It’s that time of year again. Welcome to my second-annual “My Year in Books” award show! Here are some of my best reads of 2024. Perhaps you’ll find a new favourite on the list.
Best Fiction
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
Historical Fiction
Set during the Nazi occupation of France during World War 2, this novel alternates between the stories of two different young people, and ultimately brings them together. The first is Marie, a blind French girl who is uprooted from her home during the occupation. The second is Werner, a German orphan who is forced into the army for his skill with radio operation and repairs. Marie and Werner each discover shining moments of light, as they encounter kindness, goodness, and hope in this otherwise dark point in history.
It’s easy to see what made this book a prize-winner. The story takes you on an emotional journey, and the actual writing is so beautiful that reading it feels like reading a work of art.
I was moved by this book, and highly recommend it. If you are not a big reader, Netflix has created a 4-episode limited series that made minimal changes, and stays true to the heart of the book.
“But it is not bravery; I have no choice.
–All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr
I wake up and live my life. Don’t you do the same?”
Best Non-Fiction
The New Menopause
by Mary Claire Haver, MD
Nonfiction, Medical, Self-Help
I’m going to get very real here for a moment: I am 38 years old, and I am in perimenopause. A stage, I have learned, that can begin as early as 35 years old, and last for up to 10 years before your body enters actual menopause. That is too large a portion of life to be suffering alone with no help! So far, nothing, and I do mean nothing, has helped me as much as Dr. Haver’s research.
Did you know that the hormone fluctuations associated with perimenopause and menopause can cause symptoms such as gum disease, high cholesterol, persistent cough or adult-onset asthma, diabetes, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and even Alzheimer’s? If you are over the age of 35, and suddenly feel like your body and mind are falling apart, this book might just give you the answers you are desperately looking for.
There is precious little research being put into menopause, and this is a problem Haver candidly sheds light on. In fact, she willingly admits that she failed her patients for years. It wasn’t until she hit perimenopause herself, that her whole perspective changed. She completely restructured her medical practice to only serve women in perimenopause/menopause, and dedicated herself to taking every symptom and concern seriously. This book is the result (and hopefully just the beginning) of better research into menopause care.
When I was in medical school, and then a new doctor in the 1990s,
–The New Menopause, Dr. Marie Claire Haver, MD
I was made aware of a patient type referred to simply as “WW.”
These patients would typically come in describing a cluster of symptoms: weight gain, brain fog, irritability, joint pain,
decreased sex drive, poor sleep, and fatigue.
“You’ve got a WW in exam room 3. Good luck with that,”
a colleague would say.
This meant, and I cringe as I write this,
that I was about to encounter a “whiny woman.”
Here we were practicing modern medicine, yet we were conflating legitimate symptoms with an emotion just like ancient physicians.
Best New Release
Mother-Daughter Murder Night
by Nina Simon
Fiction, Mystery
“Nothing brings family together like a murder next door.”
When three generations of Rubicon women–Lana, creator of a LA real estate empire; Beth, a palliative care nurse; and Jack, a kayaking instructor–find themselves under one roof for too long, tensions inevitably arise. This summer is no exception. But when Jack suddenly finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation, these three different women combine their different strengths and expertise to become amateur-sleuths and clear Jack’s name.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mother-Daughter Murder Night for the way it seamlessly combined murder mystery and family drama genres in a way that made me fall in love with each character. I couldn’t help but smile and wish the Rubicon family well as I said goodbye to them on the last page.
This book is so well-crafted that it’s hard to believe it is Nina Simon’s first novel. If you enjoy a good who-done-it crime story, but dislike graphic thrillers, add this one to your list.
Lana hated being invisible.
-Mother-Daughter Murder Night, Nina Simon
It was only slightly less terrifying than being dead.
Best Memoir
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape From Christian Patriarchy
by Tia Levings
Nonfiction, Memoir, Religious Abuse, Cults, PTSD
This book comes with a giant content warning for all forms of abuse:
mental/psychological, emotional, physical, sexual, child, and systemic/religious
Obviously, not a read for everyone, but I’d encourage anyone who feels up to it, to give this book a chance. Perhaps you find yourself wondering how such horrible sex abuse scandals keep happening in churches. Perhaps you took my suggestion and watched the Shiny Happy People documentary, and thought, but how does this happen? Why don’t people leave before it gets even halfway that bad? This book explains why.
In this courageous memoir, Tia lays it all out and connects all the dots. She shows how she was groomed from childhood to believe that God had ordained her abusive husband to keep her in line, and that suffering through her marriage without complaint was her God-given calling on this earth. She shows us all just how willing she was to excuse and defend the abuse right up until the moment her husband decided to kill her.
Do you want to know what the most terrifying part of this memoir was for me? Her childhood was my childhood. The books she read were the books I read. The famous speakers and teachers she grew up listening to are the same ones my church told us all to listen to. The things she was taught at Bible Camp are the same things I was taught at Bible Camp. The lies she was told about relationships, “purity,” sex, and marriage are the exact same lies I was told. The questions and objections she had as a teen were the same searing questions I had at the same age.
It could have been me.
Religious abuse is serious and deadly. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
How many close calls did I think heaven would grant me?
–A Well-Trained Wife, Tia Levings
Best Re-Read
Closed Casket
by Sophie Hannah (Inspired by Agatha Christie)
Nonfiction, Mystery
Have you heard of the Hercule Poirot reboot series?
Crime author Sophie Hannah, with the permission and blessing of Agatha Christie’s grandchildren, has brought the famous Belgian detective back for more classic murder-solving to tickle the little grey cells of Christie fans.
I got the latest installment as a gift this year–and like the complete book-nerd that I am–I decided to re-read the entire series before diving into the newest book. My verdict (this time around, anyway!) is that my favourite is Closed Casket.
Of all the reboot books, this one feels the most like Christie. The storyline is timeless: There’s been a murder at a house party, and only the household is suspected, but none of them could have done it. Only Hercule Poirot can solve it!
This one just checks all the boxes of an authentic Christie novel:
Close-quarters crime.
A medical or scientific puzzle.
The all-important psychological element.
There’s even a map of the house in the book, reminiscent of so many Christie novels.
It’s always a risk to reboot something so universally adored, but I, for one, am a happy fan. If your idea of a great weekend is reading a mystery beside a fire with a cup of tea in your hand, this might be the one for you.
Good sense appears the most underhanded of tactics to a man
–Closed Casket, Sophie Hannah
who has no reserves of his own to draw upon.
Best Debut Author or Self-Published Author
How to Keep House While Drowning
by KC Davis, LPC
Nonfiction, Self-Help, Homemaking, Self-Care, Mental Health
I can’t say that I expected a little booklet by an Instagram author to save my life this year, but it did.
This book is the perfect example of how lived experience and passion can be worth more than all the research and study in the world. How a few gentle words from someone who has actually walked in your shoes can accomplish what no expert can.
In just 54 pages, (broken up into accessible, page-a-day style chapters), Davis tears down all the lies and myths you might be believing about yourself and builds you back up with a healthier outlook and practical advice that will help you carry on.
In all my years of struggling with my mental health, not one piece of advice has touched me the way this one did: “You don’t have to care about yourself to care for yourself.” So often as I’ve waded through depression and teetered too close to the edge of suicide, I have been burdened with the idea that I had to learn to love myself. That if I could just learn to see value in myself, then all this self-care stuff would become easier. Davis’ advice was the exact opposite. I can take care of a body that I don’t want. I can take care of a mind that I hate. I can take care of a life I want to leave. Loving myself or even liking myself is not a requirement.
If you don’t know much about mental health, you may find the above paragraph frightening. But if you’ve lived a life with toxic positivity shot at you like bullets, I think you’ll understand.
If you’re drowning, read this book. And be gentle with yourself. You deserve kindness.
If you are completing care tasks from a motivation of shame, you are probably also relaxing in shame…
-KC Davis
because care tasks never end, and you view rest as a reward
for good boys and girls.
Best Series
Cleopatra Fox Mystery Series
by C.J. Archer
Fiction, Mystery
If these novels look familiar, that’s because I’ve already mentioned them HERE. They were my summer beach read, but they’ve stood the test of time, and have remained my favourite series of the year.
Cleopatra is the daughter of a humble college professor, and the woman who gave up her fortune and connections to marry him. When she finds herself orphaned and unmarried as a young woman, she is left little choice but to move in with the wealthy relations who had disowned her mother years before. She wasn’t born or raised for a life of shopping and frivolity, so she soon looks for puzzles to solve to keep her mind occupied. As she starts to make a name for herself, she is determined to join another young (and handsome) private detective at his agency, to keep her sleuthing habits a secret from her proper, well-bred relations.
The Cleopatra Fox books are light, clean, historically-set mystery stories, with a slow-burn romance. (And I do mean slooooow. The lovers don’t drop the “Mr.” and “Miss” and get on a first-name basis until Book Three!) They have a bright, idealistic, and often humorous tone that make them a cozy choice when you just want to do some light recreational reading.
These are a far cry from the crime thrillers that I usually enjoy, but I found myself in need of some gentleness this year, and these books fit the bill perfectly.
I could see the appeal of being a widow,
–Murder at the Crown and Anchor, C.J. Archer
but it necessitated being married in the first place.
Best Children’s Book/Series
The Investigators Series
by John Patrick Green
Children’s Fiction, Graphic Novel, Adventure/Mystery
Whenever we go on a road trip, I like to pick up a new book or two for the kids to enjoy on the way. This year’s pick was The Investigators graphic novels, which are recommended for ages 7 and up. I’ll admit, I mostly had my 7-year-old in mind when I bought them. My 10-year-old on the spectrum isn’t really a fan of long books. But, I knew my youngest would like them, and I hoped my oldest would at least be entertained by the pictures.
Day Two into the trip, I heard a voice from the back seat.
“Mumm-may?”
“Yes?”
“What does ‘mysterious’ mean?”
I answered and didn’t think much of it. He enjoys vocabulary words, and frequently asks me the meaning of words he hears.
A few minutes later, I got asked again.
“Mumm-may? What does ‘holograph’ mean?”
Now where would he have heard that?
I turned around to find him reading!
And he hasn’t stopped.
We are now the proud owners of all the Investigators books, and while my youngest likes them, my oldest absolutely loves them. He reads and re-reads them constantly, even choosing one to help him relax after a rough day of school instead of TV or a tablet.
The Investigators series is about two alligators who fight crime and solve mysteries. They spend a lot of time traveling through the sewers and making toilet jokes, which is perfectly fine with me. I can handle a fart joke in exchange for my autistic son reading a 200-page book!
If you have a reluctant reader that loves action, adventure, humour, and ridiculousness, I cannot recommend these books enough!
Most Unexpected
Confessions of a Domestic Failure
by Bunmi Laditan
Fiction, Humour
New mom Ashley Keller is a failure. Her house is a disaster, she re-wears the same yoga pants every day, and all her shirts smell vaguely of sour milk. If only she could be like the parenting guru she follows online: the perfectly put together mother whose five family-bed-sleeping, organic-and-gluten-free eating children are angels. Well, she might just get her chance, when she enrolls in Motherhood Better Bootcamp!
I picked up Confessions of a Domestic Failure because it promised to be a light read. Seriously, it was on all the Pinterest lists of “funny books for your book club,” and “light and funny books for moms.”
Imagine my shock when I found myself crying my eyeballs out less than 10 pages in! “I thought this was supposed to be funny,” I sniffled, turning another page because I just couldn’t put it down.
So here’s the deal: yes, Confessions is funny. But it’s also therapy. It’s a safe, 360-page world for mommies to laugh, cry, and rage in. If you’ve become a mother anytime in the past 10 years, you WILL relate to this book. You will feel seen, you will feel heard, you will feel like the the author has a hidden camera in your home, and you will laugh harder than you’ve laughed since your babies have been born.
Two lactation consultants, bloodwork, a dozen delicious but ineffective lactation cookies, two boxes of lactation tea, and a rented breast pump later, I gave in and bought my first tin of failure powder.
–Confessions of a Domestic Failure, Bunmi Laditan
That’s what a mom from my online breastfeeding forum calls formula. Failure powder. For failures like me.
And that about sums up my “other” reading from 2024. I’m always reading and reviewing books on neurodiversity for the blog, so search “book review” if you’d like some recommendations on what to read (and what to avoid) on that subject.
Next week’s post is also about books:
How to choose a book for a neurodivergent kid that they will actually read and enjoy. Subscribe so you don’t miss it!
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