I read a lot in a year. And I don’t want to oversell it, but I’m talking at least 200-300 books in a wide variety of genres, age-levels, and styles. I love comics, kids books, fiction and nonfiction, horror, fantasy, literary fiction, audiobooks, and more. So, I though it would be fun to look at all the books I’ve read this year and provide a list of some of the best of the best. Of course, everyone’s reading interests are different, but I hope that you’ll find something to love on this list! And if you see a couple books that we’ve both enjoyed, perhaps you’ll consider checking out the rest!
One quick caveat. I’m limiting this list to items that you can get from the library! So, if the book was from SearchOhio or my private collection, it will, alas, not be included on this list.
The Sheriff of Yrnameer (Michael Rubens) Cole is a sometimes-smuggler who has gotten himself into very hot water with some very bad people. That’s why he finds himself hanging by his ankle in an alleyway, while Kenneth, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy attempts to lay his eggs in Cole’s brain as a punishment for nonpayment. When Kenneth gives him a few hours reprieve to come up with the cash (on the promise that he doesn’t run) Cole does what anyone would do in a similar situation: he steals a spaceship full of freeze-dried orphans and makes a break for it. Along the way, he finds himself entangled in a series of increasingly dangerous adventures and discovers the location of Yrnameer: a planet of semi-legendary status, as its the only non-sponsored, your-name-here planet left. With a colorful cast of eccentric characters (including some intergalactic do-gooders, a satellite full of middle-management cannibals, and a jovial killer with a really sensational voice), this was easily my favorite book of the year.
I’m as surprised as anyone that I liked this book as much as I did, since I’m not much of a science-fiction reader. But, in fact, I’ve read/listened to it 3½ times this year (the half is because I’m not finished with this read-through yet) I definitely recommend the audiobook for this particular title. It’s wonderfully done by William Dufris.
I’d Rather Not (Robert Skinner)
Robert Skinner retired at the age of 28 and then realized he had no money and had to go back and get a job. This short book is a collection of silly essays like this that will have you cracking up at every turn. From the time he decided to live in the dog park to the disastrous camel trip he took with his parents, Skinner’s crazy stories are guaranteed to keep you laughing from start to finish. If you’re looking for an author of humorous essays that you’ve not read before, this is the one for you!
I read this book THREE TIMES in less than a month. Like, I finished it one night before bed, thought about how disappointed I was that it was over, and then picked it up again and started reading from the beginning. Then, when I finished the second time, I realized there was an audiobook, so I listened to that one, too. It’s narrated by the author and added a great depth to the story. I highly recommend it!
The Skull (Jon Klassen) Jon Klassen’s signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit–with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note–The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.
I love a good fairytale retelling and this particular book was one of the best that I’ve read! Not only is it a fun, interesting story told in Klassen’s classic style, but he got the idea from a book by one of my all-time favorite authors, Ruth Manning-Sanders! I’ve read this book about five times already (although not all this year) and its one that I intend to read many more times in the future!
For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title: “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
There are few writing books that have inspired me in the same way that this book has inspired me. The beautiful writing, which is half instruction and half memoir tenderly draws you in. The book is really beautiful, full of faith, hope, and inspiration, and its one that I try to read at least once a year.
The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox (Barry Hughart)
This massive book (clocking in at nearly 700 pages) contains three books featuring the mystery-solving duo of Master Li (a scholar with a slight flaw in his character) and Number Ten Ox, a young man from a rural village. When all the children within a certain age group start succumbing to a mysterious illness, the elders send Number Ten Ox to find a wise man who can cure them…and he brings back Master Li. What follows is an increasingly complex series of adventures as Li and Ox discover that the mystery goes far deeper than they first thought.
I absolutely adore this series and could read these books every year if given the chance. Advertised as a story of a China “that never was,” this series is made up of wild adventures and memorable characters that will have you entertained for hours on end. I love a good adventure story, and fell in love with these tales of ancient China.
Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams (Naoki Urasawa)
Kamoda owns a factory producing flip-flops, and after some bad advice from a friend, decides to cheat on his taxes with the assurance that they never really check up on those things. But, when he gets audited, he loses everything, including his wife, who runs off on a luxury cruise and abandons Kamoda with a failing factory, a young daughter, and a mountain of debt. As he contemplates suicide, he discovers a series of strange signs pointing him to the Director, an art fanatic with the strangest idea: that one can get rich by stealing paintings from the Louvre–without actually stealing them. If Kamoda and his daughter, Kamsumi agrees to work with him, he promises that he will make all of his dreams come true.
This is such a strange book, haunting, beautiful, and extremely dreamlike. I don’t want to say too much and give away important plot points, but this book was nothing like what I was expecting, but exactly what I was looking for. I hope you enjoy it, too!
The Big Book of Monsters (Hal Johnson)
Meet the monsters of classic literature! From the blood-sucking Count Dracula and the walking corpse, Frankenstein’s Monster, to the invisible Horla that feasts on humans as we feast on cattle, all of the craziest creeps are here for your perusal! Drawn from the pages of classic books and tales as old as time, this frightfully fascinating collection features 25 of the baddest of the bad, with bright illustrations, recommended reading, and all the gruesome details a young reader could possibly desire!
I LOVE monsters! The creepier the better! Whether they’re haunting houses, terrorizing villages, or drinking people’s blood, I can’t get enough of these crazy creeps! What I especially loved about this book was that it draws all of its monsters from classic literature, providing some that I’m sure all of us have heard of (Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Headless Horseman), and mixing in some lesser-known terrors (Grendel, the Goblin Spider, Cheops). There’s a robust bibliography for interested readers who are ready for more, and it even highlights the books that would be most accessible to the target age group. Add in some awesome illustrations, and you have a book that simply cannot be beat! While this book is written for a younger audience, this is definitely one that monster-loving adults will also enjoy!
William’s father Edward is dying. And he struggles with the realization that he never really knew him. Despite the larger-than-life picture that his father has woven through his stories, William’s grasp on who Ed really is continues to slip through his fingers. The book is made up of stories from Ed’s past, woven together with the present moment, as William replays the end of his father’s life again and again and again. And the question that both William and the reader are forced to confront is this: who was Edward, really? The man or the myth?
I read this book for the first time sitting at the laundromat during a power-outage last summer (it’s a long story) and I found it to be incredibly comforting. I picked it up again early this year and enjoyed it just as much. If you are a fan of magical realism and haven’t read this one, you should definitely bump it up to the top of your TBR list.
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our National Parks.
Before reading this book, I had absolutely no idea that our National Parks system was created by President Teddy Roosevelt, after a camping trip with naturalist John Muir. These two larger-than-life figures come together for one memorable trip in a book that is funny and charming and absolutely fascinating. The illustrations are wonderful and its obvious that the author had a real love of these historical figures and the monumental events that they inspired.
Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of Cannery Row discover rewards unknown in more traditional society. Henry the painter sorts through junk lots for pieces of wood to incorporate into the boat he is building, while the girls from Dora Flood’s bordello venture out now and then to enjoy a bit of sunshine. Lee Chong stocks his grocery with almost anything a man could want, and Doc, a young marine biologist who ministers to sick puppies and unhappy souls, unexpectedly finds true love. Cannery Row is just a few blocks long, but the story it harbors is suffused with warmth, understanding, and a great fund of human values.
For years, if anyone asked, I’d say that this was my favorite book of all time. But, then I realized that quite a bit of time had passed since I read it last, so I decided to take a copy with me on vacation. Ah, what a beautiful book! I had forgotten how much I loved this book! Steinbeck has a real knack for writing very human, very realistic characters and stories, and picking it up again after over a decade felt like going home again.
Dear Committee Members (Julie Schumacher)
Jason Fitger is a beleaguered professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, a small and not very distinguished liberal arts college in the midwest. While the Econ department above him gets a lavish remodel, the English department continues to fall into disrepair, with Jason struggling to keep it together as the building seems to be falling apart around him. His writing career is in shambles, as is his romantic life, and his favorite student can’t seem to catch a break with his modern retelling of Bartleby the Scrivener, no matter what Jason does to help him. Told through increasingly unprofessional and desperate letters of recommendation to colleagues, former friends, and former lovers, Jason’s story unfolds in ways that are both surprising and deeply human.
I love to read books about flawed characters who are tough to like but tougher to hate. And Jason Fitger is certainly one of those characters. I adored reading about very complicated, difficult man. The story is told completely through letters of recommendation, as well, which adds an additional level of creativity and realism. You’ll laugh, you might cry, and you’ll be hooked until the end!
I Can Open it For You and I Won’t Give Up My Rubber Band (Shinsuke Yoshitake)
I was going to limit this list to one book per author, but in this case, I just couldn’t pick. Or rather, I could pick, but I didn’t want to. So, I hope that you’ll check out both of these excellent books! In the first, a little boy expresses his frustration that he can’t open things on his own, not even his own snacks. But, he fantasizes about when he’s older and can open everything on his own (with hilarious results). In the second, a little girl finds a rubber band and is delighted to have something that is uniquely hers, not something she has to borrow, give back, or share. And her imagination runs wild with thoughts of all the fun and creative things she’s going to do with her rubber band.
Yoshitake writes hilarious and incredibly quirky picture books. We have a decent selection of them in our collection, but these two were by far my favorites and a perfect way to round out my list.
I hope that you enjoyed this list, composed of my “best of” titles for the year! What are some of your favorite books from 2024?
