Page Turners

2024 Reading Highlights

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Hi everyone,

Today’s post features three recommendations, in case you’re looking for some epic reads to start the year with.

Enjoy,

mariana

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Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

I’ll start with my absolute favourite read of 2024: Our Share of Night (Nuestra Parte de Noche). I've been completely in awe of Mariana Enriquez's work since first discovering her through Things We Lost in the Fire, a collection of brutal short stories set in Argentina. I'll admit it, I'm not just a fan, I'm obsessed with her work.

Our Share of Night follows Juan, a father desperately trying to protect his son Gaspar from dark forces that want to claim him. Juan's character drives the story's tension: he possesses extraordinary supernatural powers that should make him the perfect protector, yet he's simultaneously battling a mysterious illness that could incapacitate him when Gaspar needs him most. The story opens in 1970s Argentina, during the military dictatorship, in the wake of Gaspar's mother's suspicious death. Enriquez masterfully weaves together family drama, political history, and supernatural elements into something entirely unique.

Don't let the “horror” label scare you away—this is a page-turner well worth reading. It's a story about parental love, inherited trauma, and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we care about. Our Share of Night won the Herralde Prize in 2019.

James by Percival Everett

I discovered this remarkable book thanks to my friend Sofia, who invited me to a reading at the Southbank Centre featuring the shortlisted Booker Prize authors.

James reimagines Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" through the eyes of Jim, the enslaved man who was a secondary character in Twain's original. Here, Everett places Jim at the center of his own narrative, transforming a peripheral character into the heart of the story.

Through Jim's perspective, we experience the brutal reality of life as a runaway slave, and get a glimpse into the language of the oppressed. While the plot is devastating, James is definitely a page-turner.

I haven't read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but James stands firmly on its own. Everett has created something that both acknowledges its source material and charts entirely new territory.

🎧 Audiobook: ✅

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

If you’re looking for a lighthearted and funny read, look no further. At the center of the story is Phoebe, who's hit rock bottom after her divorce and sees no way forward in life. Her carefully planned exit at the Cornwall Inn gets derailed by an unplanned encounter with the most demanding bride-to-be imaginable. What follows is both absurd and funny.

Beneath its sharp humor, this novel explores what happens when we finally stop performing for others. Through Phoebe's journey, Espach examines how exhausting it is to live for others' approval, and the surprising freedom that comes with letting that go.

While the premise might sound dark, Espach strikes a perfect balance between wit and warmth. It's the kind of book that leaves you feeling both entertained and strangely hopeful.

🎧 Audiobook: ✅