Fiction Reads Gabriel's Moon (2024) — Philip Blackwell, Founder & CEO Margo’s Got Money Troubles (2024) — Toby Orton, Head Curator Headshot (2024) — Alex McQueen, Sales & Marketing Manager A Sunny Place for Shady People (2024) — Hannah Wallington, Assistant Curator Lessons in Chemistry (2022) — Claire Mead, Finance and Logistics Manager Evenings and Weekends — Toby Orton, Head Curator We Solve Murders (2024) — Claire Mead, Finance and Logistics Manager Glorious Exploits (2024) — Alex McQueen, Sales & Marketing Manager A Theatre for Dreamers (2020) — Imogen Blackwell, Marketing Director Non-Fiction Reads Sociopath: A Memoir (2024) — Mollie Wood, Marketing Executive Genius Gut (2024) — Imogen Blackwell, Marketing Director A Little History of Psychology (2024) — Mollie Wood, Marketing Executive Spice (2024) — Philip Blackwell, Founder & CEO Why do book collections matter? Book a consultation with a ~personal curator Contact Quick Links Follow us @ultimatelibrary Join our community
Ultimate Library’s Favourite Reads of 2024
11 Dec 2024
2024 has been a remarkable year for literature, brimming with bestsellers, groundbreaking debuts, and new favourites from cherished authors. At Ultimate Library, our diverse literary tastes have led us to explore a wide range of books this year. From gripping memoirs and award-winning contemporary fiction to cosy
crime novels
, each team member has selected a favourite title we believe you’ll love too.
Whether you're seeking the perfect book to enjoy during those quiet moments between unwrapping gifts and singing Auld Lang Syne, or you're eager to start creating your 2025 TBR list, here’s our selection of best books chosen to inspire your next read.
by William Boyd
From the bestselling author of Any Human Heart, this finely crafted novel follows Gabriel, a travel writer turned reluctant spy, who loses control of his life leading to a series of encounters with a memorable supporting cast. Under the spell of Faith Green, a captivating yet ruthless MI6 handler, Gabriel finds himself drawn deeper into a web of deception that transports the reader from sixties London, Cadiz and Warsaw.
by Rufi Thorpe
Currently being adapted into a star-studded Apple+ TV series, this coming-of-age story follows Margo, a young woman who finds herself pregnant, alone and facing eviction. As she grapples with complex relationships—including her overbearing mother, her WWE wrestler father, and her ex-college professor (who also happens to be the father of her baby)—Margo discovers a surprising path to survival. By creating a persona and performing on OnlyFans, she finds empowerment and resilience in the most unlikely of places.
by Rita Bullwinkel
Longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and named a Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times, Bullwinkel tells the story of the eight best teenage girl boxers in the United States over two days. With each chapter framed as a new bout, the seamlessly juxtaposes high stakes immediacy of the ring with the past, present and future moments shaping each girl’s life. Headshot skilfully creates dynamic shifts in perspective and time, managing to weave philosophical arguments and imaginative trains of thought between each blow.
by Mariana Enriquez
Mariana Enriquez's latest collection of short stories is a superb, haunting exploration of moral ambiguity, human desires, and the hidden truths that lurk beneath the surface of everyday life. Blending the macabre with the surreal, Enriquez masterfully weaves tales of terror and societal decay, where ordinary lives spiral into the nightmarish. Her stories bring to life haunted landscapes, unsettling transformations, and ghosts that refuse to remain in the past. With a keen eye for the dark undercurrents of human existence, Enriquez captures both the eerie and the profound.
by BONNIE GARMUS
In the male-dominated world of 1960s science, Elizabeth Zott, a determined and brilliant scientist, faces constant sexism. Among her all-male team, Calvin Evans, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, is one of the few who recognises her exceptional intellect and, as a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, is unable to ignore the evidence of their chemistry. Years later, Elizabeth has been forced to swap her beakers for mixing bowls as the reluctant star of Supper at Six, America’s beloved cooking show. But her scientific mind remains sharp. Through her innovative approach to cooking, she teaches women not only how to make the perfect lasagna but also how to challenge societal norms and pursue their dreams.
by Oisin McKenna
A heartfelt ode to London, youth, and the bittersweet journey of growing older. Set during a scorching June weekend in 2019, a group of friends wrestle with love, secrets, and personal struggles. Against the vibrant backdrop of the city, their intertwined lives reflect the challenges of millennial life amid shifting social, political, and ecological tides.
by Richard Osman
From the author of the record breaking, bestselling series
The Thursday Murder Club
comes a gripping new thriller. Retired investigator Steve Wheeler enjoys a quiet life, while his daughter-in-law, Amy, works as a private security officer protecting world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio on a remote island. But when a murder, stolen money, and a relentless killer put Amy in danger, she turns to Steve for help, sparking a globe-trotting race against time.
by Ferdia Lennon
Lennon's debut novel, winner of the 2024 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, is a masterful blend of humour and pathos set during the Peloponnesian Wars. When a group of Athenians are captured after the invasion of Sicily, two Syracusan potters seize a bold opportunity: staging Euripides’ Medea with the prisoners' help. Told in contemporary Irish vernacular, Lennon breathes life and wit into his characters while exploring the power of art in the time of war.
by Polly Samson
Samason vividly brings Hydra to life, capturing the magic of the 1960s when the Greek island’s clear waters attracted artists, novelists, and poets, like the young Leonard Cohen, to its shores. The story centres around 18-year-old Erica, who, after fleeing her controlling father, finds herself on the fringes of this dazzling creative circle, witnessing their brilliance, vices, and the gradual disintegration of their paradise.
by patric Gagne
Described as "addictively page-turning" by The Telegraph, Patric Gagne's memoir offers a fresh, candid, and deeply moving account of living with sociopathy—a personality disorder often misunderstood and unfairly equated with immorality. From a young age, Patric recognised her experience of the world was starkly different. While others formed connections, she felt an unsettling emptiness, a persistent apathy that made those around her uneasy. As an adult, Patric grapples with her darker impulses while striving to build a stable, loving life with her partner. Can sociopaths truly find their place in society? And can she succeed before her actions cross a point of no return?
by Dr Emily Leeming
Your gut is your "second brain," and often when you're feeling tired, bloated or unfocused it's trying to tell you something. Dr. Emily Leeming, a microbiome scientist and registered dietitian, reveals how gut bacteria influence mood, energy, and brainpower. Backed by cutting-edge science, she shares 10 simple gut-brain hacks to feel energised, beat cravings, and boost focus—without giving up your favourite foods.
by NIckY hayes
Psychology, a discipline with roots stretching back to ancient Egypt, Greece, China, Persia, and India, has evolved over centuries in its quest to understand the complexities of human behaviour.
Nicky Hayes tells the story of the field through key figures like Carl Jung, Anna Freud, and Daniel Kahneman; famous experiments from Pavlov’s dogs to Milgram’s electric shocks; as well as the key questions and concepts that have motivated social scientists.
by Roger crowley
A rip roaring tale of the epic contest for the spice trade, which propelled European maritime exploration across Asia and the Pacific. In C16th spices were worth more than their weight in gold and prompted people to take unfathomable risks. Join Crowley on an epic voyage from the bustling dockyards of Seville to the volcanic Spice Islands, navigating shipwrecks and sieges as he reveals how the quest for spices linked oceans, built empires, and transformed the world economy.
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