Curated Reads: The Best Books of 2024

From the most-talked about to the ones that flew under the radar, this week I’m bringing a round-up of the best books released in 2024. As January comes to a close, I wanted to take a look back at some of the standout books from a year of excellent reads.

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s sophomore novel, Long Island Compromise is an excellent follow up to her critically acclaimed debut. Forty years ago, a successful businessman is kidnapped and subsequently returned. Now, he and his family are still dealing with its lasting legacy. This novel is uniquely refreshing in its unflinching embrace of unlikeable characters, and no effort is made to rectify their flaws. They’re snobby, perverted and intolerable, all the way down to the side characters of the tangents of the novel. Brodesser-Akner has a talent for balancing witty prose with heartfelt emotions, making this a refreshingly bold read.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney is one of the most popular authors of recent years, so when Intermezzo was announced, it’s no surprise that it became one of the most highly anticipated books of 2024. This intimate novel follows two brothers, each living very different lives. The elder, Peter, is a lawyer torn between relationships with two women: his first love and a younger college student. The younger, Ivan meets an older woman, Margaret. The novel focuses on the wake of the death of the brothers’ father, and how they cope with the grief. Rooney’s mastery of character studies captures the intricacies and subtleties of human emotion with her trademark precision and heart.

Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway

John le Carre is a renowned name in espionage fiction, and his iconic character, George Smiley, returns to the page in this new novel by le Carré’s son. Set after The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and before Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, this novel incorporates everything that made the original books so iconic. It is always a risk when a much-loved character is brought back by a new author, but Harkaway does it with a deft touch that doesn’t derive from the action of a spy thriller. The plot centres on the defection of a Russian agent who was sent to kill a publisher but ultimately fails to follow through. Smiley agrees to interview the publisher’s employee, and what ensues is a gripping chase across Europe. This is a standout addition to both the espionage genre and a tribute to le Carré’s legacy.

My Family and Other Rock Stars by Tiffany Murray

This autobiography is written by the daughter of a chef who catered for famous rock stars of the 1970s and 1980s. Murray spent her childhood in a Monmouth recording studio alongside her mother, and not only is this book an autobiography, it’s also a cookbook! Stories about bands such as Black Sabbath and Queen are interspaced with Murray’s mother’s recipes and playlists of the music of the time. It’s unusual and charming, flying under the radar in the biography genre, but full of anecdotes such as Ozzy Osbourne winding up naked in a graveyard and her Cordon-Bleu trained mum’s battle to introduce working class young men to fine food. It’s a tribute to the rock music of the 70s and 80s and her mother’s career, and an endearing blend of nostalgia, humour, music and culinary inspiration.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

When discussing the best releases of 2024, it would be remiss to not mention the Booker Prize winner. Orbital is best described as a love letter to life on Earth. It follows six astronauts on a spacecraft orbiting Earth. It’s a short read, around 200 pages, lacking plot but making up for it by brimming with awe. The prose is written lovingly and readers are invited to think over the vastness of our lives. It’s award-winning for a reason, a mix of philosophical literature and science fiction that is rich in humanity.

There’s no shortage of impressive books from 2024, but this week’s list of curated reads offers the best of last year. Depending on your taste, you could either stick to your favourite genre or try one of the best from a genre you don’t typically read.