The Curator: best reads of 2024
the best books and substacks of the year, according to me
Happy New Year, friends. The new year is the last of my “new years” cycle in which I have four - the fiscal year, the academic year, my birth year, and the calendar year. Then there are the seasons and the solstices, the new moons and the full moons, the election years, and the tragedies, both personal and universal, that create a new order. Lastly, the deeply personal, the everything shower - a true cosmic rebirth if I’ve ever known one1. There are many times to start anew in this life, so please take the calendar new year as a time to shuffle off the data points of 2024 and start fresh at 0 days since the last accident book. Everything else can wait.
In order to free ourselves from the shackles of 2024, we must engage in a little self-reflection. Considering your favorites of the year is a great way to grapple with your personal syllabus - what went well, what you learned, and what you might do differently next year. I tried desperately to narrow down my best reads to ten titles, but it felt disingenuous to omit some of my favorite reading experiences to satisfy the content gods. Hence, here we have a dirty dozen, a witches familiar, a freaky Friday set of 13 books that transformed my reading life in 2024.
favorite books
All 13 books naturally fell into two broad categories - ‘fucked up families’ and a ‘reimagining of reality.’ I carry a lot of daily anxiety, and reimagining reality is a way to escape or confront that anxiety. Family dynamics are just pure entertainment. This makes a lot of sense to me.
So much of what I loved about these books was extraneous to the books themselves - the moment I read them, the way I received the book, the mindset I was already in. I have no desire to cosplay a neutral book reviewer so I don’t try and rationalize my choices too much - this is gut instinct.
Also, what strikes me the most is the surprising longevity (or not) of some of my earlier reads. When attempting to whittle down the list, I just could not let go of the last three and had no lasting emotional connection to a few I thought I would have (East of Eden, Age of Innocence, The Ferryman).
Here is a brief case for each book on the list, which is a mix of new releases and backlist. I’ve written extensively about some of these already, so be sure to check out the full reviews if so inclined.
in order
THE BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - This novel may define my taste for the next decade. The combination of esoteric European history with folklore, occultism, and literature creates a gothic, time-bending sort of love story that is smart and simply a pure pleasure to read. Every sentence is crafted with a commitment to the vibe—darkly romantic, intelligent, sinister, and affecting. When I finished I was ready to start reading all over again. I will be searching for comps for the rest of my life (original blurb published by
here).The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - The second in my Booker Pauls journey that has lasted well over a year (oops). I love a family saga, and especially an Irish one. I also love it when writers mess with form and voice, which Murray does masterfully. This is a poignant and funny examination of the ways in which we lie to each other and ourselves and the consequences of our deception. It found me at the right time - the first summer I wasn’t being slowly suffocated by my day job. What a gift. (full review here).
Woodworm by Layla Martinez - my favorite read of spooky season, Woodworm is everything I want from a spooky read - a haunted house, a weird narrator, generational trauma, revenge, sex, death, and poetic justice. With all the new and old ways this world is coming up with to repress and harm women, I ate up this haunted house story with a side of feminist rage and washed it down with an increase in my monthly donation to Planned Parenthood. Top notch.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - I have already declared this novel the poster child for the importance of timing, but past Natalie was not ready for Shirley. I needed more quiet in my soul before I could appreciate the slow, sinister burn, the immaculate prose, the brilliant and strangely hilarious characterization and dialogue of Hill House. It was a wonderful way to welcome spooky season. This is one of those novels that I am positive only gets better with a reread (full review here).
Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth - a new favorite auto-buy 5+ contender. Another messy family story of abuse and silence that was a haunting combination of traumatic and powerful. Tightly constructed and plotted, I was hypnotized by Berglot’s testament of abuse. The way Hjorth used repetition, weather elements, temporal confusion, and weaponized emotion was masterful. It was perfect for Women in Translation Month and reignited my interest in Nordic literature. Thank you to my brilliant friend
for introducing me. Longer review here.Orbital by Samantha Harvey - a quietly transcendent experience in a time when my brain really needed reconfiguration. After the US election, I craved some alternative perspectives to remind me that we are simply tiny creatures on a tiny flying rock in the middle of a ginormous galaxy (full review here).
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe - Another post-election anxiety quencher, Say Nothing is more riveting than any manufactured thriller I’ve ever encountered. It is a true crime meets historical thriller that again helped me shift perspective, this time grounded in the human condition. Truly an astonishing feat of investigative journalism. Read more here.
Beloved by Toni Morrison - This book is a testament to craft and language. Morrison’s writing is layered, creative, complex, gorgeous, and heartbreaking all at once. As the depths of human depravity are revealed, there is small hope in the facing of your own personal demons. I feel it is best to go into this story lightly prepared, so make sure you are emotionally sturdy before attempting - I certainly sobbed a few times. A classic for a reason.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - it almost feels as if I read this novel in another lifetime. It really did a number on me, though. Who isn’t in love with Piranesi??? He is open-hearted, generous, and intelligent, but not naive. His hope in the world is contagious, childlike but wise, neither tainted nor cynical. Even when challenged, Piranesi’s faith in the world is not shaken. What are you trying to tell us, Ms. Clarke?? Perhaps she wrote it as a reaction to the internet, to our increasing isolation even as we search for the “truth”, but it feels prescient. Full review here.
James by Percival Everett - the perfect example of a worthy retelling. It won a ton of awards, and rightfully so. It feels like a delicate conversation with the original, a subtle deepening of perspective, both empathetic and honest. Everett made us complicit in the American South’s cultural crimes just by reading it. It got me thinking about what all retellings owe us. I wrote more about this strikingly funny and serious book here.
The Nix by Nathan Hill - one that I just could not let go of! I read it during a perfect day at the beach, contributing to that hazy desire to declare it a top read of the year. Its a messy family story but also a chorus of human emotion and confusion, introducing a supporting cast that I fell in love with. It’s both political and entertaining, also perfect for an election year. What can I say, I have a thing for chonky multiple-POV people dramas. Longer review here.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore - it would again be disingenuous not to include that part of my joy with this book is that it was my first ever publisher-gifted novel. When that pretty PR box showed up on my door, I was a goner, and that’s OK. It made it extra fun, but it’s also a great book. What really hooked me was (once again) the writing. Moore could have easily written a straightforward mystery and collected her check, but instead, she gave us a literary genre novel. I wrote about the beauty of the opening line here on Instagram. Who doesn’t love a strong mystery/thriller at the height of the summer?
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig - was this a perfect novel? No. But it stayed with me, haunted my dreams, built upon a literary legacy in a way that could very much be realized in the next few decades. My post-apocalyptic obsession continues, and it scares me more than any monster ever could (full review here).
Prepare yourself for next week when I will dump all 53 books I read in 2024 in your inbox. Until then, what was the best thing you read this year?? Cheers!
favorite substacks
I also read some intensely amazing Substack pieces this year. What this list has taught me is that I need to KEEP A LIST OF THESE DANG THINGS and also I maybe need to be reading dare I say, more men? In no particular order…
- at FictionMatters: The disappearance of literary men DOES concern me
- at Martha’s Monthly: Women in Translation Month
- at Culture Study: Culture Study Meets ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders’
- at Books Worth Sharing: 33 books that made me
- at Point of Departure: Top 11 Places to Read, Ranked
- at a reading life: On reading authentically
- at Litulla: A case for reading less
- at Words on Words: The 24 most beautiful sentences I read in 2024
- at The Reveal: The 15 Best Movie Posters of 2024
- at intellectual rigor mortis: Mystery Novels for Snobs
- at Regan’s newsletter: The 5+ Club: On '“author completionism” & keeping track of who you read
Mike at
: ‘The Little Friend’ by Donna Tartt- at haunting the staircase: The art of lost & cursed media
- at the Booktender: Reading from our piles
- at as seen on: 70% of americans would rather lose 10 pounds
- at The Lit List: everyone wants to be a lit girl
- at Jenovia’s Web: Having it All
- at Talking to Myself: dirty thirty
- at musings from the meantime: Is It Too Late to Talk About the Misinterpretation of the ‘Good for Her’ Cinematic Universe?
- : “Have you tried yoga?”
- at Bitch Sensei’s Book Club: Emma (1815) & Clueless (1995)
- at closelyreading: 6 lessons I learned during grad school
- at personal canon: the allure of the literary ranked list
- at Cherry Bomb: Girl on the Run
- at Books and Bits: “But how do you read so much?”
- at self-taught: Does SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE dislike women?
- at The Maris Review: vol 22
- at The Chaotic Reader: The Children Have Broken Me
- : Looking at Cusk Covers
- at Moonstruck Reads: Romance and the NYT 100 Notable Books List
- at Notes under the Fig Tree: you’re reading sally rooney wrong
- at Body Type: The long con of Pilates culture
- at Broke But Moisturized: I was a writer and an influencer. I am still a writer.
I know that I could include so much more, but there it is. I hope you find someone new to read!
reading 📖→
I finished my first book of the year, a Nordic Noir by Jo Nesbo, The Redbreast, a Harry Hole detective novel. I am doing a bit of a deep dive into Nordic writers right now, and this was the perfect way to start the year - with snow and murder.
Started another perfectly wintery novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino. It is intriguing and strange and requires a lot of brain power, but it’s oh so impressive.
consuming📽️🎧→
Nosferatu. A bit too much on the fits, and I was not expecting the mustache, but cinematically stunning and overall a wonderful slow burn gothic horror.
and cats 🐈⬛→
mom, stop.
let’s chat 👻→
What were your top reads of the year?
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Share!
What are you reading currently, and is it any good?
in case you missed it 🖤
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See you around the bookshelf!
I don’t take it to the extreme shown, but search ‘everything shower’ on TikTok if you need to know what this is. If you don’t come out of the shower feeling like a baby seal, you’ve done it wrong.
Natalie! First it must be said that you have superb taste in books 🤓. Second — you included ME amongst all these incredible book people?! I am delighted. Thank you!
Happy New Year Natalie! Thank you for always sprinkling some wit and humor in my inbox every Friday! I always look forward to it. If on a winter’s night a traveler is also on my must read this year. Hoping to get to it soon!