willoyd Posted December 31, 2024 Posted December 31, 2024 This has been a bit of a tradition on this board and, whilst the response was not exactly overwhelming last year, I thought it worthwhile to try and sustain it. I enjoy doing this anyway! So here is the annual opportunity for you to highlight your favourite reads of the year. Listed below are just the 'standard' awards, copied almost exactly from previous years - with one or two tweaks. Please feel free to add any others that you want (I have a few of my own), and equally feel free to ignore any that aren't relevant to you. I'm preparing my list! So - Members of the Forum - without further ado, please tell us: Your favourite book cover of 2024. Your favourite publisher of 2024. Your favourite book shop/retailer of 2024. Your favourite literary podcast of 2024. Your audiobook recommendation of 2024. Your most read author of 2024. Your recommended re-read of 2024. Your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2024 (my 'Duffer of the Year'). The book you most wanted to read in 2024 but never actually got around to. Your biggest literary let-down of 2024 (my 'Biggest Disappointment of the Year). Your discovery of the year (book, author, genre, publisher etc) Your favourite illustrated book of 2024. Your children's book recommendation of 2024. Your recommended classic of 2024. Your favourite short story (or collection) of 2024. Your favourite literary character of 2024. Your poetry recommendation of 2024. Your favourite genre of 2024 (you can invent your own!). The funniest book you read in 2024. Your favourite biography/memoir of 2024. Your non-fiction recommendation of 2024. Your fiction book of the year 2024. Your author of the year for 2024. Your overall book of the year, 2024. The small print (some repetition here!): Please don't just make this a list - although that's better than nothing! A word of explanation/background so adds to this. Tell us what you really think about the books you have read. If there is a section you don't have a reply for, just skip it. Books don't have to have been published in 2023 to make it onto your list, you just have to have read them this year. Feel free to add your own categories, if you feel something has been missed. 1 Quote
lunababymoonchild Posted December 31, 2024 Posted December 31, 2024 Alright then I'll have a go. Your favourite book shop/retailer of 2024. Amazon. I use Amazon the most and it rarely lets me down Your most read author of 2024. In equal first place with six reads each Shauna Lawless and Ann Cleeves Your recommended re-read of 2024. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens. The only re-read this year but why would it not win? Your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2024 (my 'Duffer of the Year'). Dead Meat, Day 0, Nick Clausen. A short story which is why I managed to finish it. It's a zombie apocalypse type story which I got for free and has continuation errors in it which got on my nerves so I didn't pursue the rest of them, which were available on Amazon for 99p for the 8 of them ('nuff said). The book you most wanted to read in 2024 but never actually got around to. Dante's Circles of Hell Your discovery of the year (book, author, genre, publisher etc) Shauna Lawless, superb author of stories based on her native Irish myths and legends and I just can't get enough Your favourite illustrated book of 2024. Julie Peters, The Full Moon Year Book. Big Glossy coffee table type book in full colour explaining the moon in every month and giving it's various names by different cultures. Your children's book recommendation of 2024. Ursula Le Guin, Earthsea Books. The only children's book I've read this year and I've yet to finish book two the Tombs of Atuan but it's superb. Your recommended classic of 2024. Charle Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Bound to win that one every time. Your favourite short story (or collection) of 2024. I read a lot of short stories this year and enjoyed every single one of them, except the Zombie apocalypse Dead Meat, so sorting out a favourite is going to be tough but it would need to be Shauna Lawless,The Last Pysker. A Science fiction short story about troops in battle and a soldier who was psychic. Did have an effect and I still wish that it was longer because I was thoroughly involved in the story. Your favourite literary character of 2024. Karleth, Psyker in the Last Pysker by Shauna Lawless and psychic. Wouldn't like to be psychic myself but this story was totally real to me. Your poetry recommendation of 2024. A Poem For Every Day of Christmas as edited by Allie Esiri. Excellent collection of festive poetry, I managed to read one every day and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Highly recommended Your favourite genre of 2024 (you can invent your own!). If I have to narrow it down I'd say it's still Victorian Gothic. Your favourite biography/memoir of 2024. Another difficult one even although I only read two biographies this year. Jeanneatte Winterson, Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? What an upbringing! Your non-fiction recommendation of 2024. Another tough choice from the very few non-fiction that I read this year. I think I'd like to nominate Angela Chen, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society and the Meaning of Sex for this one. I learned a lot and the information was presented in an informal but not too informal way with plenty of examples. Fascinating and recommended. Your fiction book of the year 2024. Even harder because there's a larger choice and I just don't finish anything that I don't enjoy. It would have to be the epic The Passage by Justin Cronin, a vampire novel of more than 900 pages and painted vampires in a totally different and unexpected way. An apocalypse novel and highly recommended - but read it on e-book! Your author of the year for 2024. Shauna Lawless, I just can't get enough of her. Your overall book of the year, 2024. Oh, this is sooo hard! What do I choose? There have been so many excellent books that have had a very good effect on me this year, how do I single out just one? I'll go for Sarah Pinborough, Behind Her Eyes. Surprised the livin' daylights out of me right at the end and shook me to the very core. Excellent writing and keeping the twist in the end totally unpredictable was absolutely genius and delicious. I'd like to add : Your Honourable Mentions of 2024 (Just because they weren't mentioned doesn't mean that they were not worthy) Mine are : Cormac McCarthy for Child of God - what an author! C S Robertson for The Trials of Marjory Crowe - what a story! Lee Child for his Jack Reacher character and surprising me by not being as rubbish an author as I thought he would be. To everybody that made it on to my reading list : "thank you very much for the entertainment, you made a very difficult year worthwhile" Quote
Hux Posted December 31, 2024 Posted December 31, 2024 (edited) Your favourite book cover of 2024. Probably The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt Your most read author of 2024. I think deWitt, Houellebecq, and Simenon all had two entries this year. Your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2024 (my 'Duffer of the Year'). Eileen by Moshfegh and Study for Obedeince by Bernstein. The book you most wanted to read in 2024 but never actually got around to. 1982 Janine by Alasdair Gray (Will be my first book of 2025). Your biggest literary let-down of 2024 (my 'Biggest Disappointment of the Year). Under the Volcano by Lowry and Concrete by Berhard. Your discovery of the year (book, author, genre, publisher etc) Dissipation HG - Guido Morselli The Book of Lies Trilogy - Agota Kristof I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacquiline Harpman Your recommended classic of 2024. The Red and the Black - Stendhal Your favourite literary character of 2024. Frank Freidmaier - The Snow Was Dirty Your fiction book of the year 2024. I Who Have Never Known Men Your author of the year for 2024. Agota Kristof Your overall book of the year, 2024 I Who Have Never Known Men Surprise of the year Children Crossing by Verity Bargate Edited December 31, 2024 by Hux Quote
France Posted January 1 Posted January 1 Your favourite book cover of 2024. I read a lot on my Kobo through necessity so don't get to see many covers in colour. This cover drew me in instantly when I was scouring Amazon for books to fill a gft certificate. Your favourite book shop/retailer of 2024. Has to be Rakutan for books for my Kobo though in real life Gagliani in Paris. Your audiobook recommendation of 2024. Still Life by Sarah Winman, wonderful story and beautifully read by the author (who is an actress) Your most read author of 2024. Mick Herron - all 8 of his Slough House series plus a couple of stand-alones. Your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2024 (my 'Duffer of the Year'). One Day by Abigail Dean Your biggest literary let-down of 2024 (my 'Biggest Disappointment of the Year). The Mars House by Natasha Pulley - I was so looking forward to this and goodness it's dreadful Your discovery of the year (book, author, genre, publisher etc) Mick Herron Your children's book recommendation of 2024. My 2 year old grandson adores this. Your fiction book of the year 2024. Impossible to say! In no particular order some of the books I most enjyed were: Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros The Bookselller of Inverness - S J Maclean Tom Lake - Ann Patchett The Offing - Benjamin Myers Quote
willoyd Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 (edited) Some really interesting entries so far. Have to agree about the book covers to date - I even bought the Sara Brooks (a local writer) after I'd picked up the cover as it so rapidly attracted me! I'd better add my contribution pronto! Your favourite book cover of 2024: Pearl by Sian Hughes. I'll get an image up asap. Simple, almost simplistic, but covers so much of what the story is about. It was also a cut above the average paperback in terms of production values, with thicker card and, joy of joys, French flaps!. Just works. Your favourite publisher of 2024: Chacos Press An Edinburgh based indie, specialising in Latin American authors. The books of theirs I've read to date have all been excellent, and I like their production values too. I've bought a fistful of their books in their Autumn sale, and am looking forward to exploring further this year. Your favourite book shop/retailer of 2024: The Bookshop on the Square in Otley Fourth year in a row now, but I love their friendliness, the book club, the quality of service etc etc. This year's runner-up (I feel a need to mention somebody else to ring the changes here!) is the bookshop at Salt's Mill in Saltair, Bradford. Their range is always interesting, and I like the way they display their books - makes browsing a real pleasure. Your favourite literary podcast of 2024: Book Club Review The one I listen to most regularly, covering a really interesting range of books, and isn't afraid to express dislike (too many just gush). They are, though, very enthusiastic, generally well-informed, and a very easy listen. They are also very listener friendly and an excellent source of ideas! Your audiobook recommendation of 2024. None listened to this year. Your most read author of 2024: Benjamin Myers, Richmal Crompton, Deborah Levy and Patrick Modiano.. I don't tend to read mutliple books by an author in swift succession, so these four top the list with just 2 books each read. Of those, both Cromptons were disappointing and I won't be reading more (at least of her adult output), whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the other three. However, all their books were quite slim, and the most pages/words I've read must be from James Joyce (Ulysses). Your recommended re-read of 2024: A Point of View by Lisa Jardine. A collection of essays based on her talks on the BBC Radio 4 programme. Almost 20 years old, but still so topical. Beautifully constructed, and a joy to listen to, these essays rise head and shoulders above the current output - nobody quite touches the standards she and Clive James achieved, with the exception (all too rarely on the programme) of Sarah Dunant. Much missed. Your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2024 (my 'Duffer of the Year'): Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson. Her most recent collection of short stories. A complete mess. I enjoyed some of her early work, but after several 'failures' (she's as popular as ever it seems), have decided to part company once and for all. Read for one of my book groups, where the general consensus was that this was underwhelming. The book you most wanted to read in 2024 but never actually got around to: The Burgundians by Bart van Loo. A Christmas present from my wife, which I started, thoroughly enjoyed as far as I got, but had to put down for a while and never picked up again - it was always going to be the next one, but never was. High on my list for this year. The promising feature is that last year's nomination was Ulysses, which I actually did get around to reading this year! Your biggest literary let-down of 2024 (my 'Biggest Disappointment of the Year'): Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. This wasn't a bad read by any means - actually quite enjoyed it for most of the book, but never quite understood why it was short-listed for the Booker, and ultimately it proved to be a disappointingly damp squib. Just not in the same league of the others of those I read. Your discovery of the year (book, author, genre, publisher etc): Patrick Modiano I could have easily put Chacos Press here, but as they have already won one award, I'll award this one differently. Coming home late on the rails, Modiano was mentioned in a book group read in November and recommended by a member of the group. Whilst that read was on my shortlist for Duffer of the Year, I was intrigued enough to follow up, and am so glad I did. Some superbly atmospheric writing and intricate novels based around characters' search for identity. Thoughtful, redolent of the best black and white films, all shadow and light. Loved both books I read, and have others lined up. Your favourite illustrated book of 2024: A Passage to India by EM Forster. My first book of the year! Read it in the Folio Society edition with lithographs by Glynn Boyd Harte. The slightly blurry images he created seemed to match the hazy, almost steamy, atmosphere of the book's setting, and the intense heat of the events. I thought they matched Forster's style really well. Your children's book recommendation of 2024: Paddington Abroad by Michael Bond. My only children's book of the year, but would be a contender however many others I read. Still find Paddington funny, and try and make a point of reading at least one of his books at Christmas. Your recommended classic of 2024: Ulysses by James Joyce. Whichever way round I play this, this book will win 2 awards, so might as well go the whole hog. It has to be Joyce. Just brilliant. See later for the full blurb! Your favourite short story (or collection) of 2024: Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton. I'm going to cheat on this one. Aside from my 'duffer' above, the only other collection of fiction short stories was Alice Munro's Runaway. The problem is, I'm not at heart a short story reader, so I'm almost certainly not a fair judge, but I can't say that she ovewhelmed me, in spite of her reputation (now, if it was Mansfield....!). So, I'm going to go for the non-fiction version of the short story, ie essays. And there were several excellent collections, but the best non-reread (otherwise Jardine would be a serious contender) was clearly the Carol Atherton. A superb balance of literary criticism, discussion educational values and insight into the world of secondary teaching. Compulsive reading. Your favourite literary character of 2024. Two immediate stand outs for me, so a joint award. Well, the Oscars allow for best male and female actors! Uncle Toby in Tristram Shandy - one of the nicest, gentlest men in literary fiction, Janine Duszejko from Olga Tokarczuk's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, one of the most irascible 'heroines' I've come across, but i found myself rooting for her! Your poetry recommendation of 2024: Autumn Journal by Louis Macniece. Not read much this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed this slim volume and its reflections on pre-war Britain. Thought provoking and atmospheric. An impulse buy at Salt's Mill bookshop (good for poetry), and worth it. Your favourite genre of 2024 (you can invent your own!): Books in translation. Just revealing a whole side of literature I haven't encountered before, and producing book after book of gripping reading. The funniest book you read in 2024.: Paddington Abroad again. I'm not generally into 'funny' books, but this is so ridiculous and good-hearted, I can't help but laugh. Your favourite biography/memoir of 2024. The Marriage Question by Claire Carlisle Biographical treatment of George Eliot's relationship with George Lewis. Fascinating and sympathetic wihout being hagiographic. I thoroughy enjoyed it, and learned a lot too! Your non-fiction recommendation of 2024. Thunderclap by Laura Cumming Just pipping the Carol Atherton above. Brilliant memoir/discussion of Dutch art. Sounds potentially a bit dry and worthy, but this was beautifully written and utterly unputdownable. Read whilst in Edinburgh (where Cumming and her father - part subject of this book - came from, and where I was able to see one or two of the paintings discussed). On Chapel Sands, her previous book, was good, but this was another step upwards. Your fiction book of the year 2024: Orbital by Samantha Harvey Taking this to be contemporary fiction. I read this a few weeks before the Booker, and was rooting for it on the night. A rare occasion where I actually agreed with the judges! Superb, slim, lyrical, powerful and thought provoking. One to reread very soon (actually, I will, as one of my book groups has it scheduled for February - looking forward to it!)/. Your author of the year for 2024: Deborah Levy (putting aside those listed above, but she'd be up there anyway) Another author who I 'discovered' this year, and who I'm enjoying getting to know. Read both August Blue and the first book in her 3-volume memoir. So lean in her writing, but so to the point. Another who makes compulsive reading. Picked up her latest collection of essays in the Waterstone's half-price sale, so am expecting to carry on where I left off in December! Your overall book of the year, 2024. It just has to be Ulysses. Utterly dominated my spring and later summer reading (split into two parts). Yes, a huge and difficult read, and I was very glad of Patrick Chambers's excellent guide, but massively rewarding. I totally get why many regard this as the greatest novel ever, and it goes straight into my top half dozen books. The Molly Bloom soliloquy at the end was one of the most addictive pieces of writing I've ever encountered - just washes over, immerses and revives you (the two previous sections are pretty tiring!). Just going to have to reread this soon ,perhaps in smaller chunks. Can feel a trip to Dublin coming on! I hope/intend to read Brenda Maddox's biography of Norah Joyce some time early this year - have it out of the library. My own personal award: Best book in translation: Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro. Worthy of their own category as they now take up a significant proportion of my reading (about one third). A very close contender for fiction, this was a surprise read right at the end of the year. Superficially a quirky crime novel, it proved to be so much more with a huge kick to it. One of those books where when you get to the end, you just have to sit back and breath out slowly and carefully! Can't remember when I was so set back on my heels by a book. Loved it! Edited January 6 by willoyd Quote
Brian. Posted January 7 Posted January 7 I love it when this thread comes around at the end of the year, it makes for fascinating reading. Your favourite book cover of 2024. Most of the books I read in 2024 had rather boring covers. I have noticed in recent years that cover design seems to follow whatever books have been successful in the previous year. This is especially true of crime fiction and as a result they all look kind of similar. Your favourite publisher of 2024. Probably Penguin. I own an ever increasing collection of their classics and modern classics. I am a bit miffed that they have slightly changed to design of the classics covers so they don't look uniform on my bookcase. It shouldn't annoy me as much as it does and I have no idea why they decided to change it as I think the previous classic design was....... well, classic. Your favourite book shop/retailer of 2024. I am lucky to have 2 very good book shops in my town. We have a Waterstones that is staffed by some great people who really do know their books. The regularly make recommendations based on what I am buying and they have yet to recommend a dud. The other is an independent second hand book shop called The Eagle Bookshop. It is an Aladdin's cave with book of every type and age. I can easily spend hours in there just poking through the shelves to see what they have. The also have an in-house bookbinder. Your audiobook recommendation of 2024. Easy one, Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing. It is narrated by the authors and at times goes off on a tangent but had me laughing on a regular basis. This book is a little more about fishing than the TV series but their warmth and love for each other still comes across in spades. The TV is often described as 'comfort TV' and the audiobook is definitely a 'comfort book'. Your most read author of 2024. Its a tie between Antony Beevor and Terry Pratchett with 2 books each. Unless I am specifically working through a large series I tend to jump around a lot with what I read. It doesn't surprise me to have only read the same author twice in a year. Your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2024 (my 'Duffer of the Year'). The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi. The title and synopsis promises a lot but it really falls flat. Despite being written by a Japanese author the main focus of the book is Alderian philosophy/psychology. One of the main points of the book is that people are not unhappy, they choose to be unhappy and they can change that by changing the way they think. On some level this can be true but it is prsented in a very victim blaming kind of way. Some people are understandable and justifiably unhappy, they can hardly be blamed for that. The book you most wanted to read in 2024 but never actually got around to. Two books, Anna Karenina, and The Brothers Karamazov. They are on my list to get round to again this year so lets hope that I actually manage it this time around. I like both authors but the sheer size of the books puts me off for some reason. I am getting better at reading the bigger books but I am still intimidated by large works of classic fiction. Your biggest literary let-down of 2024 (my 'Biggest Disappointment of the Year). Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck. I have a bit of an obsession with the Cold War, especially during the 80's. Although this isn't a Cold War book it is set in Berlin the 1980's so should appeal to me in a big way. The problem is that nothing happens in this book and the writing isn't good enough to get away with a lacklustre plot. I didn't like any of the characters in any way. A real let-down. Your discovery of the year (book, author, genre, publisher etc) It is a book, In the Cannon's Mouth by P.J. Campbell. I was chatting to a guy at work about war history and was lamenting the fact that my knowledge of the First World ar is very lacking compared to the second. We didn't cover it at my school and there are far less books about the First World ar compared to the vast amount about the Second World War. He mentioned he had a few books and would lend me one, that book was In the Cannon's Mouth by P.J. Campbell. The book is a memoir written by a young man who was in charge of running an artillery battery. It is sad that this book isn't more widely known about as it is fantastic account of how everyday people felt when thrown into a horrific war of attrition. Your recommended classic of 2024. Looking through the list of books I read in 2024 the only classic I read was Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame which I enjoyed but didn't love. One thing I want to change in 2025 is to read more classics as I had no idea I had been so slack with them in 2024 Your favourite literary character of 2024. Tom Ripley. He is a complete shhhhhhh but so magnetic at the same time. Usually I want the villians to be caught when reading a book but somehow I was usually rooting for Ripley, I'm not sure what that says about me. Your favourite genre of 2024 (you can invent your own!). History. I never enjoyed history at school but that was because we had the dullest teacher in the world. I've been trying to make up for lost time ever since I got back into reading in my early adulthood. The only period of history I don't really got on with is the Plantagenet era, far too many important people to keep track. The funniest book you read in 2024. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett. It is laced with humour and I just love Cohen the Barbarian and Bethan. Your favourite biography/memoir of 2024. Hitler: A Biography by Ian Kershaw. I felt like this was a must-read after reading the mammoth Churchill by Andrew Roberts 2 years ago. This goes into almost as much depth but Roberts is very clear that a lot of what we know about Hitler comes from second hand sources. This is incredibly well researched and written. I doesn't quite reach the heights of Churchill but that is probably down to the lack of available reliable sources rather than the writing. Your non-fiction recommendation of 2024. In the Cannon's Mouth by P.J. Campbell for the reasons previously mentioned. Your fiction book of the year 2024. I read plenty of 4/5 books in 2004 but only one fiction book that I rated 5/5, Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan. This book follows a group of friends and spans two time periods 1986 and 2017. The early years follow their love of music and a trip to another city to go to a much anticipated music festival. Fast-forward to 2017 and people have drifted away and things are very different. Then one of the characters gets a call which brings back a lot of memories and rekindles a relationship. I really liked this book as the early years has some mirrors with my experiences growing up. It captures the time perfectly and then the jump forward to 2017 covers some topics which again I have had personal experience of. I was surprised at just how much I liked this book. Your author of the year for 2024. I can't pick one. Your overall book of the year, 2024. This comes as a bit of a surprise to me but once again, In the Cannon's Mouth by P.J. Campbell. Quote
willoyd Posted 6 hours ago Author Posted 6 hours ago (edited) On 1/7/2025 at 3:34 PM, Brian. said: Your biggest literary let-down of 2024 (my 'Biggest Disappointment of the Year). Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck. I have a bit of an obsession with the Cold War, especially during the 80's. Although this isn't a Cold War book it is set in Berlin the 1980's so should appeal to me in a big way. The problem is that nothing happens in this book and the writing isn't good enough to get away with a lacklustre plot. I didn't like any of the characters in any way. A real let-down. Gosh. I came so close to making Kairos my biggest let-down too. I think the only reason I didn't is that, whilst I expected the Kushner to be 'good', I didn't have such quite strong expectations of this, even though it won the Booker International. But I do so agree with your assessment. Creation Lake just scraped a 3-star read, Kairos was a nailed on 2 stars. Interesting to read your assessment of Hitler too - a book that has sat on my shelves unread for too long! Edited 6 hours ago by willoyd Quote
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