For this 8th iteration, I had to make some adjustments to the headings I've used since the inception of this series in 2018. First off, no novel I finished this past year that is worth recommending felt like a good fit with the word casual. And because each of the seven novels I'd previously recommended to casual readers were so uniformly excellent, I chose not to cheapen the heading this year with something not worth the time. I look forward to returning to it next December.
This year also has the first-ever * attached to novel most likely to be recommended to discerning readers and - as you'll see below - I cited the same title for two headings - most intriguing and most personally useful. In earlier years each of those headings had their own book. All that aside, ignore my headings if you wish when you offer your own 2024 reading re-cap. I've been pleased when readers of my blog have sought out books from either my re-caps or titles offered by others as a comment on this post in years past.
Novel* most likely to be recommended to discerning readers: James - Percival Everett (2024)
Reflections From The Bell Curve: James
I attached that asterisk because after finishing Claire Keegan's Foster a few weeks back, I thought that book would inch past James for this heading this year. But technically, Foster is a novella. Do yourself a favor, discerning readers; read both, soon.
Novel and non-fiction that most deepened my experience of living: Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - James McBride (2023); The Splendid and the Vile - Erik Larson (2020)
Most worthwhile re-read: The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
Most intriguing AND Most personally useful: You're Not Listening - Kate Murphy (2019)
As always, I reserve the right to make an adjustment to this re-cap if anything I finish over the next twelve days surpasses any of the titles above for their respective headings. Given TC Boyle, Elizabeth Strout, and Colson Whitehead are among the authors in my current queue, don't take any bets on this being the final final word. Most of all, I look forward to hearing your re-cap. Bookworms unite!
I would recommendKingmaker – Pamela Harrison’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue by Sonia Purnell to casual readers. (It also would dovetail nicely with The Splendid and the Vile since it starts out with Pamela Harrison as Pamela Churchill and her assistance to Winston during WWII.) Most personally useful:Talking To Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. And, I so thoroughly enjoyed:Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout that I re-read it! Finally,This is Happiness by Niall Williams touched me deeply - not sure how to categorize. (I have read all of the books you mention, other than the last and agree that they are worthy of recommendation.)
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