And just like that, 2024 is over. Thank you 2024 for all the memories and the lessons. We’ve successfully completed a 365-day revolution around the sun. As the old adage goes, with every end comes a new beginning. With 2024’s conclusion is the opening of a new door. We are provided with 12 new chapters with 365 blank pages ]upon which to paint new memories. I hope that we will paint these blank canvasses with memories that we will cherish for a lifetime, may it be with the people we love or all by ourselves.

As has been the tradition in the past few years, I will be kicking off the new year by looking back to the previous year, its hits, and of course, its mishits. It is also an opportunity to take a glimpse of how the coming year is going to shape up. This book wrap-up is a part of a mini-series that will feature the following:

  1. 2024 Top 20 Favorite Books
  2. 2024 Book Wrap Up
  3. 2024 Reading Journey by the Numbers
  4. 2024 Most Memorable Book Quotes (Part I)
  5. 2024 Most Memorable Book Quotes (Part II)
  6. 2024 New Favorite Authors
  7. 2024 Beat the Backlist Challenge Wrap-up
  8. 2025 Books I Look Forward To List
  9. 2025 Top 25 Reading List
  10. 2025 Beat the Backlist Challenge

For the third year in a row, I was able to complete at least 100 books. It still feels surreal considering how this has been a lifetime dream of mine. After 2022 – the first year I managed to cross the three-digit mark – I thought I would never be able to replicate the feat. Lo and behold, I was able to achieve the same in 2023, eclipsing my 2022 book tally by almost thirty books. Building on this reading momentum, I once again completed over 100 books in 2024, just one book short of my 2023 total tally. Never in my imagination did I think that I would ever achieve this goal. But I did by my insatiable appetite to explore worlds beyond. I hope I get to sustain or build on this momentum in the coming years.

Of these 129 books, some failed to impress me but several books stood out. The sheer volume of books I read last year made it a challenge to pick out which ones to feature in this 2024 reading wrap-up. Normally, I would feature ten books but because 2024 is a deviation, I will also deviate from my tradition. Instead of ten, I am sharing the twenty books – I shared eighteen for 2023 – that were so stellar that they stood out for me in 2024. Without ado, here are my twenty favorite reads of 2023.

Title: Buddenbrooks
Author: Thomas Mann

It took me years before I finally was able to dip my toes into the oeuvre of one of the most celebrated writers of the early 20th century. In 2023, Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain was part of my 2023 Top Eighteen Favorite Books; it is also one of my all-time favorite reads. In 2024, I included his debut novel, Buddenbrooks, in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. It was without surprise that the book for which Mann earned the Swedish Academy nod become one of my favorite reads of the year. Both books were simply astounding. Inspired by his family’s story, Buddenbrooks is an intimate portrait of the 19th-century Germany bourgeoisie and is a testament to Mann’s enduring talent. It casts a net over a vast territory of subjects that range from personal sacrifices to death, and ultimately decline. It is an intimate family saga, a subtle work of historical fiction, and ultimately a literary classic that transcended time and physical boundaries, catapulting Mann to global recognition and literary immortalization. It is a hallmark of Mann’s literary heritage deserving of all the accolades it has received and a fascinating feat rarely witnessed in the ambit of literature.

Title: The Empusium
Author: Olga Tokarczuk

Speaking of The Magic Mountain, Mann’s fellow Nobel Laureate in Literature Olga Tokarczuk’s most recently published novel, The Empusium, drew inspiration from the book Mann believed should have been cited by the Swedish Academy. The Polish writer, the 2018 Laureate, has certainly earned a fan of me but I was unaware that she was releasing a new work in 2024. When I learned of The Empusium, I simply knew I had to read it. The influences of The Magic Mountain were indelible in the novel but Tokarczuk took over the narrative and made it distinctly her own. The Empusium was brimming with philosophical and intellectual debates about a plethora of subjects ranging from politics to science to the and arts. However, the novel draws strength from its extensive probe into toxic masculinity and patriarchy and how they adversely impact the feminine voice. They and these are among the many horrors that hound the story and society in general. The Empusium is another thought-provoking work from the Nobel Laureate in Literature that underlines how, with each work, Tokarczuk pushes the limits of her writing and storytelling.

Title: Native Son
Author: Richard Wright

One of the books I listed in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List was Richard Wright’s Native Son which I first came across through the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. When I opened the book’s pages, I was unprepared as I had no iota on what the book was about. The introduction written by Arnold Rampersad provided an insight into what the book was about and the concerns it addressed but it barely prepared me for what the book has in store. Nevertheless, despite some graphic scenes, Native Son astounded me. Through the fate of Bigger Thomas, the novel captures the African American experience. The novel captured the impact of racism on both the oppressor and the oppressed wherein both sides cried foul but it was palpable how power, social, political, and economic dynamics tipped heavily toward one side of the spectrum. Racism and discrimination are corrosive elements of modern American society. The social and judicial conditions the novel captured persist in the present – the BLM movement is a manifestation – underlining the relevance of Wright’s magnum opus. Native Son is, without a doubt, a modern literary classic that transcends both time and physical boundaries.

Title: Martyr!
Author: Kaveh Akbar

Before 2024, I had never heard of Iranian American writer Kaveh Akbar who I learned first made waves in literary circles through his poetry. In 2024, he made a shift by publishing his first novel, Martyr!, a book literary pundits were looking forward to, hence, its inclusion in several most anticipated 2024 book releases lists and my own 2024 Top 10 Books I Look Forward To List. Reading the novel, I can understand why the multifaceted and multilayered Martyr! is one of the best debut novels of 2024. Akbar’s debut novel is predicated on death, actual and the yearning for it. It is anchored on finding meaning to define it and, by extension, our injuries, struggles, and sacrifices. Beyond death and grief, the novel tackles biculturalism, racism, sexuality, addiction, identity, and the secrets that permeate families. It is also about love, art, and our propensity to create something that matters. While it is about a plethora of subjects, it is also about mental health. The novel’s wonderful elements, chaotic on the surface, were all capably woven together by Akbar into a lush tapestry. Incorporating humor, wit, and bouts of melodrama, Martyr! is an engaging, thought-provoking, and even entertaining read.

Title: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
Author: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Another book that probes into the contemporary African American condition and experience is Honorée Fanonne Jeffers’s The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. This is the highly-heralded poet’s debut novel which I first encountered shortly after it was released in 2021. It piqued my interest after it was listed by many literary pundits and publications as one of the best reads of the year. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is an ambitious literary masterpiece with a lush ecosystem where the past continuously collides with the present. In looking back to the past and capturing the interior lives of African Americans, Jeffers was able to vividly capture their resilience in light of the changing cultural landscape and historical moments. While it is steeped in history, it was also an evocative coming-of-age story that tackled trauma, abuse, racism, discrimination, and academia. More importantly, the novel is a vivid portrait of modern America. It is a story about love, healing, activism, and inconvenient truths buried by history and memory. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is as ambitious as it is grand, a triumph of literature from a gifted writer. It easily ranks as one of my best reads in 2024 and even all-time.

Title: James
Author: Percival Everett

In 2024, I read more books dealing with the legacy of slavery and the African American experience than usual. Sure, it is a familiar territory but I am always reminded that every voice must be heard, even if the voice is from a literary classic. This is the case for Percival Everett’s latest novel, James. Everett has long piqued my interest so when I learned of his latest book, I added it to my 2024 Top 10 Books I Look Forward To List. Essentially, the novel takes inspiration from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but Everett’s retelling is told from the point of view of Jim, or James, Finn’s companion. Earning Everett’s second longlisting for the prestigious Booker Prize, James is more than just a retelling of a beloved literary classic. It is a multilayered and multifaceted novel that sheds radically new light on a character rarely heard from in the original. In James, the readers are introduced to a psychologically complex character who is imbued with worldly wisdom, compassion, remarkable intelligence, and an indomitable spirit that sees through the indignities of slavery. Everett orchestrates a skillful performance that integrates the emotional, the horrifying, and, at times, even the humorous.

Title: The Three Musketeers
Author: Alexandre Dumas

It has been over a decade since I last read a novel by the celebrated French writer Alexandre Dumas; I read The Count of Monte Cristo in university. I have been meaning to read The Three Musketeers but it took some time before I could obtain a copy of the book. When I finally had a copy of the book I included it on my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. Originally published in French in 1844 as Les Trois Mousquetaires, The Three Musketeers is a riveting story about adventure and the friendship between an unlikely set of characters. Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D’Artagnan have already been immortalized. Their adventures and misadventures, chronicled in this timeless literary classic, have tickled the imaginations of many across generations. However, The Three Musketeers does not reduce itself to a mere story about friendship, adventures, and honor. Dumas skillfully wove into the novel’s lush tapestry germane subjects prevalent during the time. The novel is a scathing critique of the insatiable desire for power and how the caprice of monarchies adversely impacts the lives of ordinary denizens. The Three Musketeers is a literary classic that transcends and will transcend time and physical boundaries.

Title: The Shadow King
Author: Maaza Mengiste

It was during the height of the pandemic that I first encountered Ethiopian writer Maaza Mengiste. Her novel, The Shadow King (2019) was nominated for the 2020 Booker Prize. It was one of the books that immediately piqued my interest. Besides, I can’t say I have read any work written by an Ethiopian writer before. Obtaining a copy of the book, however, proved to be a challenge so when I was able to obtain a copy of Mengiste’s sophomore novel in 2024, I immediately delved into it. The central action of The Shadow King was in the first half of the twentieth century. A young girl named Hirut served as a maid at the house of Kidane and Aster after she was orphaned; Kidane was an important officer in the Ethiopian army. The period was tumultuous, with the Second Italo-Ethiopian War looming. Kidane led the opposition against the Italians but the novel was not his story. It was about the often-forgotten role women played during times of upheaval; Hirut and Aster tended to the wounded soldiers. History has shown how women’s heroics were overshadowed by men. The Shadow King, overall, an engaging story that gave voice to heroes rather to heroines whose voices are often muted by history.

Title: The Covenant of Water
Author: Abraham Verghese

One of the novels I included in my 2023 Top Ten Books I Loook Forward To List was Abraham Versghese’s sophomore novel, The Covenant of Water. Acquiring a copy of the book, however, was a challenge but once I was able to obtain a copy of it, I immersed myself in it without further ado. The Covenant of Water is a towering literary accomplishment that soars with its vast coverage. It is a family saga with a “condition” as its primary driver. Spanning seven decades, the novel casts a wide net over a plethora of subjects. In its distinct way, the novel was a window into the beauty of India, its colorful history, and the diversity of its people and culture. Its practices and traditions were woven into the novel’s rich tapestry. The social upheavals that riddled modern Indian history formed an evocative backdrop for the story. In its panoramic scope, the novel soars, further complemented by the indomitable human spirit and the uncertainties of life. Despite the trials, we find strength in the connections we establish with those around us, those with whom we have shared experiences. The Covenant of Water is the history of a family and of a country both unraveling at the turn of the century. 

Title: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
Author: James McBride

Before 2023, I had never come across James McBride. Several literary publications listed his latest novel, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store as one of the best books of 2023. All of these were factors in my curiosity about the book. While I initially found the book’s title arbitrary, I soon learned that it belied a complex novel resonating with deep messages. With its vast cast of characters, Chicken Hill where the novel was set was a kaleidoscope with the titular Heaven & Earth Grocery Store as its focal point. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store explores the fault lines that lie underneath the community, including internalized and systemic racism, discrimination, sexual abuse, predatory behaviors, and even corruption. However, it is also a community that comes together amidst this darkness. Shining through are stories of love, kindness, social justice, and resilience. McBride’s dexterous writing vividly painted a tightly-knit community despite the dichotomies. With its brilliant masterstrokes that integrate social injustices, history, and elements of mystery with the resilience of the human spirit, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is an excellent and heartwarming story that restores our faith in humanity. 

Title: A Fine Balance
Author: Rohinton Mistry

It was must-read lists and the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die that introduced me to Indian-born Canadian writer Rohinton Mistry. His sophomore novel, A Fine Balance, was a prominent presence in such lists. When I came across a copy of the book, I made it part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. A Fine Balance naturally flows, complimented by Mistry’s storytelling and writing. In this lush tapestry that casts a net over a vast territory, Mistry probed into one of the most tumultuous periods in modern Indian history. The Emergency incited suppression of rights and the harassment of the lower classes and castes. It was a challenging time but despite the adversities, the novel’s characters showed indomitable courage in wading through the sea of changes. Brought together by circumstances, they thrived in their makeshift family setup. Amid the despair, losses, heartbreaks, and defeats handed to them, they were able to find connection and ultimately hope. Multilayered, and complex, A Fine Balance vividly captures the resilience of the human spirit. There were no regrets in including the book to my 2024 Top 24 Reading List.

Title: Beartown Trilogy (Beartown, Us Against You, and The Winners)
Author: Fredrik Backman

Ironically, I was initially ambivalent about exploring the oeuvre of Swedish writer Fredrik Backman. However, once I was able to hurdle this ambivalence brought about by the immense popularity of A Man Called Ove – I am not one to immediately jump on the bandwagon – Backman instantly became one of my favorite writers. In 2024, I read the entire Beartown Trilogy. On the surface, the trilogy projects to be a sporting novel. At its heart is Beartown, a gradually declining Swedish community on the hinterlands that was slowly finding rejuvenation in the recent success of its junior ice hockey team. This momentum, however, was stymied by a scandal involving the team’s star player. What ensued was an extensive probe into small-town life. The faultlines that lay underneath, the ones that the denizens refused to talk about or merely dismissed, were exposed by this scandal. Will the community be able to rally? Losses and triumphs permeated the story. The characters and the community were continually evolving as each layer was unpeeled. The trilogy reiterated why Backman is one of my favorite writers. His understanding of human psychology and behavior, from the mundane to the complex made the trilogy work.

Title: Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop
Author: Hwang Bo-Reum

Imagine quitting from your job to pursue your passion. With the toxicity that permeates the workplace and life in general, there is a steady shift in the paradigm. This was the core of the concern of Yeongju, the main character in Hwang Bo-Reum’s debut novel, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop; interestingly, Hwang is a software engineer who quit her job to pursue a career as a full-time writer. Hwang’s debut novel was heartwarming as Yeongju opens the titular bookshop. A passion project, she slowly found herself immersed in the heartbeat of the community. She was slowly picking up the pieces after her life was shattered by her conformity to the expectations of society. The novel was riddled with various facets of Korean culture such as patriarchal nature of Korean society where men make the ultimate decision. Children are expected to conform to a stringent set of rules. A premium is placed on educational achievements and successful work while mental stability is shrugged off. This results in a rat race where, sometimes, the pressure can build up. It is no wonder that the word burnout has become ubiquitous. The titular bookshop provides a reprieve from this quotidian existence. 

Title: The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Author: Haruki Murakami

In 2023, I was greeted by the news of a new Haruki Murakami novel. I was more than excited because it has been some time since the highly-touted Japanese writer released a new novel. Interestingly, when the Japanese title – 街とその不確かな壁 – was released last year, I was in Japan, the first time I visited the Land of the Rising Sun. In 2024, its English translation was finally released and I resolved to read it before the year ended. The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a return to the fabled world of the Murakami lore. The story is narrated by an anonymous male character (no surprises). When the story commences, he is seventeen and has recently fallen in love with a sixteen-year-old girl after they both won an essay writing contest. It is at this juncture that the story gets more interesting. The girl cannot reciprocate his feelings because her true self is residing in a city beyond a wall. From the fragments of their imagination, they created a vision and a map of the city, the details of which were written down by the boy. The city where her real self lives was surrounded by a wall, hence, the title. The novel immediately reminded me of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and the Aferwords acknowledged this. The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a paean to writing, books, and libraries. It was not always easy deciphering the story but Murakami did what he does best, stringing you along for the ride.

Title: The Women
Author: Kristin Hannah

Honestly, I was not impressed with the first Hannah novel I read, On Mystic Lake. Her works have since tickled the imagination of many readers, making me reevaluate my own. The Four Winds captivated me, bringing me to her latest novel, The Women. Like the first two Hannah novels I read, The Women is a work of historical fiction which, on the surface, is a novel about women However, on the grander scale, it is a story that reclaims the narrative. It dispels the conventional story of heroism that is often attached to men. Women can be heroes. Indeed, history has shown that women are more than capable. However, their contributions and heroic deeds are overshadowed by the heroic deeds of men. Worse, their voices are muted and written out of history. Hannah’s novel is a reminder that women are capable of displaying indomitable courage amid strife. The novel was also a lacerating probe into the complicity of the United States in the Vietnam War, capturing what happened both on the battlefield and after the war. The Women’s heart and center is the resilience of the human spirit and the women whose sacrifices often go unheard.

Title: Vagabonds!
Author: Eloghosa Osunde

Before 2022, I had never heard of the Nigerian writer nor had I encountered any of their – it seems that they are binary as the pronoun they use on their official site is they and their – works. It was during one of my random excursions to the local bookstore that I first came across them. Their debut novel, Vagabonds! immediately piqued my interest. In their debut novel, Osunde crafted a compelling story that transported the readers into the underbelly of a megacity teeming with life. Queerness was at the core of the story but it was also a scathing social and political commentary that probed into the maladies that keep Nigeria shackled to the ground. It was brimming with dark subjects ranging from murder, cannibalism, assault, transphobia, homophobia, violence, and even suicide. Political and moral corruption was a recurring theme as well. But despite all of these weighing heavily on the shoulders of the characters and of Lagos as a whole, healing is possible through love and acceptance which comes both from within ourselves and from those surrounding us. Vagabonds! is a searing debut that pays homage to people who society has tagged as outsiders. They matter and their stories deserve to be heard.

Title: A Book of Memories
Author: Péter Nádas

It was during the leadup to the announcement of the recipient of the 2018/2019 Nobel Prize in Literature that I first came across Peter Nádas. The Hungarian writer among the names that immediately piqued my interest. Unfortunately, he was not awarded the prestigious literary award but the mere mention of his name in the discourse was more than enough to convince me to include his works in my reading list. His novel Parallel Stories was the 700th novel I read. It was also one of the longest. Four years later, I made A Book of Memories part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. In a way, these two books several parallels. Both stories started in Berlin; since the 1970s, Nádas spent more time in the German capital where he attended lectures. A Book of Memories, which Susan Sontag called the “greatest novel written in our time,” uses three narrators to convey the story of a young unnamed Hungarian writer tormented by his past; the book’s title is a palpable reference to this. Their accounts, however, were contradicting which made the story compelling although it can be quite a rollercoaster ride. A Book of Memories is as complex as Parallel Stories but I find the former more organized.

Title: Mansfield Park
Author: Jane Austen

There are still some books by Jane Austen I have yet to read. One of them was Mansfield Park which, when I obtained it, I read without ado. Besides, it has almost been two years since I read Northanger Abbey, the last Austen novel I read. The titular Mansfield Park is a vast estate owned by the affluent Sir Thomas and Lady Maria Bertram. The couple had four children: Tom, Edmund, Maria, and Julia. However, it was Lady Bertram’s niece, Fanny Price, who was the heart of the novel. Fanny was born to an impoverished family, prompting her two aunts to foster her. Unaccustomed to ostentatious display of opulence, Fanny was initially intimidated by Mansfield Park. Her cousins also gave her a lukewarm reception. She did, however, find camaraderie in Edmund. Fanny eventually gets over her intimidation and even becomes Lady Bertram’s companion. Morality is a seminal element of the story, as is Fanny’s coming-of-age and romance. The values of rural communities surface as the story moves forward. Fanny, like most Austen characters, is a spectator and observer as these rural values, including family values, interplay. This is always a fascinating facet of Austen’s works. Simply put. Jane Austen is Jane Austen.

Title: Devils
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky

One of the reasons why Russian literature has earned a place in my heart is Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of the most celebrated writers in the ambit of Russian, if not world literature. However, it has been some time since I read my last Dostoevsky; 2018 in fact. When I had the opportunity to read some of his works – I also read Poor People in 2024 – I grabbed the opportunity. Devils is an extraordinary achievement of literature. It is a scathing response to the rising revolutionary movement, an extensive examination of the consequences of radicalism. The novel probes into these different and clashing political ideologies. The reality that would materialize after the book’s publication would establish Dostoyevsky’s reputation as a political prophet. In this aspect, the novel is a cautionary tale that resonate globally. Beyond its political overtones, Devils was also an examination of the waning Russian spirit. Dostoyevsky attributed the declining Russian spirit to the rise of radicalism exacerbated by the rejection of religion. In a nutshell, Devils is a complex work that highlights everything great about Dostoyevsky’s prose. It encapsulates Dostoyevsky’s literary legacy, consolidating his place among the literary greats. For sure, Devils belongs to the vaunted halls of literary classics.

Title: Cities of Salt
Author: Abdelrahman Munif

One of the 24 book I included in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List was Abdelrahman Munif’s Cities of Salt. This was despite not having any iota on what the book was about; I have not encountered Munif before either. Regardless, I was looking forward to discovering a new-to-me writer. First published in Arabic in 1984, as مدن الملح (Mudun al-Milḥ), it is the first book of a quintet. The novel transports readers to an oasis called Wadi Al-Uyoun situated in an unnamed country on the Persian Gulf. The village was home to the Atoub tribe and was helmed by Miteb Al-Hathal. The story’s main plot driver was the discovery of oil in the region in the early 20th century. This discovery disrupted the oasis’s harmony. With the discovery of oil came American interest; Munif vividly captured their entry into the Arabian countries. The villagers were bewildered by their presence which slowly turned from temporary to permanent. The villagers were curious about their machinery but also saw it as an ominous sign. Over the coming years, we read how the discovery of oil altered the village and in its stead, an urban center called Harran rose. But more than the discovery of oil, Munif explores how the Americans’ presence altered the landscape of Wadi Al-Uyoun and its neighboring towns, how modernization dismantled tradition, and the prominent role of politics and lobbying. Overall, Cities of Salt is an insightful and vivid story steeped in history.

Here are the runners-up who nearly made the cut; there were just too many amazing reads in 2024.