Top 5 Books of 2024 (that I read)

as if I know anything...

This was a year of firsts for me, traveling to new places, overcoming a crippling new anxiety, great things big and small. This was also a big year for my meditation practice: I was able to attend a retreat in Southern California that was truly transformative. During this year I read some incredible books and wanted to share a few, in no particular order.

A Memory Called Empire

Arkady Martine

I found this book via the Writing Excuses podcast, where they did a deep dive into all the clever uses of setting and language in this novel. For me, the way this book portrays otherness, and a love-hate relationship with a complicated dominant culture is phenomenal. I know it’s kind of cliche but I wasn’t able to put it down. An Empire where words are acknowledged for their power, and a poem could save the planet.

Like People In History

Felice Picano

This book was a captivating historical record of a man’s relationship with his cousin from a young age until death. It feels so real and honest that I can see people that I’ve known alive and well in some of these characters. It is about two gay men (one frumpy, one faaaabulous) living in the fifties to the eighties, taking you all the way from Woodstock to the AIDS crisis. This is one of those books I wish I had read when I was younger.

Stoner

John Williams

This book is a classic and I was glad to finally get a chance to read it this year. It’s a simple story of an unremarkable young professor who marries a difficult woman, but it has become one of my favorite books. The author’s gift is that he can make this story into something so compelling. I highlighted a number of passages and I look forward to reading it again.

It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness

Sylvia Boorstein

Not yet a Buddhist, but I love reading and learning more about these concepts. This is the best Buddhism for Dummies book ever, easy to read, simple and funny stories, covers a whole lot of things really well. I’m always interested in learning more about different beliefs and this book was a fast and enriching primer.

We the Animals

Justin Torres

I thought I had an idea of what this book would be like when I saw the movie, but I loved the book much more (I know I say this a lot, thanks for noticing). It captures the natural beauty of these three young boys’ lives. And the brutality. Just a beautiful short book, but one of my all-time favorites.