The best books of 2024 as selected by Cassie McCullagh, Kate Evans, Jason Steger, Lev Grossman and Michaela Kalowski. Keep scrolling for a full (and somewhat idiosyncratic) list.
GUESTS
Jason Steger, literary journalist. Former literary editor at the Age and SMH; and regular guest on ABC TV's Tuesday Book Club.
Lev Grossman, bestselling American novelist and journalist — whose books include The Magicians trilogy and (his latest), The Bright Sword (an Arthurian tale).
Michaela Kalowski, literary interviewer and the curator of Radio National's Big Weekend of Books
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
(listed according to the person who made the recommendation)
Lev Grossman:
Percival Everett, James
Paolo Bacigalupi, Navola
Tana French, The Hunter
Kate Atkinson, Death at the Sign of the Rook
M.T. Anderson, Nicked
Karl Ove Knausgaard, The Third Realm
Nick Harkaway, Karla's Choice
Cassie McCullagh:
Percival Everett, James
Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time
Francis Spufford, Cahokia Jazz
Ceridwen Dovey, Only the Astronauts
Michaela Kalowski's selection (in categories)
Uplifting (subject matter or style):
Ailsa Piper, For Life
Julia Baird, Bright Shining
International:
Percival Everett, James
Francis Spufford, Cahokia Jazz
Australian:
Robbie Arnott, Dusk
Lexi Freiman, The Book of Ayn
Tim Winton, Juice
Catherine McKinnon, To Sing of War
James Bradley, Deep Water
Julian Borger, I Seek a Kind Person
Books in Translation:
Greek Lessons by Han Kang
Fantasy:
Kelly Link, The Book of Love
Jason Steger
Uplifting/ positive:
Colm Tóibín, Long Island
Melanie Cheng, The Burrow
Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time
Other highlights
Nick Harkaway, Karla's Choice
Helen Garner, The Season
Samantha Harvey, Orbital
Heather Taylor Johnson, Little Bit
Kate Evans
Positive/ Joy or beauty:
Niall Williams, Time of the Child
Hanif Kureishi, Shattered
Deborah Levy, the Position of Spoons
International:
Francis Spufford, Cahokia Jazz
Alan Hollinghurst, Our Evenings
Richard Powers, Playground
In translation:
Olga Tokarczuk, The Empusium
Australian:
Fiona McFarlane, Highway 13
Dylin Hardcastle, A Language of Limbs
Catherine McKinnon, To Sing of War
Robbie Arnott, Dusk
Inga Simpson, The Thinning
CREDITS
Presenters: Kate Evans, Cassie McCullagh
Producer: Kate Evans, Sarah Corbett
Sound engineers: Craig Tilmouth, Ann Marie Debettencor
Executive Producer: Rhiannon Brown