Book Report: Q1 2024 Highlights
I promised I'd be here...on this blog and in your inbox...sometimes. I'm in the mood to talk about books, so buckle up (please)!
In my true fashion, this may not be your typical Q1 reading wrap-up. This isn't exactly a list of my favorites, and it's not even a list of the most memorable books I read. All of my memorable favorites are here, though. Anyway, here's the list of books I read in the first quarter of 2024 that felt worth mentioning (no objective, just vibes!).
1. Come and Get It
Does anyone remember 2019? Early 2020? The book Such a Fun Age was everywhere—everyone and their mother's book club was reading it, including mine. So yes, I read it, too.
That was Kiley Reid's debut. Her sophomore novel, Come and Get It, came out in January 2024, and it's very different from Such a Fun Age. Come and Get It is a multi-POV novel that's set on a college campus and follows an RA who's trying to figure herself out, a visiting professor/writer, and three students living on the RA's hall who keep things interesting.
If you can't already tell, this one is for the literary fiction girlies—it's extremely character-driven. The plot is not in the room with us. The synopsis mentions the word "entanglement," and that's a fantastic description of this entire story. Bad judgment all around, but I was highly entertained. I see this book being polarizing and hated by many. As for me? I love a messy, uncomfortably human character, so I enjoyed it.
Interested? Read my full review here.
2. Even If He Doesn't
If you're a Christian and you've ever been through something hard or will ever go through something hard, I'd recommend this book. The author, Kristin LaValley, has certainly been through many things. Even If He Doesn't is part memoir and part theology of suffering.
I started following Kristin on Instagram around the time her twin daughters received a scary, potentially fatal diagnosis during her pregnancy. I've watched her talk about walking through this crisis and deconstructing her faith in public, saying bold things out loud and with an astonishing level of vulnerability and grace. I long ago grew tired of the fluff in the "Christian Living" genre, but this is easily one of the most well-written pieces of Christian nonfiction I've read in a long time (from a traditional publisher, at least).
I had quite a bit more to say about this one—check out my full review here.
3. How to Say Babylon
Now, you didn't think you'd see a list from me without a memoir on it, did you?
I hadn't read much about Rastafarian beliefs and culture before I read How to Say Babylon, and that's probably by design. They're a pretty secretive sect. But this memoir lays it all out there, sharing Rasta beliefs and how those beliefs tie into the way the author, her siblings, and her mother were treated by her father.
This is a memoir by a poet, and like the last memoir I read by a poet, it's excellent. I can't overstate how beautiful the writing is and how well Safiyah Sinclair tells her story.
If you're like me and love a good memoir, my full review is here.
4. Things We Lost In the Fire
Do I remember much about this short story collection? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Things We Lost In the Fire is categorized as "horror" and "magical realism," so I was waiting to be scared. I never was. Some parts were a little creepy or gross, but I was never so disturbed that I had to put the book down. Maybe I'm not as much of a wimp as I thought I was. Watch this space; you may see me get brave and read the two other "horror" (but are they really?) books on my shelf soon.
This is the only short story collection I've read so far this year, but it definitely won't be the last (especially since I keep buying short story collections...).
5. Giovanni's Room
Classics like Giovanni's Room are the only classics I'm interested in reading. I simply can't be sorry about it. *waves arms dramatically* This is writing! This is literature!
In Giovanni's Room, David is a young man living in Paris in the 1950s. While his (female) fiancée is in Spain trying to figure out whether she wants to get married, he falls for Giovanni, a vivacious but troubled barman from Italy. David ultimately has to decide whether to marry his fiancée and move back to America, thereby ignoring the realizations he's made about himself, or stay in Paris with Giovanni.
James Baldwin once said, "You want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. That is the goal." He did that and then some.
6. Field Notes for the Wildnerness
Sarah Bessey, author of Field Notes for the Wildnerness and many other works, is kind of like the patron saint of the questioners. She knows how to speak deeply to the hearts of those who have made a faith transition or are sitting in the messy middle of reconsidering their belief systems. Her unwavering commitment to God and the Church is inspiring, especially in light of what she's witnessed while being on fundamentalists' bad side.
Field Notes for the Wildnerness is a great guide for the curious Christian kids who grew into curious Christian adults and now need reassurance that they're not lost, broken, or losing their minds. If you're past the point of seeking answers for complex theological questions (or if you're simply tired and taking a break like I was when I read this), this book would be helpful and maybe even healing for you.
Surprise, surprise—I had many words for this book. Read my full review here.
Dis/Honorable Mentions
I haven't written reviews for every book I read in Q1 yet (I have a day job!), but here are a few I have reviewed. MOST of them were good.
Clicking the book titles takes you to my review.
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden Winter
Can We Talk about Israel?: A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted by Daniel Sokatch
Sacred Belonging: A 40-Day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture by Kat Armas
The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It's Destructive, and How to Respond by Tim Barnett and Alisa Childers (Some have called this review "scathing," but I think I was being nice!)
Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry
I was clearly easing back into my history and theology bag in Q1, and I'm sure I'll continue to be a huge nerd in Q2.
Remember, there's a comment section—I'd love to hear what you read in Q1 and your thoughts on this post! I hope you found something new to read here.