We are back with our 5(ish) favorite reads (and games) of 2024!
We try very hard to keep it to five, but it’s simply not always possible. So, per staff member there may be more or less than five titles, but there can also be an A and a B list, memorable reads or just plain marvelous books.
We’re presenting our lists in bite-size chunks to make them more digestible, as there are more than 150 titles for you to sink your teeth into.
We hope to inspire you to try some of them in the new year.
Happy reading (and playing)!
Crochet Impkins: Over a Million Possible Combinations! Yes, Really! by by Megan Lapp
I love this book… As a buyer for the Crafts section in ABC The Hague I like ordering fantasy-inspired crafts books for the store, and this is my personal favorite! I think the author thought these creatures called ‘Impkins’ up herself – a sort of mushroom imp/spirits with huge glass eyes – so weird, funny and cute! And what’s nice, as the title indicates, Impkins can be made in many variations and colors!
Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot Deck by Matt Hughes
Wow! I love the design of this Tarot deck, it has elegant Art Nouveau-style images in dreamy pastel colours. I believe you are not supposed to buy your own Tarot decks but I must say I was really tempted :P
Dixit Game
I played this game with colleagues, and I loved it! I was taken in by the beautiful, whimsical artwork and the original style of the game. Like many other games, it involves a little board with pawns, but this one mostly relies on intuition and an understanding of each other’s thought processes and ideas, which I think is so interesting! A good way to get to know each other over a game. Many expansion packs are available with equally magical names such as “Dreams”, “Revelations” and “Memories”.
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I read it because it was said to be similar to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies, which I adored. There are certainly similarities in terms of story line: a scholar goes off to a foreign land to study fantasy creatures and notes down her findings and thoughts in a journal, which is how the books are presented. However, A Natural History of Dragons takes place in the past, and therefore deals with issues from the time, such as the struggles of navigating high society as a woman scholar, which was frowned upon. Glad that changed! But interesting to see such serious issues combined with dragons.
Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher
Loved it! This is a witchy retelling of Charlotte Brontes’s Jane Eyre. I think the original already lent itself to supernatural interpretations, but in this version it is not just suggestive. Here, Jane is not the shy governess, but a skillful witch hired to undo Thornfield Hall of its ghosts and hauntings. The writing was so calm and descriptive that I could see the characters and scenery in front of my eyes…it really pulled me in. A cozy story too, because of the autumn weather and the close knit group of inhabitants. However, some scenes were surprisingly scary (to me), though it made the story exciting – I feel the subtle description of the looks and movements of the characters in these scenes made them very vivid and scary.
Maarten
For some reason I didn’t read that many (good) English books this year. Therefore my top 5 list consists of mostly Dutch titles…
In a completely random order, not implying hierarchy:
Meneer L. en het meisje by Wouter Godijn
A strange novel: is it YA? A fantasy novel? An adventure? A heavy and slightly depressing contemplation about illness, death and loss? Answer: yes.
Very interesting, entertaining, and at times quite moving.
Het kleine heelal by Annejan Mieras
Gouden Griffel-winner, meaning “Best Children’s Book of the Year”.
Comforting to see that there are still good children’s books being written that are not full of fantasy, magic, and the like. Just a small family drama, with pleasant, recognizable characters, a bit of adventure and an interesting setting. Quite good, actually.
Laatste uitweg: Termush by Sven Holm (in English the title is just Termush)
A Danish classic. Typical of that Cold War SciFi subgenre, the post-nuclear-war survival story. Here a small group of people paid a lot of money to survive the disaster and live in a hotel after the rest of the world is mostly destroyed. Of course, things don’t work out as planned.
(Do you really want to survive a total worldwide nuclear war?)
De eilanden van goed en kwaad by Adwin de Kluyver
A. de Kluyver collects (stories about) islands; small, big, known, unknown, real and imagined. Here in this book he collects stories about hundreds of them. Travel, nature, history, literature, crime, war – basically everything – that also takes place on, or is connected to, or is inspired by, islands. For those who like random, interesting facts about almost anything. And about islands.
De kikkerkamasutra by Kees Moeliker
The funniest biologist/natural-history-museum-director of the country. This is a collection of a lot of articles in many magazines and other publications over many years, separated in more or less thematic chapters: weird science, strange animal behaviour, dead-animals-with-a-story. And, of course, a special chapter about the pending disappearance of the pubic louse, due to the loss of its natural habitat…
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
This might be one of the most beautiful and powerful books I have ever read. It is set in New York during the 1970s. It explores topics such as systemic racism in America, and the justice system. While the book is a poignant and sometimes sad story, it is filled to the brim with hope and love. The book demonstrates that even in the most dire circumstances, love and human connection gives people something to hold on to. This is all so beautifully conveyed through his poetic and honest writing style. I recommend this book to everybody.
The Dispossessed – Ursula K. Le Guin
The Dispossessed not only surprised and delighted me, it also might have changed the way I look at the world and society. It was a very hopeful book at a time I really needed it. Ursula K. Le Guin explores anarchism and revolution within this extremely well-written book, all within the setting of science fiction. She does so with grace and beautiful prose. I recommend this book to everybody that needs a rekindling in hope for humanity.
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson
Toll the Hounds is just beautiful. Set against the backdrop of a world torn by war and divine intrigue, it explores themes of grief, love, and the bonds that connect us all. Erikson’s poetic and intricately woven prose captures both the vastness of epic fantasy and the intimate struggles of his characters, offering a rich tapestry of human experience. One moment in particular hit me very hard emotionally, and I will not forget it in a long time. While it is a bit different than the other installments of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, it might be my favourite one so far.
Revolusi by David van Reybrouck
This year I read the original Dutch book Revolusi (now translated to English). This non-fiction book takes the reader through the history of the Indonesian Revolution. What makes this book outstanding, however, is the fact that the author does not just use historical sources, but he interviews many people who saw these events unfold in front of their eyes. It is a powerful piece that shows you humanity at its best and worst all through stories told by regular people. This book shows us the importance of oral history and how it can help us understand the world in a more complete way.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is a powerful and unsettling look at the Osage murders in 1920s Oklahoma. It’s a story of greed, betrayal, and racism, where the Osage people were targeted for their oil wealth. Grann’s writing brings this dark chapter of history to life, but it’s the resilience of the victims that really stays with you. This book is a painful but essential read for anyone wanting to understand America’s past.
