Authors Pick the Best Books of 2024

I enjoy getting nosey and seeing what some of my favourite authors have been reading and recommending in 2024. Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.

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My full reviews of some books mentioned:

Books discussed & purchase links:

Julian Barnes
Headshot – Rita Bullwinkel

Long Island – Colm Toibin

Bernardine Evaristo
A Woman Like Me – Diane Abbott

A Thousand Threads – Neneh Cherry

William Boyd
The Echoes – Evie Wyld

Drypoint – Jamie McKendrick

Elif Shafak
The Use of Photography – Annie Ernaux and Marc Marie

Survival is a Promise – Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Nicola Sturgeon
James – Percival Everett

Ali Smith
Fratriarchy – Juliet Mitchell

Astraea – Kate Kruimink

Neel Mukherjee
Lublin – Manya Wilkinson

The Burning Earth – Sunil Amrith

Melissa Harrison
The Echoes – Evie Wyld

Andrew Marr
Caledonian Road – Andrew O'Hagan

James – Percival Everett

Dominion – Tom Holland

The Princess Casamassima – Henry James

Katherine Rundell
Virginia Woolf's diaries

On the Origin of the Species – Darwin

Olivia Laing
Ripcord – Nate Lippens

Three Month Fever – Gary Indiana

Jesse Armstrong
The Fraud - Zadie Smith

Intermezzo – Sally Rooney

Long Island Compromise – Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Jonathan Coe
Anima – Kapka Kassabova

Michael Prodger
Wild Thing – Sue Prideaux

Kevin Barry
Barcelona – Mary Costello

Tom Gatti
Spent Light – Lara Pawson

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:21 Julian Barnes
2:54 Bernardine Evaristo
4:00 William Boyd
5:14 Elif Shafak
6:44 Nicola Sturgeon
7:16 Ali Smith
8:40 Neel Mukherjee
10:14 Melissa Harrison
11:07 Andrew Marr
12:16 Katherine Rundell
13:02 Olivia Laing
14:13 Jesse Armstrong
15:35 Jonathan Coe
16:08 Michael Prodger
16:30 Kevin Barry
17:08 Tom Gatti
17:40 Conclusion

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Get in touch

[zsuzsablom]

These recommendations have added a few TBR books to my list.
Great joy!

[enidlacob]

A big thank you from me in Cape Town for your wonderful videos this year You have enhanced my reading life, taken me shopping and taken me to the Booker award ceremony. I am so grateful to you You do everything with interest and humor.I love reading authors picking their best book. Have made a long list from this I wish you all you with yourself for the festive season and look forward to more book recommendations from you Maybe you will visit South Africa one day.Long Island, Butter, Held, rereading Michael Ondaatje, Caledonian Road What Maisie knew Virginia Woolf rereads, A day in the Life of Abed Salama, Intermezzo and loads of detective novels kept me going this year . Keep well and safe

[livmatharu]

Your videos are the best. I get so happy when I see that you have new video.

[CharlieBrookReads]

What a great list of books!! Like you said it’s always extra special when authors recommend books! Melissa Harrison’s comment cracks me up and is extremely relatable. We all feel that fierce protectiveness when we love a book that much, so quite right!! 😉❤️

Thank you for sharing these with us Eric. 📚

[PageTurnersWithKatja]

Such an interesting list. I love checking out authors' favourite books. A couple of years ago, i even tried some author recommendations - very hit and miss 😅

[lgrant]

Oh thanks so much for this video, I am adding even more books to my TBR pile. Lovely!

[bc-mvse]

Thanks for ur posts. I get a lot of great suggestions from you. Loved James ... and Princess Cass.

[lizhumphreys]

Wonderful Eric thank you from me (albeit not thank you from myTBR list! 😂). You definitely need those Woolf diaries. I can confirm they are absolutely gorgeous and a must-have.

[clarepotter]

Thanks for the link, I will read the article.

[lindysmagpiereads]

I want to get to Evie Wyld’s new book too. I trust Ali Smith’s tastes so Fratriarchy and Asteaea are now on my TBR. Oh, and do you know when we can expect something new from Melissa Harrison?

[tammyripp]

Long Island Compromise was great, recommend!

[scallydandlingaboutthebooks]

Echoes was great. The ghost really did work.

[nirajsolanki]

Such wonderful recommendations these. Thank you.

[MarianSwerdlow-szfx]

I’m so enjoying your reviews. Have you read The Safekeep by Yael Van der Wouden & The Coin by Yasmin Zaher?

[jacquelinemcmenamin]

I read or rather listened to Intermezzo. Highly recommend.
Echoes is on my TBR.
I’m currently listening to
Our Evenings
There Are Rivers in the Sky

[jamesduggan]

Yes, Darwin's Origins is not what one expects it will be. Without spoiling anything, why are there ostriches in Australia but not Europe? Why are there boars on Pacific islands? It's quite good. It's also one of the few mentioned here I've actually read. And, like you I am interested in Woolf's diaries. I love diaries and collected letters, particularly from writers unashamed to say directly what they mean.

[emmalocatelli]

"Long Island Compromise" is one of the best books I've read this year.

[MMjones]

It wasn't one of the recommendations, but The Heart in Winter sounds good. A western, but also Irish.

[booklover]

I'm reading "Here One Moment" by Liane Moriarty.

[jacksontalley]

I really like Long Island Compromise a lot!