Trading your favorite books is my favorite form of social currency. I’ve read some really special books this year, and it felt like an appropriate time to compile a list of books that stayed in my mind long after I’d read the last page. What makes a read worth sharing is more than just liking the book. Many of these writers make me feel uncomfortable and flattered, and that’s just the way I like it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like escapist books.
Today I’m sharing a short and incomplete list of books I couldn’t stop talking about this year.
Here are the 7 best books I read in 2024.
1. A Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control Katherine Morgan Schafler
Have you ever heard the term ‘messy perfectionist’? Catherine Morgan Scheffler A Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control It resonated deeply with me because it explores the origins and complexities of perfectionism and provides a 360-degree view of the different ways perfectionism manifests. I found Schafler’s insights and personal anecdotes refreshing. She suggests ditching the “recovering perfectionist” label (which I subscribe to) and instead seeing perfectionism as a superpower that can be harnessed for good rather than holding us back.
I’ve read this book twice this year, and plan to pick it up again over the holidays.
2. bitter yet sweet Susan Kane
in bitter yet sweet, Susan Cain explores the concept of bittersweetness and how embracing both positive and negative emotions can lead to a richer, more satisfying life. Through beautiful personal stories and research, Cain argues that bittersweetness is an essential part of the human experience and can help us appreciate the beauty and vulnerability of life.
This book touched a part of me that I had hidden for a long time as being strange, sensitive, and something I should never express to the public. But they are very central to who I am. Susan Cain is an advocate for sensitive, quiet, and deep thinkers.
3. deceleration Rachel Schwarzman
deceleration A guide to living a slower, more intentional life. Provides practical strategies for reducing stress, increasing mindfulness, and finding more joy in the present moment. The book is structured around the process of learning to slow down, which I found very helpful. You can’t run until you can walk, and slowing down as an adult is definitely a learned skill.
4. ministry of time Kaliane Bradley
A workplace comedy that combines the twists and turns of a time-travel love story and a spy thriller. This book crossed genres and delighted me with its witty writing style and deeply human character.
5. all four Miranda July
Everyone has an opinion about this book. I love it like a flawed but well-meaning friend. I admire the creative choices July makes in all of her work. Her willingness to walk away from something shamelessly messy and selfish made her the perfect artist to burst into the public sphere calling out the indignities of being a woman of a certain age. What happens after childbirth deserves to take center stage and be seen. There is a wild feeling that accurately captures the awakening I am just beginning to experience, and I know I am not alone.
It’s interesting to hear what people under 40 think of this book. They are often wide-eyed, scared, and reluctant due to their savage and messy nature. I tell them, when you’re ready, you’ll get it.
6. creative method rick rubin
This book is a must for anyone brave enough to take their creative expression seriously. With any page, find a reason to keep pursuing that nagging desire to make something meaningful out of the mystery of your intuition.
7. you can make this place beautiful Maggie Smith
Like many of you, the poem that made Maggie Smith famous came at the exact moment I needed it most. This is the story of her marriage and subsequent career.
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Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning tennis and will learn to play tennis for the rest of her life. Test the boundaries of her creative abilities. Follow her on Instagram. @witanddelight_.
