Goal was to read 24 books in 2024--- I did it, actually read more, ha ;) and here's the summary... if you have any questions or want to hear specific recommendations, just ask :) Happy reading in 2025 and always x
Also if you spot any spelling errors or sentence/grammar issues, whatever :)
Contents:
2024 Books in preference order:
All in her head: the truth and lies early medicine taught us about women’s bodies and why it matters today by Dr. Elizabeth Comen
Educated by Tara Westover
Clothes, music, boys by Viv Albertine
Come as you are by Emily Nagoski
Conversations with friends by Sally Rooney
The truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker
Yellow face by Rebecca f. Kuang
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Revolutions: how women change the world on two wheels by Hannah Ross
Good material by Dolly Alderton
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki by baek sehee
True love, a practice for awakening the heart by thich naht hanh
Dear Dolly by Dolly Alderton
At the pond by 14 different authors
The glass castle by Jenneatte walls
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
I remember nothing by Nora Ephron
Tiny moons- a year of eating in Shanghai by Nina Mingya Powles
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Private revolutions: coming of age in a new China by Yuan Yang
Fan fiction, a satire by Tavi Gevinson
The Baltimore boys by Joel Dicker
Bangkok wakes to rain by Pitchaya sudbanthad
George’s marvelous medicine by Roald Dahl
Who We Are- One direction Autobiography by 1D
The no.1 ladies’ detective agency by Alexandra Mcall Smith
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Females by Andrea Long Chu
Send nudes by Saba Sams
Some learnings:
This year I had to give books without quotation marks a chance. For years, I've refused to read Sally Rooney because of her LACK of quotation marks, but I was missing out her writing!!! Reading Orbital by Samantha Harvey without knowing there weren't quotation marks was exposure therapy and a warmup for Normal People/Conversations with Friends. Both authors' choices to go without """"", I thought, was fitting: for Orbital, space has no sound, why shouldn't that be reflected in the structure of dialogue? For Rooney's novels, the blur between the shared and interior lives of her characters is only emphasized by avoiding using quotation marks. I'm sure there's more to say, message me to discuss.
Just as you're influenced by the people you spend the most time with, you're influenced by the "content" you consume, affecting how you view the world and how you feel. Obviously this isn't anything revolutionary, but I wanted a lot of the books I read this year to uplift me in exciting, educational, and aligned ways (and the same for tv shows and movies). So I am glad most of my 2024 authors are women and many are about topics that relate to women's lives, whether it be health (physical & mental), sex, pop culture, and relationships.
If you're not enjoying a book, you should stop reading it. Unless you know it gets better or something. Up to you, just don't get too stuck into something that doesn't let you read things that do make you excited enough to not fall asleep.
Somewhat related, I really did not enjoy Dolly Alderton's first fiction book, but I am really happy I gave her second one --Good Materials-- a chance because I truly believe she understands the experience of modern day relationships (between men+women) from a woman's perspective. Relationships affect whoever is in them, of course, but allllll the additional and unspoken and often misunderstood pressures/challenges/observations on women is part of the larger patriarchal system that hurts women every day. Writing Good Materials from the perspective of the man was clever, but I am not sure many men who read it will understand the impact like most women will, disucssssss w me. Also, I got my book signed by Dolly herself, I met her at an author event with Sierra in LA !!!
I always carry a book around with me for a few days before I can start it.
Thank you to everyone who got me any book this year, I PROMISE when someone gets me a book, I will read it eventually :) It means a lot when someone picks out a book, and ideally, I would always gift someone a book, but most people don't read them... But, thank you-- again, if you've gifted me a book, the title of it is always in my mind until I read it.
I learned specific pieces of knowledge from each book I read, so if you're genuinely curious about a book in terms of what it's about/what I learned, please ask me!!! My main goal for this year's reading was to feel more equipped to discuss the role of women in society and the many barriers they have faced across time with factual evidence in different countries. I think I achieved it, but it will continue into the new year and forever!
Okkkkkkkk, read on to see some recommendations of books:
Here's a breakdown of some specific topics:
If you want to read about Women/Women’s Health/Gender/Patriarchy:
All in her head: the truth and lies early medicine taught us about women’s bodies and why it matters today by Dr. Elizabeth Comen
Come as you are by Emily Nagoski
Revolutions: how women change the world on two wheels by Hannah Ross
Females by Andrea Long Chu
Private revolutions: coming of age in a new China by Yuan Yang
If you want to read about real people and their lives:
Educated by Tara Westover
Clothes, music, boys by Viv Albertine
I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki by baek sehee
The glass castle by Jenneatte walls
I remember nothing by Nora Ephron
If you want to read fast-paced fiction:
Yellow face by Rebecca f. Kuang
The truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker
Good material by Dolly Alderton
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
Conversations with friends // Normal People by Sally Rooney
If you want to read something fairly quick & reflective:
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
True love, a practice for awakening the heart by thich naht hanh
Tiny moons- a year of eating in Shanghai by Nina Mingya Powles
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Dear Dolly by Dolly Alderton
Incase you're interested, here is the list of books in reading order:
The truth about the Harry Quebert affair by Joel Dicker
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Come as you are by Emily Nagoski
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
The Baltimore boys by Joel Dicker
Females by Andrea Long Chu
Send nudes by Saba Sams
Who We Are- One direction Autobiography by 1D
I remember nothing by Nora Ephron
Dear Dolly by Dolly Alderton
Revolutions: how women change the world on two wheels by Hannah Ross
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
Educated by Tara Westover
The no.1 ladies’ detective agency by Alexandra Mcall Smith
George’s marvelous medicine by Roald Dahl
The glass castle by jenneatte walls
Fan fiction, a satire by Tavi Gevinson
Good material by Dolly Alderton
True love, a practice for awakening the heart by thich naht hanh
At the pond by 14 different authors
Tiny moons- a year of eating in Shanghai by Nina mingya powles
Bangkok wakes to rain by Pitchaya sudbanthad
I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki by baek sehee
All in her head: the truth and lies early medicine taught us about women’s bodies and why it matters today by Dr. Elizabeth Comen
——goal achieved, below are just extras ;)——
Yellow face by Rebecca f. Kuang
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Clothes, music, boys by Viv Albertine
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Private revolutions: coming of age in a new China by Yuan Yang
Conversations with friends by Sally Rooney
//
Thank you for reading my 2024 review!
Annie, Nathalee, and I are in works of creating some book-related videos if you like my style of reviewing and are interested, stay tuned.
I've moved a lot this year and have experienced a lot of change (if you didn't know, I had to leave Los Angeles for visa reasons, and moved to London. I'm finding it hard to live in there, and am missing LA and Bangkok very much). I'm trying to focus on positive and sparkling things, but it's hard right now. I dip in and out of reading sprints, where for weeks at a time, I am surrounded by the most wondrous books that I can't possibly fall asleep because I want to stay up reading (and then, have to slow down my reading with bated breath in the final few chapters in an effort to keep the book from ending), and then there are other weeks where I can't summon the motivation to start a new story because I believe the books around me won't make me feel excited. As it turns out, reading eventually does make me feel better. And so does writing. I just have to remember that.
Love to all the words in the world!
--- MT 🐭🐅
My bookshelf in Los Angeles :)
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