Favourite Books 2024
This year, I have had the joy of reading many chapter books with my son. There is something magical when you watch your child explore the wonder of stories and how simple words on a page can bring so much to life. Each night, we read a chapter before bed, sharing that quiet time together after busy days filled with the energetic activities of school, work, fishing, and life. We have read many of the classics from my childhood, such as The Hobbit and The BFG, but we have also found some new favourites. Discovering these books together and sharing in that wonder has been amazing.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Wild Robot tells the tale of Roz, a helper robot who unexpectedly awakens on a remote island. My son enjoyed the stories of nature and survival as Roz slowly befriends the animals and raises her son, a gosling called Brightbill. Roz learns how to survive on the island and be wild, and she also learns how to be a mother. This book brought tears to my eyes. Brown does not shy away from the darker sides of nature (e.g. animals eating other animals, the impact of weather changes and climate) but handles all these subjects with care and sensitivity. The pacing varies throughout, with some parts feeling a little slow but still true to the experience of the seasons and changes on the island as time passes. The final act was full of action and excitement and led to many nights of my son demanding ‘one more chapter’.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Ivan is a mighty silverback gorilla who lives in a small domain in a shopping mall, along with other animals, such as Stella the elephant, and Bob, a stray dog who sneaks in to sleep on Ivan’s belly at night. When Ruby, a new baby elephant, is brought in, Ivan begins to reflect on his past and what it means for them all to be in captivity. He makes a plan to get Ruby to a better home. Applegate superbly writes from the point of view of Ivan the gorilla, with short chapters and sentences capturing his poignant thoughts and reflections. You can’t help but love him! The story was a little sad in parts, with my son needing some support and reassurance, but he loved all the animals and their connections with each other. A truly beautiful book!
Nothing can beat the shared reading experience with my son, so those books are at the top of my list. However, I must also mention a few novels and series I enjoyed reading myself.
The Saint of Steel series by T. Kingfisher
You can’t really go wrong with anything by T. Kingfisher, but this series was one I found myself recommending to friends time and time again. Romantasy is a big trend these days, but The Saint of Steel series is a refreshing breeze in what is often a predictable, trope-heavy genre. The characters in this series are unique and endearing (and older than the average romantasy being in their 30s rather than late teens). Each book is connected but follows a different set of protagonists, one of which is always from the group of paladins whose god has died. This means each book has a satisfying conclusion to its romantic arc while also adding to the overarching plot and ongoing mysteries. The mystery plots propel the story forward and the worldbuilding is detailed, evoking a strong sense of place and history. I devoured the four books currently in the series and cannot wait for the next!
System Collapse by Martha Wells
When the first Murderbot Diaries book, All Systems Red, came out in 2017, I recommended it to all my friends. Murderbot follows a security bot that has hacked its governor module and taken control of itself. This latest novella is the seventh in the series and just as riveting and funny as book one. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed Murderbot’s narration. Murderbot’s observations and thoughts are so humourous, making me audibly laugh at times. Similar to The One and Only Ivan, I am in awe when a writer can capture a non-human point of view in a way that is so empathetic and unique. System Collapse is well-paced, exciting, and brings back many loved characters from previous books. Murderbot is one of my all-time favourite fictional characters, and I will happily read anything in this series.
I could add many more recommendations, but thought I would keep it simple with these top four. Not all of these books are new, but they were new to me in 2024. Let me know what your favourite books were that you read this year.
Happy New Year!
