As reading goes, 2024 was not a year where I spent as much
time with books as I used to do. Two jobs, a relationship, planning for a
party, surgery, another round of COVID, and hosting an exchange student left me
with less time to curl up with a book.
Last year also saw me falling back into a lot of re-reading.
And while my total for the year is 123, there are many books I read again that
I didn’t track, so that number is a bit higher (maybe 145?).
I solemnly swear I will track better in 2025.
2024 By the Numbers:
- Books in a Series: 83
- Rereads : 19 tracked, but probably closer to 35
- Mysteries :
66
- Non-Fiction :
4 memoirs, 2 non-fiction
- Romance : 10
- Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi: 16
- Young Adult/Children: 7
- Gender: 92 female authors, 30 males, one book written by both
Authors I read the Most:
- Craig Johnson: 12- his Longmire series is SO good. Caught up
and now waiting to get my mitts on the next one
- Nevada Barr: 10, catching up on her Anna Pigeon series set
at National Parks
- Elizabeth Peters: 9, eight were re-reads. The Dead Sea
Cipher was one of her her early books, that I had never read before. It was OK.
Peters discovered her niche when she created Amelia Peabody and focused on
Egyptology.
- Anne Bishop: 7 All re-reads of her The Others series.
- Sue Grafton: tracked 7, but it is really 9 and eight of
those are re-reads of her Kinsey Millhone series. Donating those books to the
library, but re-reading the series first
- Rhys Bowen: 6
- Susan Wittig Albert: 4 (may be 2-3 more) as most of those
were rereads of her China Bayles series
My Top 10 Books of 2024:
The Firekeeper’s Daughter/Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angelina
Boulley
Set in the Upper Peninsula, so far east it borders Canada,
featuring Native American young women.
The author captured the voice of Yoopers while drawing attention to
issues- loss of language and culture, sexual assault, addiction, and the
disappearance of indigenous girls and women.
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
Two young women struggle to survive living in the woods of
Northern California, about 30 miles from their closes neighbor, as society
begins to collapse (the cause of the collapse is not clear- tales of war and
unrest in Congress). Written nearly 30 years ago, and apparently it was made
into a movie that I’ll have to track down and watch.
Pageboy by Elliot Page
A memoir by the actor, detailing his childhood, career,
coming out, and his transition from the gender he was born with to his true
self. In a time when transgender people are being so demonized, I cannot
recommend this book enough, especially the audiobook version of it.
A Heart that Works by Rob Delaney
A memoir by the actor on discovering his third son had brain
cancer, and the impact that diagnosis had on his family. Utterly heartbreaking
(it made me ugly cry). I listened to the audiobook version.
How to Age Disgracefully
This was a FUN read, with a mix of mystery, romance, and
humor. It follows a group of senior citizens working to save their community
center in the UK. It made me gigglesnort.
The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear
The author declared this will be the last of her Maisie
Dobbs stories, which makes me sad, as I have absolutely loved this mystery
series. It hit so many of my favorite reading genres: mystery, historical
fiction (set mostly between WWI and WWII), with some psychological twists and a
hint of romance.
What Cannot be Said by C.S. Harris
The latest in Harris’ Sebastian St. Cyr historical
mysteries, this book was an excellent addition. Another book that hits many of
my favorite reading genres: mystery, historical, with some romance thrown in.
The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati
Donati writes historical fiction, mainly focused on members
of a family in a time period that ranges from the 1790s to the 1880s. While
most of the books are set in New York (but the city and northern parts of the
state), this novel takes us out west to the New Mexico territory in the 1850s
with the story of a young nurse/midwife dealing with misogyny, prejudice, and
the perils of living in the frontier. It is a long read, but so very good.
Intrigued? Start with “Into the Wilderness” and get drawn into an epic saga.
Misfit by Gary Gulman
A memoir by the author as he revisits his childhood while
living at home while recovering from a bad bout of depression. I love Gulman’s
sense of humor, and value his openness in talking about his mental health. I
read the book, but think I also want to hear the audiobook version.
Runners-Up:
- What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley- the
latest in his young adult series featuring Flavia de Luce, an English orphan
with a genius for chemistry who solves mysteries.
- The Hunter by Tana French- set in Ireland, it follows a
retired American police officer trying to solve a mystery in a small-town. This
is the second book featuring this character and setting, and I hope there will
be more.
- Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten
Miller- a fun and engaging read set in a community where small-minded people
ban books and how some in the community rise up to resist the ban.
