Five Leaves Favourite Books of 2024

Fiction

Tom Lake is not a person but a lake in Michigan. There Lara, the main character in this novel, has a youthful affair with an actor who would go on to be famous while she turns her back on an acting career. Decades later, working hard picking cherries on their family farm, Lara drip-feeds the story of that relationship to her three grown-up daughters in great detail. To match the slow unveiling of the story I read the book slowly, over many days, the better to savour Patchett’s telling.

–Ross

Powers’ new novel is exploration of the ocean and the future of humanity, weaving together themes of technology, ecology, and human connection. The novel dives into the potential of artificial intelligence and its impact, while also examining the delicate balance between human progress, the human experience and the preservation of our natural environment. Much like The Overstory, one of my favourite novels, Playground is a thought-provoking, beautifully written novel that manages to bridge subject depth, sympathy with complex and troubled characters with high readability. Powers’ masterful storytelling is once again on top form.

–Carl

The (very) long-awaited sequel to Fforde’s brilliant Shades of Grey (2011) did not disappoint. It’s set in a future where civilisation has rebuilt itself after a mysterious ‘Something That Happened’ with strict societal rules and roles based on the colours people can see. Eddie Russett intends to use his better-than-average red perception to marry above his station, but when he falls for Jane, a lowly Grey with a fierce temper, he starts to challenge the strict chromatic dogma imposed by National Colour, and discovers layers upon layers of lies.

–Pippa

This featured as my first read of the month when I joined Five Leaves, and I’ve not stopped thinking about it since. It’s rare to read a short story collection where each story feels ‘stand-out’. These are inventive and emotional stories that had me crying on a train and impatiently excited to read whatever Mills writes next.

–Sarah

Non-Fiction

This book includes historic pieces, older articles and nearly up to date stories by people from Gaza. The book goes beyond the obvious, so there’s material on Christianity, the Dom (the local Romani equivalent group) and a short memoir by one of the African minority in Gaza. When Matthew and Mahmoud came to the shop they played voice notes of some of the Gazan authors talking to them – the editing process – and you could hear bombs going off in the background and drones overhead.

–Ross

Structured around items of clothing Ballard has made for herself since starting to sew in the pandemic, this memoir reflects on self-image, over-consumption, labour and exploitation, family, love, race, belonging. It’s a small book you could read in a day, but I would encourage you to take your time and really soak up the beautiful language and moving reflections Ballard offers.

–Sarah

A fantastic book of essays from some of the most influential voices in the Right to Roam movement, as edited by Nick Hayes (author of The Book of Trespass). The essays are widely varied and from a diverse range of voices, some showing how and why Britain became one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe while some are more creative, incorporating poetry and stories of beauty. The main chapters are interspersed with profiles of regular people doing inspiring things for the land and their communities, plus musings on places where humans interact with nature (from rope swings to clootie trees) and Hayes’ striking illustrations.

–Kate

Samir Chopra delves into the nature of anxiety, examining how it has been understood by various philosophical thinkers throughout history. He argues that anxiety is not necessarily a pathology but rather an integral part of the human condition. He suggests that rather than seeking to eradicate anxiety, we can learn from it, learn to understand it, and manage it in a way that allows us to live calmer, happier lives. An essential read for anyone seeking to better understand their own anxiety, how the human mind works or how philosophy can help still the vexations inherent in all of us.

–Carl

The title of this book says it all. The thing that strikes one about Herzog, one of the most important directors in post-war European cinema, is his absolute unwavering commitment to and faith in his artistic vision. Not for Herzog, the ordinary watered-down path. What some might call obsession, he calls his life’s work. He strides forth and passionately does what he sets out to do. He talks like he writes and his writing is full of vigour and life, wild and fascinating stories and strange and brilliant ideas. His memoir will make you see the world differently and wake you up. Guaranteed.

-Giselle

Everyone should read this book! Incredibly accessible (pun intended), this is a funny and comprehensive introduction to the ways in which technology shapes our lives and how we think about disability, cure, advancement and access. If we’re lucky to live long enough, we will all become disabled at some point in our lives. It’s time we stopped thinking of assistive technologies as a niche topic that doesn’t already impact how we move about the world.

–Sarah

I should just start off by saying that, despite the tricksy cover, this is not a book of card trick for kids. In fact there’s rather too much sex, drugs, and demon summoning in it to even leave it on the lower shelves of the bookshop, lest a curious child picks it and ruins the carpet by summoning a fire elemental. Mixing a comic book styled history of magic, with essays on occult philosophy and a healthy dose of irreverent weirdness (there’s a maze that winds through the Qabalistic Tree of Life), this could only have come from the mind of famed comic book author Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta). Possibly the strangest and most delightful thing I’ve come across this year.

-Kate

I’m in a book, and so is Five Leaves… Graham Caveney describes me as a 60s man of rabbinic appearance who looks as if he never leaves the bookshop. This is calumny. I left the bookshop on Tuesday. Didn’t like the outside world much and came back… But in this book Graham is describing his time working at Five Leaves – his first job for many years – which led to him returning to writing and recovery, all of which leads up to this, his third memoir, but the body in question is his, and that body is failing. He’s just had an improbable 60th birthday, and the book explains that improbability. It’s a book about dying, and not quite dying, about literature and friendship. And is introduced by Jonathan Coe, who’d said that if Graham didn’t finish the book Jon would finish it for him. He didn’t have to for Graham is still with us.

–Ross