Reading List for 2024

Of the ten titles I highlighted at the start of 2023, I did pretty well and read seven of them, with those three remaining books all rolled over onto into my 2024 list. Last year was a good reading year, so this time I’ve decided to pick twelve books that I really want to make sure I get to over the course of the next twelve months. As ever, I read for pleasure and pick my next title based on mood, so these plans are always subject to change. The main problem is someone grabbing my attention and jumping the queue, but this is a good problem to have.

So, with that caveat, these are my reading plans for 2024.

The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts

I’d already started reading this in 2023 but it’s a chonker, so it goes on to the 2024 list as I’m only part-way through. I’ve lost count of the people who recommended this series to me and Janny has also been wonderfully supportive of my own writing. As a result, this was a book I simply had to pick up.

A full review will follow but I’ll start by saying no one else writes like this. Wurts’ prose is exquisite and the scale of world building and story telling on display here is breathtaking. An undisputed modern classic, and I’ve not even finished yet!

Rise Red Kingdom by Kerstin Espinosa Rosero

Burn Red Skies was a fellow finalist (and Rosero also became the unofficial photographer) in the 2021 SPFBO competition. That book was a winner for me, with an amazing world, magic system and enthralling cast of characters. It’s long overdue for me to pick up the second book in the series and continue the adventure.

Privilege Trilogy by Bharat Krishnan

The sci-fi/fantasy thriller Privilege, the first story in the Privilege Trilogy, was a real surprise for me when I read it in 2023. Set in 2020, it’s an alternative history satire and I want to explore the second and third books in this series, Power and Promise during this year.

A Ritual of Bone by Lee C Conley

This Norse-inspired fantasy mixed with zombie terror has a lot of fans and it’s been on my to be read pile for too long. After reading Conley’s short fiction in a couple of separate anthologies (Skybreaker and The Anatomy of Fear) I decided it was long past time to get stuck in.

Godless Lands by Sean Crow

I was absolutely bowled over by Crow’s Valhalla Steel sci-fi fantasy mash up, so I’m keen to try his fantasy series, Godless Lands.  Featuring a world ravaged by blight and disease, I suspect this won’t be for the faint of heart but fortunately I enjoy my fantasy with a darker edge.

The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August

I’ve read a lot of independent fantasy fiction but never tried sci-fi, which feels like a massive oversight. As an SPSFC 2022-23 winner, this one was actually a coin toss with the 2021-22 winner, Iron Truth, by SA Tholin. I may well read both this year.

Callus & Crow by DB Rook

With its fusion of fantasy, horror and western elements, DB Rook’s debut novel is another book people have been talking about. I already have a copy sitting, accusingly, on my bookshelf and I plan to crack open those pages this year.

The Shadow Gate by LL MacRae

I really enjoyed The Iron Crown, which was another SPFBO7 Finalist, last year. The Shadow Gate continues MacRae’s imaginative Dragon Spirits series and with plenty of unanswered burning questions from book 1, this is a novel I’m really looking forward to this year.

Raw Spirit by Iain Banks

This one is a re-read. I have plans to visit Scotland this year and this book will be joining me on my travels. A combination of biography, travelogue, social commentary and whisky guide, this book has a special place in my heart, written by a writer who was taken from us far too soon. This promises to be a bitter-sweet return to the Scotland Banks loved so much.

The Devil in Derbyshire: A cosy paranormal mystery collection by Owain Oakwood

Another writer whose strong sense of place brings his writing to life, I’ll be diving into Oakwood’s second collection of paranormal adventures, set in the Derbyshire Peak District. Argana Zeit is an amazing literary creation and I’m delighted to hear a novel is in the works too.

Spirits of Vengeance by Rob J Hayes

I devoured two of Hayes’ Mortal Techniques wuxia-inspired standalone novels last year, so a return was inevitable. Many fellow readers tell me this is the best one so far, so it’s a definite choice for 2024.

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

For me the award-winning first book in the Imperial Radch series had some brilliant concepts but wasn’t without its flaws. However, I want to know how this story progresses, so the sequel makes it onto the list.

My book reviews are posted on Goodreads and Page Chewing. I hope this blog and my upcoming reviews inspire you to pick up some of these titles and give these amazing writers a try. If you’ve read any of these stories feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what you thought.