I ranked all 38 books I read this year.
through quotes, short summaries and sometimes just my opinion in a sentence
Lists are arbitrary, but fun to make nonetheless. Declarative of the very specific feeling I had once I finished the book, but could change at any point. Regardless, I’ve assigned a ranking and star rating to it. It’s like this playlist I made ranking all of One Direction’s discography. What I’m trying to say is, take this with a grain of salt and don’t be too mad at me. You’ll see I’m generous with my five star ratings.
Here are some fun graphs and things for you to look at before we get into it! You can see the genre break down and when I read each book.
Actively disliked, but finished anyway ⭐️⭐️
‘Worry’ by Alexandra Tanner — It’s beautiful cover and BookTok tricked me into thinking this would be the best book of the year. In fact, it was the exact opposite.
‘Rouge’ by Mona Awad — Didn’t know I was going to be reading a Tom Cruise fanfic when I borrowed this book from the library. I’m really glad I didn’t buy it because dropping it into the return box was a relief.
‘Life with Picasso’ by Françoise Gilot — I was really excited to read this, but struggled to get through it. It was such a slog.
‘Western Lane’ by Chetna Maroo — This story has potential, but was too short to have made any impression on me.
Good! But, not gushing over ⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘The Fláneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris’ by Edmund White — I read this pretty recently and honestly don’t remember much about it. I got through it quickly, but none of it really stuck. I was hoping to learn about Paris during the years the author lived there, but alas I didn’t.
‘Evenings & Weekends’ by Oisín McKenna — Similar to ‘Worry’, this was a Booktok recommendation. Everyone absolutely raved on and on about it, so I was excited to grab a copy with my friends staff discount, but was left disappointed. This book was so incredibly surface level. I didn’t care for any of these characters (there are 8) or what they had to say. The story takes place over 48 hours, which is not long enough to get to know 8 different people. I had this higher up and as I was writing this moved it down. This quote below struck a nerve in me, I think I scoffed when I read it.
“She gets into the car at 9am. Already, it’s boiling. It’s the sort of car a dog would die in.”
‘Kudos’ by Rachel Cusk — This is the last of the Outline Trilogy, and pales in comparison to the first two which was disappointing. You should read ‘Transit’ though, that one is fantastic.
‘Carrie Soto is Back’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid — I picked this up because I was going through ‘Challengers’ withdrawal and wanted to continue on with this tennis high I was on. It was a fun read, but nothing great.
‘Troubling Love’ by Elena Ferrante — This is Ferrante’s first novel and it shows. It doesn’t have the same self assured voice as her other novels, which makes it stand out from the rest. If all of her other works weren’t so incredible I don’t think it would be this low on the list. If I churned out anything that was half as good as this I would be ecstatic.
‘Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka — My first Kafka story, and it was a good one. The description of him waking up and living life as a roach were so graphic it made me squirm.
‘Revolutionary Road’ by Richard Yates — I listened to this as an audiobook, which is not something I typically enjoy, but it made me like the story more. The thought of women reading this in the 1960’s while in bed next to their husbands, also made this story more compelling.
‘Three Summers’ by Margarita Liberaki — This is a good beach read. It’s kinda like if ‘Little Women’ took place in Greece pre-WW2 and if Joe and Amy were one sister, making only three March girls.
‘The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison — My first Morrison book. I think I’ll read ‘Jazz’ next. I thought I had read this in school, but the more I got into the book, I realized I was mistaken. Truly heartbreaking to read, I wish there was more from Pecola’s inner monologue.
‘The English Understand Wool’ by Helen DeWitt — Before I go into the actual book, I have to talk about the way it was made. The cover is beautiful don’t get me wrong, but it was like reading a children’s book! The size of it for how short the story is and being only available in hardcover is rude. If you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean. Anyway, plot wise, it was slow in the beginning, but had an exciting end.
‘Jane’ by Maggie Nelson — I’m pretty sure I confused this book for a different one when I ordered it online, but decided to go with it anyway. The story is made up of poetry written by the author and journal entries from her dead aunt. Wild concept that I’m not entirely sure I support.
‘Boulder’ by Eva Baltasar — This has a lot of similar themes to my favorite book I read this year (no spoilers). This book is sorta like that book, if my favorite book was written only in metaphors.
‘Paradise Rot’ by Jenny Hval — Reading this felt like watching the movie ‘Raw.’ Jo leaves Norway to attend a University in England. In her quest to find a place to live she meets Carral, an older woman living in an abandoned brewery. Jo quickly discovers that her new home has a life of its own.
Great! Would certainly recommend if we were walking through a bookstore together ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Look at Me’ by Anita Brookner — I purchased this book from Womb House Books on Etsy because I thought the cover was cute, the main character was an art historian (love!) and this book was published in the 80’s (I love 80’s movies).
“Sometimes I wish it were different. I wish I were beautiful and lazy and spoiled and not to be trusted. I wish, in short, that I had it easier.”
‘Summer’ by Ali Smith — Of all the books in her Seasonal Quartet, this one is the hardest to summarize, so I will leave with you with some of it’s beautiful quotes:
“Sacha’s chest filled with the kind of warmth that once when she was really small she’d asked her mother about because it felt so nice and her mother had said that’s you inner summer.”
“You can’t put a pin through a summer.”
“The swaying fullness of those trees.”
“What a lovely summer it is and how, it’s like , no matter what we do, we can’t get near it’s loveliness.”
‘The Door’ by Magda Szabo — This is a story about a writer, Emerence, and her housekeeper, Magda. She is an integral part of her community, keeping everyones sidewalks free of snow. Everyone knows Magda, but no one has seen what’s behind her front door. This story tackles themes of identity and relationships in a way I have never read before.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ by David Grann — I was determined to read this before sitting down to watch the movie. They make a really excellent double feature and can be done in either order, so if you’ve seen the movie now it’s time to read the book.
‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry — I’m not a big romance reader, but Henry has a chokehold on me and everyone else. Her books are such a fun time. I look forward to each one she pumps out. However, I do wait until they’re released in paperback because reading a hard cover romance book is sacrilegious.
‘Winter’ by Ali Smith — The second of Smith’s seasonal quartet. This one centers around 4 different people. Art, his mother Sophie, his aunt, Iris, and Lux who is a woman he met at a bus stop and is pretending to be his now ex-girlfriend Charlotte over Christmas. That’s just whats on the surface of this plot line. Smith’s storytelling is anything but linear or typical and her syntax is inspiring. There are pages of this book I have underlined.
Fantastic! Won’t shut up about, will bring it up regardless of whether or not books are the subject of conversation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Foster’ by Claire Keegan — I bought and read this in Ireland, which made it extra special. To write a gripping and beautiful story in less than 100 pages is much more difficult than writing a 500 page novel. Keegan doesn’t waste a single line.
‘In the Margins’ by Elena Ferrante — I bought and read this book all in the same day. I love Ferrante’s writing style so much and found these four essays about her process fascinating. If you enjoy writing, you should read this.
“Writing is seizing everything that has already been written and gradually learning to spend that enormous fortunate.”
‘Berlin’ by Bea Setton — This book is underrated. I don’t read many books with unreliable narrators, and I didn’t know that was what I was getting into when I picked this book up, but I absolutely adored it. The story begins when Daphne arrives in Berlin for a fresh start, but when she wakes up to a strange sound in her new apartment, things aren’t as she thought they would be.
“I always know when the day I am living will come to tower high above the others in the landscape of my past, and whether someone I have just met will play a starring role.”
‘Giovanni’s Room’ by James Baldwin — This is the book I finished most recently so I am still digesting it, but I already cannot wait to read another Baldwin book. He is undeniably the best writer I read all year, it was unreal to read his words.
‘Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black’ by Cookie Mueller — I have never moved through a book of essays and short stories so quickly. Cookie Mueller was an actress best known for her work with John Waters. She lived a really interesting life and wrote about it in a way that you can feel her spirit in.
‘Spring’ by Ali Smith — This is my favorite of the Seasonal Quartet, which is funny because Spring is my least favorite season. I wrote about ‘Spring’ in this newsletter, if you would like a more in-depth review. There are scenes on train platforms that are still perfectly painted in my mind.
‘The First Bad Man’ by Miranda July — Guys, this book is so weird, but so good!! Cheryl is a forty year old woman who lives alone. She uses the same fork and plate in order to avoid messes. When her bosses at her non-profit job ask her to take in their 20-year-old daughter Clee, she says yes. It’s a funny feeling to enjoy a book so much and be unable to explain or describe why in a concise way. July’s writing style is unreal. Her ability to move through emotions through these weird plot lines is mesmerizing and addicting.
“… given the right psychological condition a person could fall in love with anyone or anything. A wooden desk—always on all fours, always prone, always there for you. What was the lifespan of these implorable loves? An hour. A week. A few months at best. The end was a natural thing, I like the seasons, like getting older, fruit turning. that was the saddest part—there was no one to blame and no way to reverse it.”
‘They’re Going to Love You’ by Meg Howrey — This one was a slow burn in the best way. The story centers around Carlisle and her tumultuous relationship with her father. Both of them are ballerinas and their relationship, the good and the bad, revolves around it. Howrey is a former ballerina and that is what makes this book so engrossing.
‘A Cook’s Tour’ by Anthony Bourdain — Reading this book inspired me to write this newsletter which you should read because I had a lot of fun writing it. Bourdain’s writing is otherworldly and I want more.
‘Sirens & Muses’ by Antonia Angress — Mentioned in my “What’s on my Staff Recommended Shelf” Newsletter, this is such a fun read. There are four different perspectives you get to read from, each of them is fully fleshed out and as interesting as the next one. I’m also a sucker for a campus story.
‘Days of Abandonment’ by Elena Ferrante — I read this book in two days during the first week of February and can still vividly remember pages of it. The story follows Olga in the days and months after her husband abandons her and their two children as she tries to get a grip on her new life. On one particularly awful day, she finds herself locked in her apartment from the inside with her children and their dog. What ensues is a must read.
‘Sunburn’ by Chloe Michelle Howarth — This is the most beautiful coming of age story I have ever read. Some people critique it for feeling too much like reading the main character’s diary entires, but I don’t think that’s a fault. There are some really clever themes and metaphors that the author revisits like: the seasons, light, sun, moon and stars, the way she talks about colors and her references to heaven and hell. It’s a beautiful story.
“Before her, I was only ever preyed upon. Now I feel I am worshipped.”
‘The Rachel Incident’ by Caroline O'Donoghue — Reading this was like watching a really great TV show. Set in Cork, Ireland, Rachel is a 20 year old college student working part time at a bookstore where she meets her future roommate James. The two of them throw together a book signing at work so Rachel can win over her married professor, but when he ends up being more interested in James, compromises must be made.
‘Intermezzo’ by Sally Rooney — Sally Rooney writes the kinds of books that I pick up when I only have enough time to read a single sentence. ‘Intermezzo’ introduces us to Ivan and Peter, brothers who are readjusting to life after their father’s death. Ivan is a 22-year-old chess player with braces and Peter is a 32-year-old lawyer. They have hardly anything in common, besides dating woman with crazy age gaps. When I had read that this story would center around two brothers I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it as much and Rooney’s other works, but it has solidified itself as my second favorite work of hers, behind my first love, ‘Conversations with Friends.’
‘All Fours’ by Miranda July — When our unnamed narrator has some business to tend to across the country, she decides she’ll drive. A road trip and some time away from her husband and child. 30 minutes out and her first stop for gas, things change. I can’t tell you more than that, it is truly best to go into this story blind. I’m so glad this book was so popular this year, because July’s body of work is something I cannot wait to dive into next year!
There are still a couple weeks left of December and I’m planning to read two more books, so that I can reach my goal of 40 books in 2024. Please, please, please tell me what the best book you read this year was. Thanks for being here!!
xox,
Gabbie
p.s. I ranked everything I read last year, you can read about it here.
adding the rachel incident and all fours to my reading list for next year! my favorites of the year were late migrations by margaret renkl and the tsar of love and techno by anthony marra
the Jane you have pictured + describe is by Maggie Nelson!