My Best Books of 2024 and Leaving GoodReads

This year, my reading world was re-illuminated by Louise Erdrich. While reading The Sentence, I was transported to Minneapolis during COVID-19 and was equally enthralled with her characters. Erdrich is an Indigenous author who writes novels, poetry, and children’s books. Then, I read her newest title, The Mighty Red, and was even more touched by her literary talents. Her descriptions of prairie landscapes and the lifestyles brought back memories of my own experiences on the prairies. Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota, which is part of the Ojibwe people. She owns a bookstore in Minneapolis called Birchbark Books. Her prose’s rhythm, thoughtful and nuanced characters, and understanding of place are extraordinary.

Putting 2023 Learning into Action in 2024

While reviewing my reading, I saw that I took multiple learnings from my 2023 reading and put them into action in my day-to-day life.

The Long View by Richard Fisher – I had the opportunity to present the idea of “taking the long view” while discussing strategic priorities for a local board I sit on. It was empowering to share this outlook with others and to explore opportunities to create the environment for something to outlast ourselves for the community. This “long view” concept also illuminated that I prefer to work for organizations with a long history. There is something special about an organization or institution that has been around for over 100 years: a solid identity, purpose, and a solid foundation of principles and values to continue to build upon for the future.

Wasteland by Oliver Franklin-Wallis – I continued to learn about waste management in my local area and connected those insights into the waste system in my home. I even went on a tour of the Banff Waste Facility site for work and learned about the local challenges and where we can improve. Our plastic waste at home has drastically reduced, and the last step we have to take to improve our waste output is to start composting. I haven’t quite figured out how to best do this for condo living, but hopefully, we can address that in 2025.

My reading level increased from 36 titles in 2023 to 44 in 2024. I read for comfort, learning, and community. The book club I’m a part of in Canmore is very special, and we have wonderful conversations. We also push each other to read different books and share new parts of ourselves and our interests.

Leaving GoodReads

I also left GoodReads to join Storygraph. Storygraph is such a fantastic app:

• Powerful search – I can now search my curated “to-read” for any theme I want: mystery, geographic regions, informative, fiction, etc. It’s AMAZING. Look at the screenshot below of the list that pops up when I search my “to-read” list for Science as a genre. 🙌

• Amazon doesn’t get my reading data anymore 👍
• Better stats and includes the “moods” of my titles.
• Reviews aren’t front and centre and thus don’t sway my reading decisions.
• Content Warnings – crowdsourced by readers.
• Stronger tracking system for books owned, DNF, paused (for when the library loan is due), read, or to-read.
• More nuanced rating system by including 0.25 increments.

Diversity Report

I continue to be fascinated by geopolitical topics and the impact of place on our identities. I learned in university one of the best ways to learn about a culture is to read their fictional literature. While I didn’t read many titles we translated in 2024, I hope to read more in 2025.

• North America (my home culture) – 17 titles
• Russia & Central Asia – 2 titles
• Europe – 9 titles
• South & Central America – 3 titles
• Middle East & North Africa – 1 title
• Sub-Saharan Africa – 0 titles
• East Asia – 4 titles
• South Asia -0 titles
• South-East Asia and Australia – 1 title
• Indigenous Peoples – 2 titles
• 2SLGBTQI+ – 2 titles
• Equity-Denied population topics – 2 titles
• Environmental Issues – 2 titles

Overall, I’m pleased with the diversity of this list, and I learned a lot this year.

Top Titles

Here’s a very brief list of the titles that stood out to me and some keywords to see if I can grip you into reading one.

• The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich- Prairies, environment, community, grief.
• The Lost Tarot by Sarah Henstra – mystery, cults, history, art.
• Not the End of the World by Hannah Richie – hopeful, re-examined facts, informative, environment, sustainable futures.
• Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld – feminism, politics, democracy, reimagined histories and futures.
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – moody, mysterious, magical, enchanting. Great world building, plot, and characters.
• What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama – cozy, hopeful, community, the power of art and freedom of information. People finding their purpose. Soft. Also, a Japanese translation.
• The Sentence by Louise Erdrich – community, empowerment, past/present, redemption.

Reading Vibes for 2025

• Reimagined Futures
• Science & Technology
• Media, ethics, and information systems
• Democracy & civic involvement
• Translations

What were your favourite reads last year? I would love to hear your recommendations. I wish you a year ahead of cozy reading that brings you joy!