our top reads of 2024

It’s that time of year again – when the ZINC team can indulge in ‘talking books’ with our ZINCTank readers. Here are some of the favourite reads from ZINCsters this year – fiction, non-fiction, old and new. Have you read any of them? Happy holiday reading to all!
fiction reading
Bonjour Tristesse, by Francois Sagan
Once a year I challenge myself to read a novel in French. It’s slow going so I select a “concise” one with a reasonable word count. (Count of Monte Cristo at 3,000 pages is NOT on my list.) Bonjour Tristesse had been on my list for years but moved to the top after seeing a reel of French people pitting favorite novels against each other and this one came out on top (take that Petit Prince!).
It takes place over a languid summer in the south of France. You can almost smell the sea and pine needles. A different time, a different place but universal themes. — Marci
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
I’m a few years late to this big read of 2021/2022, but the story is still important and beautiful, deeply touching and – heartbreaking. A dreamy story about a nine-year old Syrian boy who washes up on a small island after the overfilled ship he is on to escape war, sinks. A teenage girl from the Island finds him and works to protect him against her neighbours and community who have come to disdain the refugees turning up on their shore. Two kids who in many ways are homeless trying to help each other – it’ll hurt, but this is an excellent read. – Colleen
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
A story set in a ‘near future’ where parents elect for gene editing for their kids and buy their children Artificial Friends – AI robots – like Klara to keep them company. Klara has to navigate a human world full of complexity and nuance, but narrates her story in the simple, unemotional tone of a robot. Ishiguro is a titan of an author (Remains of the Day, When We Were Orphans) – not disappointing with this story about complex emotions, written with no feelings at all.
non-fiction Reading
Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and how to Harness It, by Dr. Ethan Kross
I stumbled upon Chatter by psychologist Ethan Kross, while searching for a different book, and quickly became side tracked from my original reading plan. I’m glad I did! It turns out the human mind isn’t so mysterious and not nearly as skilled at multi-tasking as we’d like to believe. For example, did you know the human brain is only good at keeping track of 3 to 5 pieces of information at once? And the simple act of “zooming out” on your thoughts can easily help you gain perspective? A fun science/self-awareness read for the holidays or to prepare for the new year. — Marci
I’ll be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara
If you pick up this book, don’t read it alone. I’ve never loved scary movies or thrillers, so when a friend recommended, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, it didn’t stand a chance. I avoided it for years. Then, I was in an airport with a long layover, and I thought, how bad can it be? Let’s just say, McNamara’s gripping investigation into the Golden State Killer must be much better than the HBO series (if I had the nerve to watch it), and more frightening than I could have ever imagined. I was glad to be in an airport, with friends, when I finished it. – Christiana
Cold Case BC, Eve Lazarus
Lazarus follows some of BC’s Cold Cases with impressive research and interviews to provide context and mesmerizing details that took me back to my first reporting job in northwestern B.C. Her reporting somehow avoids the crime writing stereotypes and demonstrates compassion for families that remain. Cold Case BC is perhaps not for everyone, but it satisfied my inner news nerd. I hope there is more to come. – Christiana
The Golden Spruce, John Vaillant
I’ve always loved learning about place through the imagination and skills of a great writer. I picked up this book on a rainy week in Ucluelet and it soon became an all-time favourite. Vaillant’s writing is captivating, political, and immersed in facts about tree species, rainfall, enigmatic characters and mystery. – Christiana
What do you ZINC? What was your favorite read of the year?