My Favorite Reads of 2024

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

In the future, society is divided by a strict color-based caste system, with Golds at the top and Reds at the bottom. Darrow, a young Red working in the mines of Mars, believes his people are helping to terraform the planet for future generations. But he soon discovers that Mars has been habitable for centuries and that the Golds have been exploiting his people all along. Determined to fight back, Darrow infiltrates the Institute, a brutal school where Golds are trained to rule.

Here’s more about the Red Rising series.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Walking in an ash-covered America, a father and his young son push their few possessions in a battered cart. Starvation and the threat of cannibalism define their journey, yet the father insists they are “carrying the fire,” clinging to a fragile code of goodness. As illness overtakes him and the world grows colder, he must prepare the boy to survive alone, trusting that somewhere, the “good guys” still endure.

Here’s my review.

The Blood of Emmet Till by Timothy Tyson

In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till traveled from Chicago to Mississippi, where a brief encounter with Carolyn Bryant led her husband and half-brother to abduct, torture, and murder him. His mutilated body, disfigured almost beyond recognition, was shown in an open-casket funeral and shocked the nation, fueling the Civil Rights Movement. An all-white jury acquitted the killers. Months later, protected by double jeopardy, the two men openly confessed their crime.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

The novel follows the Buendía family across multiple generations in the isolated town of Macondo, tracing their rise, decline, and repeated patterns of love, violence, and obsession. As the town grows from a remote settlement into a place shaped by war, politics, and outside influence, magical and mundane events intertwine, revealing how history continually repeats itself.

All Souls by Michael Patrick MacDonald

In South Boston’s Old Colony housing project, MacDonald’s life unfolds amid poverty, drug epidemics, and gang violence that tear families and neighborhoods apart. Children grow up surrounded by loss, crime, and limited opportunity. This firsthand account becomes both a condemnation of systemic neglect and a testament to the resilience of those who endured it.

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

The lives of three very different individuals converge in a world on the brink of war. Logen Ninefingers, a barbarian with a bloody past, seeks survival. Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled torturer of the King’s Inquisition, navigates deadly court politics. Meanwhile, the ambitious nobleman Jezal dan Luthar pursues glory, unaware of the forces that will soon demand more of him than he ever imagined.

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

When young Billy Parham traps a pregnant wolf preying on his family’s cattle, he chooses to lead her south toward the mountains of Mexico. The journey draws him into a landscape of wanderers, philosophers, and revolutionaries. After travelling through borderlands, deserts, and villages, Billy returns transformed, no longer believing in the mercy he once offered so freely.

The Beast by Óscar Martínez

Martinez joins the Central American migrants who risk their lives riding La Bestia, a network of freight trains heading toward the U.S. border. Through interconnected stories, it documents the extreme dangers of the journey, while also highlighting the hope and desperation driving people north. Grounded in real experiences, it offers a stark look at survival along one of the world’s most perilous routes.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Addie LaRue, a young woman in 18th-century France, makes a desperate bargain to escape an unwanted life, gaining immortality but cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Over centuries, Addie navigates the world unseen, leaving subtle marks on art, literature, and lives without ever being remembered. Her existence shifts when she encounters a man who remembers her, upending everything she has endured.

Here’s my review.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

The seemingly peaceful village of Kaigen hides people trained in both martial arts and elemental magic, preparing for threats from rival nations. Misaki rises through rigorous training, balancing her dedication to family, duty, and personal growth. When war breaks out, the villagers face an onslaught that tests their skills, courage, and the bonds that hold them together.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

In post-revolutionary Iran, strict religious laws reshape everyday life, controlling dress, behavior, and speech. Nafisi, a professor dismissed for refusing to wear the veil, gathers a secret group of women to study forbidden Western literature. Through discussions of novels, they confront censorship, gender oppression, and ideological control. Part memoir, part cultural history, Nafisi’s story reveals the power of imagination in a society determined to silence it.

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Young Jorg Ancrath, heir to a fractured kingdom, leads a band of ruthless outlaws through a violent landscape. Scarred by tragedy and driven by vengeance, Jorg seeks to claim power and settle scores against those who wronged him. As he carves a path through rival lords, his cunning and brutality set him apart even among killers.

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Aiden Bishop wakes in a decaying manor where a lavish party ends in murder — one he must solve to escape. Trapped in a looping day, inhabiting a different guest’s body each morning, he uncovers hidden motives, buried scandals, and a killer determined to evade him. As timelines twist and allies shift, Aiden races to unravel the mansion’s deadly secret.

Here’s my review.

The Caliph’s House by Tahir Shah

Tahir Shah and his family moved from London to Casablanca, driven by his fond childhood memories of Morocco. Acquiring a rundown mansion once belonging to a caliph, Shah embarks on an adventure full of lively portrayals of Moroccan scenery and personalities. From grappling with jinns to navigating cultural differences, Shah’s tale captures the joys and trials of pursuing a dream in a foreign country.

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim

The city of Nexus stands at the crossroads of four realms — Life, Death, Light, and Darkness — each governed by a god and mortal heir. However, the gods have withdrawn their favor, leaving the city on the brink of collapse. The heirs — Risha, a necromancer; Angelica, an elementalist; Taesia, a shadow-wielder; and Nik, a soldier — must form a fragile alliance to avert a realm-shattering war.

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

In 2026, a team of scientists, engineers, and visionaries sets out on a mission to make Mars habitable for humanity’s first colony. Led by John Boone, they establish the initial base and expand to Phobos, Mars’ hollowed-out moon, wrestling with the ethical questions of terraforming and their fragile connection to Earth.

Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano

The history of Latin America can be seen through centuries of exploitation, beginning with colonization and continuing through modern imperialism. Natural resources like gold, silver, oil, and land were systematically extracted to benefit foreign powers while leaving local populations impoverished. Blending history, economics, and politics, Galeano argues that underdevelopment was not accidental but the direct result of ongoing systems of domination and inequality.

Here’s my notes.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

Azoth, a street urchin in the crime-ridden city of Cenaria, dreams of escaping the slums. He becomes the apprentice of Durzo Blint, the city’s legendary wetboy, a magician-assassin who teaches him the deadly arts of stealth and combat. As Azoth trains, he must navigate the brutal underworld, political machinations, and the blurred lines between right and wrong.

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

Olson demonstrates how small, consistent daily actions can build — or undermine — long-term success. By focusing on simple disciplines, positive habits, and incremental improvements, the novel shows that meaningful change doesn’t come from sudden breakthroughs but from steady progress over time. Using practical examples, it highlights how everyday choices shape the trajectory of one’s life.

Here’s my notes.

Travel Narratives from the Age of Discovery by Peter Mancall

This collection brings together firsthand accounts from European explorers traveling through Africa, Asia, and the Americas during the Age of Discovery. The narratives describe encounters with unfamiliar lands, peoples, and cultures, often shaped by curiosity, fear, and imperial ambition. The texts reveal how exploration, trade, and conquest were deeply intertwined, offering insight into how early travel writing helped construct Europe’s understanding of the wider world.