My favorite books of 2024!

Also, happy solstice eve!

Helloooo, and happy almost-solstice!

Growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, we talked about the sun A LOT. When I hosted Morning Edition on KUAC, the local NPR affiliate, I’d read the sunrise and sunset times every day, along with the total amount of sunlight. For example, on a day like today, I’d say, “The sun will rise this morning at 10:58 am. It will set at 2:40 pm, giving us 3 hours and 42 minutes of daylight.” If I had any extra time, I’d say how many minutes more of light we’d get the next day, probably about 6 or 7.

I remember once going to a statewide public radio conference where a visiting NPR editor told us we shouldn’t announce the sunrise times because it was “too many numbers.” The uprising was real. Those numbers were important! THE PEOPLE NEEDED TO KNOW!!!

And here we are, on the darkest day of the year. In my hometown, solstice was a big deal. It’s still my favorite holiday. How beautiful it is to have faith that even in the darkest of days, the light is right around the corner. It’s an equanimity that I try to remember in every aspect of life. You can’t have day without night. The night is long, but the day is coming!

My favorite books of 2024

I got to talk about some of my favorite books of 2024 with two of my favorite humans this week! The New York Times Book Review editor MJ Franklin and I were guests on our friend Traci Thomas’ excellent podcast, The Stacks.

Not only is it a delightful conversation about books we love, it was also a reunion of sorts -- I first had Traci and MJ on Nerdette to talk best books of the year waaay back in 2021, so my heart is always so happy when I get to hang out with them.

I picked three to rave about on the show, but here are my top 10, in alphabetical order, because good lord, it’s hard enough to narrow the list down without ranking them from there!

photo courtesy of bookshop.org

Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar

This book is earnest, weird, funny, devastating, and gorgeous. It’s an exploration of what makes life worth living -- and dying -- for. It’s about recovery, art, love, the Midwest, grief, and poetry.

Beautyland, Marie-Helene Bertino

This was by far my favorite book this year, and it will always occupy a lovely, strange little corner of my heart. It’s an exquisite rendering of just how difficult it is to be human in this world, but it’s also a celebration of how wonderful it can be to be alive.

The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley

I thought this was an incredible debut. It’s a reckoning of colonialism and a time travel story with spies and an excellent cast of characters.

The Message, Ta-Nehisi Coates

This book made a splash, as it should have. Ta-Nehisi is always a must read, and his latest is largely about Palestine, the Jim Crow South, and his steadfast belief in what is right.

Let's Move the Needle: An Activism Handbook for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers; Build Community and Make Change! Shannon Downey

I don’t know if you noticed, but next year is going to be a doozy. Are you wondering how to embrace your own activism? This is the book for you. Whether you’re still hesitant to even call yourself an activist orif you’re ready to deepen your practice, this book is chock full of wisdom and grace and inspiration.

James, Percival Everett

What a pleasure to read a book and know it will instantly be canon. This is it.

The Hunter, Tana French

Tana French is, in my opinion, the most skilled literary mystery writer out there, and this is one of her best.

How to Tell When We WIll Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom, Johanna Hedva

Lately, I’ve felt a need to stop glorifying health and well-being, to get better at accepting the fact that sickness and pain (and doom!) are very real, very important parts of all of our lives. It’s only through sharing those truths that we can really live deeply and in community with one another. This book is helping me get there. It also has the sentence “do not speak to me about self care unless you speak tome of revenge,” which I believe to be one of the best sentences I have ever seen.

Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia, Kate Manne

Kate isn’t the first person to debunk myths around fatness, but this book expanded my thinking in some really important ways. What if the problem isn’t being fat at all … it’s the fact that fat people have to navigate a world that actively denigrates them? I highly recommend this one for, like, just everyone ever.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe

Ohh, Margo! I have so many fond feelings for this book. It’s got a big, weird plot, an incredible cast of characters, and is absolutely delicious. It’s also smart, thoughtful, and funny. If you like books that feel like junk food but actually pack a lot of interesting themes alongside the tastiness, this book is for you.

(Note: All of these books are listed in my affiliate shop on bookstore.org, where I get 10% commission on all book purchases. I care that you read more than you buy books from me, though -- just don’t forget about indie bookstores and your local library! The Libby app is amazing!!!)

What were some of your favorites? Chime in here, or let me know in the #i-loved-this-book channel on the GRETAGRAM discord server!

And speaking of books, it’s not too late to sign up for our Zoom discussion of Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo on Sunday, Dec. 29 at noon CT! Just send me an email to gretamjohnSEN@gmail.com and I’ll add you.

See you next week,

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