Hello, hello. It’s December which means I can finally talk about the books I have read this year (50) and brag about them. As always, I did not want to do a usual round-up so I asked my trusty pal ChatGPT for some prompts.
I liked a few of them which I’ll be using. Feel free to use them too and if you do, don’t forget to share your responses with me. Here goes.
#1: Book that made me cry
I loved this 2023 Booker Prize winner book. It shows you, quietly but relentlessly, the human cost of war and a mother who sees her family disintegrate.
I read this book slowly and had to keep it away for an entire day because the sadness in my heart became too much to bear.
What I most appreciated about Prophet Song was how differently it was written: almost like a stream of consciousness.
#2: Book I couldn’t put down
This was book 3 in The Last Binding series, a series I tripped into thanks to the algorithm gods. There are a lot of layers of power struggles that are shown in this series. Right from personal struggles to struggles with magical abilities to struggles because of your sex, monetary situation, bullying relatives to struggles from the magical community and the government.
The series has a perfect blend of romance, world building, plotting, intrigue and just plain old-fashioned fun.
#3: Plot twist that blew my mind
This was a space opera that was a delight to read. There were ships the size of cities, a lot of sciency-witchery that I did not understand and space battles. It was so much fun to read how a battle would happen in the vacuum of space.
There is also trade with an alien species who the humans suspect is killing off their spaceships. But who is really killing the spaceships was a plot twist that made me sit up and re-read some pages to make sure I had gotten it right.
#4: Book that’s part of my personality
Reading this book was nothing short of an adventure, not only because each book in the 5-part series is at least 1000-pages long, but also because it’s like reading the history of another planet.
The book made me forget everything outside of its world until I had finished it. You can read more about my reading experience here.
#5: The most badass hero
The book’s premise is what hooked me in. Nora is the daughter of a con artist and has as many names and personalities as one would imagine from such a person.
She gets stuck in a bank robbery gone wrong with her girlfriend and ex-boyfriend-who-is-also-her-best-friend. She uses all the tricks she can to get them to safety. What I especially loved was how smooth the writing was and how cleverly Nora’s backstory is revealed.
#6: The one book I recommend to everyone
This was the book that brought me to see the merits of an entire genre (nonfiction) so it’ll always be a special book in that sense.
I learnt about existentialist philosophy, something I have wanted to since I read The Stranger by Albert Camus. I also learnt why this philosophy has always attracted me: it’s quite messy and human.
You can read my detailed review here.
#7: Most relatable characters
I love reading romances and I especially love romances that go deeper than just the superficial meet-cute, fall in love and boom there is a happily ever after. I loved the two protagonists Justin and Emma so much.
Justin is the eldest brother and his trials were so relatable. Emma is that paradox who says she’s unemotional but shows up when needed. This book had everything I love in romances: tingles, feels, growth, humour and a hopeful ending.
#8: Book that changed my perspective
This book had the most interesting premise: a travelogue from the seat of a truck which is why I picked it up.
I had a very different opinion of what this book would be about but reading it made me realize I had traversed the whole of India; and the country looks very different from my apartment as compared to what it looks like from a truck.
Read my detailed review of the book here.
#9: Most unusual setting
I picked up this book because the blurb was vague. I enjoyed reading it for its old school charm and the mystical air that permeates the narrative. The book has commentary on power, usurping someone’s land and riches, addiction, grief and not to forget environment and greed.
On the flip side, it’s also about family, friendship and kinship. It’s about Manik not letting the bad things that happened to him drive his story. It’s about not keeping silent when you see injustice happening.
#10: Biggest surprise of the year
Have you ever thought about how a red t-shirt is manufactured? How someone comes up with the right chemicals to mix to come up with your favourite colour?
This book absolutely blew my mind and reading about the impact that colours have had on something as personal as mourning and as political as soldiers’ uniforms was just…a brilliant experience.
Now it’s onto you. Tell me, how many books did you manage to read in 2024? PS: if you read more than 0, you’re already a star in my book!
This post is part of Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.
tales of Suchita 
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