2024: End Of Year Thoughts

Realism, or, rather, our perception of it, is a gauge of how we make sense of the world. From debating whether social media posts are genuine and questioning controversial theories and figures, to judging the sincerity of public and private statements, society is increasingly drawn to the comfort of what feels real and what we can trust amongst the constructed realities of our lives.

Our reading in 2024 mirrored this. Perhaps it’s the growing maturity of our book club (18 years this year!) or the sheer volume of books we’ve worked through over the years that prompted us to dig a little deeper.

In 2024 we tackled books that took on deeply real and affecting topics: grief (Bird Life), justice (Chain-Gang All-Stars), misogyny (Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982), bullying (Bunny), menopause (All Fours), racism (Passing), and even the loss of the will to live (Martyr!), plus several books which explored humanity, societal expectations and family dynamics. Despite the weight of these subjects, the authors found ways to infuse humour, satire, the supernatural, and history to transform heavy themes into compelling reads without reducing their reliability as reflections of society.

We saw this urgency for realism even beyond our booklist. Authors retelling real life past and current events, climate fiction gaining a dedicated prize, celebrity bookclubs highlighting important texts, cross-medium writers, and whispers of plagiarism – the scope of the written word feels more abuzz than ever.

When I go back to the places of the past, nothing is there anymore, as if I have made the whole thing up. It is as if life were just a dream placed in the window to cool, like a pie, then stolen. [I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore]

At our end-of-year book club, we found we agreed in many of our standout moments. Best character? Marcellus, the charismatic octopus from Remarkably Bright Creatures. Most memorable locations? Rural Poland in Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead and the motel room in All Fours. Plus, we couldn’t stop talking about Miranda July – her author bio is as fascinating as her work. Best ending? Definitely Passing. Worst book? Sorry Lorrie Moore, you got that gong for I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home.

We didn’t agree on every topic, and here are some of our other ratings to prove it, including the coveted Book Of The Year.

Least Liked Character
Rachel: Lily from I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home
Suzy: All the men in Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Jo: Shakespeare in Hamnet
Jodie: The stepmother in Whale Bone Theatre

Best Couple
Rachel: Davy and unnamed main character in All Fours
Suzy: Loretta & Staxx in Chain-Gang All-Stars
Jo: Loretta & Staxx in Chain-Gang All-Stars
Jodie: Marcellus and Tova in Remarkably Bright Creatures

Most Enjoyable Moment (Spoiler Alert!!)
Rachel: Orkideh and Cyrus’ last chat in Martyr!
Suzy: Marcellus and Tova communicating in Remarkably Bright Creatures
Jo: Discovering who the murderer was in Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead
Jodie: Tova releasing the octopus in Remarkably Bright Creatures

Runner Up Best Book
Rachel: All Fours
Suzy: Bunny
Jo: Bunny
Jodie: All Fours

Book Of The Year
Rachel: Martyr!
Suzy: All Fours
Jo: Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead
Jodie: Bunny

It’s hard to be knocked down when you’re on all fours. [All Fours by Miranda July]