I met my Goodreads goal again this year! I also had a pretty great reading year in terms of quality. Here are my responses to this fabulous survey originally created by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner.
Number Of Books You Read: 40
Number of Re-Reads: 0
Genre You Read The Most From: This year, hands-down, it was fantasy, which is awesome because I didn't read many fantasy books in 2023.
1. Best Book You Read In 2024?
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett -- this was just such a charming faerie read, with a delightful couple at the heart of it
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
The Hush by Sara Foster — this was unfortunately a disappointment. I was hoping this would be an intense dystopian with hard-hitting, complex themes explored, and it just kind of fell apart and became pretty far-fetched by the end.
Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese -- I love Much Ado about Nothing and so I was really looking forward to this contemporary retelling, and sadly I didn’t feel like Beatrice and Benedick’s dynamic was captured here.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher. I was surprised that such a short novel could pack a punch and feel complete.
4. Best series you started in 2024? Best Sequel of 2024? Best Series Ender of 2024?
Best series started: I started a number of series this year, but some of them I’ve only read the first book, so it’s hard to say. Based on the first book alone, I’ll go with Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
Best sequel: The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong — this is a fun time travel mystery series that I started this year, and this second book is a solid instalment in the series.
Best series ender: Exiles by Jane Harper (also the only series ender I read this year) -- this is my least favourite of the series, but it looks like it’s the final one (sadly, as overall I really enjoyed this mystery/detective series set in Australia!)
5. Favorite new author you discovered in 2024?
Heather Fawcett and Rebecca Ross.
6. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler (I don’t tend to read much sci-fi, especially sci-fi like this) or Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne (I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but this one was fascinating).
7. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent — definitely an intense pageturner! Also, shout-out to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None — the suspense was ratcheted up so deftly.
8. Book You Read In 2024 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I could see myself re-reading Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries or Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding, because they both gave me warm fuzzies.
9. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2024?
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
Homecoming by Kate Morton
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries
10. Most memorable character of 2024?
Wendell from Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries — he has such a distinctive personality! He was very arrogant and lazy, but also devoted to Emily.
I’d also say that Indigo from The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi is a very memorable character.
11. Most beautifully written book read in 2024?
A River Enchanted — the writing did a great job of conveying the setting/atmosphere.
12. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2024?
Thought-provoking: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler, Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne, How to Stop Time by Matt Haig, City in Flames by Tomas Hachard
13. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2024 to finally read?
Hands down, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. This is such a classic that I can’t believe it took me until 2024 to get around to reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see why Agatha Christie is considered the “Queen of Suspense”!
14. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2024?
“You never commit a mundane moment to memory, thinking it'll be the last time you'll hear their voice, or see their smile, or smell their perfume. Your head never remembers the things your heart wants to in hindsight.” — The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Boston
“No one lets their world vanish without a fight. People will choose chaos over failure. Every time.” and “We told you that you were the centre of the world. Then we forgot to leave you much of a world to live in.”— City in Flames by Tomas Hachard
“The great and terrible thing about humankind is simply this: we will always do what we are capable of." — The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
15. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2024?
The shortest (111 pages): Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
The longest (624 pages): The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
16. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Shout-out to Emily and Wendell from Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, and Mab and Francis from The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (spoilers, highlight to read: the way this relationship ended was unbearably tragic.)
17. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
The friendship between Beatriz and Pasquale in the Castles in their Bones series
18. Favorite Book You Read in 2024 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
This is a hard question… I read a number this year by authors I was already familiar with! Because I can’t pick just one:
Homecoming by Kate Morton — I was really happy to see a return to form for Kate Morton after I DNFed The Clockmaker’s Daughter
A Rip Through Time and The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong — I’d previously read YA by Kelley Armstrong, but not her adult books.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn -- I had previously read and really enjoyed Kate Quinn's The Alice Network, but I had also given up on Mistress of Rome, so it was good to connect with another novel of hers.
19. Best Book You Read In 2024 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Well, it wasn't peer pressure, but we read And Then There Were None for an online book club I'm a part of, and I'm very glad we did!
20. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2024?
Maybe George from Emma of 83rd Street?
21. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Setting: Homecoming by Kate Morton, The Survivors by Jane Harper, and House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
Worldbuilding: A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries
22. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Emma of 83rd Street — this was a very enjoyable contemporary Jane Austen retelling. I don’t remember the details (and I didn’t write a review) but I remember finding it cute.
23. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
To Poison a King by S.G. Prince — I wish this book got more love, because it reminds me of some of my favourite fantasy reads! Vibes like Summers at Castle Auburn, The Decoy Princess, The Winner’s Curse, and The Bridge Kingdom. This was my first read of 2024, and a great one to start the year with.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2024 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2025?
A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross, The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent, and Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2025 (non-debut)?
Drumroll, please… THE FIFTH BOOK IN THE BONE SEASON SERIES IS FINALLY BEING RELEASED THIS YEAR. Already pre-ordered it. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.
Also, of course I have to mention the latest in the Hunger Games universe, Sunrise on the Reaping (also already pre-ordered!)
3. 2025 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
There aren't any debuts that I'm super stoked for, but a few that have caught my eye include: Count My Lies by Sophie Stave, Silver Elite by Dani Francis, and Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2025?
My answer would once again have to be The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon!
What were your highlight reads of 2024, and which books are you most looking forward to in 2025?
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