The Best Books I Read in 2024 & Share Your Shelf #9

 Marilyn, Jennifer, Tanya, and I are so happy to be hosting this monthly link up (that goes live on the first Thursday of every month) dedicated solely to books and book reviews. I hope you all have had a lovely holiday season! I just got back from Hawaii and am still struggling with jet lag. Knowing that would be the case I had this post all ready to go before our trip. I'll share the books I read in December and January at next month's link up.


For this month's link up I thought I'd reflect back on the books I read in 2024 (excluding December). If I counted/added right I read 139 books from Jan- December! 

Typically when I write up my favorite books of the year post I just pick one favorite book from each month. I thought I'd change up the format this year and pull favorite books from various genres.. it seems like no matter which format I pick I have a really hard time picking favorites!

Favorite "new" series: I'm going to go with The Inheritance Games series for this one.


Favorite historical fiction: Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner- 



Favorite nonfiction book: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown-



Favorite memoir: Will by Will Smith-- 



Favorite romance novel: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center--



Favorite "summer"/ beach read: Key Lime Garden Inn by Annie Cabot--



Favorite murder mystery: The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley--



Favorite "travel" book: Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors by Amber Share--



Favorite short story: One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett-- 



Favorite book published in 2024: Behind Every Good Man by Sara Goodman Confino--



Favorite "new (to me)" author: T.J. Newman



Favorite young adult novel: You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao-- 



Favorite setting: Blue Hawaiian by Carla Luna--



Sweetest Cast of Characters: The Little Italian Hotel by Pheadra Patrick-



A quick recap of ALL the books I read:

The 8 books I read in January:


The 11 Books I read in February:

10 Books I read in March:


The 14 books I read in April:


17 Books I Read in May


The 12 Books I Read in June


The 15 Books I Read in July


The 13 Books I Read in August


10 books I read in September


The 9 books I read in October 


The 20 Books I read In November



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Linking up with: Thinking Out Loud, Spread the Kindness, 








Comments

  1. HollyJanuary 2, 2025 at 6:32 AM

    Some great ones as always. Thanks for sharing- I refer to your lists all the time! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JoyceJanuary 2, 2025 at 7:38 AM

    I'm going to try the 52 book challenge this year. I probably won't read 52 books but I'll double up some of the prompts on a couple of books and am hoping to read at least 40. I'll have my grandkids nearby so might 'cheat' and add some children's books to the list : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 2, 2025 at 11:36 AM

      I have absolutely used children's and young adult novels before. It's a very, very relaxed community with no pressure to finish.

      Delete
  3. GinaJanuary 2, 2025 at 8:14 AM

    Making time to read has been a project of mine - I managed to get 34 books read in 2024. Not a lot, but I find it hard to read at work and at home...you know how that goes! I'm looking forward to a lot more reading this year!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lisa notes...January 2, 2025 at 8:23 AM

    Yes, it is definitely hard to pick favorites at the end of the year! I struggle with that too. I remember how much I loved Boys in the Boat when I read that one. Hope your Hawaii trip was wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dara @ Not In JerseyJanuary 2, 2025 at 8:37 AM

    I like the categories you came up with here! I'll be figuring out my yearly favorites soon!

    ReplyDelete
  6. PamelaJanuary 2, 2025 at 10:42 AM

    That's an impressive total for 2024! Thanks for continuing Share Your Shelf in 2025.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM

      You're welcome! I love hosting this link-up each month!

      Delete
  7. Wendy at Taking the Long Way HomeJanuary 2, 2025 at 11:46 AM

    Wow! You read a lot this year!

    I saw the Boys on the Boat movie-it was very good. I think I have the book in my Kindle but never read it! So many people have recommended Behind Every Good Man that I have added it to my TBR. I loved Falling and read Drowning as well. She's a flight attendant, so an expert on the subject! Thanks for the link up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM

      It was a good movie too! I do wonder how she can think those things while flying though; I have to say I was thinking a lot about Drowning on our plane rides to and from Hawaii! 😂

      Delete
  8. Memphis BridgesJanuary 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM

    I saw the movie Boys in the Boat, does that count? :) I love your dedication to reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 2, 2025 at 6:41 PM

      I think so; the book and movie were pretty similar but, of course, the book went into more detail.

      Delete
  9. Linda StollJanuary 2, 2025 at 2:33 PM

    Oh Joanne - so many old favorites here ... and some that need to go right on my TBR list. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful reads! Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  10. CathyJanuary 2, 2025 at 2:38 PM

    Wow! That's a lot of books. I felt good because I read 54 books. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 2, 2025 at 6:42 PM

      LOL! I do listen to them at double speed...which seems totally normal to me so I guess I'm a fast reader all around.

      Delete
  11. Adrienne PatenaudeJanuary 2, 2025 at 2:38 PM

    I love that you broke it down into categories.

    ReplyDelete
  12. CloudiaJanuary 2, 2025 at 3:36 PM

    Thank you for sharing these! Aloha

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jodie's Touch of StyleJanuary 2, 2025 at 5:21 PM

    You are so amazing and you're reading lists. I've definitely added a couple of these to my wish list
    Xoxo
    Jodie

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tanya January 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM

    I just got Boys in the Boat on audio...looking forward to it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. MarshaJanuary 2, 2025 at 11:02 PM

    I really liked the Hawthorne series, too. I like the way you organized your post instead of just picking a few of your favorites.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    ReplyDelete
  16. JeanieJanuary 3, 2025 at 8:18 AM

    What a great wrap-up and a productive reading year. I'm still compiling my list and will join in on Share Your Shelf next month. Meanwhile, Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 3, 2025 at 8:33 AM

      Happy New Year to you too; I can't wait to see what you share with us next month. I think my book list will be quite long by then as I managed to read over 10 books in December!

      Delete
  17. Heather{Our Life In a Click}January 3, 2025 at 8:38 AM

    I haven't read any of these. I will have to add some to my ever growing list! I"m juggling 3 books right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 3, 2025 at 10:15 AM

      I have 4 I'm part way through but trying to just focus on one or two to get them finished up.

      Delete
  18. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2025 at 12:21 PM

    Behind Every Man...is one that keeps popping up for me. I need to check it out. Did you read The Women by Hannah?

    ReplyDelete
  19. JennJanuary 6, 2025 at 10:50 AM

    This is a great variety! I didn't read quite as many books as I wanted to in 2024, but I'm all in for 2025 and will be adding some of these to be my TBR pile. The Subpar Parks social account cracks me up, so I bet getting to read it all at once is epic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 6, 2025 at 11:10 AM

      It was a riot! I had never heard of the social account before but reading it all at once was so fun.

      Delete
  20. PaulaShort January 7, 2025 at 9:54 AM

    I always appreciate your favorites recaps Joanne.
    Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  21. FarrahJanuary 7, 2025 at 9:27 PM

    Ooo, I've heard about The Inheritance Games (on my TBR list!). Will have to look into Only the Beautiful too! I love historical fiction. :]

    Thanks for linking up with me at My Month Is Booked!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lindsay's Sweet WorldJanuary 8, 2025 at 12:53 PM

    I added so many of these to my list from all of your recaps last year. I can't wait to dig in this year! I'm in the middle of a pretty good one now and the name has slipped my mind. Lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 8, 2025 at 12:57 PM

      Oh I've definitely had that happen a time or two!

      Delete
  23. Women Living Well After 50January 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM

    HI Joanne, thanks for sharing the books you read in 2024 and you certainly read quite a few! I'm doing the 52 Book Club Challenge again this year and am always interested to see what books others have used for the various prompts. Have a great week! #WOYBS? Sue L x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 17, 2025 at 2:37 PM

      Thank you! I'm starting the 50 Book Club Challenge again this year as well.

      Delete
  24. Jo TraceyJanuary 17, 2025 at 3:49 PM

    That's a great way of coming up with your favourite books. Some months I have so many great reads it's hard to pick themost favourite and other months are lean. Thanks for linking up with us.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lydia C. LeeJanuary 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM

    Is there a movie just out for Boys in the Boat? Why is that familiar to me??? Hmmmm. Interesting range and I love you listed your favs. #WOYBS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 17, 2025 at 8:07 PM

      Yes the movie came out in 2023 and it was really good too.

      Delete
  26. retirementreflectionsJanuary 17, 2025 at 9:02 PM

    Hi, Joanne - I love reading 'Favourite Book Lists.' Thank you for sharing yours. From your selection, so far I have only read 'The Boys in the Boat' (which I greatly enjoyed). I love having a sweet cast of characters so 'The Little Italian Hotel' also appeals to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM

      That was such a sweet one; I bet you'd like it.

      Delete
  27. OliviaJanuary 18, 2025 at 8:47 AM

    I really appreciate the way you have categorized your favorite books. Now I need to read some of your reviews so I can adding to my ever-growing TBR list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM

      It's crazy how that list just keeps growing so fast, isn't it?

      Delete
  28. KirstinJanuary 20, 2025 at 4:06 PM

    You read some great books! Can't wait to see what you read this year.

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM

    You've read some really great books! I'm in the process of rounding up my favorite 2024 reads, and we share two: Rom-Commers and Only the Beautiful (wasn't that one amazing?!). I also loved Boys in the Boat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM

      Thank you! I was so surprised by how much Only the Beautiful really stuck with me.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite TV Shows Growing Up in the 80's and early 90's

Image
Do you remember the TGIF lineups on Friday nights? I can remember planning sleepovers and time with friends around TV Show lineups of our favorite shows... or else trying to set the VCR to record our favorite shows if we weren't going to be home. And through the years I had SO MANY favorites! Growing pains aired in 1985 which put me around age 8 and it stayed on the air until I was 15 or so; I'm pretty sure most people in my age group watched mostly for Kirk Cameron and all his antics.  I still have a soft spot for family sit-coms!  The Facts of Life aired when I was just 2  and stayed on the air until I was 11 so I'm sure the episodes I remember so fondly were either some of the later ones and then reruns shown later on when I was old enough to watch from the beginning. I think everyone would have loved an Edna Garret in their lives.   Benson another sitcom that began airing when I was just 2 and was done by the time I was 9 (another one I must have watched mai...
Read more

Old Fort Niagara

Image
After we had stopped by our rental house and changed into dry clothes after our wet morning at the falls we headed out to Old Fort Niagara.   We stopped a local restaurant: The Youngstown Galley and had an amazing lunch!  Youngstown was so cute and I wished we had had more time to explore it but we knew the fort was only open until 5!  We arrived at the fort around 3 and we were just in time for a short video presentation about the history of the fort.  After the movie there was a volunteer guide that offered to lead us around the fort and tell us more about it; we were thrilled!   We learned that this flag was part of the original flag that hung at the fort.  It has been captured, brought to Europe and displayed in the family home of the leader of the battle.  Passed down from generation to generation it was nearly lost and destroyed in a fire!  It was eventually returned to the fort and those pieces that look ...
Read more

Things That Make Me Laugh

Image
I loved the challenge of this week's list for our 26 lists link up.  I don't know about you but I really need to laugh more lately.  It's such a great stress reliever. 1.  Books-- I love a good funny book that makes me laugh out loud.  I haven't read one in a while but if you have any recommendations I'm all ears.  The last book I can remember making me laugh was the Un-Honeymooners. 2  The boys being silly. 3.  Watching shows like America's Funniest Videos or Family Feud. 4. My husband.  Most people don't realize it but he's actually pretty funny and often makes me laugh. 5.  Whenever my sisters/ family get together and we get to reminiscing (particularly if my Aunt Elaine is around) we end up laughing so hard at all the old family stories that we are all in tears by the end of the night.  It's fabulous. 6. Movies like Mom's Night Out, Christmas Vacation, and Grown Ups make me laugh out loud. 7.  When my ...
Read more

January Monthly Musings-- Winter Self Care

Image
 It's the last Thursday of the month and time for Monthly Musings with Holly and Patty. This month we're looking at winter self-care. I feel like I have really failed in the winter self-care department this year as I have been very lazy and uninterested in doing much of my usual.  1. To stay warm in winter I've been wearing lots of warm layers, hardly leaving the house at all, using lots of throw blankets, and hanging out in our basement in front of the woodstove.  2. This winter my two favorite activities have been reading and puzzle making!  I've been "reading" more cookbooks too! 3. The only different beauty routine I have in the winter is that I use a lot more body lotion; especially after showering since my skin gets so dry and itchy. 4. If I had to pick one I'd say sledding but I haven't done any of these in years-- I broke my leg skiing in the 4th grade and never wanted to give it another try.  I don't think I've tried ice skating since ...
Read more

Favorite Outing of the Month: Learning More About Vincent Van Gogh

Image
 I bought tickets for the boys (Alec and Evan) and I to head into Worcester and see the immersive Van Gogh experience at the last minute. I had only recently heard that this was available in Worcester and thought it might be fun to do over the long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.  I originally booked our tickets for Monday but switched it to Sunday when I saw that we were forecasted to get quite a bot of snow Sunday into Monday. We headed out at 9 on Sunday morning and both the city and the museum were pleasantly empty feeling.  The first room we turned into had this 3-d sculpture of Van Gogh's head that kept changing colors and patters and was surrounded by lots of story boards about his life, his family. and his art history.  The next room was filled with reproductions of some of his paintings. We learned even more about Van Gogh and his life. Now I have never been the biggest Van Gogh fan but I did take an awful lot of art history classes and focused on many of th...
Read more