My Top 5 Books from the Last Year

2024 was a great year for reading. I finished 40 books last year. Graphic novels and audiobooks are included in this count because why not? I make the rules. Among my favourites were Emily Henry's Funny Story, Zadie Smith's The Fraud, and Miranda July's All Fours. All very different novels. I have continued reading into 2025 but with less vigour for whatever reason. 

It can be hard to know if a book will be a new favourite or ultimately not for you. In a lot of ways, reading is a risk. Last year, I tried to practice not finishing any book that didn't resonate with me. This was ultimately a rewarding goal as leaving behind any media that doesn't work for you makes room for the art you actually want to commit to. 

But I don't think the lesson stuck. I have forced myself through some books this year that have left me in a reading slump. Reading a book I don't enjoy puts me off reading in general. Upon reflection, extending this goal into my everyday life will only continue to be rewarding. There are times when persevering with a novel can be worthwhile, but on balance, we only have a finite number of books we can read in a year (and in general, but I try not to think about that). 

Another killer of my reading habit is social media. I have tried so many tricks to curb my social media habit, but whenever I attempt to cut back, I am working against some of the most difficult-to-avoid psychological tactics to hold my focus. Daily habits keep me in check- putting away the phone at night to read myself to sleep, starting my day by journaling, and focusing on exercise. These habits all help, but nothing will quite kick the addiction. 

With all that being said, I have read some real gems. Here are five of my top picks from over the last year of reading- 

1. Funny Story by Emily Henry 

It's now an annual requirement that we get a new Emily Henry romance. Book Lovers remains my favourite, but Funny Story is probably a close second. The plot is extremely contrived, but it was charming how daring Henry was about it. A good romance doesn't need to stray away from being formulaic. It's the dedication to the writing and the believability of the characters that matters to me. Henry is a master of creating well-rounded and realised characters. They have their own social networks and interiority unique to one another. Funny Story is also simply good fun. You love seeing the awful exes fall flat on their faces and watching an unlikely romance unfold. 

Funny Story follows Daphne after she's been abandoned by her fiancee for his best friend. Included in the collateral is the best friend's boyfriend, Miles, who is also now grieving a breakup. Daphne decides to move in with him, and a bond soon grows in their mutual miserable states. Both leads are likeable, and despite their ridiculous situation, I found I was rooting for them. Miles is also such a caring guy who just wants to show Daphne the best time. Funny Story is well-written escapism. And I'm absolutely not complaining. 

2. The Fraud by Zadie Smith 

The Fraud is Smith's first historical fiction novel set in Victorian England. I wrote a blog post on The Fraud, which you can read here. I was blown away by the creativity of Smith's latest novel. She's truly one of the best modern writers. Smith can spin a great yarn with lyrical language that keeps you invested in what is a sizeable novel. She also has a gem of an idea here, which covers the anxiety of the effects of our choices, the fear of art making, and the consequences of class. 

It's also delightful and often funny, with witty observations from an eclectic cast of characters. One of them is the renowned author Charles Dickens. Others are completely obliterated by the passage of time, such as our lead, Eliza. Smith dares to shove Dickens to the sidelines to make way for Eliza and William. I could truly write endless think pieces about this novel. Its themes include relationships, colonialism, class, fame, literature, and crime. But most of all, The Fraud is about the cruel, confusing and ephemeral nature of life. The only constant for our characters is change. It's an epic, it's journey. It's just really that good.  

3. The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey 

This book is about a Magpie who narrates a story of joining a couple in their home on a sheep farm. It's the perfect book for a one-sentence elevator pitch. It's the kind of idea that I envy because it's instantly appealing. Narration from a loveable anthropomorphized magpie called Tama? Sign me up! To make things even better, the writing is as good as the concept.

Tama's voice has a strange quality that reflects the stark difference between the human and bird worlds. We watch him be rejected by his kin and fully immerse himself in the human world. He even becomes an internet famous pet with people coming from near and far to meet him in the feathers. But all is not well in Tama's and his loving owner Marnie's world. Tama becomes yet another point of tension between Marnie and her husband, Rob. 

The Axeman's Carnival is partly a tale about the unique relationship between a person and their pet.  Tama is Marnie's friend, confidant, and surrogate baby. Much like my own beloved pooch and me, Tama is obsessed with Marnie and wants to be as close as possible. He even attempts to sleep in her bed. The other major through-line of the story is one of abuse. The story is at times harrowing as tensions continue to rise between Marnie and Rob. 

I loved that The Axeman's Carnival highlighted a lifestyle so familiar to many New Zealanders but rarely explored in fiction. I could relate to the dangers, beauty and isolation of rural life from spending time on my relative's farms in my youth. Rob is also, sadly, a familiar archetype of New Zealand's problem with toxic masculinity. I found the story to be as realistic as it was whimsical. This novel was one of the main reasons I've decided to dive into more New Zealand fiction, and if you have been planning to do the same, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. 

4. All Fours by Miranda July 

All Fours was potentially my favourite read last year, and I know I'm not alone in that feeling. I've heard people get put off by the premise because the blurb fails to capture the true nature of the story, but it's a real challenge to sum up the point of All Fours. The story follows an unnamed narrator who works as an artist in LA with her husband and child. She has hit a wall in her career and also in her personal life. At this point, the story pretends to be about a cross-country road trip and the resulting self-discovery. The twist is that our narrator gets stuck in a town about half an hour's drive away from her home. 

If I were to give my opinion of the point of All Fours, I would say it's a refreshing take on a rarely touched subject, the self-discovery that comes with aging. Particularly the process of a woman aging in her forties. It's also about the fear of the ticking clock. Our narrator isn't concerned with the biological clock, but rather, an imagined deadline at 45 when she imagines her sex drive will plummet following menopause. A connection she forms with a young man begins to feel urgent, like a last ditch effort to indulge in her sexuality.

I can safely say that All Fours is unlike anything else I've ever read. But it still somehow taps into very relatable feelings about aging. I found the process of reading the novel as stressful as it was compelling, but it ultimately gave me hope for the future. This is a truly special book. 

5. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 

One of my most anticipated books of the decade is Sunrise on the Reaping, the prequel to Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games series. I would be remiss if I didn't write a whole post on this book, which I will link here when it's finished. Collins' latest prequel follows the quarter quell, the 50th Hunger Games attended by Haymitch Abernathy, who would go on to be the mentor for Katniss and Peeta in their games. 

I'm not sure why this particular story captured my imagination. We get a brief description of Katniss watching Haymitch's games when she's mentally preparing herself for her own fight to the death. We learn that Haymitch's experience was particularly brutal. Every 25 years, there is a horrible twist on the annual hunger games. In the second Hunger Games book, set during the 75th games, they choose an all-star cost as victors to represent their districts. For the 50th, the twist is that they are double the tributes. The arena is also particularly harrowing, filled with poison and gnarly mutations (animals that are genetically manipulated by the Capitol). 

Going into this novel, I expected to feel sad and angry, but I didn't expect to revisit a lot of the feelings of betrayal that came up for me when I read Mockingjay. No one is safe in Sunrise on the Reaping, and I found myself often thinking, "She [Suzanne Collins] didn't need to do all that." But I guess the point is that she did need to paint a picture of one of her most brutal games yet. I was surprised to find that in the original Hunger Games, Katniss is given so many more advantages that Haymitch wasn't in his own games. We mainly learn that she was lucky to have him and his connections. Any connections Haymitch had in his own games were through luck, and everyone outside the arena has an agenda, which often puts young, vulnerable Haymitch's life at risk. 

However, I'm glad I finally got to read it. Sunrise on the Reaping does what any good prequel should do: it provides rich insight into the original trilogy, and I'm excited to revisit the trilogy with my new knowledge.