The 25 Tomes of 2024

Growing up, I was the wormiest of bookworms.

Librarians loved me, teachers lauded my reading “above level”, and I spent countless nights hidden beneath the covers, lost in stories until the wee hours of the morning.

But when my teenage years arrived—bringing an increasingly demanding hockey schedule, the growing weight of homework, Call of Duty’s ‘relaxing’ allure, and a growing interest in girls—my reading habit fell by the wayside.

This reading drought continued for years, save for the odd personal development book here and there, until 2018 when I cracked into Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind. 

Within pages, I felt my inner bookworm surging back to life, reveling in the joy, pleasure, and wonder of being submersed in a finely tuned, expertly crafted story.

In the 6 years that have passed since that fateful return to books, I’ve gradually rebuilt my reading habit into a joyful daily practice—which in 2024, has resulted in my devouring the following 25 tomes:

The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, and The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett

This complex and creative series was recommended to me back in 2020 by Whimsie reader and then-copywriting apprentice Alex Cameron, and I must say, I should have heeded his suggestion much, much sooner.

When night falls in Brett’s Demon Cycle, demons rise from the earth’s core to wage their relentless war of eons against their hated foe—all of humanity. With juicy, liberal (not meant in the political context) flairs of literary and creative magic obvious throughout, this 5 book series breathes fresh life into the ‘farmboy from the middle of nowhere becomes a hero’ trope, which I’ve scarcely been able to put down.

You might find there’s a lot to keep track of as the story shifts between many viewpoints, a la Game of Thrones, but the shifts are masterfully executed—and will have you eager for when the story twists and turns back to your favourite characters.

Fire Weather by John Vaillant

Boy, this was an uncomfortable read that I can’t say I enjoyed…

But given our rapidly heating and drying climate (and the fact that I live in a forest), I felt obligated to gain a better understanding of what the future may hold… Scary, unpredictable, and disastrous as that may be.

You’ll find no fiction in Fire Weather as the pages sear through the past, present, and future of wildfires on our planet, unfolding into a fiery blend of science, storytelling, and ominous warnings—largely focused on Canada’s Fort McMurray Wildfire in 2016.

Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriam

Okay, so—imagine a heist (one of my favourite film genres), but instead of gold or jewels, they’re smuggling humans to freedom beneath the Berlin Wall. Told with absolutely wonderful journalism, Tunnel 29 is a gripping, dirt-under-your-fingernails tale of courage, ingenuity, and grit in the face of ruthless oppression.

The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

Continuing with the heist theme, here’s another excellent recommendation from Alex Cameron that I was much too slow in cracking into, to my own chagrin…

But nonetheless, welcome to the streets of Camorr, where thieves don’t just pick pockets—they spin epic heists with flair, creativity, and passion. The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence drips with wit, daring schemes, and the camaraderie of loveable rogues.

Think Oceans 11, but with swords and alchemy instead of guns and cars.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

A murder mystery set in a fantasy world with a heavy thematic emphasis on botany and herbology? The beginning of a new series penned by one of my favourite fantasy authors? Colour me intrigued from the get… And The Tainted Cup did not disappoint. 

This new and unique (at least to me) blending of genres was pulled off with perfection, and the standard high quality of worldbuilding I’ve come to expect from Bennett—despite his leap into new literary territory—had me hooked.

Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One by Ross Brawn & Adam Parr

Behold, the best non-fiction book I’ve read in 8 years…

During one of the intermittent breaks I like to take from sci-fi and fantasy realms, I turned to my interest in Formula 1, curious about what stories were out there.

I bought Total Competition expecting behind-the-scenes insight from one of F1’s most successful and respected figures (Ross Brawn) and while that itch was scratched, what I really got was a treatise on leadership, strategy, and philosophy—all conveyed through the lens of Formula 1’s weird and wacky world.

Surviving to Drive: A Year Inside Formula 1 by Guenther Steiner

Now former Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner gained celebrity status thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, which he parlayed into this journal style book detailing the ups and downs of Haas and Guenther’s 2022 season (which was mostly downs).

I found Guenther’s documentation of the year especially interesting due to having followed the season closely and knowing what went down. His behind-the-scenes insight then provided interesting context to much of what went on with his team and in the paddock at large.

The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God by R. F. Kuang

Epic, brutal, and unflinching, R.F. Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy drags you into the ashes of war and the fires of revolution. Featuring hefty doses of magic, martial arts, vengeance, and unrelenting bloodshed that collide into a bruuuutal story that doesn’t pull any punches—or care about your feelings as heart-wrenching scenes are commonplace.

I started this series in 2020 whilst living in Amsterdam, plowing through the first two books before being forced to wait for The Burning God to release… Which was well worth the wait, as Rin’s story is a unique and fascinating one. 

Mostly due to their rarity and thus offering a refreshing change of pace, I’ve always been a fan of stories that don’t have a happy ending… Which The Poppy War trilogy certainly doesn’t have.

Babel by R. F. Kuang

I picked up Babel in a bookshop a year or so ago, but couldn’t get excited about the story, despite knowing I enjoyed Kuang’s writing from The Poppy War trilogy.

So Babel was left on the shelf…

Until this year for reasons unknown and whimsical, I decided to give Babel an honest shot—in which Kuang blends history, language, race, colonialism, and dark academia into a spellbinding tale that questions the power of words… And who gets to wield them.

Making for one delightful surprise, Babel was one of my favourite reads of the year, and was largely responsible for uncovering that historical fiction is one of my favourite genres—and something I want to explore more deeply in 2025.

Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson

Cue another title that I’ve received many recommendations for over the years and seen frequently on many ‘must read’ science-fiction lists, but neglected to dig into…

Upon reflection, my book selections in 2024 saw the completion of many series I started years ago, and tucking into books or series I kept being recommended.

In this case… Sword-fighting pizza-delivering, expert hackers, anyone?

Cyberpunk chaos meets ancient Sumerian linguistics in Neal Stephenson’s prophetic and bonkers vision of the metaverse—which feels eerily prescient, with our digital world resembling his metaverse more and more every day.

Foundryside, Shorefall, and Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett

Ah, the series that introduced me to Robert Jackson Bennett’s magic…

I’m repeating myself from my notes above on The Tainted Cup… But I looove Bennett’s writing. His worldbuilding is always spectacular, rich with detail, and he places an obvious emphasis on bringing a fresh take to the table.

In The Founders Trilogy—another series I started in 2020 and came back to finish this year—he blends magic and technology into an intoxicating tale where sentient objects and ancient secrets clash with humanity’s drive to control… And destroy.

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

Once upon a time, a young Alexander discovered Paolini’s dragon-and-magic-rich Inheritance Cycle, which kept me up well into many mornings turning pages.

My teenage-induced reading break began while the series was in production, and returning last year to complete the story was a wonderful dose of nostalgia. 

This year, Paolini himself returned to the dragon-infused world of Alagaësia with a deeper dive into Eragon’s brooding counterpart, Murtagh—transitioning from a secondary character with a key role to play, into the focal point of the story.

Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune was yet another series I’ve had on my list for years, but never got around to cracking open—which I’m so glad I finally did. Frank Herbert’s opus takes you from the desert sands of Arrakis through the murky depths of power, religion, and ecological manipulation, with layers upon layers upon layers of insightful analogy.

I did crack into the fourth book in the series, God Emperor of Dune, but found that the further the story strays from Paul Atreides, the more my interest waned.

The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss

Rothfuss may never finish his delightful Kingkiller Chronicle, but I’ll accept more novellas in place of the third book if Patty R continues writing like a weaver with golden threads and adding depth to his characters. This novella dives into the enigmatic Bast, delivering whimsy, wit, and Rothfuss’ signature lyrical magic.

~ ~ ~

Obviously there’s a heavy science-fiction and fantasy bent amongst these selections, which may not be your thing. Even so, I share these wonderful reads with you in hopes of sparking your next literary adventure. I sure enjoyed every last one.

If you pick something from the list to sink your teeth into, let me know :)

And if you read something absolutely wonderful this year, please do share. I’ve got a mind to expand my genres this year, and suggestions are always appreciated.

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander

(AKA: Wiz, WOW, and The Wizard of Wordcraft)