One of my favorites was Honey by Victor Lodato! I wish it got more hype last year! I’m looking forward to the new Amy Poepple, Far and Away! As well as Morgan Pagers debut The Art of Vanishing.
I know I’m late to this post but SO many of your 2024 faves were also mine so I’m adding the ones I haven’t read to my TBR since we must be book twins!
I love these reading goals for 2025! And seeing all your 2024 titles laid out was so fun -- I can definitely see the mood reader peek through in just the visuals of the book covers as the year progresses. So fun!
Loved this post! A few updates to my TBR. The Reformatory was one of my favorites in 2024. Feels like it should be required reading. I read it during spooky season which made it even better. It’s historical thriller/horror which is quickly becoming my favorite genre - like the best of two genres I already enjoy. Just finished None Left to Tell (another historical thriller about the Mountain Meadow Massacre in Utah in the 1850s) and it was incredible but heartbreaking (check trigger warnings).
I have The Reformatory and so badly want to pick it up but I'm intimidated by the content (& the size)-- this was the nudge I needed. I'll have to make that happen in spooky season. And None Left to Tell sounds really good too, I'm adding that to my list! I hadn't given much thought to historical horror but I can see how that would be really interesting. Let me know if you come across any other favorites in that realm!
LOVE your lists, and so appreciate your perspective and recommendations! One thing that I'm struggling with (and I'm curious if you have wisdom/hacks to share) is how to find time to read with young kids. I get my littles to bed and then plop down on the couch for a quick show and then a bit of reading time before lights out, but it never feels like quite enough to make a real *dent* in my reading life. You have FOUR kids and read so much last year-- please share your secrets! :)
Oh and to add-- half of these were consumed in audio format, which is something I really struggled to fit into my life originally (you know... loud kids and all 😂) but realizing now that 1/2 of what I read last year was via audio I think that's a huge part of it too!!
Just yesterday, I actually went back to a post from last February looking for a good book rec for this time of year and I downloaded A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. I’m excited to see it made your top reads list! Looking forward to reading it!
I read The Bright Side Running Club, The Husbands, and Sandwich all because of your recommendations and they were so good! I loved them! Two of my other favorite reads this year were The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and A December to Remember. I really dug into fiction this year whereas in the past I’ve mostly read non-fiction, and I found it really enjoyable and refreshing!
The Bright Side Running Club was so sweet. I'm so happy to hear those recommendations served you! I need to read a December to Remember this year, I think I'd enjoy that one-- thank you for sharing!!
The male character on audiobook was 100% cringey and I'm pretty sure I grimaced every time he came on (especially when he got whispery...eeek... no thank you!!!) My favorite of 2024 was a toss up between Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale or The Four Winds, and I'm fairly confident I just finished what will be my favorite of 2025 with We Begin at the End. But the year is young... I've got Sandwich downloaded and ready and your review has gotten me excited to dig in!
Oh I'm so glad it wasn't just me 😂😂 I need to pick up another Kristen Hannah-- I've been afraid to go back to her work after reading The Great Alone 😂 it was just so sad and so long, but I think I'd love The Nightingale. Ah I hear We Begin at the End is SO GOOD! Always exciting to kick the year off strong like that.
I always enjoy your book roundups and have read quite a bit because of your recs! I know it takes time and energy to recap them for us but I love your perspective and reviews so thank you! And getting a kindle also has upped by reading game the last few years too! I take it out even if it’s 5-10 minutes waiting somewhere and it’s amazing how it all adds up. Also, I’m out of the cool book lingo and had to google DNF 🫣 but totally did that with a few books and felt freedom doing it so now I know there’s an abbrev for it! Ha!
Hi! There is never too much book talk! :D I had a great reading year! And yes to DNFing more books! It was a game changer for me to read more a few years ago. I don't feel bad about it at all. It doesn't mean I can't try the book again later OR it's also ok for it to not be for me. So many books for so many readers.
My favorite reads of the year were Shark Heart for Fiction, The Anxious Generation for Nonfiction, and The Moffats for a read aloud (although rereading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to my 7 year old was also a big highlight). I enjoyed so many other books though! But if I had to pick one in each section those would be it.
One of my favorites was Honey by Victor Lodato! I wish it got more hype last year! I’m looking forward to the new Amy Poepple, Far and Away! As well as Morgan Pagers debut The Art of Vanishing.
Oooo I just looked that up-- sounds so good!! And I had no idea Amy Poepple had a new one coming out-- I loved her last one!
Glad you brought up the Amy Poeppel. I really want to read that one.
Loved Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, but cringed every time he said "Sweetheart." Punch!
Can't wait to read along with you in 2025.
Omg right? That was the worst! It made me so unsettled like “So is he going to be the sociopath killer?!” 🤣
I know I’m late to this post but SO many of your 2024 faves were also mine so I’m adding the ones I haven’t read to my TBR since we must be book twins!
We are!! I love it 😍
Do you have any recommendations for cute yet functional Kindle cases or carrying bags? xx
I LOVE Page cases! They do restocks and new releases every month too: https://pagetheshop.com/collections/kindle-cases
I also sewed my own kindle pouch and loved that, it wasn’t too difficult either!
This makes me think I should do a roundup of some things in a post! :)
oh my gosh, those are SOOO cute! Thank you! xx
I love these reading goals for 2025! And seeing all your 2024 titles laid out was so fun -- I can definitely see the mood reader peek through in just the visuals of the book covers as the year progresses. So fun!
Oooo I hadn't taken the time to notice that, thank you for pointing that out! You can even see the seasons splayed out there too 😂 that's so fun!!
Loved this post! A few updates to my TBR. The Reformatory was one of my favorites in 2024. Feels like it should be required reading. I read it during spooky season which made it even better. It’s historical thriller/horror which is quickly becoming my favorite genre - like the best of two genres I already enjoy. Just finished None Left to Tell (another historical thriller about the Mountain Meadow Massacre in Utah in the 1850s) and it was incredible but heartbreaking (check trigger warnings).
I have The Reformatory and so badly want to pick it up but I'm intimidated by the content (& the size)-- this was the nudge I needed. I'll have to make that happen in spooky season. And None Left to Tell sounds really good too, I'm adding that to my list! I hadn't given much thought to historical horror but I can see how that would be really interesting. Let me know if you come across any other favorites in that realm!
We have some shared favorites from the year. My heart smiles whenever I think of Funny Story and Margo--and I loved both on audio!
I toggled between Margo in written form and audio form and totally agree- the audio was so well done, the narrator's voice matched perfectly!!
Know My Name is one of my favorite books of all time 💙
I wish it were required reading, what a powerful book.
LOVE your lists, and so appreciate your perspective and recommendations! One thing that I'm struggling with (and I'm curious if you have wisdom/hacks to share) is how to find time to read with young kids. I get my littles to bed and then plop down on the couch for a quick show and then a bit of reading time before lights out, but it never feels like quite enough to make a real *dent* in my reading life. You have FOUR kids and read so much last year-- please share your secrets! :)
Oh and to add-- half of these were consumed in audio format, which is something I really struggled to fit into my life originally (you know... loud kids and all 😂) but realizing now that 1/2 of what I read last year was via audio I think that's a huge part of it too!!
🙏 I hear you, I felt this same way! This is a great idea for something I can share about in a post-- I'll put it on my shortlist!!
Just yesterday, I actually went back to a post from last February looking for a good book rec for this time of year and I downloaded A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. I’m excited to see it made your top reads list! Looking forward to reading it!
Oh my gosh yay! Keep me posted on what you think. 💞
I read The Bright Side Running Club, The Husbands, and Sandwich all because of your recommendations and they were so good! I loved them! Two of my other favorite reads this year were The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and A December to Remember. I really dug into fiction this year whereas in the past I’ve mostly read non-fiction, and I found it really enjoyable and refreshing!
The Bright Side Running Club was so sweet. I'm so happy to hear those recommendations served you! I need to read a December to Remember this year, I think I'd enjoy that one-- thank you for sharing!!
The male character on audiobook was 100% cringey and I'm pretty sure I grimaced every time he came on (especially when he got whispery...eeek... no thank you!!!) My favorite of 2024 was a toss up between Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale or The Four Winds, and I'm fairly confident I just finished what will be my favorite of 2025 with We Begin at the End. But the year is young... I've got Sandwich downloaded and ready and your review has gotten me excited to dig in!
Oh I'm so glad it wasn't just me 😂😂 I need to pick up another Kristen Hannah-- I've been afraid to go back to her work after reading The Great Alone 😂 it was just so sad and so long, but I think I'd love The Nightingale. Ah I hear We Begin at the End is SO GOOD! Always exciting to kick the year off strong like that.
I always enjoy your book roundups and have read quite a bit because of your recs! I know it takes time and energy to recap them for us but I love your perspective and reviews so thank you! And getting a kindle also has upped by reading game the last few years too! I take it out even if it’s 5-10 minutes waiting somewhere and it’s amazing how it all adds up. Also, I’m out of the cool book lingo and had to google DNF 🫣 but totally did that with a few books and felt freedom doing it so now I know there’s an abbrev for it! Ha!
Hi! There is never too much book talk! :D I had a great reading year! And yes to DNFing more books! It was a game changer for me to read more a few years ago. I don't feel bad about it at all. It doesn't mean I can't try the book again later OR it's also ok for it to not be for me. So many books for so many readers.
My favorite reads of the year were Shark Heart for Fiction, The Anxious Generation for Nonfiction, and The Moffats for a read aloud (although rereading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to my 7 year old was also a big highlight). I enjoyed so many other books though! But if I had to pick one in each section those would be it.