Hello, my 2% readers! Thank you for hanging around this long and in spite of the lull in reviews since the summer. While life’s chaos interrupted my writing of reviews, it did not (significantly) interrupt my reading, and I managed to fit 42 books into 2024.
Due to the lack of reviews last year, I thought I’d start the year with a recap of the titles I read in 2024, which includes the ratings I’ve given them on Goodreads (out of 5 rather than the usual 2%-ratings out of 10) and if I’d make a point to recommend them. I hope this will provide a bit of inspiration as you create your TBR lists for the coming year. I promise that the first full review of the year will be the long-awaited review of The Lincoln Highway, which was our fan pick winner last year!
Books have been categorized by star rating and those I would recommend are in bold.
And now a peak into 2024…
5-Star Reads
Fiction
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
A Court of Mist and Fury (#2) by Sarah J. Maas
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Non-Fiction
The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy J. Keller
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
4-Star Reads
Fiction
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1) by Sarah J. Maas
True Grit by Charles Portis
Still Life by Sarah Winman
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Non-Fiction
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II by Richard Reeves
Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity by Michele Norris
3-Star Reads
Fiction
Argylle by Elly Conway
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
The Nix by Nathan Hill – in hindsight, I would change this to a four star. It has stuck with me from the very beginning of the year, and I grew to appreciate slow builds much more later in the year than I did when reading this.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
A Court of Wings and Ruin (#3) by Sarah J. Maas
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Non-Fiction
Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times by John Eldredge
Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. Sevigny
Enjoying God: Experience the Power and Love of God in Everyday by Tim Chester
The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken by The Secret Barrister
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It’s Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind by Louie Giglio
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
2-Star Reads
Fiction
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
A Court of Frost and Starlight (#4) by Sarah J. Maas
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Non-Fiction
They Turned the World Upside Down: A Storyteller’s Journey with Those Who Dared to Follow Jesus by Charles Martin
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
and no 1-Star reads!
This was a year where I bit the bullet and got a Kindle, immediately regretting how long it’s taken me to do so because it’s wildly convenient to have back-lit text (print is still my preference). This was also the year I soaked in the slow-build book and appreciated longer narratives with The Nix coming in as the longest (754 pages). I did not set a Goodreads challenge for the year (the first time not doing so since I opened my account in 2019) as I found myself avoiding longer titles in order to hit my target. Because of that, I enjoyed tomes such as The Lincoln Highway, Still Life, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, among others. I feel I’ve moved away from the myth that a captivating book has to immediately pull you in, and I have newfound respect for stories that take their time. My target for 2025 is to read all previously purchased books I own (in Scotland), so wish me luck!
Favorite Book: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Most Pleasantly Surprised: Lessons in Chemistry
Most Disappointed: Good Material
Would Re-Read: The Anxious Generation
Happy New Year and happy reading for 2025!