My last reading recap of 2024!
What I've been reading for the last couple months (hint: not a lot 😭)
Heyyyyyy……hey…..how y’all doin’? When I say this newsletter is “sporadic,” I’m really not kidding. To be fair, I haven’t been reading a lot in the last couple of months, so there really weren’t a lot of updates. But I wanted to make sure I caught you all up before sending out a roundup of my favorite reads of 2024 in a couple weeks. If I’m being honest, this year felt sort of like one long reading slump. There were a few gems here and there, but I sort of lost the spark of diving into a good book. So, as I go into 2025, my only goal is to Make Reading Fun Again (sorry, ew) and get my groove back. But before that happens: here’s what I’ve been reading lately!
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
I read this very queer, very sexy romance while alternating between lounging by an infinity pool and a beach on a Mexico vacation — which worked out perfectly, because this is the epitome of a vacation read. When exes Theo and Kit both end up on the same European food and wine tour, they decide to compete to see who can hook up with the most locals on their trip. What follows is a steamy and delicious (seriously, come for the romance, stay for the intoxicating food and wine writing) book worthy of suspending your disbelief. Yes, yes, the main characters are a bit pretentious and the plot nonsensical, but haven’t you ever heard of FUN?!?!
Good for people who like: Any of Casey McQuiston’s other books, bi-for-bi romances, food writing that makes you drool
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
This piece of queer iconic literature was this month’s pick for my book club and honestly it surprised me how relatable a lesbian love story from 1952 could be. It follows Therese Belivet, a young up-and-coming set designer who, while working at a department store during Christmas, meets Carol Aird, a wealthy and melancholic housewife and mother. The two begin an intense friendship that turns into more as they each grapple with their feelings and complicated lives. It’s rare that you get to read about queer life from this time period, especially when it’s written as the author themself experienced it. It’s easy to see why this is still considered a queer classic today.
P.S. Someone at book club looked up what the title means. Apparently it’s either an allusion to Lot’s wife in the bible or could refer to the “flavor/spice” of life. Either way, it makes the book that much more meaningful to me.
P.P.S. I watched Carol after reading the book and the book is better!!!
Good for people who like: the nostalgia of old NYC (a 60 cent martini, come on!), queer memorabilia
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
This book has been on my TBR for a while and I’m glad I finally picked it up (metaphorically speaking, since I read an audiobook, which was narrated beautifully). On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice goes to sleep and wakes up instead on her 16th birthday. It’s 1996, she’s a teenager again, and — best of all — her father is healthy…something he’s not in the future. Alice realizes she has an opportunity to change her future by altering the past…but should she? A classic time travel plot that’s layered with heart-tugging emotion, funny writing, and sharp insight into the beauty and grief of growing older.
Good for people who like: books that make you call your parents just to say “I love you,” non-sci-fi-y time travel plots, The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
This was actually a reread, or should I say re-listen, since my second time around I read the audiobook version (also for book club and also beautifully narrated!). It follows three people who get messily tied up in each other’s lives…plus a potential baby. There’s Reese, a trans woman living in NYC and dating married men. Plus Ames, Reese’s ex who detransitioned from living as a woman after their breakup. And finally Katrina, Ames’ lover — and boss, yikes! — who is now pregnant. The three end up entangled in a plot to co-parent the future child, with chaotic results. This book dives into what it means to be queer, the concept of fluidity, and motherhood in all its forms. I found it just as powerful (and funny) the second time around.
Good for people who like: messy queer characters, All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews, classic book club discussion books
A couple more:
Honey by Isabel Banta: A reflective look at a fictional early aughts popstar; a bit predictable but nostalgic nonetheless.
How Does That Make You Feel, Maria Eklund? by Anna Montague: A slow-but-steady touching story of an older woman finally discovering herself through grief.
The Verifiers by Jane Pek: I think the cheesy writing of cozy mysteries just isn’t for me!
Now with that out of the way (phew 😮💨) it’s time to compile my best of 2024 list! Stay tuned…
xoxo,
Kirby
Great list! Thanks for sharing, even when you feel the year was a slump!