My Top Reads of 2024: Must-Read Books to Add to Your TBR List

My Best Reads of 2024

2024’s Top Reads: Stories That Captivated Me

As of 22 December 2024, I have completed around 35 books, out of which I really liked some novels, plays, and a poetry collection. I am careful (or miserly?) about giving ratings, which can change with time. In this blog post, I am sharing my 4 out of 5 star ⭐ reads this year.

Jumping straight to the list of books (in random order) which you can use as book recommendation and add to your TBR list, here we go:

1. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom:-
   This book tells the story of a talented musician, Frankie Presto, who changes lives by playing his guitar. Each time his playing impacts a life, a guitar string turns blue. Follow the life of this music prodigy, narrated by the personified figure of Music/Talent, as he changes lives with his strings. I picked up this book without many expectations (other than the author's name) during a reading slump, and the writing style and story kept me engrossed.

2. Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie:- 
   Salman Rushdie shares profound thoughts on religion, recovery, his attacker, and more as he reflects on the attempted murder he faced in August 2022. My favorite chapter is an imagined conversation between Rushdie and his attacker, where Rushdie questions his attacker.

3. My India: Ideas for the Future by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam:-
   This book is a collection of excerpts from Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's speeches, covering virtues and strategies he believed could accelerate India's development.

4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:-
   A magical realism novel about Celia and Marco and their lifelong competition orchestrated by their mentors. The vivid imagery immerses you in the magical night circus. Although I expected a more intense rivalry as per the blurb, the story lives rent free in my head for its magical elements and visuals. This book introduced me to the magical realism genre (and rekindled my interest in circuses). 

5. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi:-
   This novel tells the story of Rahima, who disguises herself as a boy to support her family, as per the Afghani tradition of Bacha-Posh. Though she is exposed to a little freedom, the very same tradition lands her in trouble. Rahima's aunt Shaima tells her the story of Shekiba, Rahima's great great grandmother, who was also a bacha-posh. Influenced by her, Rahima finds the courage to keep fighting. While the story may feel repetitive if you've read Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, it remains a compelling read.

6. Sakharam Binder by Vijay Tendulkar:-
   A precursor to the literary/visual representation of live-in relationships in India, Sakharam Binder follows Sakharam, who brings women into his home on verbal contract basis, which essentially benefits him. The characters are grey and multi-layered, with shifting dynamics in their relationships. Just the violence gets too much and a trigger warning is issued. The play explores identity (and can it be truly changed under influence?), feminism, and relationships. The play is just as powerful as other plays by Vijay Tendulkar, who was considered as the Angry Young Man of Marathi Theatre.

7. All This Love by Ashish Bagrecha:-
   A poetry collection that explores love (not limited to romantic love alone). The poems are of love, heartbreak and how love can change lives, even if temporarily. In my opinion, relatability is the USP of Bagrecha's poems, as his short emotional poems strike the chords of his readers' hearts. 

8. Broken Images by Girish Karnad:-
   This short play centers on Manjula, a Kannada writer turned successful English author. The play delves into identity, language & culture, and complexity of human relationships. Girish Karnad's writing is engaging and the play is well translated. The play is short and can be finished in one sitting. It delves into the psyche of Manjula which creates a delusionary image, leading to truths being expelled. This play inspired me to read more of Karnad’s works (currently reading Naga Mandala).

9. Tharoorosaurus by Shashi Tharoor:- In this non-fiction book, Shashi Tharoor defines several words, usage, etymology and history and any other interesting information on the given word, with humor and funny illustrations. His political jibes at ruling party feels extreme at places, but rest is really interesting. Literature graduates or any reader will benefit from this book as it can build their vocabulary or get insights into words they already knew, thus expanding their knowledge. 

These are my top reads of the years, with last 2 recommended to me by my college professor. This list of my top rated books of this year can be used as a book recommendations to add to your never-ending TBR list. Get these books as your Christmas gift 🎅🎄 🎁 and get to reading them right away! 😜

Follow me on Fable to read my reviews. 

Happy Reading!

Want some more reading lists to add to your mounting TBR?

1. Books That Celebrates books

2. Books to Begin Your Reading Journey

3. Books That Changed My Life

4. Must-Read Indian English Poets

Share with me your favourite reads of 2024 and why they made it to your best reads of the year, so I can add them in my TBR for the next year.