… so little time! I finished this:
I REALLY liked it. I thought it was going to be lighter and fluffier than it was- but it wasn’t fluffy at all. It was sad, and funny. Sometimes there’s a book everyone else loves, except for me. But not this time! It lived up to the hype.
Now I have all my Christmas Book Flood books:
I want to dive into every single one of them, but my son brought home books #2 and #3 of Cixin Liu’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. He’s insisting that I read them while he’s home, so I’ve started this one:
It’s a long book- 500 pages, and I’m longing for a stretch of time to just sit and read. Will I get it anytime soon? Hmmm.
I read 52 books in 2024. My goal was 50, and I finally achieved it. Should I set the mark higher in 2025? Yes! I’ll go for 60- why not?
My favorite books of the year were the three from Ken Follett’s The Century trilogy. My least favorites… well, let’s just say I read a lot of Japanese locked room murder mysteries, and I think I’ve gotten that out of my system.
Overall I’m excited to read some great books this year. I just wish I had more time… but maybe I do have the time and I’m just not allocating it correctly. More about that coming up in 2025 goals!
Do you have a favorite book of 2024?
Do you set any reading goals for the year?
22 Responses
I have watched the three body problem and put the books on my reading list. Have you seen the series? Are the books the same?
I have set my reading goal to 80 books and 20,000 pages. well see if that is possible. My main focus will be the pages so I pick up thicker books. Just posted all my reading goals today if you are interested.
I am interested! I’ll check it out.
I haven’t watched The Three Body Problem but my son has, and he read the books. He says the series only covers the first book, and the first 1/3 of the second book. But he says it’s a good series.
My best book of the year was The Wedding People! That book cover was all wrong, though. It makes it look like a light beach read and it is far from that. The same thing happened with Lessons in Chemistry. Come on book people! Get the cover right!
I had a great reading year and read 100 books! I do not set goals for my reading, though. I put 80 in goodreads for the reading challenge but that is an easy goal for me to achieve. I am already kind of a slave to productivity, I don’t want my read to become something I overly manage. I know I won’t always read this many books when my kids have later bedtimes so I am enjoying this earlier bedtime stage of life while I can!!
Yes, maybe that’s why I thought the book was going to be so fluffy. I don’t usually look at covers too closely, but it might have affected me subconsciously. Seriously, how hard is it to put a good cover on a book???
There is nothing more satisfying that a book that is heavily hyped and lives up to the hype. The Wedding People is definitely on that list.
I can’t pick *just one* favorite book of the year but out of the handful of “best of the best” books that I read last year, two were recs from you: Every Last One and 11/22/63.
Currently: I’m almost done with a Sue Grafton and I’ve got The Blue Sisters and The Shining in from Libby.
Yes, I saw that post! I was very pleased to see two of “my” books on it : )
Oooh I loved The Wedding People too! Five stars from me.
I did a post of best of best, so I won’t repeat it here, but I also just finished a book called Moon Road which was ROUGH. But so well written, such a talent! The subject matter, though. Whewwwww. It was rough, Jenny!
Oooh, I don’t know if I’m up for a “rough” read- I guess it depends on what kind of “rough.” I’ll check it out.
I LOVED _Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell_. I read it one summer when I wasn’t teaching and could just read and read and it felt like a spell had been cast over me. It was a deliciously magical feeling… I can’t wait to see how you like it!
Getting into the Cixin Liu seems like such a labor of love as well… I hope you find the time to read and discuss a bit during the holiday break
Yes, Jonathan Strange would be my first choice right now- I want to start it! I hope I can read these Cixin Liu books… quickly? They can be a little challenging.
The Dark Forest is my FAVORITE of the Remembrance of Earth’s Past series. I
Absolutely loved it. I have been meaning to listen to it again. I have it on audible so I just have to choose to do it. I hope you like it too!
I also really liked The Wedding People. A lot. I listened to it and I just plowed through it. Super good.
My son absolutely LOVED these books, especially the 2nd and 3rd. So, I’m intrigued! I will definitely be reporting back.
I haven’t finished a single book since NaBloPoMo. I took the month off reading because the writing challenge, kids, work, and prep for Christmas were just too much to add reading into the mix. But then December was CRAZY and I have started reading books but haven’t finished any.
I usually set a goal through Goodreads but don’t really care if I complete it or not. I read 69 books in 2024 (all between January and the end of October!) I read 72 in 2023, 75 in 2022, 89 in both 2021 and 2020 so I seem to be on a slow and steady decline…
This year I’m aiming for 50, but it will be interesting to see where I end up. I want to start listening to fiction on audiobook when I’m at the gym. It feels like prime time to “read” books. Though I do struggle to keep my attention focused with audiobooks. Something to work on in 2025!
I actually never listen to audiobooks- I always listen to podcasts while in the car and working out. And, I read two books in November and two in December, ugh. I better fix that issue if I’m going to read 60 next year!
That is a shit ton of books that you read last year, and you plan to read more. Go, you! My only reading goal is to try to get thru the books on our book club list. Reading is not a high priority for me. I enjoy it, but my free time is spent writing. I am part of an amazing writing group and I find their feedback so helpful. I have heard so many great things about the Wedding People. I do hope to squeeze in a few extra books that aren’t on my book club list. I usually find time to do this when I travel, like if I have a long flight. Or in the summer, next to the pool, because I have the summer off for my daycare.
I feel like it’s a lot, but most bloggers seem to read WAY more than I do! Maybe it’s because I don’t listen to audiobooks- all mine are physical books read with my eyes.
You obviously spend a lot more time writing than I do- it’s impossible to fit in EVERYTHING.
YES to The Wedding People— and I was sort of slow to read it because of the hype but then! I loved it!
I see you have a book roundup on your blog- I’m heading over there right now!
Wow 60 – that’s an impressive goal Jenny! I haven’t set any reading goals before, but I’ve just written on my blog that my goal for this year is to read 25 Books in 2025 – I’m excited this year to set a reading goal. 🙂
I also really liked The Wedding People and also was surprised by the direction it took!
I’m mulling over my most and least favorites and contemplating a post. I think All The Colors of the Dark will end up on top.
I didn’t love The Wedding People, but I thought it was good–I liked the character development and the resolution at the end. Hmmm, my favorite book from 2024. I had quite a few. Probably Real Americans by Rachel Khong. I also really loved Anne Tyler’s new one and the last book I read in 2024, The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison. That guy can write and he got me in the feels. Did you ever read his book The Fundamentals of Caring? One of my all time favorites. There’s a movie, which is good, but not as good as the book.
YAYAYAYAY! That Century Trilogy was so good and I enjoyed them so much. I keep saying this and I mean it: you need to read Kingsbridge. It’s also VERY GOOD and an entirely different time period.