The fifteen books that I have read in 2024

I would like to share the books I have read this year with a brief review of each, and would love to hear responses and especially opposing opinions. The list is from most recently finished to oldest. This is very general so as to not give away any spoilers.

1: Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro

In my opinion this is overrated, but consistently makes it to the top of most "Best Books of…" lists. I thought all the dialogue and drama between the children seemed contrived and unnatural. There was nothing special about the prose or language, and I was rather bored for most of the book. I did like the ending as it gave more context and I can see how it would make some people very emotional.

2: A Movable Feast, by Earnest Hemmingway

I love Hemmingway, but when I read this I did not realize that this was non-fiction, but I actually loved it. Hemmingway talks about his interactions in 1920's Paris with other artists and writers, at a time in his life where he had not yet enjoyed much commercial success.

3: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

My favorite book of this year. I absolutely love the language, prose, and the storyline. It's about a girl that grows up in a kind of rough childhood as an orphan and a potential gentleman love interest that she meets, who could be described as unattractive. I read this on Kindle. I have a great vocabulary, but still had to consult the dictionary frequently (and I love this).

4: Atonement, by Ian McEwan

This may be my second favorite book this year. The events of the book span about 60 years. It is about a young, imaginative girl that misinterprets another couple's lovemaking and there are accusations and the effects of this on the family dynamic throughout many years later, including the war. The ending was very well done. I love it when an author can do this. I love when an author can tie up every loose end. I feel praise for this book is well deserved.

5: Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

Most people know the general premise of the story- pirates and treasure. Some parts were entertaining and others didn't hold my interest. Overall, I am glad that I read it.

6: Murder on the Leviathin, by Boris Akunin

The book is written in Russian and translated into English and is part of a series. I did not care for Christie's And Then There Were None, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a murder mystery that in my opinion is much better done than the aformentioned book.

7: Baudolino, by Unberto Eco

I have not read In the Name of the Rose. Baudolino is originally in Italian. Its about a peasant boy adopted by a Roman Emperor and is quite an epic story. Some of the politics and the sacking of cities and stuff had a little trouble drudging through. The second half of the book takes on a little more fantasy elements, which I enjoyed more. It's a longer book, around 600 pages, and it took me two months but I was also reading others at the same time. When I finally finished I was glad I read it. I don't know that I'm in a rush to read his other novel that I mentioned. I suppose you could call this historical fiction, but I don't know enough about this time in history to tell which parts are based on real events.

8: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J R R Tolkien

I have read the series about 4 times in my life and started again. I plan to read The Two Towers later this year. Always fun and an easy read (though I have heard some people say they have trouble with the language). In my opinion this series is the marker by which all other books in this genre are measured. Tolkien was a genius in the same way that others describe Terry Pratchett, though I have not actually read any of his books yet.

9: Salem's Lot, by Stephen King

This was my first King book. I have just started 11/22/63 which was written around 30-35 years later, and I though that the more recent one was more polished. It's about a sleepy Maine town with a vampire problem. I have not yet formed an opinion on King and do not want to do so prematurely. I know he is well loved. This is a long book over 600 pages and found it a very easy read and entertaining, though not the type of book I normally read.

10: Grave Descend, by Michael Crichton

This was an Ebook which was available on Hoopla. I have always found Crichton fun. I don't have much to say about this. It was short, around 120 pages if I recall. I would describe it as unmemorable.

11: The Martian, by Andy Weir

This is an author who is well loved by many and is about an astronaut that is accidentally left behind on Mars, hence "The Martian." Many of the situations were pretty unplausible but somewhat based in science. The book lacks character development, and has a very plain prose, and I was falling asleep by then end. I would say I prefer the movie MUCH more. Sometimes I wonder how a book attains as much success as it does.

12: Notes From the Underground, by Fyodor Dostoevsky

He may be my favorite author. This is a shorter read and requires less commitment than his much longer novels. It is about a lowly ranking public servant Petersburg, Russia, I believe in the late 19th century. The man lives in poor conditions and is looked down upon by his peers. I don't love this nearly as much as his more acclaimed works, but definitely worth the few hours it takes to read.

13: Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton

This is probably the novel I have read the most times in my life, this and LOTR. The Spielberg flick with the same title is based on this. The book is much darker than the film and the characters are different. Spielberg took some liberties for the sake of making it more cinematic. I love everything Crichton and liked the film equally. The book is much more technical and science based than the movie, and in my opinion is MUCH better executed than The Martian.

14: Tender is the Night

I read The Great Gatsby in high school and do not remember much. This novel is somewhat based on Fitzgerald's life. The novel is set in the 1920's and is about a psychiatrist who marries one of his patients and the story centers around their private life as well as their interactions in their circle of friends. The protagonist's alcoholism complicates his life as well as his mentally ill wife. I don't remember Gatsby, but some say that this one is his masterpiece. I listened to part of this as an audiobook (and read at the same time) and though I don't remember the narrator's name, her ability to portray the different accents and speak French added much more to my experience. After reading this I listened to several biographies of his life on YouTube and added more context. Highly recommended.

15: If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, by Italo Calvino

The premise of this book is interesting, and about the reader's experience reading a book and searching for it when it is lost. It is a little difficult to follow with the shifting narrative/perspective. I don't remember it well (maybe because I did not care for it much), but if you enjoy books that are "different," then you may have fun with this one.

So there you have it. I am not as prolific of a reader as some other people, but I also tend to favor longer non-fiction novels, and some days only read 10-20 pages. I think it is hard for someone to argue that they have no time for reading. As I said I welcome discussion.

EDIT: I also DNF'd a book- Deathless, by Catherynne Valente. I only got about 15 or 20% into the book. It is about a young girl who watches her older sisters being married off. The suiters are chicks that fall from trees and morph into young, handsome men and knock on her door. There is of course more which I have forgotten. It adopts fairy tale elements and they may be based off of existing stories. I have not sold or donated the book yet, so perhaps at some time I will give it another go.

I rarely DNF a book. I always do a little research first and read excerpts first. In this case I only read a single sentence comparing it to some other author that I like. This is why I prefer to not go into a book blind. Then, when I read 30 or 40% of a book and decide I don't like it, I feel committed to reading it because of all of the time I spent.