I love Best Of lists, and when they start coming out in December I feel a strong compulsion to go read a bunch of the things listed to decide if it belongs on my list. In the past, I’ve managed this stress by making a Top 10 Books that I am looking forward to reading next year list, but people consistently thought it was my actual Top 10, and I got tired of explaining. Also this year I decided to really lean into the impulse to read the various Best ofs, so I couldn’t predict which ones I actually wouldn’t get to! Unsurprisingly, then, a lot of my favorite books published this year are things I read recently, whereas my favorite reads of the year actually span the entire year. I’m pleased to find that I actually wrote blog posts for most of these, for once — a sign that I’m doing a better job with posting!
So here they are, my favorite things published this year:
(Order based on how the covers looked in the grid)
I Cannot Control Everything Forever, Emily Bloom
Alphabetical Diaries, Sheila Heti
Vladivostok Circus, Elisa Shua Dusapin
Reading the Room, Paul Yamazaki
Whale Fall, Elizabeth O’Connor
Beautyland, Mary-Helene Bertino
…But I haven’t read James, by Percival Everett, or Taiwan Travelogue, by Yang Shuang-zi, or Held, by Anne Michaels, or Wandering Stars, by Tommy Orange, yet (and I intend to).
Are you listening? Tillie Walden
Pawilon Małych Ssaków, Patryk Pufelski
I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This, Nadja Spiegelman
Tuesday or September or the End, Hannah Black
Dayswork, Chris Bachelder & Jennifer Habel
Mãn, Kim Thuy
As I was dutifully going through to add these hyperlinks, having already posted the images of the grids on my instagram, I realized that I neglected to include Poland, a Green Land, by Aharon Appelfeld, which is definitely one of the best things I read this year. It really rocked my world. So let’s say that it belonged in that middle square where all the things published in 2024 went?
But I also want to mention some other highlights, like Bushra Rehman’s Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion, Bryan Washington’s Family Meal, and Naoise Dolan’s Happy Couple, all of which very nearly made it onto the Top list, because they’re all really, really great.
I’ll tell you my Top 5 favorite movies, too, since we’re here, but I don’t think they’re super meaningful, because I only saw 15 new movies this year. Probably the worst thing about having a young child is that it makes it so much harder to go to the movies. I’m trying to counteract this by taking myself on afternoon movie dates, but it’s tough. Hopefully more this year. Anyways, my favorites: Perfect Days, Anora, Flow, My Old Ass, and for sheer fun: Conclave.
Kasia Reads 