my favorite reads from 2024

it's almost the end of january 2025...I know...but better late than never, right??

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L Wang

2024 was one of the best reading years I’ve had in my life so far (both in terms of quantity and quality of books I read). I read 75 books across multiple genres with literary fiction and fantasy as my top two.

Below are some of my favorite reads from last year, with a quick synopsis and a few reasons why I enjoyed the book. (I know - it’s almost the end of January 2025 as I’m writing this...but better late than never, right?)

The Membranes by Chi Ta-Wei (Translated novel)

A queer, speculative fiction novel set in the late twenty-first century in a world dominated by powerful corporations. Humans have migrated to domes at the bottom of the sea to escape the devastating impacts of climate change. The Membranes follows our main character, Momo, who works as a dermal care technician. We explore her relationship with her estranged mother and see how she grapples with questions about her identity, gender, and reality.

I loved how weird this book was – from the way the author described Momo’s profession, Momo’s memories of her childhood, to the depictions of cyborg labor usage by big corporations. This book made me think a lot. The discussions around consent and ownership over your own body were very fascinating to me – also highly relevant today. There were certain parts in the book that made me uncomfortable (please check trigger warnings) but I understand why they were included in the story. Most importantly, I loved how this book tackled themes around climate change, capitalism, exploitation by big corporations, gig work, gender, and identity. All these themes are so relevant today. Highly recommend this book!

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

A beautiful historical romance set in 1840s Mexico about two childhood best friends who are separated due to a tragic event but reunite years later. While at its core this is a love story between two people, it’s also a love story about one’s home, land, and culture.

I literally made multiple videos about this book on BookTok because I loved it so much. Such a beautifully written book with gorgeous prose and characters that you can’t help but root for. Slow-burn romances full of angst and yearning are my favorite type of romances to read. I loved how the book utilized vampires as a metaphor for colonialism – I do wish the vampire aspect of the book was more prominent; it felt more like a threat looming in the distance. Regardless, I absolutely loved this book and it cemented Isabel Cañas as an auto-read author for me.

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

A beautifully written and poignant memoir about the experiences of a South Asian, queer Hijabi. It spans essays from the author’s childhood in the Middle East to when they immigrated to the United States for college and their early adult-life in New York City.

I loved this memoir so much. It was so raw, honest and deeply introspective. The experiences of Hijabi Muslim women are often not highlighted in Western media and when it is, there is usually an element of Orientalism tied to it (think the stereotype of the Hijabi woman removing her Hijab as an indication of her “liberation”). The experiences of a queer, non-binary Hijabi? I can’t recall any other piece of media that I have consumed from this perspective. I truly believe this is a memoir everyone should read. I especially enjoyed how the author had their own interpretations of the Quran and drew parallels from it to their own life and vice versa.

Chlorine by Jade Song

A dark, coming-of-age novel about a young, Chinese-American competitive swimmer who is hell-bent on leaving her human body and becoming a mermaid instead. This novel is best described as a literary novel with a dark horror tale about the perils of obsession and the pressure society puts on women (especially young women) and their bodies. It explores sapphic relationships, immigration, and problematic student-coach relationships.

This book was so weird. And unsettling. And just...weird. I loved it. As someone who tends to hyper fixate on hobbies (hence the name of this newsletter), obsession is something I am no stranger to. I could (somewhat) relate to the obsession the FMC felt with swimming – I was like that with dance at one point in my life, where I was so hyper critical about my body and form (it didn’t help that my dance teacher was also extremely hyper critical about my body). This book made me think a lot about how young girl’s bodies are surveilled and heavily scrutinized, especially if they’re involved in sports or any performance arts where the body is a prime focus. The end of this book...yeah it was a lot (check trigger warnings for this book). I really want to learn about the author’s thought process with drafting this novel because..wow.

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

A novel that dives into the power of art, protest, and student movements with a hint of magical realism. It follows our FMC who attends a special school called Eucalyptus where she is allowed to focus on her creative pursuits. But outside the school’s perimeters, the town is in turmoil.

I loved the message behind this book, specifically about how everyone has a different role to play in protests and revolutions. Not everyone will or can be in the frontlines – we need organizers, volunteers to cook and take care of people, healers, fighters, artists, creatives – there is a role for everyone. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially right now when the next four years seem so bleak.

Blood over Bright Haven by M.L Wang

A dark academia novel set in an industrial utopia. Sciona is the first female mage to be ever admitted at the High Magistry. She is determined to make a name for herself and prove that women are capable of being mages and can excel. However, she discovers a secret that makes her question everything she has ever known.

I think about this book constantly, like I’m not even kidding. I loved the magic system so much – magical typewriters! Coding as a base of a magic system. How cool is that? Sciona’s character was so rich and complex – on the one hand she is marginalized because she is a woman, but on the other she holds privilege because of her race. This character study of the privilege white women have in society is so fascinating to read about. Without spoiling the book, I also adored the themes about abolition that were present throughout and how a system that is rotten at its core cannot be reformed. It must be abolished. If there is one book that you read from this list, please read this!! The vibes are immaculate, the characters are so interesting and complex, and the social commentary? Perfect.