We’ve made it to fall, arguably heading into the best part of the year. The best weather. The best holidays. My birthday. With only 3 months left in the year, I want to get back on track with my goals. Reading and otherwise. I thought it would help to look back at the best and worst of 2024 (so far).
2024 Progress
I’m right on target at 75% of my reading goal. That’s 112 (of 150) books total, mostly new reads but some rereads. Unfortunately, I’ve only read 18 (of 32) for my category challenge and 9 (of 16) for the IKYMI challenge. Which means I’m going to have to adjust my category challenge if I have any chance of succeeding. Instead of completing 2 books per category, I’m going finish the remaining categories with just one book. Fingers crossed!
Best of 2024
Of the books I read for the first time this year, I rated 16 with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Which equates to: “I loved it – No notes. You must read this!” (How We Rate.) As a whole, I will read whatever these authors put out next.
Fiction
- The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – I included this in both a Top Ten Tuesday AND July 5 Star Reads. That’s how good it was. I can actually imagine that’s how people would react to being forced into the future and it approaches some important topics.
- The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young – Also a 5 Star read for me in July. This book gave me goose bumps and has such a satisfying end. This would go on a “wish I could read for the first time again” list if I ever made one.
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune – *cough* Another 5 star read in July *cough*. This is a story that evolves a little every summer. Lucy and Felix are one of my favorite book couples.
- Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez – Meagan and I love Abby Jimenez and chose this book for an RBF joint book review.
- How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin – This is another great debut and my favorite book read in June. This was a surprisingly fun read and I can’t wait for the second in the series coming out in April 2025.
NonFiction
- Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor – This is a fascinating look at how and why humans now breathe so inefficiently. And the negative effects on our health. (Full review)
- The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel – I read this in January for my category challenge and thoroughly enjoyed it.
- The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold – This was another category challenge and my favorite read in March. I appreciated how this book was more about the women rather than the murderer and his crimes. A fascinating look at the lives they led.
Worst of 2024
So far this year, I have rated 10 books with only ⭐️⭐️. For Meagan and I this means “Meh – Finished it, but wouldn’t recommend.” I’m a generous rater. I mean, 10 out of 112 books pretty much tells the tale. Still, the following books were hard for even me to get through.
- Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith. – I selected this as part of the category challenge and did not enjoy it. At all. The characters were just so hard to like.
- Meet Me at the Lighthouse by Mary Jayne Baker – I got to the end of this book and just wished I had made it a DNF. Not a great romcom for me even if it did have a HEA.
- Weyward by Emilia Hart – This was a disappointment for me. A lazy attempt at a feminist anthem… just UGH.
- Powerless by Elsie Silver – Friends to lovers is my absolute favorite romance trope and this one was maybe the worst I’ve encountered. I’m enjoying Elsie’s more recent books, but Powerless was the worst of the Chesnut Springs series for me.