reading log

What I Read in 2024: 60 Books

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

Ahh, this year more than other years I truly felt that there are too many books out there – and not enough time to read! I had a great year in terms of reading, with a wide variety of books – nonfiction, fiction, romance, YA, thrillers, historical fiction, memoirs, etc. Thanks to Goodreads, I know that I read 22,619 pages this year and the average book length was 370 pages (down from last year’s average of 389 pages thanks to the epic ACOTAR – one of those books was 757 pages!).

Here’s a look at everything I read in 2024 – in order of most recently read to first read. And scroll down for some of my favorites:

  • The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
  • Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas
  • The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden
  • Replay by Ken Grimwood
  • Son Yet Sung by James McBride
  • Trust by Hernan Diaz
  • Fantasticland by Mike Bockroven
  • The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
  • The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas
  • The House on the Cereulean Sea by TJ Kune
  • Educated by Tara Westover
  • Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas
  • Half a Life by Jill Ciment
  • All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
  • Funny Story by  Emily Henry
  • Beach Read by Emily Henry
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
  • The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
  • Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
  • You’re Safe Here by Leslie Stephens
  • Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton
  • Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
  • The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
  • Consent by Jill Ciment
  • An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin
  • The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
  • The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
  • The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
  • Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
  • The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
  • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
  • The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Junstinian Huang
  • Real Americans by Rachel Khong
  • Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
  • Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
  • The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
  • Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp
  • Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
  • James by Percival Everett
  • First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
  • Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
  • Happy Place by Emily Henry
  • The Fury by Alex Michaelides
  • Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
  • The Teacher by Freida McFadden
  • Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher
  • The Longest Race by Kara Goucher
  • The Inheritance Games by Jennifer
  • North Woods by Daniel Mason
  • The Women by Kristin Hannah
  • Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • The One by John Marrs
  • The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
  • What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
  • Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
  • We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai
  • Dear Girls by Ali Wong

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Here are some of my thoughts on the books:

Books that Left Me Feeling Warm and Cozy:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – This was cute and left me feeling warm inside. It’s about a young woman (a secret witch) who moves in with a few younger witches to help them learn how to use/control their powers.

The House on the Cereulean Sea by TJ Kune – Ah, I really loved this book. It was also coincidentally about magical creatures/kids so maybe I have a thing for kids with magical powers? One of the kids is also named Lucy (his real name is Lucifer as he’s the son of the devil … because that’s what this book is like!).

Books That I Liked the Concept of More Than the Actual Book

I’m not saying these weren’t good books. They had good concepts and I know people who enjoyed each of them! But I think I loved the idea behind them too much to enjoy the book as much.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – I don’t want to give too much away, but the book involves a murder mystery, time travel/loop (or some term that I don’t know) and more. Loved the concept when I figured out what was going on, but it could’ve been done better in my opinion – some of it dragged on for me.

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica – I have a thing for post-apocalyptic/dystopian books, so when I heard about this from a friend I was intrigued. It is about a world where a virus has contaminated all animals, so humans are forced to eat other humans for protein, leading to essentially farms/slaughterhouses of humans that are bred purely for meat. It was too much and too detailed for me personally, but overall a read that made you think. I would’ve done without as much detail about cannibalism though 🙂

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – The book is about a woman who works for a new government ministry in charge of helping expats from throughout history (yes there’s time travel) living in modern-day London. There’s aforementioned time travel, romance, spies – but I had a hard time getting through parts. I still enjoyed the overall book and themes, but the concept sounded more fascinating to me than the actual read was.

Books that Left Me Thinking (in a good way!)

We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai – We read this in my book club and I really enjoyed it. Each chapter is told from the different perspective of a refuge who has had to seek life in another country, often very far from home. It makes you look at immigration, refugees, etc. differently.

Educated by Tara Westover – I know this book isn’t new but I hadn’t read it years ago because I thought it was about something else.  Tara tells the story of her growing up in a conservative religious household where she was homeschooled and barely exposed to the outside world; she later desires to go to college and the book tells of her journey to do this, as well as her complex feelings about leaving her family.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali – I haven’t read many (any?) books about Iran, and this book about two women growing up in 1950s Iran that goes through the 1980s really stuck with me.

Books That I Couldn’t Put Down

Note – I’m not saying these were the best books I read this year. They were books that yes I enjoyed, but also books that I found either the plot so gripping or books that left me on the edge of my seat so that I had to keep reading.

The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden – What Frieda McFadden book isn’t hard to put down? My friend Emily dropped off the actual book after she read it and I read it in 3 days.

Replay by Ken Grimwood – My cousin recommended this older book at Thanksgiving and I’m glad I picked it up. It’s about a man who dies in his 40s – but then wakes up in college again, living his same life over and over again until he dies in his 40s and wakes up again. It made me think about what I would do differently if I could live my life again and it really makes you aware of all the possibilities there are in life based on one little moment.

Fantasticland by Mike Bockroven – What happens when a hurricane hits a Florida amusement park and the employees are left stranded in the park? This was a thriller that I would probably be too scared to watch on the screen but I LOVED it and couldn’t put it down. I don’t read gory thrillers often, but this was too good.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult – Sorry but I’m not usually a big Jodi Picoult fan. I find her books too emotionally draining and almost too intentionally sad/depressing .. but Mad Honey. Wow. I don’t want to give too much away but I really really loved this book and had to keep reading.

My favorite three I read this year (in no order)

Real Americans by Rachel Khong – This was a really interesting story about three generations of Chinese American women and their different experiences living in the U.S.

James by Percival Everett – this is a re-telling of the adventures of Huck Finn, told by the slave’s POV. I loved loved loved this book – possibly my favorite this year.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride – I do love a good James McBride story and this one didn’t disappoint. I love his storytelling, the outrageous things that happen to his characters and the way his characters come to life.

Some questions for you:

  • What are you reading right now?
  • What book did you recently read that you recommend?

What I Read in 2023: 55 Books

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

I am so glad that I’ve gotten back into reading. I used to love reading as a child, but slowed down my reading after college (stressful job where I worked too much) and then when I gave birth to my oldest son. But somehow, reading found me again after I gave birth to GM, and in 2021 I renewed my reading journey. In 2021, I read 36 books, and in 2022 I read 43 (see here for my list of books I read in 2021 and here for my 2022 reading list). This year, my book club reunited and with that plus my own reading, I breezed through 55 books!

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This year’s list is relatively diverse – I read some memoirs, YA, historical fiction, romance, thrillers, fantasy and more.

Here’s a look at everything I read in 2023 – in order of most recently read to first read. And scroll down for some of my favorites:

  • It Starts With Us – Colleen Hoover
  • The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
  • Chain-Gang All-Stars – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
  • Watership Down – Richard Adams
  • The Dictionary of Lost Words – Pip Williams
  • Iron Flame – Rebecca Yarros
  • It Ends with Us – Colleen Hoover
  • The Woman in Me – Britney Spears
  • Tom Lake – Ann Patchett
  • The Things We Leave Unfinished – Rebecca Yarros
  • The Many Lives of Mama Love – Lara Love Hardin
  • Misfit – Gary Gulman
  • Mrs. Nashes’ Ashes – Sarah Adler
  • My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry – Fredrik Backman
  • You, Again – Kate Goldbeck
  • Yellowface – R. F. Kuang
  • Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros
  • Time Shelter – Georgi Gospodinov
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
  • The Humans – Matt Haig
  • Hello Beautiful – Ann Napolitano
  • The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese
  • Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo
  • Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson
  • Horse Barbie – Geena Rocero
  • Between Two Moons – Aisha Abdel Gawad
  • Hang the Moon – Jeannette Walls
  • Romantic Comedy – Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
  • Same Time Next Summer – Annabel Monaghan
  • Fairy Tale – Stephen King
  • Young Jane Young – Gabrielle Sevin
  • The Sentence – Louise Erdrich
  • The Secret Service of Tea and Treason – India Holton
  • The Measure – Nikki Erlick
  • Signal Fires – Dani Shapiro
  • The Paris Architect – Charles Belfoure
  • Babel – R. F. Kuang
  • The Great Believers – Rebecca Makkai
  • The League of Gentlewomen Witches – India Holton
  • Spare – Prince Harry
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Sáenz
  • I Have Some Questions for You – Rebecca Makkai
  • Pineapple Street – Jenny Jackson
  • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
  • Peace Like a River – Leif Enger
  • Beautiful World, Where Are You – Sally Rooney
  • A Court of Silver Flames – Sarah J. Maas
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight – Sarah J. Maas
  • Nightbitch – Rachel Yoder
  • Assembly – Natasha Brown
  • The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels – India Holton
  • Less is Lost – Andrew Sean Greer
  • A Court of Wings and Run – Sarah J. Maas

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Here are some of my thoughts on the books:

The sequels that were (dare I say) better than the first?  

Iron Flame – Rebecca Yarros: After being surprised about how much I enjoyed the ACOTAR series, (I’ve never been a fantasy reader) I had to get onto the next fantasy trend and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed reading Fourth Wing, but LOVED Iron Flame (Book #2 of the Empyrean series) and could not put it down. I can’t wait for the next book and have so many questions, theories, and more that I guess will have to wait.

Less is Lost – Andrew Sean Greer: My brother introduced me to Less and I enjoyed reading his story. But the second book was even more entertaining for me. It was a good read, and the characters are so well done that you can just imagine them being your friends.

Surprising reads:

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt: Oh, I loved this book. Is it strange to talk about reading a book that has parts written from the POV of an octopus? Maybe. But I truly enjoyed this book and the way the characters’ stories come together.  I never would’ve thought I’d be so emotionally invested in the life of an octopus!

Better as an audiobook:

Spare – Prince Harry: Having Prince Harry read his own account of his life growing up as a Prince is a no brainer. Listen to this – don’t read it.

Tom Lake – Ann Patchett: I love me some Ann Patchett (if you haven’t read Bel Canto, go read it ASAP), but this book was made for audiobook. It’s read by the amazing Meryl Streep and she truly IS the main character (she even has three daughters in real life!). The story itself was just okay in my opinion, but if you want to feel like Meryl Streep is your mom telling you a story of her life, try the audiobook.

My favorite four I read this year (in no order)

I know not everyone will like these books. Some of my friends thought the Covenant of Water was too long, but I thought it was beautifully written and I loved the interweaving of all the stories (but yes, it’s LONG!). Some people I know didn’t care for Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and I didn’t anticipate loving a “book about video games” so much (it’s about so much more!) but I teared up when it was finished because I loved it so much. And The Great Believers and Demon Copperhead. Both were hard for me to read but I loved them both so much! Demon Copperhead took me a little while to get into and some thought it was longer than it should be, but I truly loved the story.  If you only read a few books from my list, these are the ones I recommend.

The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese  

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow –  Gabrielle Zevin

The Great Believers – Rebecca Makkai

Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver

Some questions for you:

  • What are you reading right now?
  • What book did you recently read that you recommend?

What I Read in 2022: 43 Books

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

When I set out to ready 36 books again this year, I had no idea that I would blow through that goal. With a new job, three kids and who knows what else going on, I just assumed that I would barely make it to where I had been the year before (see here for my list of books I read in 2021).

Well, I ended up reading 40+ books in 2022, trying some new genres (YA and fantasy), new authors, and found some new favorites. Here is a look at every book I read this year: (Note – when I say “read” I do about half audiobook half actual reading typically – I like to read on my kindle or phone, and then pick up the audio when I’m driving or running)

2022 books2

  1. Golden Girl – Elin Hilderbrand
  2. The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah
  3. Evvie Drake Starts Over – Linda Holmes
  4. A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara
  5. Three Sisters – Heather Morris
  6. The Overstory – Richard Powers
  7. Circling the Sun – Paula McLain
  8. Intimations – Zadie Smith
  9. The Anomaly – Herve Le Tellier
  10. The Sixth Wedding – Elin Hilderbrand
  11. Fool Me Once – Ashley Winstead
  12. 28 Summers – Elin Hilderbrand
  13. The Book of Two Ways – Jodi Picoult
  14. Book Lovers – Emily Henry
  15. The Rose Code – Kate Quinn
  16. Later – Stephen King
  17. Verity – Colleen Hoover
  18. The Lincoln Highway – Amor Towles
  19. The Monsters of Templeton – Lauren Groff
  20. Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
  21. Meant to Be – Emily Giffin
  22. After I Do – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  23. Maybe in Another Life – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  24. A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles
  25. Sea of Tranquility – Emily St John Mandel
  26. One True Loves – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  27. The Memory Police – Yoko Ogawa
  28. Upgrade – Blake Crouch
  29. Chilean Poet – Alejandro Zambra
  30. Forever, Interrupted – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  31. The Last Housewife – Ashley Winstead
  32. This Time Tomorrow – Emma Straub
  33. The Book of Lost Names – Kristin Harmel
  34. Carrie Soto is Back – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  35. The German Midwife – Mandy Robotham
  36. Nora Goes Off Script – Annabel Monaghan
  37. All Adults Here – Emma Straub
  38. Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng
  39. The Guncle – Steven Rowley
  40. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of Life Interrupted – Suleika Jaouad
  41. A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas
  42. A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J Maas
  43. Horse – Geraldine Brooks

Looking for new reads for 2023? Here are some of my thoughts on the books:

Most surprising books I read:

A Court of Thorns and Roses (the series, especially book #2) – Sarah J Maas: One of my best friends suggested I read this, and when I read the description of the book and series, I was skeptical. I don’t typically do YA books or fantasy/mythology type of reads (Sorry to say, but I never got into Harry Potter, LOTR, etc.). But then two more friends separately recommended these and I decided to give it a try. And now I’m hooked! I’m on book 3 of the series and can’t wait to keep reading.

Horse – Geraldine Brooks: My mom suggested this book, and when I looked up what it was about (a horse), I wasn’t realllly interested. But if you like stories that go from generation to generation or through different timelines of people whose stories are all connected, you’ll like this one. I found the horse part interesting and education since I know nothing about riding or racing horses, and the fact that it’s based on a few true stories woven together made it one of my favorites this year.

Books I want to be made into movies stat:

The Guncle – Steven Rowley: You know those books that you just smile while reading because there’s something just so fun about the characters? This was that book. I loved this! I would love this to be made into a movie, because it would be one where I’d laugh and cry and laugh again.

Nora Goes Off Script – Annabel Monaghan: I need to see this come to the big screen or at least to Netflix. It would make for a great rom com and I have some clear pictures in my mind of the characters, so I need to see how they would portray it.

Best beach reads I read this year:

Golden Girl – Elin Hildebrand: This book takes place on Nantucket, so naturally it would make for a great beach read. It made me want to get back to Nantucket – or really anywhere on the Cape – asap!

Carrie Soto is Back – Taylor Jenkins Reid: This isn’t a true beach read, but it was a fun, fast read, and would have ben a perfect rad for any vacation. I read quite a few TJR books this year and this was hands down my favorite that I read this year.

My top 3 of 2022 (in no order)

These books are all so different from one another. One is a bazillion pages and emotional and even though I read it in the first part of the year, I still think about it. One is a history fiction/female empowerment story. One is a time travel-esque/pandemic story. Another is a story of friends and the trials that shape them throughout the years. If you only read a few books from my list, these are the ones I recommend.

A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara

Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus

Sea of Tranquility – Emily St John Mandel

Some questions for you:

  • What are you reading? Anything I should add to my next-read list?
  • How do you consume books – reading on an e-reader? Listening to an audio book? Real hard copy?