Mid-Year Check In: Best of 2024 So Far

I am ready to write bad angsty poetry on my never-ending reading/ blogging slump! Still, somehow, pushing myself to do this mid-year 2024 blogpost on stuff I have liked till now.

Let’s all pledge to move out of Slump Valley! And just in case these recs reach you, hope you’ll like some of these.

1 / The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

I have not been a great fan or follower of the Grishaverse, so was hesitant in picking this up. But what a marvelous story this turned out to be. We peer into the ages of 16th century when anti-semitism was rife. Luzia is desperately trying to escape her confined pitiful life with her displays of magical craft… but soon ends up getting embroiled in a larger political net. Everything in this book was so impressive – the Spanish Golden Age/ Renaissance feel, the worldbuilding, the writing, the prose, the characterizations. Aaaaand, it is a standalone. If you’ve liked Mistress of the Art of Death, you’ll love this one too.

2 / He Who Whispers by John Carr

In France, on top of a lonely tower, a man is stabbed by a sword from an invisible hand, as if by some supernatural being. But years later, his son’s fiancé is still on the run, with that haunted look in her eyes… Or something like that. The plot is sinister, tense atmosphere throughout. Right till the end, the detective won’t lay down his cards because he isn’t fully “certain” (it gets a little annoying after a while). Carr also also doesn’t seem morally neutral in his writing, but that’s a small quibble. Supposedly one of the top 5 Carrs ever written.

3 / Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto

Bloody brilliant book! This book got me out of my slump in a jiffy – a disgraced heir to the House of Bone is exiled to the wall protecting the Dominions from the treacherous House of Iron. Wren is just waiting for the chance to prove herself again, and in walks a prince ready to be kidnapped…. It’s a rollercoaster. This has necromancers and Game of Thrones vibes and badass protagonists and crazy plotting. Some peg this book as YA, but I think it works fine for new adults and adults alike. Loved it and can’t wait for the sequel.

4 / In a Lonely Place (movie)

Hitchcock’s adaptation of Dorothy B. Hughes’s book, starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. There is no real crime or “mystery” to be solved in this one, don’t be fooled. But it’s really like watching a train wreck, as a movie director reaches the peak of his art and happiness, only to come crashing down after. Those last 15-30 minutes really make this movie a masterpiece. You’ll keep thinking of it for days after.

5 / What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge

If you like mythological fantasy, then this YA book is a great addition to your TBR. It starts off with a Rapunzel tale, then spins a Sleeping Beauty trope but with gender swap, then becomes a ghost story, and afterwards, a heroic quest to save the world… And all of this within the span of the same book. Every single character in this book was drawn up so well. I’m not sure whether this is a series, since this first book is whole on its own — which is another plus point.

6 / Flex X Cop (Disney+, Hulu)

This is probably not the best place to start if you’re new to Kdramas. But what a feelgood show. You’ll remember those Richie Rich comics? Our protagonist is a poor little rich boy, wasting his time on frivolities (and MMA) as a kind of rebellion against his family. But then he winds up joining the cops, and that becomes the making of him. I hear that a Season 2 is already in the works and I can’t wait.

7 / Blood Free (Disney+, Hulu)

Another Kdrama, and this time a scifi thriller. What if in the future, we could end up culturing real meat and real grain in the labs? Would solve a lot of food, land, environmment and zootopic disease problems. And what if we could finally culture new human organs in the lab? A lot of money seems to have been spent in producing a really high-tech show, with lots of cool ideas on what an AI-driven future could look like. It’s brilliant and also, a little creepy. The show goes a little bonkers during Episodes 7-9, but ends up with a fantastic finale.

8 / Dune 2 (movie)

A solid sequel to Dune 1, and I was so glad to ensure watching this on the big screen. The sheer visual scale and appeal of this movie is something else. I have neither read the books, nor have I watched the previous movies based on the books — but Dune 2 really made me want to. If I go by the Wikipedia summary(ies), then the movies are true to the books so far.

9 / Sapphire (movie)

BAFTA-award winning British crime drama movie from 1959. A young college girl’s dead body is discovered and her boyfriend is the first murder suspect. But since when have things ever been that simple?
I went into this movie blind, without watching any trailers or reading any reviews, and was totally blindsided by how good this was. It was a slow unraveling of layers upon layers of subtext and personal agendas, and ended up becoming a tragic social commentary on discrimination.

10 / Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins

Stop saving all of that money folks — spend a little too, on yourself. The author goes on to give very persuasive arguments about how after a point of time, saving saving saving can result in diminishing returns. So — book that trip, book those new experiences and remember to enjoy yourself too. Die with “zero” (savings).

Those are my favorites from the mid-year check in for 2024. Which books, shows or movies have caught your eye so far?