The pandemic kept a lot of us cooped up and changed the battleground for the future of productivity, but there has been little doubt of how it has impacted the world of literature. There has been a huge outpour of high quality books the last two years that some attribute to the isolation of that era. Here are the best books of 2024 so far:
Non Fiction: The C.I.A.
- In his new book, Wilford examines how the United States, particularly through the C.I.A., sought to control global politics after World War II, often engaging in covert actions in newly independent states of the Global South, illustrating the paradox of anti-imperialism empowering covert U.S. influence during decolonization.
Fiction: The Ministry of Time
- Kaliane Bradley examines a Cambodian English minder in a near-future Britain grapples with falling in love with her charge, a nineteenth-century Royal Navy commander, while uncovering the mysteries of a government program that uses time travel to retrieve people from history, exploring themes of mortality and grief.
Wild Card: The Light Eaters
- Zoë Schlanger explores the burgeoning field of plant intelligence, detailing how plants sense, communicate, and respond to their environment, while also focusing on the scientists behind these discoveries and the transformative shifts occurring within botany.
Finsum: These books offer wonderful conversations for potential clients and can be a bridge to new ideas.