Recommendations from 2024
31 Dec 2024I’m a truffle hog, sniffing for those tasty treasures hiding under the expanse of bland mediocrity that is our culture. This year I have a bumper crop for you to enjoy!
Fiction
Let’s start with Jacqueline Harpman’s astounding “I Who Have Never Known Men”—though it is a difficult start, since I don’t know what to say that won’t spoil your discovery. A girl is captive in a strange prison among women, all the jailers men; nobody remembers why they’re there nor even where they are. A slim but powerful book, written with wisdom and generosity, about our quest to understand the world. Nominally science fiction, but don’t let that stop you.
Then we have Olga Tokarczuk’s “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead”, in which an eccentric, aging, Blake-loving woman attempts to convince her neighbours that vengeful animals are causing the gruesome deaths in their village. Charming, funny, and wily.
Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital”, in contrast, is meditative and passive—observing the world from a clarifying distance. The premise is simple: the thoughts of six astronauts in the International Space Station as they orbit Earth during 24 hours. The plot does not go much further beyond that, but that does not matter: the insights that come from coursing above everything we know, above friends and strangers, routine and hope and tragedy, sixteen times per day, are enthralling.
Two from the genius of Helen deWitt this year. “The English Understand Wool” is very short, perfectly crafted, delicious. I would have enjoyed its exacting voice regardless of plot, but the acerbic jabs at the publishing industry were sugar on top. If you, like me, devour it in one sitting and need more, then go on to her "Lightning Rods” to be—well—struck by a bolt of wickedness. A LinkedIn/TED tryhard figures out how to deal with sexual harassment complaints: by giving top performers anonymous “lightning rods” to channel their urges; he goes on to build a business empire and reshape America. The corporate and political satire is brutal and revolting, and made even better by the cringeworthy, positive thinking language of the characters.
A fascination with revulsion is also the engine of A. K. Blakemore’s macabre “The Glutton”, the (real!) story of a boy with an insatiable and abominable appetite in revolutionary France. Blakemore approaches the thesaurus ravenously, like Tarare approaches the world, and the result is the best kind of disgusting: a bizarre feast.
Far more digestible is Christopher Buehlman’s “The Blacktongue Thief”. It may be the most tight and fun fantasy I’ve ever read? In any case, it’s what, to my mind, fantasy often promises and fails to deliver. It’s smart, fast, fresh, just surreal and scary enough.
Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon” is of course a classic, as you surely already know. What you may not know (I didn’t) is how fun it is to read it, how lean its prose is, and how cool its setting. Half of the secret, I think, is that Hammett never tells you what anyone thinks or feels, merely what they do, and so the narrative is propulsive and cinematic.
Two subtle gems: first, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s “The Leopard”, a historical novel on the social changes and the loss of nobility of the Sicilian aristocracy during the Risorgimento, and Claire Keegan’s “Foster”, a perfect novella of a girl attempting to find familial affection.
In Spanish, the best book I read was Alvaro Enrigue’s “Tu sueño imperios han sido”, a Borgesian, sometimes psychedelic, reimagining of the baffling history of the conquest of Mexico. I understand that the English translation (“You Dreamed of Empires”) is very good too.
Antonio Barba’s “El último día de la vida anterior” was another highlight: a surreal, fantastical ghost story. If you can read Spanish be sure to check it out—I don’t think it has been translated yet.
Poetry
Fiona Benson’s “Ephemeron” has a delightful range, from the careful look at insect love in its first section, through the retelling of the myth of the Minotaur, to the pain and hope of parenting.
There are roughly two stories in Shane McCrae’s sharp “Sometimes I Never Suffered”: that of the “hastily assembled angel” plummeting to Earth, and that of a mixed race American reaching Heaven after a life of sorrow: If I’ve earned my reward where is the life where I can spend it?
Non-fiction
The most eye-opening book I read this year was Stefanie Green’s “This Is Assisted Dying”. It’s also the only one that made me cry; I would be surprised if it didn’t have that power on you too. Green (a Victoria resident) is a pioneer of medically assisted dying in Canada, and this book narrates the journey to establish her practice, the experiences of her patients, and a de-mystification of the process. I am grateful for Green’s expertise, warmth, and persistence: not only because she has stopped so much suffering in the world first-hand already, but also because, through her advocacy, she has made it viable for you and me to stop ours, should the need arise.
Also enlightening: Hannah Ritchie’s “Not the End of the World”, on the climate crisis. Ritchie’s data-driven argument is that climate doomerism is both counterproductive and unwarranted. Counterproductive because it prevents action (if we are hosed anyway, what’s the point?); unwarranted because there are indeed things we can do to prevent and mitigate the worst of the crisis.
TV and Movies
“Anatomy of a Fall” is such an intelligent film. A man falls to his death from a window in his wintry chalet; did his wife kill him? Should their son lie on the stand? Fantastic writing and performances.
If you want more falls and deaths in the snow, there are dozens of them in the zany “Hundreds of Beavers”, a bizarro slapstick comedy done with skill and originality. Bugs Bunny for grownups.
Three excellent horror-inspired films that are nevertheless not horror: the naughty “Saltburn”, a kind of vampire story without actual vampires; the visually stunning “Poor Things”, a feminist Frankenstein story; and the mad-and-getting-madder body horror of “The Substance”, with a brilliant return from Demi Moore.
Also, a local theatre (the Vic) re-screened “Run Lola Run” on occasion of its 25th release anniversary. What a fun movie that was! The frantic story, the free willed editing, the music… if you can catch it again, it truly rewards a second viewing. If you’re new to it, I am jealous. The same theatre re-screened “Whiplash” (ten years out), a nerve-racking, jaw-dropping jolt to the senses. Both of these really reward viewing them loud, by the way.
Four tentative TV recommendations: “Silo”, with a theme quite similar to my first recommendation up top, had a great first season (the second, ongoing, is so far darker and flabbier); “Kaos”, a modern-day retelling of Greek myth with Jeff Goldblum as a neurotic Zeus, showed so much promise only to get cancelled; “3 Body Problem” would have been fantastic were it to provide any sense of closure at the end of the season; “Wolf Hall” is smart and delicate, and enjoyable if you don’t mind long scenes of courtiers taking off their hats over and over.
Miscellaneous
The Belfry Theatre brought in “The Lehman Trilogy”, on the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers. It was a masterful production with a great cast. If it ever comes again (or goes wherever you are), I’m confident you’ll love it. And if you can’t find it, the book itself, by Massini and Power, is great reading.
I’ve been enjoying Sam Kriss’s Substack, “Numb at the Lodge”, and admiring it for often going where my mind has been too lazy or cowardly to go on its own.
Two game recommendations: “Ready Set Bet” is a really fun horse-betting boardgame—you can try and figure out the odds, but the payouts will change as other players figure the odds themselves, and as the facts on the racetrack evolve. And the “Minute Cryptic” daily online puzzle is delightful, as it has been scratching the itch that early Wordle gave me (yes I still do the Wordle). If you’re stumped, make sure you watch the explanatory videos for each day; after a week or two you’ll be solving the cryptics far more expertly.
The Beryl AX Router was a nice discovery: a travel-friendly, easy-to-use router that I’ve used to boost the signal in hotel rooms, to simplify the connectivity from several devices, and even at home when we’ve had router trouble.
In Victoria
We’re so lucky in this town! Four Victoria pleasures to wrap up: in the morning, expertly baked croissants from Goodside Pastry House; for lunch, cute and delicious boxes from Yua Bistro; for dinner, pizza, arcades, and 80s nerdy vibes at Pinhalla, and to close, two scoops from Parachute Ice Cream—my favourite is the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, but I’ve enjoyed them all.
I’ve just realized I’ve been doing these recommendations series for fifteen years now! People sometimes tell me they enjoy them, and that they discovered something great through them. If that’s you, thank you for reaching out! It means a lot, and keeps me wanting to come back a year later. While I always have hopes of resurrecting this blog for other purposes (there’s always next year), this has been the one constant all this time.
Do reach out if you have recommendations for me as well. Happy New Year!
(Previously: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, ...)