2025 is already well underway – but there’s still time to take a look back at an incredible year in literature as 2024 delivered a host of riveting reads. Ultimate Library picks out 13 diverse books – from Richard Osman’s latest crime caper ‘We Solve Murders, which introduces an iconic new detective, to Patric Ganier’s sensational memoir Sociopath, to Dr Emily Leeming’s fascinating account of the human gut and microbiome, there’s sure to be something for everyone in this list…
Fiction Reads
1. Gabriel’s Moon (2024) 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.
— Philip Blackwell, Founder & CEO
2. Margo’s Got Money Troubles (2024) 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.
— Toby Orton, Head Curator
3. Headshot (2024) 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.
— Alex McQueen, Sales & Marketing Manager
4. A Sunny Place for Shady People (2024) 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.
— Hannah Wallington, Assistant Curator
5. Lessons in Chemistry (2022) 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.
— Claire Mead, Finance and Logistics Manager
6. Evenings and Weekends 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.
— Toby Orton, Head Curator
7. We Solve Murders (2024) 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.
— Claire Mead, Finance and Logistics Manager
8. Glorious Exploits (2024) 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.
— Alex McQueen, Sales & Marketing Manager
9. A Theatre for Dreamers (2020) 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.
— Imogen Blackwell, Marketing Director
Non-Fiction Reads
10. Sociopath: a Memoir (2024) 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?
— Mollie Wood, Marketing Executive
11. Genius Gut (2024) 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.
— Imogen Blackwell, Marketing Director
12. A Little History of Psychology (2024) 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.
— Mollie Wood, Marketing Executive
13. Spice (2024) 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.
— Philip Blackwell, Founder & CEO
