2024 in Books!
2024 has come to a close and what a better way to ring in 2025 than to recap what I’ve read this past year.
I had a goal of reading 25 books this year, doubling my goal in 2023. I ended up reading 28! Goodreads almost cheated me a bit, you have to put in the date you’ve finished a book for Goodreads to capture it, they were trying to tell me I only read 11 books and I knew that was not true! I actually ended up reading a lot more books than I thought and I think my Kindle is to thank for that.
I’ve never been a Kindle girl, and truthfully, I’m still not 100% sold. However, my library isn’t the closest to me and having the ability to download whatever I want whenever I want (within the library’s availability) is a luxury.
Anyway… enough with the preamble! Here’s what I read this year!
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead 4/5 stars
I technically started this book in December last year, but since I finished it in January I’ll keep it as a 2024 read. What I liked about it was the time period it was set. 60’s Harlem is a part of history and geography I’m not familiar with and I liked learning more about the US from a different POV.
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne 2/5 stars
Honestly, don’t read it. I thought it was going to be far more interesting than it was. Unfortunately it ended up being about an average guy, ripping people off and kind of getting away with it. Loser behavior.
The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold 3/5 stars
In retrospect, I probably should have rated this lower, but it was a quick read so 3 stars will do. The book only had the main characters point of view and maybe in the 70s it pushed the needle, but for me it was just meh. Two things came from this book 1). It did get me thinking about science fiction and what happened to the genre … has it really just become about dystopian futures? Where’s the optimism? and 2). books about men written by men are rarely, if ever, for me.
Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh 4/5 stars
I loved this book. I loved how I found out about this book (via Puppet History IYKYK), I loved that I learned about the early 1900’s and WW2, and I loved that it was based on a real woman. Of course some liberties were made, as with all historical fiction but it was a thrilling read nonetheless.
The Nightengale by Kristin Hannah
I actually should remove this from my list, I never finished it… I found the characters to be insufferable. And maybe it’s because I started it right after Unsinkable but I wasn’t learning anything new about the time period. Honestly, it’s put me off all of Kristin Hannah’s books which is a shame because I’ve heard they are right up my alley.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 5/5 stars
This was a wild ride. I did not know what was coming at any turn and was shocked at the ending. I loved that it turned into a sci-fy type book at the end.
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass 4/5 stars
Unfortunately, I cannot say this book stuck wiith me. I may have given it a 4 star rating, but I could not tell you what it was about.
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie 1/5 stars
The book that started the book club series, I think?. As my sister said, not all Agatha books are classics. This one definitely was not.
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin 5/5 stars
I cried so many times reading this book. It was just so good. Simply put a really well told story about finding your people and the need for community. I also added Washington state to my travel bucket list because of this book.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune 3/5 stars
I really wanted to like this one. I fell in love with some of the characters but I didn’t think there was much substance to the story. I didn’t find any of the themes to be groundbreaking or thought provoking. But I liked the characters and I thought it was a sweet story overall.
A Well Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler 4/5 stars
The way this book inspired so much learning for me, as you will see with my next two reads. This is the kind of book that makes me mad with the lack of female representation in our education system!
Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson 1/5 stars
No need to read this… you will learn nothing and maybe be even more confused than when you started.
The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age by Janet Wallach 4/5 stars
Add it to the list of why are we not tought about more women in school? For me this is a must read for anyone interested in the Gilded Age, 1900s American History and banking economics.
A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Clair Mitchell 1/5 stars
I had so much hope for this book. It had everything I wanted: historical fiction, multi generational drama (and trauma), world wars. But alas it let me down in a big way. This is not only a depressing book but should really come with a trigger warning, all the author does is talk about suicide.
The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell 3/5 stars
When I need a pallet cleanser or a book reset I always go to Lisa Jewell and this was no exception. Another classic thriller.
The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski 4/5 stars
The perfect beach read and a book I desperately want to be made into a movie.
The Zookeepers Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman 3/5 stars
For a historical non-fiction book this kept me invested and was a quick read. At times a little long winded, but worth the read.
Alias Emma by Ava Glass 2/5 stars
I wanted so much more from this! It is akin to a female Bond spy thriller but without a climactic end or any climax. A lot of running and logistically made no sense. Both plot and route wise.
A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris 5/5 stars
There is nothing I love more than a British thriller and this was no exception… well rounded characters, creepy and suspenseful scenes. I believe this is a series of books and I want to read the others.
The First Ladies by Marie Benedict 3/5 stars
Actually a bit high of a rating if I remember correctly. A historical fiction book that added a lot of padding to the story with a clear agenda for the readers. And at the end I didn’t really feel like I learned anything.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 1/5 stars
DO NOT READ. A friend recommended this book to me which is why I read it to completion. I hoped at some point it would get better, but no. It was so disturbing and the whodunnit was so obvious. It was also quite lengthy. Never again!
If, Then by Kate Hope Day 3/5 stars
I thought this was so good. This was a random library find and it blew my expectations out of the water. I would classify this as modern day sci-fy lite. The characters are engaging and I wanted to find out what happens to everyone.
Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti 5/5 stars
If you like old Hollywood stories and the era this book is for you. It’s very akin to the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but with a twist.
None of this is True by Lisa Jewell 2/5 stars
Another classic Lisa Jewell thriller. Unfortunately, I had heard a lot of rave reviews for this book that I would never guess the ending and there were so many twists so my hopes were high and man they were let down. As I said earlier, you can’t go wrong with Lisa Jewell and this is no exception, but I was not shocked by any of the events and I’m pretty sure I predicted the ending.
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate 2/5 stars
I had high hopes for this because the last two Lisa Wingate books I read were phenomenal, but this one just did not do it for me. The time hop trope she uses was not effective in this instance, I just wanted to stay on the kids from the past and everytime we bounced to the future I forgot the cliff hanger from the previous chapter.
Did you hear about Kitty Karr by Crystal Smith Paul 2/5 stars.
Another one that could have been better if it had been shorter or hadn’t jumped so much between the past and present. I loved learning about Kitty Karrs life, could not care less about the main character in present day. There were also so many characters I forgot who half of them were.
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys 5/5 stars
Honestly, no notes. I loved every character. I thought the world was so well developed. I’m not sure if it was meant for teens or who the target audience was but I was into it!
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See 5/5 stars
Ending the year with a bang. This book had been on my list for months and it did not disappoint. I was shocked to find out it was based on a real woman’s medical stories. Of course there were some liberties taken but overall I felt the author did a good job staying true to her story and the time.
