Swapping favorite reads is my favorite form of social currency. I devoured some really special books this year and felt it was the right time to compile a list of the ones that stayed on my mind long after I read the last page. My criteria for what makes a read share-worthy extends beyond just liking the book. Many of these authors made me feel uncomfortable and squeamish, and that’s how I like it—but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy an escapist book.
Today I’m sharing a short and incomplete list of the books I couldn’t stop talking about this year.
Here are seven of the best books I’ve read in 2024.
1. The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler
Ever heard of a “Messy Perfectionist” before? Katherine Morgan Schafler’s The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control resonated with me deeply because it delves into the origins and complexities of perfectionism, offering a 360-degree perspective on the many ways it manifests itself. I found Schafler’s insights and personal anecdotes refreshing. She suggests we discard the label “recovering perfectionist” (one I have subscribed to) and instead look at perfectionism as a superpower to be harnessed for good rather than hold us back.
I read this book twice this year and plan to pick it up again over the holiday break.
2. Bittersweet by Susan Cain
In Bittersweet, Susan Cain explores the concept of bittersweetness and how embracing both positive and negative emotions can lead to a richer and more fulfilling life. Through beautiful personal stories and research, Cain argues bittersweetness is an essential part of the human experience and that it can help us appreciate the beauty and fragility of life.
This book touched parts of myself I had long shuttered away as weird, sensitive, and something I should never express in public. Yet they’re so core to who I am. Susan Cain continues to be a champion for sensitive, quiet, deep thinkers.
3. Slowing by Rachel Schwartzmann
Slowing is a guide to living a slower, more intentional life. It offers practical strategies for reducing stress, increasing mindfulness, and finding more joy in the present moment. This book is organized around the process of learning to slow down, which I found incredibly helpful. We can’t run before we can walk, and slowing down in adulthood is most definitely a learned skill.
4. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
A time-travel love story meets workplace comedy with the twists and turns of a spy thriller. This book defies genres and delighted me with its whip-smart prose and deeply human characters.
5. All Fours by Miranda July
Everyone has an opinion about this book. I love it like I do a flawed but well-intentioned friend. I admire the creative choices July makes in all her work. Her willingness to leave things unapologetically messy and self-serving made her the perfect artist to crash into the public domain, shouting about the indignities of being a woman of a certain age. Post-childbearing deserves to take center stage and be seen. There’s something about that feeling of wildness that precisely captures the awakening I’ve just started to experience, and I know I’m not alone.
It is interesting to hear what people under the age of forty think about the book. They’re often wide-eyed, terrified, and turned off by its barbaric and messy nature. To them, I say, you’ll get it when you’re ready.
6. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
This book is essential for anyone brave enough to take their creative expressions seriously. Turn to any page and find a reason to keep pursuing that nagging urge to make something meaningful from the mystery of intuition.
7. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Like so many of you, the poem that made Maggie Smith famous came at the exact time I needed it most. This is the story of what happened to her marriage and career afterward.
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Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.