Marcie wrote a post recently about community: what it is and the importance of it whether it be in real life or online. Over the years (11 of them now) I have treasured this online community of readers and bloggers; you’ve shared my enthusiasm for books, publishers, authors, and reading as well as shared with me your excitement over books and authors I might not have encountered if not for you. The past couple of years I have been challenged to keep up the blogging while things have been changing in my ‘real’ life, but have been determined to do it all. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I can’t do it all, but that I can (hopefully) do a lot of it if I do things a little differently. What that will look like, I’m not entirely sure yet. What I do know is that I want to keep spreading the word about good books, authors, and independent publishers that I admire and adore. As always, to everyone, thank you for reading and commenting and visiting and chatting and writing and publishing. 🙂
Happy 2025!
There are a few books I’ve written about this year that haven’t appeared on Consumed by Ink, because their reviews have been published elsewhere. You can find them at The Miramichi Reader as well as a new Canadian review site called The Seaboard Review on Substack.
The Miramichi Reader:
- The ANNEthology: A Collection of Kindred Spirits Inspired by the Canadian Icon, compiled by Judith Graves and edited by Robin Sutherland
- Girls Interrupted: How Pop Culture is Failing Women by Lisa Whittington-Hill
- We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed
- Soft Serve by Allison Graves
The Seaboard Review:
- Your Body Was Made For This by Debbie Bateman
- Hair for Men by Michelle Winters
- Swan: The Girl Who Grew by Sidura Ludwig
On to what we are here for – the highlights of 2024!
Atlantic Canada
Nine years ago I decided to challenge myself to read more books from Atlantic Canada. As a result, I have read 291 books from Atlantic Canada in the last 9 years.
You can check out results of previous years here:2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
#of Atlantic Canadian books read: 45 (last year, 39)
% of books read from Atlantic Canada: 36% (last year, 37%)
Newfoundland: 7 (last year, 8)
Nova Scotia: 29 (last year, 22)
New Brunswick: 4 (last year, 6)
Prince Edward Island: 5 (last year, 3)
Standouts
(Not necessarily published this year and in no particular order.)
The rest of Canada and beyond!
%CanLit: 75% (last year, 79%)
Out of 79% CanLit, 48% is from Atlantic Canada (last year, 47%)
A top 10 list, in no particular order:
- Message in a Bottle
- The Nowhere Places
- Moon of the Turning Leaves
- The Cobra and the Key
- Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
- Pearly Everlasting
- Grey Dog
- Death by a Thousand Cuts
- Not the End of the World
- Your Body Was Made For This
Consumed by Ink 
Stunning photos. Happy 2025, Naomi! Two of my recent favourites appear on your list of standouts: The Arrows of Mercy and After Anne. I’d like to read Orbital and Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.
Thanks, Sarah! I have you to thank for recommending both of those books!
Well, that was clever of me! I had forgotten.
🙂
I haven’t read any of the books you’ve listed here, though I should read Orbital. As it happens, my best book of 2024 was Canadian, Nalo Hopkinson’s Blackheart Man. Marcie introduced me also to a couple of older Canadians – The Diviners by Margaret Laurence, and Swamp Angel by Ethel Wilson.
You can probably both take credit for introducing me to Eden Robinson, and just a week or two ago I finished Monkey Beach. My end of year stats included 10 Canadians, but I can’t think off the top of my head what the others were.
I just put Hopkinson’s latest book of short stories on hold – thanks for the nudge!
I love Margaret Laurence but haven’t read Wilson’s Swamp Angel. Maybe after Hopkinson? Lol
I could be wrong, but I think you’d like Orbital – it surprised me.
I always love to see your annual highlights list, Naomi! I never cease to be amazed by how many books you manage to read and the wonderful range of them! One of my absolute favourite books of 2024 was the last one I read that year: Playground, by Richard Powers. I know you’d love it! I’ve just put some of your highlighted titles on hold at the library (This Bright Dust really caught my eye…). Happy reading in 2025!
Hi Marianne! I’m so glad you enjoy these posts. 🙂
I know I would love Playground and will make an extra effort to read it because it’s one of your favourites!
I have loved the last two books by Nina Berkhout and feel like they’re not getting the attention they deserve. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of it!
The Arrows of Mercy was among my favourite resds in 2023. So pleased to see it on your list! For 2024, my favourite was Lorri Nielsen Glenn’s memoir, The Old Moon in Her Arms. And for very different reasons, Jessica Johns’ novel Bad Cree. We all need aunties like those. Looking at your lists, I have many new reading goals. Happy new reading year!
Hello and thanks for commenting! I’m happy to find another fan of The Arrows of Mercy! Glenn’s memoir is in my stack for this year, so it’s nice to hear you loved it. Let me know if you read anything else you like from my list – I’m always curious to know what other readers think. Happy Reading!
Canadians seem to have been inspired by Police titles, what with ‘Message in a Bottle’ and ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’, not to mention the book with Sting in the title! The Nalo Hopkinson collection Jamaica Ginger is absolutely phenomenal. I managed to get an e-ARC from NetGalley and reviewed it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6521956465
Haha – good observation about the Police titles!
I have recently put a hold on Jamaica Ginger so I’m very happy to hear you think so highly of it! Thanks for sharing!
Whenever and however you post, I always look forward to reading them. Happy 2025! I hope your reading is just what you want it to be!
Thanks, Laila! Same to you! 🙂
I love how those trees seem to be reaching up and up and UP. Like resolutions, always reaching!
Re: your reviews. TMR I love that quote, too, from the Anne stories, about sneaking a peek at Gilbert’s reading. SO funny. That pop culture book, is it actually that rooted in that time period or does she bring it more uptodate? I mean, I recognise all those references too (I was in the same supermarket lines! lol) but I wonder if it’s ALL still the same, or just some of it. I”ve not read a lot of Premee Mohammed’s books, but this question of how/whether medical treatments should be distributed for health or for profit is one of enduring interest: maybe I’ll try her again! And I really loved Allison Graves’ stories too! (But OhEmmGee, there are FOUR ads in your review; I really want to know how many dollars those ads equate to, per review.)
Re: TSR You’ve convinced me on the Bateman stories. I was already convinced about Michelle Winter’s novel (why did I think that was Michael Winter’s title?!). And have you read Susan Swan’s book about Anna Swan? The Biggest Modern Woman in the World (Sidenote: why didn’t it occus to me that they were related?!?!?)
TIFN because this is already the biggest modern comment on your blog. hee hee (Except I hope your reading in 2025 is FAB.)
I love those trees, too. Child #1 took that picture!
I can only assume that my review at TMR is very valuable! Lol
Good question about Girls Interrupted… She talks about stuff that happened in several different decades, but I feel as though she consistently brought it back to more recent years. At least up to the late 20-teens.
I really liked both of Premee’s novellas and look forward to the third one.
I will be interested to hear what you think of Bateman’s stories if you decide to read them!
I haven’t read Susan Swan’s book, but I’ve had it on my to-read list forever.
Michelle Winters, Michael Winter – same thing! *snort*
Swan is new to me; thanks for sharing your review!
I loved it!