My Favorite Books of the First Half of 2024

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Below, in no particular order, are the books I’ve most enjoyed of the ones I’ve read so far this year - including two terrific writing craft books!

Fiction: 

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - Hank Green. One night while 23-yrar-old April May is returning home after a long day at her boring startup job, she sees a giant sculpture in the middle of the Manhattan sidewalk. She calls her friend Andy to film it, and joking “interviews” it, christening it Carl. Then it becomes apparent that Carls have appeared in cities all over the world. This book is both hilarious and thought-provoking, as it navigates our social-media and celebrity-obsessed culture, following April May on her quest to find out exactly what the Carls want and why they are here. I’m looking forward to reading the follow-up, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor.  

Mastering the Art of French Murder - Colleen Cambridge. A young woman has just been killed – and Julia Child’s favorite chef’s knife is the one found in the body. Set in Paris after WWII, this fun mystery follows Tabitha, a young American woman and friend of Julia, as she attempts to figure out who murdered the woman, and why. Lots of great setting details and an interesting cast of characters helps keep you intrigued and guessing. And hungry, as Julia’s cooking also makes plenty of appearances.   

The Night Tiger - Yangsze Choo. Set in colonial Malaya (as Malaysia was known), this is a story of intersecting lives brought together in mysterious ways. An English doctor, a young Chinese-Malayan woman, a Malayan boy and his dead twin brother... and a tiger that may or may not be a were-tiger, the restless spirit of a man not-quite-dead. This story weaves together mystery and myth as it explores class, gender, and social roles in a beautiful way that really brings the setting to life.  

The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson. This is a hard one to summarize. It’s a “nonfiction novel” that brings together fictional and nonfictional elements to tell the near-future story of Earth in climate crisis, and how humanity may make changes that enable it to survive. In between the economics and ecology, we follow a couple of characters who struggle to make meaningful change happen in the face of catastrophe. By turns horrifying, fascinating and thought-provoking – and the science is compelling. 

Nonfiction: 

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals - Oliver Burkeman. I recommend this for anyone who wants a philosophical, humorous, pointed, and practical discussion of the uses of time, time “management,” and making meaning in the face of the finitude we must confront in our lives. It’s about making choices, and embracing the present moment, since that is, of course, the only one that we really have.    

Your Heart Was Made for This – Oren Jay Sofer. In twenty-six chapters, Sofer invites us to participate in practices designed to help improve our lives in practical ways. Each short chapter focuses on a particular quality - mindfulness, energy, gratitude, wisdom, etc.– and gives examples of mediations and actions we can take to develop these in daily life, to deal with both individual and societal challenges. He comes from a Buddhist perspective, but the practices are applicable to anyone.  

Refuse to Be Done - Matt Bell. This small book contains a wealth of information on drafting and revision for writers. Bell goes through a three-draft process: one, a rough “discovery draft” that allows the story to emerge organically; two, a revision draft, where you actually pull what you have together into a story; and three, a final draft, where you go through several passes of the whole book, looking at every element closely and polishing it to be the best it can be. I really like his approach, and his focus on the art and craft of prose.  

Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules –Steven James. There’s so much information packed into this book it’s hard to know where to begin. The premise is: forget about the “rules” of writing a novel (such as 3-Act Structure) and instead focus on what actually works to keep readers engaged in the story. James discusses the importance of tension, desire, struggle, and discovery, and specific techniques to enhance them to drive the story forward. There’s something in every chapter you can put into immediate use in your novel to make it better.  

There you have it – my favorite books so far this year, out of the 33 I’ve read. Do you have any favorite books you’ve read this year you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments! 

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