”Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney surrounded by other various books Xavierite
With the end of the year comes the time for reflection. For me, 2024 was a year of change. I graduated high school and started college, which is one of the biggest changes I’ve ever experienced. However, one thing remained constant through all the shifts: I kept reading.
I read a lot over the past twelve months, so I thought I’d compile a summary of my reading habits throughout the year, Spotify Wrapped style.
To begin, my top genre of the year was undoubtedly literary fiction. In past years I’ve gone through fantasy or mystery phases, but this year I focused on slower, character-driven novels.
I zeroed in on these stories because I think characters are the most engaging part of any book. High-stakes plots can be fun, but everything falls apart if the characters aren’t compelling.
Another reason I immersed myself in literary fiction is because I like to write in my free time, and most of the fiction I write would fall under literary fiction if I gave it a genre. In reading and writing, I love a good character study.
Fall was the season in which I read the most books. I read nine novels during the months I deem as fall (late August-late November). This surprised me, because summer is usually my most prolific reading season since I have much more time on my hands.
Two books fought for my top spot this year. “Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney and “Evenings and Weekends” by Oísin McKenna were both published this year, and both of them stuck with me for a very long time after I finished them.
“Intermezzo” is a novel about two brothers dealing with grief and complicated relationships in the aftermath of their father’s death. Sally Rooney is an author I admire a lot, and I’d consider this novel as proof of her at her best. It’s a beautiful exploration of brotherhood and love of all kinds.
I’d recommend “Intermezzo” to anyone dealing with grief, because it offered an honest and true portrayal of what it’s like to lose someone and how it affects every aspect of your life.
“Evenings and Weekends” takes place during a heatwave in London, and follows a large cast of characters dealing with their own conflicts and relationships. There’s a couple expecting their first child, a woman dealing with her recent cancer diagnosis, and a number of other linked characters all going through their own equally complex lives.
“Intermezzo” and “Evenings and Weekends” are similar in that they both explore what it’s like to be a young adult in our current world. They both explore the intricacies of relationships, whether it be familial, platonic, or romantic.
Both novels have flawed characters you’ll fall in love with.
I enjoyed every book I read this year to varying degrees. My lowest rating of the year was three stars, which I reserved for books I enjoyed but had a hard time finishing. One of these books was “Penance” by Eliza Clark.
“Penance” is a fiction book, although it reads like it could be fact. It uses fictional interviews to piece together the story of a sixteen year old girl’s murder. The narrator, a journalist, compiles all his interviews into a novel depicting the definitive account of the crime. “Penance” is supposed to be the novel written by this fictional journalist.
My mixed feelings about this book came from how many things it was trying to focus on at once.
The girls involved in the murder were heavily involved in 2010s-era Tumblr, and I thought the depiction of young girls being influenced by internet culture was written with immense skill and authenticity. It’s probably the best depiction of growing up on the internet that I’ve seen.
However, some of the other themes of the novel fell flat. The author tried to explore the ethics of true crime media, but most of her analyses felt like typical observations that have been said before.
Whether it was a literary masterpiece or nothing particularly special, every book I read in 2024 shaped my year in a different way. I’m happy with the amount of books I read during such a chaotic year, and I’m beyond excited for my 2025 reads.
I never make a definitive list of books I want to read, but there’s some specific 2025 releases I know I’ll make time for.
I’m particularly excited for “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins, the newest installment in “The Hunger Games” series which comes out March 2025. I can already predict it being my favorite read of next year.
I’m also excited for “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which comes out June 2025. I’ve read four of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books, and she always does a great job at writing commercially successful books that still have a lot of heart.
All in all, 2024 was an especially good reading year for me, and I’m determined to make 2025 equally as good if not better.