Favorite Books of 2024
Happy New Year, Friends!
I chose the painting above to illustrate this post because it perfectly captures the sort of reading year 2024 was for me; in a word, distracted. While I read roughly as many books as usual (about 30, give or take), most of those were concentrated in the early months of the year. In August, I went back to work teaching full time at a school an hour’s drive away, and my reading dropped off precipitously. Nevertheless, I wanted to share some of my favorites here.
Favorite Fiction
Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin
This is a novel so sweeping that I can’t begin to summarize it. It’s the story of a remarkable life, in the spirit of, say David Copperfield, Kristin Lavransdatter, or Les Miserables, but it’s particular in its medieval Russian setting. Love, grace, and atonement are all themes. I definitely want to read more by Vodolazkin.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
I inhaled this book at a lake in New Hampshire at the end of the summer, which was just about the perfect time and place to read it. A much easier read than Laurus, but no less stirring in its themes of motherhood, regret, and the stories we tell our children.
Favorite Nonfiction
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
A friend from Nashville sent me this book from Ann Patchett’s Parnassus Books, so I was bound to love it from the start! I’d recommend reading Renkl’s reflections on the life she observes in her backyard throughout the seasons slowly; I read one chapter a week for the entire year so that I was actually living each season Renkl describes in such loving and beautiful detail.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
This book is an unflinching look at what we already know but would prefer to ignore: That the advent of smartphones and social media is rewiring our children’s minds and leading to increased anxiety and isolation. It’s such an important read for any parent or educator, but it’s also hopeful and practical.
Favorite Religious/Spiritual Books
Reasons to Believe by Scott Hahn
One of the most important (and unexpected!) things that happened in our family this year was that we joined the Catholic Church. That’s a long and complicated story that deserves its own post at some point. But it involved a LOT of reading, and this clear and cogent book by Scott Hahn played a major role in my own journey. (Thank you, Chelsey!)
The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander
The sleeper hit of my year! The Reed of God showed up in the blog of an Anglican author I follow, as a recommended Advent read. I thought I’d read all the Advent books there were, so I was intrigued. It turned out to be classic reflection on the attributes of Mary, and what they have to tell us about our relation to God. Now I hope to read it annually at Advent.
Favorite Children’s/Young Adult Books
As a parent of five and now as a 4th grade language/literature teacher, most of the books I read fall into this category — and they’re usually my favorites. This year was no exception.
Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
This was a favorite for me and for the two teenagers in our house who also read it this year. Nayeri’s gorgeously written memoir of his family, their flight from Iran, and his early years in the United States continues to provide some helpful perspective for our privileged children (as in, “Okay, but did you have to flee home with only one stuffed animal, which you then had to leave behind anyway??”)
The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
If you have seen me this fall, you have heard about this remarkable book! To say that it’s a story of love, courage, and perseverance told from the viewpoint of a stray dog in Golden Gate Park doesn’t even begin to capture its power and beauty. My daughter and I listened to the audiobook version, performed impeccably by Ethan Hawke, which I’d recommend over reading the physical book — a first for me, but I can’t imagine experiencing it any other way.
That concludes this year’s list! What have YOU been reading and loving lately?
The Pickle Patch 