enjoy the hobby and to prioritise it over other activities. I think that’s the only way I could get through eight books in one month.
So, what did I think of the books I read and what were the highlights? I’ll list some stats and a short review of each book below, including where I got them from (e.g the library). I’ve seen a lot of hyper-consumerism around books on platforms like TikTok and I want to encourage anyone reading this that you don’t have to buy books to be a reader. Sourcing books from your local library, borrowing off your friends or family, or visiting an op shop are all great places to find books. You can also borrow e-books or audio books from the library, or purchase them for a fraction of what a physical book would cost from places like Libro.fm.
Here are the stats for January:
I read 5 x non-fiction books (1 x art, 1 x diary, 2 x essays, 1 x sociology)
I also read 3 x fiction books (1 x young adult/fantasy, 1 x NZ fiction, 1 x contemporary lit)
Six of the books were four star reads for me. The other two got three stars each.
The Twyning - Terence Blacker
Borrowed from work (the perks of the job!)
This YA fantasy book combined romance, rats, empires and human fallacy in a way that was unexpected and engaging. That’s also a sentence I never thought I would write. What Terence Blacker has written about a rat kingdom living under some version of Ye Olde England was surprisingly compelling. When their king is killed and a strange vendetta against them threatens their very survival, it’s up to a young, unexceptional rat with a special gift to save them. Four stars.
Cultish - Amanda Montell
Borrowed from the library
After reading this book, I will never utter the phrase ‘Drinking the Cool-aid’ ever again. Cultish takes a look at the vital role that language plays in the creation of cults and how optimistic, good-hearted and well-intentioned people can loyally follow toxic and/or delusional leaders. Informative, interesting, entertaining - this is definitely a book you should read. Four stars.
The Marmalade Diaries - Ben Aitken
Borrowed from the library
The chillest of books. It’s 2020, the UK is going into lockdown and Ben has just moved into a house share with a widowed 85 year old. She doesn’t always seem to like having him there. In The Diaries, Ben recounts the often bemusing, generally charming and sometimes quietly tragic experiences that occur out of this unusual living situation. If you liked Diaries of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell, then I think you’ll enjoy this. Less acerbic wit and more gentle thoughtfulness, which is good if you’re in the mood for a quieter read. Four stars.
Colour Confidence - Jessica Sowerby
Borrowed from the library
A really solid guide to help you add colour to your house. I follow Jessica on Instagram and really liked her approach to colour, so when I saw this book at the library, I snapped it up. A very quick read which I recommend completely if you’re thinking about painting a room or two in your whare. Four stars.
Calypso - David Sedaris
Borrowed from the library
My first David Sedaris and I get why people like him now. He’s just a really good storyteller. Calypso is a collection of essays roughly revolving around the beach house his parents owned when he was a kid, followed by the beach house him and his partner end up owning in the same tiny coastal town. As a budding personal essay writer/memoirist, this is the kind of writing you feel like you ought to aspire to. Four stars.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin
Borrowed using the Libby app
Staff at the bookstore LOVED this book so I thought it was about time I read it. The story largely centres on two friends who start a video game company together. Bridging decades of the characters’ lives in a very satisfying way, Gabrielle Zevin demonstrates significant skill in weaving such a modern and compelling story together. I wasn’t as blown away by it as my co-workers were. To me it was competent, but I didn’t love the characters or their development. A scene from it was also included in a Reddit thread about women writing men badly, but that’s neither here nor there, just funny. I think it’s definitely worth a read so you can form your own opinion about it. Three stars.
The Writing Life - Annie Dillard
Borrowed from the library
I so wanted to like this book more than I did because I’ve seen it referenced by other authors a bunch of times, but it just didn’t do very much for me. I’ll attribute part of that to the current season I’m in - right now, I’m really looking for books that speak to the nature of writing and living a writing life. I want to know how people write, when people write, what they write. The Writing Life, despite the title, didn’t give me much of that. Three stars.
Everything is beautiful and everything hurts - Josie Shapiro
Borrowed through the Libby app
A surprising page-turner. I saw someone else’s review that said they’d never read a book about long-distance running so quickly before. I have to agree. Kiwi author Josie Shapiro has written a deeply felt coming of age story about a young woman who discovers the therapeutic balm of running. I read this on my iPad in bed and didn’t go to sleep until I’d finished it, which is something I haven’t done for a while. Four stars.
February
I made a decent effort to read this month, but I had so many different books on the go simultaneously that I ended up re-reading some because I couldn’t remember what I’d already covered. That definitely slowed things down. Here are the (dwindling) stats from Feb:
I read 3 x non-fiction books (self-help, financial/memoir, and essays)
Two books got three stars, one book got four stars
Notes on a Nervous Planet - Matt Haig
Borrowed through the Libby app
I generally love Matt Haig’s non-fiction writing. His book Reasons to Stay Alive will probably be on my re-read list every year (surprise, I have depression). In Notes on a Nervous Planet, I liked how Haig combined different types of writing structures, like lists and personal essays, to come at the same topic from different directions. It did make it feel a little hodge-podge though and I struggled to feel like there was a satisfying narrative running through the entire book. Three stars.
I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt - Madeline Pendleton
Borrowed through the Libby app
Once I started this book, I couldn’t wait to keep reading. Part-memoir, part-financial guide, Pendleton alternates her life story, including the tragic death of her partner, with the things she’s learnt about money. She went viral on TikTok last year for her alternative financial takes on running an ethical small business, and after reading this book, I can understand why. Not all of the information that Pendleton shares is applicable to NZ, but it’s definitely one of my top recommends if you want a) a well-written, compelling memoir and b) a practical guide to finances that eschews the status-quo way of doing things while showcasing the dangers of capitalism and offering a kinder alternative. Four stars.
Why I write - George Orwell (Penguin edition)
Borrowed from the library
Written during the Second World War, this thin volume focuses mainly on Orwell’s thoughts around writing for political purposes. It’s detailed, it’s opinionated, and my gosh I hope I can write with the confidence of this particular white man one day. My favourite section was when he discussed his personal motivations for writing, which has actually now made me want to buy a copy of this book. And that’s really saying something; that the quality of Orwell’s writing can still compel me to buy this book despite having to re-read it out loud to myself just to follow the narrative. Three stars.
March
My husband, who I’ll call ‘A’ for lack of anything more creative, showed me a Reddit post the other day about Billy Connolly’s list of the six types of readers. The one type that he feared he had become was The Neurotic Reader, a person who is easily distracted by multiple books, flitting between them and therefore finishing very few. Well, don’t you worry Billy, I’m right there with you. March is clear evidence that while I can feel like I’m reading all the time, I’m not actually completing many books. Two books a month is still good, and honestly, there’s no good or bad amount of books to read. Do you read or do you like reading? Cool, you’re a reader, regardless of your Storygraph stats. However, it doth not shine as bright as the eight books of January.
Here are the March stats:
I read 2 x books in March. Both were non-fiction and about books!
One book got three stars, the other got four.
The Book Lover’s Almanac - Alex Johnson
Borrowed from the library
I love the idea of an almanac - a compendium of important dates and factoids to help guide your life. What’s even better? A book almanac. Unfortunately, this one let me down. It was too full of men and focused way too much on the Western canon. A personal gripe is that it used book facts from fictional stories, TV shows and movies for various dates. It felt like a cop out to be honest. And in case you’re worried that I’ve taken this all too seriously, I am but I’m also laughing while I write this. Go get it out from your local library and have a flick-through if you like. Three stars.
The Geek’s Guide to the Writing Life - Stephanie Vanderslice
Borrowed from the library
Can we just take a moment for the author’s last name - Vanderslice. It sounds like a particularly sinister baked good or a person who’s a riot at parties. This specific Vanderslice however wrote a very good, practical book about the writing life that I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, I thought it was so good, I even wrote her an email to thank her for her dedication to teaching and kindness. It was exactly what I needed at this point in my writing career - some tips and advice from someone who has been there and cares about you having a sustainable writing life. It’s not a long read, which is a bonus. I’ve also added it to my list of books that I want to buy once my No Buy Year has ended. Four stars.
I hope you enjoyed this window into my reading life. If you’d like to lift the curtain to yours a little bit, please let me know if you’ve read any of these books and what you thought. Or is there a book you’ve read this year that you’re like ‘More people need to know about this!’? We could be ‘more people’ - drop a comment and tell us about it. Thanks for being here, it’s actually really nice to be writing again after a decent hiatus. Until next time x
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