I managed to read very nice number of books over 2024, 69 in total. While this is up from the 50 I got through last year, it was interesting to see that the majority of my reading came from graphic novels. This is mostly due to some great titles being available via Hoopla - with the demise of Comixology (and my refusal to help the Amazon juggernaut) I had read fewer and fewer comics over the years, but borrowing them from Hoopla has clearly had an impact.
In terms of novels and general non-fiction, my reading was down from 15 in 2023 to 11 in 2024. This is in part due to keeping up the habit of using my morning train ride to write, so my reading time has been cut down somewhat. That said, I've been able to finish the Deus Ex Mentis novella and the first two (of three) chapters for a brand new story! So the chipping away at things is certainly working for me.
Books read in 2024
City of Bones / Martha Wells
System Collapse / Martha Wells
Zoey is Too Drunk for this Dystopia / Jason Pargin
Best of Australian Poems 2023 / Gig Ryan, Panda Wong
The Genesis of Misery / Neon Yang
A Pale Light in the Black / K.B. Wagers
A Half-Built Garden / Ruthanna Emrys
Some Desperate Glory / Emily Tesh
Support Circles: A Guide to Understanding and Growing Your Support Network / Alana Phelan
Audition / Pip Adam
The Tatami Galaxy / Tomihiko Morimi
Most anticipated read
Zoey is Too Drunk for this Dystopia by Jason Pargin
Jason Pargin's writing still grabs me every time and the Zoey novels are as punchy as ever (they're even a major influence for my upcoming story!). I'm very much looking forward to his new book/series that I have in my to-read pile for 2024.
Most interesting read
Audition by Pip Adam
Of all the novels I've read recently, Audition was by far the most out-there in terms of writing. The first chapter is written in a stream of consciousness as three giants desperately struggle to keep talking or else they will keep growing. If you keep an open mind and go with the story it's well worth the read. As a writer, it explores narrative structure in a very unique way that challenges you to try something different.
Support Circles: A Guide to Understanding and Growing Your Support Network by Alana Phelan
I've followed Alana for a while as 'The Polyamorous Librarian" and when she announced a kickstarter for a book on support circle workshops for polyamorous folk I was all in. A great read with some practical work to help you understand and grow your support network - as always worth a read even if you're not polyam, as I feel that friendships are polyam by default anyway.
Unexpected gem
A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys
Along with Audition, A Half-Built Garden was a narrative surprise for me. It's a standard first contact sci-fi story with a very heavy (but also very good) ecological message. The plot and characters are well worth the read alone, but what drew me in were the relationship structures of the communities and the matriarchal nature of the 'aliens' and how this ground against a more gender neutral/free society.
I've read some absolute gems this year and while I could write reviews for all of them, I'm not going to. However, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh and The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang are very much worth your time to seek out and read. Much like Audition, Some Desperate Glory really rewards you pushing through an uncomfortable beginning. Speciesist (and racist) space fascists rasing and indoctrinating children really gets the blood boiling, but it sets up an amazing story that only pays off after you've put in the hard work.
On the other hand, Genesis of Misery is the start of something very interesting and is a sci-fi retelling of Joan of Ark. Some classic anti-hero storytelling, along with god-like space aliens and mech suits, what's not to love? I'm looking forward to the sequels.
Comics Read in 2024
A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance Deluxe Edition / Rick Remender
Arca / Van Jensen
Black Cloak Volume 1 / Kelly Thompson
Chained Soldier, Vol. 1 / Takahiro
Chained Soldier, Vol. 2 / Takahiro
Chained Soldier, Vol. 3 / Takahiro
Chained Soldier, Vol. 4 / Takahiro
Chained Soldier, Vol. 5 / Takahiro
Chained Soldier, Vol. 6 / Takahiro
Cosmic Detective / Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt
Eden / Christopher Sebela
Eight Billion Genies Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 / Ryan Browne, Charles Soule
Grim Vol. 1 / Stephanie Phillips
Horimiya, Vol. 9 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 10 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 11 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 12 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 13 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 14 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 15 / HERO
Horimiya Vol. 16 / HERO
Horimiya, Vol. 17 - Special Edition: A Piece of Memories / HERO
Influenca / Jade LFT Peters
Karma / Dan Wickline
Know Your Station / Sarah Gailey
Locke & Key: The Golden Age / Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez, Jay Fotos
Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone #0 / Joe Hill
Lore Olympus: Volume Four / Rachel Smythe
Lore Olympus: Volume Five / Rachel Smythe
Lore Olympus: Volume Six / Rachel Smythe
Lore Olympus: Volume Seven / Rachel Smythe
Medea / Blandine Le Callet
Memetic / Eryk Donovan, James Tynion IV
Namesake, Volume 1 / Megan Lavey-Heaton, Isabelle Melançon
Namesake, Volume 2 / Megan Lavey-Heaton, Isabelle Melançon
Namesake, Volume 3 / Megan Lavey-Heaton, Isabelle Melançon
Once Upon a Time at the End of the World Vol. 1 / Jason Aaron
Once Upon a Time at the End of the World Vol. 2 / Jason Aaron
Something is Killing the Children Vol. 6 / James Tynion IV
Something is Killing the Children Vol. 7 / James Tynion IV
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1: Fortune and Fate / Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: The Engine Job / Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 3 - War of the Bounty Hunters / Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 4: Crimson Reign / Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 5 - The Spark Eternal / Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 6: Ascendant / Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 7: Dark Droids / Alyssa Wong
Summertime Rendering, Vol. 1 / Yasuki Tanaka
Summertime Rendering, Vol. 2 / Yasuki Tanaka
The Cull, Volume 1 / Mattia De Iulis, Kelly Thompson
The Matriarchs / Jennifer Rea, Louanne Brickhouse
Vampirella Archives Vol. 1 / Donald F. Glut, Forrest J. Ackerman
W0Rldtr33 Vol. 1 / James Tynion IV
W0Rldtr33 Vol. 2 / James Tynion IV
We Only Find Them When They're Dead Vol. 1 / Al Ewing
We Only Find Them When They're Dead Vol. 2 / Al Ewing
We Only Find Them When They're Dead Vol. 3 / Al Ewing
Where The Body Was / Ed Brubaker
WildC. A. T. S Vol. 1: Better Living Through Violence / Matthew Rosenberg
Most anticipated read
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra by Alyssa Wong
I was able to finish the currently published Doctor Aphra series via Hoopla this year. If you haven't read Doctor Aphra and like the idea of a ethically depraved Indiana Jones running around the Star Wars universe looking for old Jedi junk to sell, then have I got a comic series for you!
Most interesting read
Medea by Blandine Le Callet and Nancy Peña
My love of ancient Greek myths should come as no surprise to anyone, but one thing I do love is when stories try and piece together what might have happened to inspire the myths (see Ralph Fiennes' The Return). Medea gives a grounded and humanistic spin to the myth of Medea (one not told by misogynists), while still retaining some air of magic. This is well worth a read.
We Only Find Them When They're Dead by Al Ewing
The cover pulled me in on this one and what I found was a fascinating tale told over several generations. The idea of dead, giant 'gods' floating in space and the human race simultaneously worshipping them and stripping them for materials/food/technology shows us the duality of human nature. Wrapped up in three volumes, this is worth a read at any rate.
Unexpected gem
Black Cloak Volume 1 by Kelly Thompson
I had no expectations going into this story, what at first seems like a standard murder mystery set in a fantasy land expands to royal intrigue, and comments on society. Dark at times, if you like fantasy and police procedurals, you'll probably enjoy Black Cloak.
