I am not typically a reading goals person. Reading should be for pleasure, something you enjoy. I don’t want it to be something stressful. It is how I unwind and I really don’t like setting metric goals — that takes the enjoyment out of it. Also, if you are trying to hit a number, you might be more inclined to read lighter, easy books which can impact the quality of your reading. (I was totally guilty of that in November and December).
That being said, in August, I realized I was cruising along on reading. A hundred books felt doable. And so, I set a reading goal for the first time ever! Spoiler alert: I did it! I read 102 books, which is the most I’ve ever read in a single year. Over on Substack I’m sharing my top ten for the year.
It’s fun to look back over the years. 88 books in 2023, 87 books in 2022, 80 books in 2021. The most I’ve ever read until this year (thanks to the pandemic) was 96 books in 2020.
EVERYTHING I READ IN 2024
PS – If you want longer reviews of any of these books, just search the title within The Library. They’re also each reviewed in my monthly reading lists. And if you are looking to read more this year, read this post: How to Read More Books.
PPS – My usual reminder! This is all subjective. There were books considered great works that I just didn’t enjoy. I am not a literary critic, just a person who likes to read and share my opinions.
My Favorite Non-Fiction from This Year.
- Be Ready When the Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
- Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Giudara
- Sociopath, by Patric Gagne
- Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again, by Johann Hari
- Generations, The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents, by Jean M. Twenge
- The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
- Setting the Table, by Danny Meyer
- Get the Picture, by Bianca Bosker
- The Age of Magical Overthinking, by Amanda Montell
- Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon, by Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez
- Momfluenced, by Sarah Petersen
- Filterworld, by Kyle Chayka
- Hidden Potential, by Adam Grant
- Private Equity, by Carrie Sun
- Four Seasons, by Isadore Sharpe
- The Art of Small Talk, by Casey Wilson and Jessica St. Clair
- Live Learn Love Well, by Emma Lovewell
- Rottenkid, by Brigit Binns
My Favorite Thrillers and Suspense from This Year.
- All the Colors of the Dark, by Chris Whitaker
- The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
- A Very Bad Thing, by J.T. Ellison
- Society of Lies, by Lauren Ling Brown
- The Main Character, by Jaclyn Goldis
- The Next Mrs. Parrish, by Liv Constantine
- The Family Remains, by Lisa Jewell
- You’re Safe Here, by Leslie Stephens
- House of Glass, by Sarah Pekkanen
- Such a Bad Influence, by Olivia Muenter
- The Last One at the Wedding, by Jason Rekulak
- Like Mother, Like Daughter, by Kimberly McCreight
- The Night We Lost Him, by Laura Dave
- Strange Sally Diamond, by Liz Nugent
- Middle of the Night, by Riley Sager
- First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston
- The Boyfriend, by Freida McFadden
- The Grace Year, by Kim Liggett
- The Other Mothers, by Katherine Faulkner
- Darling Girls, by Sally Hepworth
- Missing White Woman, by Kellye Garrett
- A Talent for Murder, by Peter Swanson
- Listen for the Lie, by Amy Tintera
- Madwoman, by Chelsea Bieker
- Such Charming Liars, by Karen M. McManus
- Made For You, by Jenna Satterthwaite
- The Fury, by Alex Michaelides
- The Midnight Feast, by Lucy Foley
- You Can Trust Me, by Wendy Heard
- The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- The Hawthorne Legacy, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- The Final Gambit, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Never Saw Me Coming, by Vera Kurian
- One Perfect Couple, by Ruth Ware
- Kill for Me, Kill for You, by Steve Cavanagh
- The Helsinki Affair, by Anna Pitoniak
- Breaking the Dark, by Lisa Jewell
- End of Story, by A.J. Finn
- The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins
- Only if You’re Lucky, by Stacy Willingham
- Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead, by Jenny Hollander
- The Most Famous Girl in the World, by Iman Hariri-Kia
- Rabbit Hole, by Kate Brody
- I’m a Fan, by Sheena Patel
- youthjuice, by E.K. Sathue
My Favorite Light Reads from This Year.
- Big Fan, by Alexandra Romanoff
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe
- Pictures of You, by Emma Grey
- Swan Song, by Elin Hilderbrand
- Funny Story, by Emily Henry
- The Paradise Problem, by Christina Lauren
- Lily and the Octopus, by Steven Rowley
- Annie Bot, by Sierra Greer
- Very Bad Company, by Emma Rosenblum
- Hardly Strangers, by A.C. Robinson
- Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty
- Wives Like Us, by Plum Sykes
- The Paris Novel, by Ruth Reichl
- The Husbands, by Holly Gramazio
- Hate Follow, by Erin Quinn-Kong
Serious, Literary, + Historical Fiction
- The Work, by Bri Lee
- All Fours, by Miranda July
- James, by Percival Everett
- The Goddess of Warsaw, by Lisa Barr
- Real Americans, by Rachel Khong
- Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese
- Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?, by Crystal Smith Paul
- Homebodies, by Tembe Denton-Hurst
- Blue Sisters, by Coco Mellors
- Shark Heart, by Emily Habeck
- The Rachel Incident, by Caroline O’Donoghue
- The Sicilian Inheritance, by Jo Piazza
- The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray
- The Wedding People, by Alison Espach
- Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
- The Other Valley, by Scott Alexander Howard
- What Napoleon Could Not Do, by DK Nnuro
- Come and Get It, by Kiley Reid
- Hello Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano
- The Beautiful People, by Michelle Gabel
- The Women, by Kristin Hannah
