The books I read in 2024

For the last few years, I’ve written a post describing the books I’ve read in the previous year (see 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018). This serves to help me remember what I’ve read, and occasionally as inspiration to friends that might be looking for something to read.

And obviously, just because I liked a particular book doesn’t mean that I’d expect everyone else to like it.

Fiction

The Granddaughter, by Bernhard Schlink. By the author of The Reader, which I also enjoyed, this is set in the former East Germany and reflects on the legacy of the DDR and the subsequent rise of the Far Right.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride, is a somewhat fantastical novel set in a poor neighbourhood in 1930’s Pennsylvania. A bit different from what I’d normally read, but I was glad I did.

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, by the South Korean author Hwang Bo-Reum, caught my eye in the bookshop. I’m hadn’t read any South Korean literature before, and don’t know too much about the country, but this was a lovely excursion into a different world.

Our Evenings — by Alan Hollinghurst. I generally enjoy his novels, and this latest one was no exception, beautifully portraying a character’s life over the course of the last 70 years in England.

The Wizard of the Kremlin, by Giuliano da Empoli, is a short novel that puts the reader into the head of Putin and those around him.

Fellow Travelers, by Thomas Mallon. Set at the grubby heart of 1950s McCarthyism, I learned a lot about the politics of the time, though never really got into the minds of the protagonists enough to really enjoy it.

Dogs and Monsters, by Mark Haddon, is a collection of short stories, based on ancient myths and legends. I didn’t love it.

How We Named the Stars, by Andrés N. Ordorica, was a beautiful yet heartbreaking story of a Mexican American student, discovering himself and his place in the world.

Lord, Dismiss us, by Michael Campbell. This boarding school novel was favourably reviewed in the Isherwood / Bachardy biography that I read, so I read it, but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Hollinghurst’s novel.

The House of Doors, by Tan Twan Eng. I’m a fan of his writing, and enjoyed this one, set in colonial Penang at a time that Sun Yat-Sen and Somerset Maugham were there.

Only this beautiful moment, by Abdi Nazemian. A beautiful novel, set over three generations in Iran and America, I meant to save it for my holiday but ended up finishing it before I even got on the plane.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby van Pelt. An enjoyable read, about an Octopus in an aquarium.

Berlin Duet, by S.W.Perry. A very readable novel spanning the 20th century, set between Hollywood, Vienna and Berlin.

One Day, by David Nicholls. Everyone else seemed to have read it, and a friend suggested I read it. I didn’t warm to the characters, but it was a page-turner.

Red London by Alma Katsu. A fast-paced spy thriller, set in the world of Russian oligarchs in London.

Leading Man — Justin Myers, an easy read, about friendship and romance.

Red, white and royal blue, by Casey McQuiston. I was in need of some very light reading after finishing a particularly challenging book, and this did the trick, even if not the most plausible.

History / Biography

The Animals — This was a collection of letters between author Christopher Isherwood and his lover artist Don Bachardy. A lot of gossip about everyone in the London and Los Angeles cultural scene, and some beautifully expressed tenderness between the two.

Enough, by Cassidy Hutchinson, is an account of how she came to be at the heart of the first Trump presidency, what it was like, and how she ultimately became concerned enough to testify in the Senate Hearings into the events of January 6th.

Keir Starmer, by Tom Baldwin. I read this in April, before the election but when it was already fairly clear that Starmer would win the General Election. It gave me a better understanding of the man, if at times an overly positive one.

All authors are equal, is the second volume of memoirs by the publisher Frederic Warburg. I found it a fascinating insight into an industry that I’m a massive beneficiary of.

The Highland Clearances, by John Prebble. I learned of this book from Frederic Warburg’s memoirs (he published it), and felt I should read it given my ancestral connections to this horridness. I learned a lot, though it was sometimes challenging to follow the writing which jumped around a lot.

Elephant Complex, by John Gimlette. I read this ahead of a trip to Sri Lanka, and learned a huge amout about the incredible country and its history.

Island of a thousand mirrors, by Nayomi Munaweera, is a novel set in Sri Lanka, providing a more literary insight into the country.

Funny Boy, by Shyam Selvadurai. One more set in Sri Lanka, this one a beautifully written coming-of-age memoir.

Solito, by Javier Zamora, is an emotional true story of the author’s treacherous journey, as a boy, from El Salvador to the United States.

A computer called Leo, by Georgina Ferry, is the fascinating story of Lyons Tea Shops, and their quest to build the world’s first business computer, in the 1950s.

Economics/Politics

Growth, by Daniel Susskind. A fascinating look at an issue that I’ve thought about a lot: Where has growth come from? Is it sustainable? Should we seek more growth, and if so what kind?

Great Britain? — by former head of the Resolution Foundation and new MP Torsten Bell. It is very readable, but ultimately I found it a bit unambitious — it mostly talked about how to make our economy behave just a bit more like our G7 counterparts.

Limitarianism, by Ingrid Robeyns, argues the case for limits on extreme wealth, and practical steps that could be taken to reduce inequality. I found it hard to disagree with much of it, if somewhat pessimistic that it will be taken seriously.

The Unaccountability Machine, by Dan Davies. I loved this book, that looked at why so often we find ourselves with systems and structures that seem almost designed to prevent from doing what is needed, delving into business, philosophy, politics, psychology, yet still very readable. This is one that I’m likely to reread.

How Westminster Works … and why it doesn’t, by Ian Dunt. A nerdy look at the UK’s political system, its strengths and weaknesses, and incremental steps that could be taken to improve it.

End Times, by Peter Turchin. A more theoretical analysis of exactly what drives societies to thrive or collapse. I found it interesting, though I’m not sure how predictive it is.

The price is wrong, by Brett Christophers. A deep look at a question that isn’t taken seriously enough in the energy transition — ensuring the risk/reward tradeoff is sufficient and sustainable enough to attract the necessary private investment.

Climate Capitalism, by Akshat Rathi. A very readable collection of stories about people and companies around the world working on the climate technology.

Global Planetary Authority, by Angus Forbes. This has been on my list to read for a few years, and is quite a radical take on what should be done to save the planet.

How Infrastructure Works, by Deb Chachra. An interesting look at the importance of infrastructure, and how we ensure the needed infrastructure of the future is constructed. Readable and thought-provoking.

Business

The case for good jobs, by Zeynep Ton. I picked up this book in a bookshop, as I often get asked what makes my current employer such a great place to work, and whether its practices could and do work elsewhere. It helped make sense of what companies like ours do differently.

AI Snake Oil, by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor. I’m interested in the potential (and potential risks) of AI. I’m not sure I learned anything too surprising in this book, but it was still worth reading.

Fancy bear goes phishing, by Scott Shapiro. A very readable yet informative book on how viruses and worms work, why they are deployed, and how we can reduce the risks.

Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland. A marketing guru explains the ways in which humans are irrational, and how companies can use these to improve how their products and services are perceived, and how individuals can use these to improve their lives.

Broken Code, by Jeff Horwitz, is the story of Facebook’s inadequate efforts to prevent harm to users. A fascinating read.

The Trading Game, by Gary Stevenson. The true story of an ambitious young man who gets a job as a fixed income trader at Citi. Having worked on the trading floor of an investment bank, it felt entirely believeable (I’m glad I escaped!). A modern day Liar’s Poker.

Self-help

A beginner’s guide to dying, by Simon Boas. A confronting yet uplifting collection of reflections and advice, written by a British aid worker who died of cancer in 2024. Worth a read, especially if you’ve still got a long life ahead of you.

With the end in mind, by Kathryn Mannix, is on a similar topic. The author is a palliative care doctor, with a mix of true stories and reflections on death, and how an unwillingness to discuss it can make it harder than it needs to be.

Hidden Potential, by Adam Grant. I loved his earlier book Give and Take — this one looks at the importance of character skills that can enable anyone to achieve more. I found this book had fewer lessons to take away.

Hell yeah or no, by Derek Sivers, is a very short compilation of advice on careers and life. Not sure I took much away from this, but at least it wasn’t like I wasted much time.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, by Eric Jorgensen. I kept getting this compilation of advice on weath and happiness recommended to me, but I found it pretty average.

Be Funny or Die, by Joel Morris. This is an exploration of comedy, what it is, why we do it, when it works and when it doesn’t. It was thought-provoking, rather than a light, funny book.

Reason to be happy, by Kaushik Basu. A guide to how game theory can help your life.

Sleep Smarter, by Shawn Stevenson. Practical advice for improving your sleep. Though I didn’t take away much from this.

Making sense of mess, by Abby Covert. A short read, which I hoped might give me useful tips for communicating complex structures, but unfortunately I didn’t take much away from this.

Tech

Fluent Python, by Luciano Ramalho. I learned a lot from this about why python behaves the way it does.

The Truthful Art, by Alberto Cairo. I enjoyed this guide to data visualisation.

The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing, by Blaine Bettinger. I learned a lot from this book about the potential for DNA testing to help with genealogy.