My reading life continues to delight and surprise me -- I love finding that perfect combination of engaging writing, compelling themes, and a well-paced story! This year, I achieved my goal of tackling longer books like Fourth Wing, Babel, Demon Copperhead, Wellness, The Heart's Invisible Furies, Fellowship Point, and The Lincoln Highway; read several debut novels including Black Cake, The Silent Patient, In Memoriam, Lark at Night, and The Bluest Eye; and for better or worse, joined the bandwagon in reading buzzy new releases including James, The God of the Woods, The Wedding People, and Sandwich. I'm sharing fun stats, favorite reads, and what I've learned about choosing the right books for me.
Highlights:
- 66 titles
- 68% female author
- 30% nonfiction
- 21% BIPOC author
- 17% 2024 releases
- 59% audiobooks
- 2 re-reads
- Went to West Seattle's Silent Book Club with neighbors
- Continued my personalized monthly prompts, and attendance in multiple Book Clubs :)
- Read 7/9 books on my initial reading list for the year
My 5-star ratings are based on how much I enjoyed the reading/listening experience, which is usually a direct correlation with how enthralled I was by the writing/language. How much the story and themes stick with me, and how enthusiastically I recommend to others helped narrow down my very top favorites below:
FAVORITE FICTION
#5 They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey🎧
literary fiction // poignant, beautifully written
#4 Snobs by Julian Fellowes🎧
comedy of manners // witty, will make you laugh
#3 The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai🎧
historical fiction // AIDS epidemic, dual timelines
#2 Circe by Madeline Miller🎧
myth retelling // rich descriptions, feminist
#1 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon🎧
mystery // midwife protagonist, diary entries
FAVORITE NONFICTION
#5 The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride🎧
memoir // racial identity, two perspectives
#4 Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans🎧
religious memoir // inviting, personal
#3 The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler🎧
personal development // compassionate, helpful
#2 The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy🎧
biography memoir // vivid, classroom setting
#1 One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy🎧
memoir in essays // for nostalgia lovers, wordy
ADDITIONAL FAVORITES
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio🎧
cozy thriller // Shakespearean, atmospheric
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid🎧
satirical campus novel // tense, class dynamics
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman🎧
nonfiction // friendship story of two women, uplifting
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance🎧
memoir // starting point for conversation, relevant
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOOKS FOR ME
- I must love the immersive quality a great narrator can bring since all my favorites were audiobooks!
- I usually enjoy novels told in retrospect, or with dual timelines/multiple perspectives.
- Memoirs are great for reading ruts
- I tend to like the character development that coincides with a higher page count. Just need to accept that I might not be able to fly through it as quickly.
- My favorite novels of the year were all recommendations from friends, especially JS :)
- When selecting nonfiction, choose books based on what interests me most at the time.
- I had a harder time with physical books this year...found myself falling asleep or stalling out. Needs to have short chapters, a page-turner storyline, or else I really have to want to finish it (for book club or personal bucket list).
- Prioritize well-loved backlist titles. New releases aren't typically favorites unless I already know the author.
