And suddenly it’s the end of the year again, meaning time for the annual highlights posts. For me, this means posting my reading highlights on December 31, and blogging highlights on January 1. I do my Reading Highlights on the last day of the year, so I will have read (even if not reviewed) all the books I’m going to read in the year, and I call it “highlights” because, as most of you know, I don’t do “best” or even, really, “favourite” books. Instead, I try to capture a picture of my reading year. I also include literary highlights, that is, reading-related activities which enhance my reading interests and knowledge.
Literary highlights
This mostly comprises my favourite literary events of the year. I never get to all that I would like – not even close – but those I attend I enjoy. Even where the books or authors may not be my favourite genre or topic, there is always something to learn from writers and other readers.
- Canberra Writers Festival: I attended six sessions this year, and you can find my write-ups on them (plus previous festival sessions) on my Canberra Writers Festival tag. I attended conversations with Rodney Hall, Emily Maguire, Catherine McKinnon, Charlotte Wood, Robbie Arnott, and Anita Heiss, as well as a lively panel on the art and role of the critic.
- Awards events: I attended fewer awards events this year, just two live ones: ACT Literary Awards; and the Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Winners Launch and Conversation with Authors.
- Book launches and author conversations: I attended the same number as last year, and most were part of the The Canberra Times/ ANU Meet the Author series: Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham (with Julianne Lamond); Sulari Gentill and Chris Hammer (with Anna Creer); Shankari Chandran (with Karen Viggers); and Karen Viggers (with Alex Sloan). I can’t believe I didn’t get to more, but my records tell me that I didn’t!
- Podcasts: I am not a big podcast follower, mainly because I prefer not to be constantly plugged in. When I walk, I walk in peace. When I do housework, I listen to music. When I drive locally, I listen to the radio, but when we drive long distance we often listen to podcasts – and this year we’ve focused on Secrets from the Green Room. Targeted primarily to writers, the episodes have much to offer readers who like to understand how it all works – the writing, the editing, the publishing, the promotion, and so on.
Reading highlights
As usual, I didn’t set reading goals, but kept my basic “rules of thumb”, which are to give focus to Australian and women writers, include First Nations authors and translated literature in my list, and reduce the TBR pile.
2023 was a very strange year – our downsizing year – and it showed in my reading, which was unusually high in short stories and low in nonfiction. This year saw me return to something like my usual pattern, but not quite. Short stories, for example, remained a higher proportion of my reading. This works fine in this new phase of my life which involves frequent trips to Melbourne to see family and spend time with grandchildren.
But now the highlights … each year I present them a bit differently, choosing approaches that I hope will capture the flavour and breadth of my reading year. Here are this year’s observations from my reading:
The characters
- Mothers in extremis: Mothers aways feature in my reading, but this year’s included some seriously challenged ones: Al Campbell’s The keepers, about a mother of two autistic sons; Jane Caro’s The mother, about the mother of a daughter subjected to coercive control by her husband; and Marion Halligan’s memoir Words for Lucy (review coming), about a mother’s grief for a daughter who died too young.
- Young people in extremis: Life is rarely easy for the young, but Lucy Mushita’s Chinongwa and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead have more than their youth and inexperience to contend with. The system is stacked against them. In Karen Viggers’ Sidelines, on the other hand, the issue starts closer to home. It’s the parents who need to take a look at themselves.
- It’s never too late: Rachel Matthews’ middle-aged characters in Never look desperate show that romance is not just for the young.
- The oldies have it: Older characters have shone in this year’s reading. Besides those in Matthews’, Caro’s and Halligan’s books, I enjoyed the stoic 80-year-old Wilf in Stephen Orr’s Shining like the sun, matriarch Maya in Shankari Chandran’s Chai time at Cinnamon Gardens, the aging Zelda in Michael Fitzgerald’s Late, and Nunez’s determined narrator in The vulnerables. Not only did they show that “Life” doesn’t stop when you age, but that, while age might bring some wisdom, it doesn’t bring all the answers.
- Most unlikable character: Sometimes there are characters you just want to shake (not that I would ever shake a person of course!) and this year, self-pitying Deidre in Karen Jennings’ Crooked seeds wins the award. If only she’d read Dale Carnegie’s How to win friends and influence people!
- The odd couple: Odd couples are not unusual in romance, but privileged-on-the-run Jagger and eco-warrior Nia make a fetching pair in Donna Cameron’s The rewilding.
- Most naive characters: This goes to most of the characters in P.S. Cottier and N.G. Hartland’s The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin. What were they thinking!
- Don’t forget the animals: Animals are rarely forgettable when writers create them, and I certainly couldn’t forget Sigrid Nunez’s miniature macaw Eureka, Carmel Bird’s cat Arabella, and definitely not all those mice in Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard devotional.
The subject matter
- Writers’ lives: I always enjoy reading literary biographies and memoirs, and this year I read three very different works, from Sean Doyle’s more traditional Australia’s trailblazing first novelist: John Lang to more personal, hybrid takes in Nell Stevens’ Mrs Gaskell and me, and Anna Funder’s Wifedom.
- Truthtellers of the year: I used this category last year, and I think it’s a keeper because truthtelling, particularly regarding the “colonial project”, is not done. This year’s highlights include First Nations Australian Melissa Lucashenko’s Edenglassie, and two from North America, Thomas King’s “Borders” and Sherman Alexie’s “War dances“, each of which added different layers to the truths we need to hear.
- Vividly rendered places will always get me in, and this year three were skilfully evoked, the Monaro (in Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard devotional), Naples (in Shirley Hazzard’s The bay of noon), and the South West Coastal Path (in Raynor Winn’s The salt path).
- “Only fools have answers“: the best writing for me is that which leaves us with questions. Many of this year’s reads did just that, but leading the way was surely Richard Flanagan’s Question 7.
The reading life
- Good things come to those who wait: Gail Jones has been on my must-read list (and in my TBR) since Sixty lights was published in 2004. Finally, this year I read a novel by her, Salonika burning. It must not be my last.
- Re-find of the year: Having not read a Shirley Hazzard novel for many years, I loved finding the opportunity to read The bay of noon for Novellas in November and the #1970 Year Club
- Re-reads of the year: Of course these were by Jane Austen, Mansfield Park and her novella, Lady Susan.
Only when I was young did I believe that it was important to remember what happened in every novel I read. Now I know the truth: what matters is what you experience while reading, the states of feeling that the story evokes, the questions that rise to your mind, rather than the fictional events described. (Sigrid Nunez, The vulnerables)
Some stats …
While I don’t read to achieve specific stats but, I do have some reading preferences which I like to track, but it’s boring to repeat them all each year. So let’s just say that
- 85% of this year’s reading was fiction and 75% of my authors were women, both of which are higher than my long-term average.
- Nearly 50% of this year’s reading comprised works written before 2000, which is also higher recent percentages.
- 58% of this year’s authors were Australian.
- Last year’s big downsizing project saw short stories and novellas comprising over 60% of my year’s reading. This halved in 2024 to just over 30%.
- 11% of this year’s reading was by First Nations writers, largely due to my reading several short stories by First Nations American writers.
I read only two books from my actual TBR – Nell Stevens’ Mrs Gaskell and me and Gail Jones’ Salonika burning – but I will add to this Shirley Hazzard’s The bay of noon, which has been on my virtual TBR for many years.
Tomorrow, I (hope to) post my blogging highlights.
Meanwhile, I’ll repeat my usual end-of-year huge thanks to all of you who read my posts, engage in discussion, recommend more books and support our little litblogging community. It is special. I wish you all an excellent, book-filled and peaceful 2025.
What were your 2024 reading or literary highlights?
Whispering Gums 
Two English authors: Peter Grainger and “Robert Galbraith”, both simply brilliant and both discovered in 2024. Both have written series, making their output even more enjoyable.
What ?
Oh – detective fiction.
I never cease to be amazed that there are new plots abounding; but of course the characterization has to be up to the mark, too.
Not only that, but the narrators must be top notch. Robert Glenister reads the Galbraith works and Gildart Jackson Grainger’s; and I doubt there are better narrators to be found.
Thanks MR … I love hearing your highlights. And I do know Robert Glenister as an actor so I imagine he reads well.
Am I right that Robert Galbraith is JK Rowling? If so I have friends who have loved some of his/her/their books.
That is indeed the case, ST: and to my ENORMOUS joy she has just had the next in the series published ! – but it’s not yet been committed to audio. Something to look forward to with great eagerness. 🙂
It’s great to have something to look forward to MR. …. What do you particularly like about her detective fiction? I’m always on the hunt for Mr Gums.
She and Grainger both weave the need for detection in amongst very credible characters’ stories, ST: in other words, one is entirely committed to the main characters and the mystery parts are almost secondary.
Well that sounds good … I’ll add them to my list. Thanks a bunch!
A very good reading year! I love that Sigrid Nunez quote.
I read quite a few fiction and nonfiction books this last year about politics. Can’t imagine why 😉 But I also read some great poetry collections and some excellent historical fictions, a genre I generally don’t read.
Happy New Year to you and Mr. Gums!
Thanks Stefanie … I used not to read a lot of historical fiction. I was very much a contemporary gal, but that changed a while ago and I’ve been surprised at how much I enjoy it – though to be honest most of it is set 19th to 20th century. I still don’t go a lot for “really” historical fiction.
Interesting about your nonfiction political reading. I’m struggling to think why that might be – haha. I think though that I still prefer to read my politics in fictional form, that is to read authors’ responses to and questions about political issues and their effect on our lives, that facts and analyses.
Happy New Year to you and James.
Fiction: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin; Deaf Sentence by David Lodge.
Memoir: Brief Encounters: Notes from a Philosopher’s Diary by Anthony Kenny.
History: A History of Ancient Egypt by Mark Van De Meerop.
Philosophy: various, but maybe Analysis and Metaphysics: An Introduction to Philosophy by P.F. Strawson and Aquinas on Mind by Anthony Kenny, both as being quite slim; or The Essential Mary Midgely, which apart from its merits gets extra points for turning up in a Little Free Library.
I did read more books than that–the philosophy generally good, this history mixed, the fiction quite mixed.
I love this George – thanks. Your two nonfiction choices are books I’ve seriously considered.
I see Anthony Kenny appearing more than once, but I don’t know him, given philosophy is not really my thing. But I do have a friend who likes reading philosophy do would love to know more.
Kenny was raised Catholic, and in fact ordained. After he was laicized, he took up graduate study in philosophy at Oxford. The major influences on him seem to have been Wittgenstein (via G.E.M. Anscombe, I gather) and Aristotle. He was for some years the Master of Balliol, and later Warden of the Rhodes Trust. This year, I also read his Metaphysics of Mind, a collection of excerpts from Wittgenstein that he edited, and his translation of Aristotle’s Eudemian Ethics. The Ethics I bought at Waterstones in London, the others at Second Story Books here, i.e. used. I would like to read more of his work at some point.
I met him more than forty-five years ago when he was in the US and sat in on a class I was in. I dimly recall arguing with him over whether being logically preceded number, or maybe I should say “I remember arguing dimly”. The memory led to acquire his books when I saw them.
Haha George, though I suspect it’s more the memory was dim than your argument. Thanks for this. I will see what I can find here.
I really enjoyed this. I think I will have to do quick summaries more on book characters as looking back we meet so many personalities in our books. If we didn’t have Fullers book store here Tassie would be a desert of literary events. I’m looking forward of whom I meet this year.
Thanks Pam … I enjoy doing my highlights this way though it didn’t fall out as easily this year as last year’s did.
I am so glad you have Fullers!
I think I could curl up and die without all their activity.
Oh my, that sounds a bit desperate…
It’s funny how we read so much, and for me, I start forgetting the details of some of the books from the early months of the year. That’s why I created a category for books I vividly remember. I’m not sure I would be able to pick books for each of the categories, like you did. I’m impressed!
Ah yes, Melanie, but I didn’t create the categories and then find books for them. In recent years what I’ve done is look at my reading for the year and create categories that I think reflect the reading. Like Mothers in extremis was just so obvious. Last year I had, for example, Strongest women was a category but not this year. It’s interesting how each reading year is different and how I can find different patterns in what I read.
Ooooh, I love that. I’ll see if I can find a pattern in my reading a year from now. It sounds like a challenge, honestly.
It really is fun Melanie – and interesting but it is something you can really only do looking back though sometimes you can sense some as you go.
Hi Sue, Happy New Year. I like how you have captured your reading highlights for 2024. More than 50% of my reads were women writers, and 50% of them were Australian women writers. The highlight of the literary scene was attending the Melbourne Prize for Literature, which Alexis Wright won. The “Odd Couple” Michael and Marnie, in You are Here by Dave Nichols. Mother in Extremis – Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville. Young People in Extremis Wolf Pack by Amelia Brunskill, about young girls living in a cult. It’s never too Late for Leila in Kylie Mirmohamdi novel Diving Falling. The Oldies Have it, would be Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout. The most Unlikeable Character is Lila in The Story of the New Name by Elena Ferrante. The naivest character would be Frankie Rose in the The Book Nina by Ali Berg. The Animal would be Fiver the rabbit in Burrow by Melanie Cheng. I do not listen to podcasts. I did enjoy reading Charles & Barbara Blackman by Christabel Blackman. Re-read of the year is at my sister-in-laws house in Queensland, The Tattooed Map by Barbara Hodgson. A strange but beautiful book about travel in Morocco, with lift out maps. And “Only Fools Have Answers would be “Time for Lights” out by Raymond Briggs. I do have a TBR list and a TBR pile of books, which comes first who knows!!!
Thanks Meg … love that you have responded in kind. I’m particularly interested in Fiver in Burrow as I’m keen to read that. The Blackman sounds great. And Briggs. That sounds great. I only know him as the creator of those great children’s books, The snowman and When the wind blows. His memoir sounds up my alley.
I really enjoy the way you collate your reading year in this post Sue. I’ve also moved towards focusing on the most memorable reads of the year rather than best or favourite, but all your categories provide yet another interesting way to think about them.
Happy New Year to you and the rest of the Gums. I look forward to following your reading and road tripping adventures again this year xo
Thanks Brona … doing it this way gives me a great amount of pleasure, quite a bit of fun, and little or no stress!
Perfect then!
Exactly…
What a great reading year you’ve had, and how interesting to chart habits that changed in your “moving” year that are beginning to resume a previously familiar pattern. I love your category for animals in stories! And I am interested to see you’ve retained your Truthtellers category for Indigenous storytellers. I will get to Lucashenko at some point; I was excited to see something by her in French from 2023 via the library, and thought, “ohhh, one of the newer ones”, titled something like Those Who Speak to the Crows, but, nope, it’s Too Much Lip which goes back aways I think. But she’s been picked up by HarperCollins over here, so I think accessibility will soon be straightened out quite nicely. I’m curious, for your stat’s do you count single stories (like, from your anthology with the Alexie story in) as single items? If I put a lot of focus into a single work, I’ve occasionally done so; I don’t know why I have the feeling you might have done so with this project of yours too. Anyway, I hope you have a lot of great books ahead of you in 2025!
Thanks Marcie … I’m glad you enjoyed my categories.
Too much lip was her novel previous to the current one so not too far back. That French title is an interesting title for it though it’s too descriptive (talking to birds is a First Nations cultural practice) whereas the English title is slang as you probably know for being impudent, talking back, and has some layers in this novel. How great that she’s been picked up by HarperCollins. It will be interesting to see how she goes. Her novels are accessible but strong.
And yes, the last two years I have counted single stories because while reading them is faster, writing the posts rarely is. I said they were counted as single items last year but I think I didn’t repeat it this year.
Ooh, I didn’t check my pre-2000 reading – 17.5% which feels quite low for me! Spiked by all the free NetGalley books and other review copies. A lovely year and I enjoyed your different way of presenting things.
Thanks Liz … yes, review copies can swing the stats significantly can’t they.
It’s great to see Wifedom in your list of highlights, particularly as it’s such an interesting book with various different layers and threads.
I must try Sigrid Nunez at some point as so many readers whose opinions I trust seem to love her. Would The Friend be the best place to start or would you recommend The Vulnerables (which you’ve highlighted here)?
Thanks Jacqui, it’s great seeing Wifedom reaching readers internationally, thought of course the subject matter lends itself to a wider audience doesn’t it.
I’m sorry I can’t answer about Nunez as I’d been wanting to read to her for a while, and this was my first. The friend might be a good start as The vulnerables “felt” to me like it might be something a bit specific to COVID but I don’t know!