2024 Wrapped: Author Edition
My first baby, my first published fiction and my favourite books of the year
2024 will be a year to remember. I went from losing myself as a first-time mama to finding the drive to finish and publish my debut novel which became a bestseller in Women’s Popular Fiction. As I look back, it has been a year of total transformation. My identity and values have changed, and that is largely down to becoming a mother for the first time.
My First Baby
Before I had my baby, I had a solid idea of who I was. After she was born… chaos. I found myself completely torn apart and slowly, as I learned the ropes, put back together piece by piece but in a slightly different way. The majority of my year was spent on maternity leave and it was during this testing time that I finally found the fire in me to finish the manuscript that I had been working on for the past seven years… (yes, seven years!).
My First Published Fiction
My debut novel, Her Empty Chair, started its journey back in 2017 when I took an online course on writing your first novel. I was asked to turn on the radio and write something inspired by the first story I heard. Those initial scribbles were developed into a bestselling manuscript years later!
I had already written half of my manuscript by the time I had my daughter but wasn’t actively working on it. Since having her though, I wanted to set an example of what is possible to achieve if you want to put your mind to it. So, I metaphorically dusted off the forgotten manuscript and finished the last half of the book within the space of about a month. Then, after another (painful) month spent in the editing stage, it was ready for release.
Since publishing Her Empty Chair, I have been featured in media from Good Housekeeping and Prima Magazine to Bloomsbury Publishing’s Writers & Artists blog. My book has readers all over the world and has come to be symbolised by a croissant (it features a lot of yummy pastry – mostly almond croissants… mmm…).
My Favourite Books Of The Year
Having been busy with baby and book writing this year, I haven’t had as much time as usual to read, but I still managed 18 books which is still more than one a month so I’m pretty proud of that.
According to Storygraph, I’ve been reading dark and mysterious moods with tense, reflective and emotional a close second. That kind of sums up Her Empty Chair, minus the ‘dark’ – but stay tuned for book two as that’s planned to be a lot darker! I’m usually a big fan of a balance between fiction and non-fiction but I had to give my new mama brain a rest so this year it’s been 78% fiction based with thrillers top of the list. And I am a 100% print gal. No audio books for me.
Out of all the books I’ve devoured this year, here are the contenders that left an impact, made me feel something and that I would insist you read too:
None Of This Is True | Lisa Jewell
My first Lisa Jewell read and I am instantly a big fan due to the mixed format this is written in – part narrative, part podcast, part Netflix documentary. It follows the story of Alix Summer, a popular podcaster, and Josie Fair, a woman with a painful past who finds herself drawn to Alix. Together, they work on telling her story… only, when they do, a dark secret is discovered. I found this book to be SO gripping and I did not want to put it down!
Butter | Asako Yuzuki
A translated Japanese novel following Rika, a journalist, who investigates a series of curious murders by gourmet cook, Manako Kajii. The writing is so descriptive, particularly around food so I now have a list of recipes to try myself! Warning: do not read this book hungry! Butter explores the role of women in Japanese society (which can extend to many other cultures), misogyny, and relationships. It’s quite a long read but you really do get invested in the characters. A great book to read outside your comfort zone if you’ve not explored much Japanese writing.
Paris The Memoir | Paris Hilton
Whatever your opinion on Paris Hilton, this is such an important story. I couldn’t believe how time and time again she was taken advantage of and humiliated in the most inhumane ways possible. The saddest thing is that it happened so many times that she became numb to it. But over time she finds her strength and uses it to help others: “Advocacy work has taught me that ‘silent means assent’; if you don’t speak up when something is wrong, it’s the same as agreeing with it.” The introduction to the book is a little bit hard to follow as she openly shares her ADHD can make it difficult to string things together but the rest of the book is actually really well put together.
The Housemaid | Freida McFadden
I picked this book up before I knew there was such a hype around this author. And deservedly so! The Housemaid is full of twists that you just do not see coming and I instantly felt like I knew the characters. It’s a fast-paced, easy to read book that you won’t want to put down. There are two more books in this series (The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching) which I look forward to reading next year.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid
I bought this book after attending a Q&A session with Taylor Jenkins Reid at The London Book Fair this year. It was worth the hype! It tells the story of fictional Old Hollywood star, Evelyn Hugo, who, at age 79, is finally ready to open up about her scandalous life, choosing unknown journalist, Monique Grant to tell it to. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. It’s another mixed format book which I love and a brilliant exploration of celebrity culture.
Yellowface | Rebecca F Kuang
Imagine if someone stole your manuscript and published it as their own… A writer’s worst nightmare! When failed writer, June Hayward witnesses her rival, Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity… and takes it. So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity? So what if the first lie is only the beginning? A great exploration of diversity, social media and the publishing world.
If you read any of these recommendations, let me know what you thought by tagging me on Instagram @sunnacoleman
Happy reading, happy festive break and see you in the new year!
Sunna x