Books I Read in 2024
I enjoy reading quite a bit. Nevertheless, it’s something I need to be intentional about incorporating into my life. I usually to finish a modest number of books in a year. This year I made it to a nice round ten.
A big theme of the year is the Murderbot Diaries. My friend Jess recommended them to me a while back, and I finally got around to All Systems Red last year. I was hooked enough that Tess bought me the subsequent three for Christmas last year. So you’re gonna see almost all the Murderbot books on this list.
- Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa
- Mesa’s debut novel is set in 1920s Kansas City and centers around Rose, the daughter of Mexican immigrants who takes on the city’s mob bosses with the help of friends and some witchy magical powers. This was a gift from my sister Anna for Christmas last year.
- The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
- A murder mystery that takes place in space on a one-way mission to colonize a far-off planet. A gift from my sister.
- Wolfsong by TJ Klune
- Warewolves, magic, queerness, and family. A gift from my sister.
- Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
- Mystery, intrigue, gay ladies, and some incredible plot twists. Tess gave me this one.
- Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
- Murderbot investigates its past.
- Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
- Murderbot goes digging for evidence against its former corporate master, GrayCris.
- Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
- Murderbot attempts to save its former owner from GrayCris.
- Network Effect by Martha Wells
- Continuing the Murderbot obsession, I picked up this one from a Books Inc in San Francisco’s Marina district.
- I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin
- Anna and I decided to read this together, book club style. It’s a ridiculous romp across the US with some deep commentary on the perils of social media: how it promotes dogpiling in ways that can destroy lives, and the groupthink that arises from being terminally online.
- The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
- A cute, short read about a mysterious popup coffee shop that appears in Kyōto during the full moon.