I've read 50+ books in 2024: These are my 7 favourites, from hot new fiction releases to romance novels and cookbooks

Synopsis: Tova, an elderly widow who's son disappeared years ago, finds herself working at the local aquarium in order to stay busy after her husbands death. Over time, she develops an unexpected friendship with Marcellus, an angry giant Pacific octopus. Marcellus takes it upon himself to find out the truth about what happened to Tova's son, but he must do so before it's too late.

My take: I didn't think I'd be able to get behind the fact that one of the main characters of this book is an octopus, but my goodness, I was so wrong. I laughed out loud multiple times and got quite emotional reading about Marcellus and and his interactions with Tova and how the pair's hopes, grief and understanding of the past mirror each other in unexpected ways.

The writing is sharp, funny and incredibly poignant, and the inclusion of the POV of an octopus as a curmudgeonly do-gooder is just so clever. Easily my favourite book I read this year!

My rating: 4.8/5

Goodreads rating: 4.38/5

Synopsis: Three estranged sisters struggle to come together for the one-year anniversary of their fourth sister's death. Dealing with the fallout from a tense childhood, addictions, grief, responsibility and trauma, the three women try and make sense of their lives and to reconcile who they are.

My take: The way that addiction is approached in this book is unlike anything I've ever read. It shows all the different faces of it through different characters: the wins of sobriety, the pain of maintaining sobriety, the struggles of relapse and the darkness of the losses. This is a an emotional gut-punch of a book that gave me goosebumps multiple times. I will say the editing could have been a bit tighter, but overall this one's a win. 

My rating: 4.3/5

Goodreads rating: 4.09/5

Synopsis: When Liz's scholarship falls through for her to be able to attend her dream school, her brother suggests she run for prom queen in order to win the $10,000 prize that comes with the title. The only problem? Liz thinks she's "too Black, too poor, too awkward" to actually win. 

What follows is a very sweet and powerful finding of self where Liz aims to become the school's "infamous, subversive, dangerous, queer-as-hell prom queen wannabe."

My take: I'm in my 30s, but god, I love a good YA novel. Liz is an easy character to root for from the get-go, but it's the moments where the once-shy girl stands up for herself that had me silently screaming and proverbially jumping up and down.

I actually wrote down two quotes from the book into my journal as affirmations: “I never needed this race or a hashtag or the king to be a queen. I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown.” And: “I try to channel the confidence of a mediocre white man in a boardroom: untouchable.”

This book is stinkin' cute and it made my heart happy, which is sometimes exactly what you need as a palette cleanser from heavier novels. 

My rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads rating: 4.08/5

Synopsis: Detailing the complex personal struggles of an eating disorder, childhood stardom and the compounding effect her mother had on those things, this unexpectedly hilarious memoir tells the story of Jenette McCurdy and why she's glad her mom died.

My take: This memoir has been on the top of the charts since 2022 but I never got around to reading it as I hadn't watched the Nickelodeon shows McCurdy was on and thus thought it wouldn't be interesting. I was wrong.

This is the best autobiography I've ever read and is absolutely unflinching in it's retrospective analysis of child abuse, exploitation and the effects it had on McCurdy as a young woman. This book is more than a catchy title; it's a candid reflection on trauma and the real work McCurdy put in not only survive but reclaim her life. It's also somehow laugh-out-loud funny, which is wild considering the heaviness of the subject matter. 

My rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.45/5

Synopsis: When aging Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo grants an unknown magazine reporter the inside scoop on her glamorous and secretive life, it raises more questions than answers. Through telling the tale of her career and her numerous weddings, Evelyn gives a compelling insight into friendship, forbidden love, sacrifices and the ruthlessness it takes to make it — and the unexpected intersection her life has with the reporter's.

My take: I am obsessed with the way this book frankly and unabashedly describes using sex as a way for a woman to advance her life, if she so chooses. I thought this book was going to read more like a Hollywood gossip story, but it's so much deeper than that. The character-building is absolutely incredible and painted vivid pictures of flawed, complex humans. At no point did I expect the plot to go where it eventually did, in the best possible way. 

My rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.41/5

Synopsis: Mandy's Salads are a staple in the Montreal and Toronto food scene, and this gorgeous book gives you all the tips to make your own delicious creations at home. It also tells the success story of how the Wolfe sisters grew their salad business from a tiny counter in the back of a Montreal store to the phenomenon that it currently is in Canada. 

My take: I really didn't expect a book about salads to be one of my favourite reads of 2024, and yet here we are. The recipes have become staples in my lunch rotation and I genuinely look forward to eating them, which is not something I thought was possible. It's visually impressive and has helped me add some extra greenery to my diet and actually enjoy it, which is all you can really ask for out of a cookbook!

My rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads rating: 4.1/5

Synopsis: Two grieving brothers who have a pretty big age gap and not a lot in common struggle to bond after their father passes. The older brother, Peter, is a successful lawyer who is struggling with relationships with two women: his first love, which is complicated, and a college student he's dating. The younger brother, Ivan, is a socially awkward competitive chess player who starts a relationship with an older women. 

My take: Given the hype that this book had for 2024 and that it's a Sally Rooney novel, I thought I maybe had too lofty of expectations of it — but it totally delivered.

I found both brothers to be infuriating and lovable, which is always a compelling mix. It was so easy to see why each felt the way that they did towards each other as well as why they were unable to understand each other.

The word "intermezzo" means "in-between move" and that's exactly what this book portayed - the in-between spaces of life between the bigger moments that still matter just as much.   

My only gripe with book is one part of the ending. I don't want to spoil too much, but a very large conflict seemingly gets wrapped up with one of the main characters just... deciding to feel better?

Still worth the read!

My rating: 4.1/5

Goodreads rating: 4.1/5