The year in books: Writers pick the best reads of 2024 (The Age)

This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

The Age, 119 Books

The Age asked 56 authors what they loved reading in 2024. Note, some of these books were released before 2024

who voted?
56 authors all named in the article

This list was originally published in 2024 and was added to this site over 1 year ago.

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Cover of 'All Fours' by Miranda July

All Fours

Cover of 'Rapture' by Emily Maguire

Rapture

Cover of 'James' by Percival Everett

James

Percival Everett

Cover of 'Näku Dhäruk' by Clare Wright

Näku Dhäruk

Cover of 'Chinese Postman' by Brian Castro

Chinese Postman

Cover of 'Our Evenings' by Alan Hollinghurst

Our Evenings

Alan Hollinghurst

Cover of 'Kairos' by Jenny Erpenbeck

Kairos

Jenny Erpenbeck

Cover of 'Liars' by Sarah Manguso

Liars

Cover of 'Question 7' by Richard Flanagan

Question 7

Richard Flanagan

Cover of 'Restless Dolly Maunder' by Kate Grenville

Restless Dolly Maunder

Cover of 'Splinters' by Leslie Jamison

Splinters

Cover of 'The Bee Sting' by Paul Murray

The Bee Sting

Cover of 'Deep Water' by James D. Bradley

Deep Water

James D. Bradley

Cover of 'Long Island' by Colm Toibin

Long Island

Cover of '36 Ways Of Writing A Vietnamese Poem' by Nam Le

36 Ways Of Writing A Vietnamese Poem

Cover of 'A Brilliant Life' by Rachelle Unreich

A Brilliant Life

Rachelle Unreich

Cover of 'A Little Trickerie' by Rosanna Pike

A Little Trickerie

Cover of 'A Season Of Death' by Mark Raphael Baker

A Season Of Death

Mark Raphael Baker

Cover of 'Affinities' by Brian Dillon

Affinities

Cover of 'All About Yves' by Yves Rees

All About Yves

Cover of 'Always Was Always Will Be' by Thomas Mayo

Always Was Always Will Be

Cover of 'Always Will Be' by Mykaela Saunders

Always Will Be

Mykaela Saunders

Cover of 'American Mother' by Colum McCann

American Mother

Cover of 'Australian Gospel' by Lech Blaine

Australian Gospel

Cover of 'Because I Am Not Myself, You See' by Ariane Beetson

Because I Am Not Myself, You See

Cover of 'Benjamin Franklin' by Walter Isaacson

Benjamin Franklin

Walter Isaacson

Cover of 'Bird' by Courtney Collins

Bird

Courtney Collins

Cover of 'Blue Sisters' by Coco Mellors

Blue Sisters

Cover of 'Bluff' by Danez Smith

Bluff

Cover of 'Border' by Kassa Kappabova

Border

Kassa Kappabova

Cover of 'Borderland' by Graham Akhurst

Borderland

Cover of 'Breakdown' by Cathy Sweeney

Breakdown

Cover of 'Bright Crockery Days' by Robert Gray

Bright Crockery Days

Cover of 'Burma Sahib' by Paul Theroux

Burma Sahib

Cover of 'Burn Book' by Kara Swisher

Burn Book

Cover of 'Chasing Hope' by Nicholas Kristof

Chasing Hope

Nicholas Kristof

Cover of 'Cheri' by Jo Ann Beard

Cheri

Cover of 'Children Of Paradise' by Camilla Grudova

Children Of Paradise

Camilla Grudova

Cover of 'Clear' by Carys Davies

Clear

Cover of 'Colored Television' by Danzy Senna

Colored Television

Cover of 'Creation Lake' by Rachel Kushner

Creation Lake

Cover of 'Crimes Of The Cross' by Anne Manne

Crimes Of The Cross

Cover of 'Cue The Sun!' by Emily Nussbaum

Cue The Sun!

Cover of 'Danger Baby' by Ender Baskan

Danger Baby

Cover of 'Day One' by Abigail Dean

Day One

Cover of 'Depth Of Field' by Kirsty Iltners

Depth Of Field

Cover of 'Dirrayawadha' by Anita Heiss

Dirrayawadha

Cover of 'Dirt Poor Islanders' by Winnie Dunn

Dirt Poor Islanders

Cover of 'Elixir' by Kassa Kappabova

Elixir

Kassa Kappabova

Cover of 'Elon Musk' by Walter Isaacson

Elon Musk

Walter Isaacson

Cover of 'Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret' by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret

Benjamin Stevenson

Cover of 'Excitable Boy' by Dominic Gordon

Excitable Boy

Cover of 'Faces Of Moderation' by Aurelian Craiutu

Faces Of Moderation

Aurelian Craiutu

Cover of 'Faith Hope And Carnage' by Nick Cave, Sean O'Hagan

Faith Hope And Carnage

Nick Cave, Sean O'Hagan

Cover of 'Firelight' by John Morrissey

Firelight

Cover of 'Flight Notes' by Hasib Hourani

Flight Notes

Cover of 'Foster' by Claire Keegan

Foster

Cover of 'France On Trial' by Julian Jackson

France On Trial

Cover of 'Frank Moorhouse, Strange Paths' by Matthew Lamb

Frank Moorhouse, Strange Paths

Cover of 'Ghost Mountain' by Rónán Hession

Ghost Mountain

Rónán Hession

Cover of 'Glorious Exploits' by Ferdia Lennon

Glorious Exploits

Cover of 'Gunflower' by Laura Jean McKay

Gunflower

Laura Jean McKay

Headshot

Rita Bullwinkel

Cover of 'Here One Moment' by Liane Moriarty

Here One Moment

Cover of 'Highway 13' by Fiona McFarlane

Highway 13

Fiona McFarlane

Cover of 'Host City' by David Owen Kelly

Host City

David Owen Kelly

Cover of 'If This Is The End' by Bebe Oliver

If This Is The End

Cover of 'If You Go' by Alice Robinson

If You Go

Cover of 'In The Jingle Jangle Jungle' by Joel Gion

In The Jingle Jangle Jungle

Cover of 'Jade And Emerald' by Michelle See-Tho

Jade And Emerald

Michelle See-Tho

Cover of 'John Berger And Me' by Nikos Papastergiadis

John Berger And Me

Nikos Papastergiadis

Cover of 'Juice' by Tim Winton

Juice

Cover of 'Justice And Hope' by Raimond Gaita

Justice And Hope

Cover of 'Karla's Choice' by Nick Harkaway

Karla's Choice

Cover of 'Knife' by Salman Rushdie

Knife

Cover of 'Kubrick' by Nathan Abrams and Robert Kolker

Kubrick

Nathan Abrams and Robert Kolker

Cover of 'Ladivine' by Marie NDiaye

Ladivine

Cover of 'Lest' by Mark Dapin

Lest

Cover of 'Lost Wonders' by Tom Lathan

Lost Wonders

Cover of 'Loved And Missed' by Susie Boyt

Loved And Missed

Cover of 'Middlemarch' by George Eliot

Middlemarch

Cover of 'Milkman' by Anna Burns

Milkman

Cover of 'Mortal Secrets' by Frank Tallis

Mortal Secrets

Cover of 'My Death' by Lisa Tuttle

My Death

Cover of 'My Friend Fox' by Heidi Everett

My Friend Fox

Cover of 'Naked Portrait' by Rose Boyt

Naked Portrait

Cover of 'New Animal' by Ella Baxter

New Animal

Cover of 'New Australian Fiction' by Suzy Garcia

New Australian Fiction

Cover of 'Nine Minds' by Daniel Tammet

Nine Minds

Cover of 'No Church In The Wild' by Murray Middleton

No Church In The Wild

Murray Middleton

Cover of 'Noble Fragments' by Michael Visontay

Noble Fragments

Michael Visontay

Cover of 'North Woods' by Daniel Mason

North Woods

Cover of 'Nuked' by Andrew Fowler

Nuked

Cover of 'Old God's Time' by Sebastian Barry

Old God's Time

Sebastian Barry

Cover of 'Only Sound Remains' by Hossein Asgari

Only Sound Remains

Cover of 'Orbital' by Samantha Harvey

Orbital

Samantha Harvey

Cover of 'Ordinary Matter' by Laura Elvery

Ordinary Matter

Cover of 'Our Concealed Ballast' by Marian Macken

Our Concealed Ballast

Cover of 'Papyrus' by Irene Vallejo

Papyrus

Cover of 'Peripathetic' by Cher Tan

Peripathetic

Cover of 'Peterdown' by David Annand

Peterdown

Cover of 'Plainsong' by Kent Haruf

Plainsong

Cover of 'Playground' by Richard Powers

Playground

Cover of 'Rock Flight' by Hasib Hourani

Rock Flight

Cover of 'Rombo' by Esther Kinsky

Rombo

Cover of 'Safe Haven' by Shankari Chandran

Safe Haven

Shankari Chandran

Cover of 'Sarah Evans' by Bernice Barry

Sarah Evans

Cover of 'Scaffolding' by Lauren Elkin

Scaffolding

Cover of 'Shakespeare Is Hard, But So Is Life' by Fintan O'Toole

Shakespeare Is Hard, But So Is Life

Cover of 'Small Things Like These' by Claire Keegan

Small Things Like These

Cover of 'Soil' by Camille T. Dungy

Soil

Camille T. Dungy

Cover of 'Someone Like Us' by Dinaw Mengestu

Someone Like Us

Cover of 'Song In The Grass' by Kate Fagan

Song In The Grass

Cover of 'Stellar Atmospheres' by Alicia Sometimes

Stellar Atmospheres

Alicia Sometimes

Cover of 'Stone Yard Devotional' by Charlotte Wood

Stone Yard Devotional

Cover of 'Swift River' by Essie Chambers

Swift River

Cover of 'Tao Te Ching' by Lao Tsu

Tao Te Ching

Cover of 'Tell Me Everything' by Elizabeth Strout

Tell Me Everything

Elizabeth Strout

Cover of 'Thanks For Having Me' by Emma Darragh

Thanks For Having Me