Favorite Short Story Collections, Novels, and Nonfiction Books I Read in 2024—So Far
A reading list.
“This story reminds me that with every day, with every hour, we must simply make the most out of now.”
Short Story Collections:
In This Ravishing World, Nina Schuyler
My favorite story: On the Brink, the first story in the book.
I can’t stop thinking about the older woman in the opening page of this story.
Green Frog, Gina Chung
My favorite story: Presence
Craft, Stories I Wrote For The Devil, Ananda Lima
My favorite story: Ghost Story, which I first read on Electric Literature
These days, I’m reading more short stories set in a place outside the United States. These two story collections are set in Nigeria:
A kind of Madness, UcheOkonkwo
My favorite story: Burning, the last story in the book.
Ghostroots, PemiAguda
My favorite story: Imagine Me Carrying You
Novels:
Prophet Song, Paul Lynch
This book is the winner of Booker Prize 2023. From page to page, the despair unfolding as a mother of four fights to save her children is terrifying. I was tempted to put the book down because I couldn’t bear the despair—the book is that good—but I pushed through, and the story is so worth to get through the discomfort of stark despair on the pages.
And Then He Sang a Lullaby, AniKayodeSomtochukwu
This book from Roxane Gay Books has been sitting in my TBR lists for months. I finally read it and it is absolutely wonderful. I love reading books with their hearts beating so much that you feel your own heart beating along with them.
The Lost Bookshop, Evie Woods
Anyone who loves reading should read this book.
Sydney Rose Parnell series, Barbara Nickless
I don’t only read literary novels. Sometimes I like mixing genres. This series is full of mystery, crime, an unforgettable lead character with an unforgettable name, and my two favorite parts—a dog I want to hug and the emotion in this story, from page to page, comes off like a fire burning next to you.
Nonfiction books:
Here After, Amy Lin
I had to put the book down so many times while reading this book—because the story is heartbreaking. This story reminds me that with every day, with every hour, we must simply make the most out of now.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Maggie Smith
And this one talks about the climate, our natural world, and so much more:
Dispersals: On Plants, Borders, and Belonging, Jessica J. Lee
My TBR lists:
The Heart in Winter, Kevin Barry (novel)
The Quickening, Elizabeth Rush (nonfiction)
You Are the Snake, Juliet Escoria (short story collection)
The Best Short Stories, 2023, The O. Henry Prize Winners