Books of the year: 2024 shows its literary power with these books

From Alan Hollinghurst’s book of the decade to Neil Jordan’s excellent memoir, along with a debut to remember, Sue Leonard selects her books of the year

Above from left: The future looks bright for Roisin Maguire after her brilliant debut offering, ‘Night Swimmers’; Neil Jordan’s unique story is one that you can’t afford to miss, and Alan Hollinghurst reaches a new peak with 'Our Evenings'. 

Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst (Picador, €16.99/ Kindle, €10.03)

Choosing best of the books of the year is, sometimes, a tricky endeavour. When, as in 2024, many of Ireland’s most prominent writers have produced a new novel, one can be confused by the sheer high quality on offer. However, this year, I’ve gone for an English writer.