2024 was a bit of a wash for me for blogging-wise. I had good intentions for over the summer to get restarted...I had a great reading year, though. I finished over my goal of 52 books.
Favorites
- Slow Horses and Dead Lions by Mick Herron
- Making It So by Patrick Stewart
- The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
- How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald J. Robertson
- Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor
- The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham
Worst Reads
- Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
- The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones. This was number 3 in the trilogy and I was very disappointed. I loved the first book, thought the second was OK and the third felt like a castoff. So so disappointing.
- Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. I had heard good things. But this first in the series did not speak to me. I'm worried I won't like other non-mystery books.
Overall, it was a pretty good reading year. Lots of favorites and very few disappointing reads and quite a few in the middle.
Reading Challenges 2025
Book Challenge by Erin 22.0 (Facebook group)
- Freebie: Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
- Read a book you intended to read in 2024: The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin
- Read a book with a main character who is an artist: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Read a book with a picture of a sunset/sunrise on the cover: The Silent Watcher by Victor Methos
- Read a book recommended by Jenna's Book Club/Oprah's/Reese Witherspoon's: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- Read a book that starts with the letter "I": Italian Folktales by Calvino
- Read a book with a specific town/city in the title: The Girl from Krakow by Alex Rosenberg
- Read a book with a female villain: "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare
- Read a book by an author whose first name or last name is Erin/Gray respectively: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Read a book about climate change/or climate fiction: Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge (Castle Macabre)
Not sure which one's I'll read yet to fit the categories but I just finished my first one for Ghost Story: A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons.
1000 Books Project 2025: Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset hosted by Gather Together and Read
Michelle had us read The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. I made it through The Moonstone but only got about halfway through Nicholas Nickleby...but I'm still plugging through and hope to finish it this year! Because of her challenge I've read Les Miserables and The Count of Monte Cristo as well. Highly recommended.
I also plan on reading:
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel
- The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
- A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Adiche
- The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
hosted by Sam Haisell at his Substack Footnotes & Tangents
I have also joined the chapter a day readalong of War and Peace for this year. I am already a couple of chapters behind! Must catch up!
ReplyDeleteExciting! I'm glad you are also reading along. The slow read for this one is just what I need and I am loving his posts every to give context and insight.
DeleteRegarding your favorites...love Marcus Aurelius (I consider myself a Stoic in many ways). Also loved The Buried Giant and the Lord of the Rings (of course).
ReplyDeleteDamn...I still haven't read Don't Fear the Reaper (it's on my Read Your Shelf challenge shelf) and now I'm worried about The Angel of Indian Lake. Maybe there's hope though. Reading is subjective after all. Case in point, I really liked Case Histories. :)
So glad you're participating in my challenges again! I struggled with Nickleby too, but finally muddled through. Picturing Charlie Hunnam as Nicholas helped. lol I read A Winter Haunting last year for the horror challenge and really liked it.
Looking forward to your blogging again, and joining me for Cat Thursday. Happy New Year!
I didn't realize how out of writing I was this last year until I looked at my last posts! Thanks for sticking with me...I swear I read that Jones only planned on one book the original and then I think he got a deal to make a trilogy after My Heart Is a Chainsaw. But I'm not sure. I just felt like his heart wasn't in the last two and he kind of just threw them together to get them published. But hopefully they work better for you!
DeleteMaybe I should watch Nickleby first and then dive back into the book so I can also picture Charlie Hunnam...
But of course I will stick with you. :)
DeleteYes, definitely watch the film with Hunnam. It will definitely help.
Kristin Lavransdatter is on my classics list to read, but I haven't been able to find an inexpensive copy of it. I will add it to my challenges list. I did make it through Nicholas Nickleby, but I didn't love it like I did other Dickens' books. I want to read The Moonstone, but I somehow missed that book on the list last year. Maybe if I add a link to the challenge on my 2025 challenges page---maybe that will help.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your reading this year, and I do hope you will be able to blog more this year. You did have a great reading year in 2024.
Thanks, Deb!
DeleteI ended up getting Lavransdatter on my Kindle for a good price and it seems to be a pretty good copy. I need the Kindle when it's a large book. It helps me plug along and not realize how big it is!
I do hope you get to the Moonstone! That was a pleasant surprise last year.
Interesting book list — I’ve read quite a few of them.
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Oh nice! I am feeling very much into history and historical and classic novels this year. I think I need it!
DeleteGood to see you back! Hope all is well. I still need to read The Buried Giant. Is it really good? I'm not sure why I skipped it .... it sounded a bit different but he's one of my favorite authors. You did have a good reading year. And Happy 2025!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! It's been a weird year but I am hoping to get back to the blog this year.
DeleteI did really enjoy the Buried Giant. It was beautifully written and strange. I had to look up some British history to help get some context but it was worth it! Plus it's not a very large book. I hope you pick it up soon!