I read a number of really good books in 2024. In total, I completed 53 books, I’m still in the middle of one, and I dropped a couple novels partway through because I just wasn’t enjoying fiction. Choosing my top 5 for this year was a challenge, but I have picked 5 and I will list my runners-up at the end because some are definitely worth mentioning.
Listed in order of when I read them, here are my top 5 reads from 2024 with honourable mentions at the end. I have linked the titles to the Amazon pages for ease of reference (affiliate links) but I encourage you to support your local bookstore, buy used, or find them at your library.
Tell Me the Dream Again: Reflections on Family, Ethnicity, and the Sacred Work of Belonging by Tasha Jun
This gem of a book is written by Korean American author, Tasha Jun. I had first encountered Tasha’s writing in an online community we were both part of and was thrilled to know that she had published a book. This was the very first book I read in 2024 and it had me in tears multiple times. As an Asian North American Christian woman, it’s rare to find writers whose voices and experiences resonate on such a deep, deep level. Until I read her words articulating the generational grief she carried, I didn’t realize how deep the grief went for me. I am but one generation removed from war, famine, and terrifying trauma – and whether I have acknowledged it or not, it has shaped who I am, starting with my DNA. Reading her words felt like an invitation toward healing for me.
A Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness: A Memoir by Sarah Ramey
This was the first book I’ve read that has addressed the reality of so many women I know who struggle with chronic illness and haven’t found the medical system to be supportive, understanding, or helpful. The author shares quite vulnerably about her heart wrenching and terrifying experience of losing her health to a point where she was completely bedridden and her subsequent journey in regaining strength. Hers was also one of the clearest explanations I have read in accessible language about the link between gut health, hormones, and the nervous system. [Content warning: graphic descriptions of medical procedures.]
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
Last year, I read a book about sleep. This year, I read one about breathing. I guess I’m going back to all the basics of being a human. I thoroughly enjoyed this book by James Nestor and it helped me gain a better understanding of the importance of breathing well. My main takeaways: 1. Breathe slowly (5.5 breaths/minute is ideal), we all breathe too quickly in general, 2. To increase oxygen absorption, exhale slower, 3. Breathe through your nose, not your mouth. I applied some of what I learned from this book after my respiratory illnesses this year and I think it helped with my recovery.
He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters by Schuyler Bailar
This was one of the most eye-opening books I read this year. Schuyler Bailar writes with such honestly and patience, educating readers about the terminology and concepts surrounding gender and letting us into his life experience as someone who was raised to be female who eventually transitioned to male. Reading his story has made me recognize how I cannot really know another person’s internal experience based on what I see of them from the outside. It has helped me understand my own prejudices, misinformation and assumptions. I think that if everyone read stories like his, we would hopefully all be more compassionate toward one another.
I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust: A Memoir of Autism and Hope by Valerie Gilpeer and Emily Grodin
This was another incredible memoir that I am deeply grateful to have read this year. Emily is a non-speaking autistic and she co-authored this book with her mother, Valerie. This is Emily’s story of her growing up from childhood to young adulthood with no way of communicating her complex thoughts until she was introduced to a method of assisted writing at the age of 25. “I have been buried under years of dust and now I have so much to say,” were her first words. Emily also shares her beautiful poetry in this book. This book moved me deeply in many ways and inspired me to see the gifts in every human.
Honourable Mentions:
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel
This was a fascinating read about how people make financial choices. My main takeaways from it were 1. People make choices about money based on their life experiences, not really from what they know about finances, 2. People who keep their investments for the long haul gain more than people who try to play the system. The author includes many stories about financial decisions people make, including a janitor who ended up with millions of dollars and a millionaire who lost all that he had by making poor decisions.
No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz Ph.D.
I hadn’t really known what the Internal Family Systems model of therapy was until I read this book. The main concept is that there are many parts that make up who we are and that many of our issues and compulsions are caused by certain parts of us trying to keep us from being hurt because they had to protect us once-upon-a-time. Healing comes when we can listen to those parts of us and release them from having to protect us. The book itself is a good introduction that invites you to explore this model of therapy with a trained practitioner, which I haven’t pursued. But I have taken some of the basic concepts and applied it to my life and it’s been helpful for extending compassion to myself.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
This is an older book and has already been made into a Netflix movie, but I read this one with my girls this year and it was such an inspiring story. William Kamkwamba grew up in a village in Malawi and had to endure severe droughts and poverty. Thanks to a small local library, he encountered the concept of generating electricity with a windmill and decided to try to build his own. The way he went about overcoming obstacles to build his dream caused us to marvel at his ingenuity and determination. I read the original version to my kids (skipping some non-kid appropriate parts) but I’ve since found out that there’s a young readers version.
The Journey to Finding Inner Safety: Exercises to Increase Nervous System Strength & Resilience by Lenora Klassen (available through Friesenpress)
This short book is packed with simple and easy to practice exercises to increase nervous system strength. My friend, Lenora Klassen, who is a physiotherapist, wrote this guide after noticing that many of her clients were unable to regularly do the exercises she prescribed to them because past trauma or other factors were causing their nervous systems to be too dysregulated to complete them. In this book, she explains the nervous system in a clear way and then walks through various areas of application, from stretching, to breathing, to hydration, and nutrition. Would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to heal their nervous systems.