Every year the Book Review publishes lists of the best new books. But we know that’s not the full story.
Along with calling on New York Times readers to share their favorite movies, music, theater and TV shows of 2024, we asked about their reading. . Their answers were funny and insightful, both about books our staff liked and about those that left us cold. Here are a selection of their responses, which have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Several of 2024’s biggest novels made an impression.
All Fours, by Miranda July
I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that made me feel this uncomfortable — not just about the protagonist’s choices, but how I reacted to them. This book has made me question how and why I judge others. — Molly Crowley, Tacoma, Wash.
As a middle-age woman I only see cultural representations of people like me as a mom. Have you ever searched matured women pictures on Pinterest? We are invisible. And Miranda July created a protagonist who is a mom, a wife, but above all a human being full of desire and urgency to make her life her own. — Karen Arman, Los Angeles
So many novels allow us to empathize with others’ experiences. But this novel helped me to more fully understand myself. — Becky Lake, Santa Clarita, Calif.
This book took me on a ride. I read it in two days flat, with the second day dissolving into a fever dream where I couldn’t assimilate into public anymore because I felt so crazed. — Chrisi Morrison, Eugene, Ore.
James, by Percival Everett
It was powerful, funny, and well-written, and it had a left-handed hook at the end that would knock any reader out cold. — Jim Redner, Los Angeles
Heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Utterly devastating. Poignant. The juxtaposition of the depravity of slavery with the indomitable intellect, spirit, and ultimately identity of James made this a masterpiece that I will carry with me for years to come. — Sue Kirby, Chantilly, Va.
Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney brought an incredible atmosphere to this novel and, as always, she writes sex in a way that no other author does — fluid, tender and electric. It was a beautiful portrait of relationships and grief. — Nicole Burgess, Pittsburgh
I loved the compassionate portrayal of a neurodivergent character and his quest to find love. Her writing is intimate and beautiful. — Carly Zien, Los Angeles
The way that Rooney seamlessly switches narratives between the brothers, and uses stylistic techniques to differentiate between the two, blew me away. She is so good at writing the inner life of her characters. — Carrie Schupack, Philadelphia
Many readers spoke of the most memorable, meaningful characters they encountered.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
A young Iranian child, whose mother was in an airliner mistakenly shot down by the U.S., ends up growing up in the U.S. and becoming a poet and recovering alcoholic. His project to research historical martyrs leads to unexpected revelations about his family, with a wrenching twist followed by a transcendent fever dream of an ending that reminded me of Wagner’s “Prelude and Liebestod.” I reread this chapter again and again and it left me in a swoon. — K.C. Smythe, Nashville
Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner
Kushner somehow created a microcosm in rural France that felt like a portal to the entire world. She had me slowly loving a protagonist I never thought I could grow to like and, in Bruno, the book’s mysterious philosopher-king, someone we should all be equal parts wary of and entranced by. — Jake Howell, Oklahoma City
Beautyland, by Marie-Helene Bertino
It is empathetic, odd, delicate, hysterical and quietly moving. Reading Adina’s story of self-discovery stunned me. Everyone has felt odd or out of place at some point in their life. In fact, when I was a child I felt so strange and unlike anyone around me that I theorized I actually was an alien from another planet. Turns out, I was just gay. This has been a year of a lot of self-discovery and growing up. Reading “Beautyland” made me feel not alone in that. — Levi Welch, Chicago
Despite a busy news cycle, others indulged in nonfiction.
The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
Full of details about the lead-up to the Civil War, it was like a history-mystery. I could not stop reading it. “The Wide Wide Sea,” by Hampton Sides, is a close second. Both reveal personalities of people who shaped the world of their own times as well as the future. — Linda M. Robb, Indianapolis
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, by Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea
I listened to the audiobook and it was a continual delight. Thought-provoking insights from Dench on Shakespeare, acting, and life. And Barbara Flynn managed to sound like Dench — it was quite eerie to realize that it wasn’t Dench herself. Marvelously edited from all those interviews. Overall, it was the richest piece of writing I have read, or listened to, in a long time. — Lisa Kohn, Chicago
Nexus, by Yuval Noah Harari
At a time when our communication systems seem to be running amok and we can’t make sense of how we receive information, a clear, concise history of the achievements and failures of previous information systems is more vital now then ever. Perfect time for this. — Geoffrey Hug, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Challenger, by Adam Higginbotham
The book elegantly describes dozens of individual tragedies that combined to one great tragedy. It lucidly explains literal rocket science for the average reader. If I still don’t understand what a tang and clevis joint is, that’s my fault, not Higginbotham’s. — Ann Yackshaw, Columbus, Ohio
Some readers felt the effects of the pandemic in the literature they read.
You Are Here, by David Nicholls
I felt the story was so relevant as it talked about the estrangement many people had gone through during the pandemic and how it had brought about loneliness. Against this backdrop, it’s a story about reconnection, and all of this on an amazing hiking trip. — Bobby den Bezemer, London
Blue Ruin, by Hari Kunzru
We’ve finally crossed the threshold of distance from the peak Covid-19 era to have a thoughtful, rich narrative in which the pandemic is centered. Kunzru delves into the complexities of his characters’ past and present, weaving the pandemic into a stand-alone character as well. — Dorothea Trufelman, Brooklyn N.Y.
And of course, plenty read for escape.
Funny Story, by Emily Henry
It was a fun and emotional romantic read that I couldn’t put down. — Amanda Gruninger, Philadelphia
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
A fun, deliciously saucy, queer second chance romance that is the perfect summer read. The descriptions of the food and drinks in all the European tour stops are just as tasty as the romance scenes. — Courtney Terr, New York, N.Y.
The post The Books Readers Loved in 2024 appeared first on New York Times.
