Reading in 2024 in Review

 

Total Number of Books Read:  219 - Less than last year but not bad overall - especially considering my reading goal was 200.

Reading Breakdown:

Print:  69 

Ebook: 68 - this surprised me.  I would have expected to have read more ebooks than print

Audiobooks:  82

Genres:

Mystery:  156 - The genre winner by far which is not a surprise

Romance:  21

Fiction (This includes Middle Grade and Fantasy) - 33

Nonfiction:  9

Monthly Favorites:

These were my favorite books month to month.  I don't worry about when they were published but I don't count rereads.  They also didn't all make my favorite books of the year though they were books I enjoyed the most during that month of reading. 

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell 

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King

Assistant to the Villian by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Homecoming by Kate Morton

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan

Murder in Rose Hill by Victoria Thompson

The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett

Mind Games by Nora Roberts

A Murder at Half Moon Gate by Andrea Penrose

Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy

The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber

Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews

15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews 

The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca 

Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander

Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

The Mirror by Nora Roberts

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod

Armchair Travel for 2024

Domestic:  Weirdly I didn't visit Louisiana which is a state I usually visit several times over.  I did go to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.  All in all not too bad but I would like to get a few more states in next year.

International:  I visited England during multiple time periods quite a bit as well as Scotland.  I also visited France, Australia, Canada, Syria (1920s), Switzerland, Germany, Greece, a Trans-Atlantic voyage on the Lusitania, Singapore, and Russia.  Not a bad list though I'm surprised I didn't visit Ireland.  I'll have to fix that in 2025.

Where did your reading in 2024 take you?  Where are you hoping to visit in 2025?  What were some of your favorite books?

Friday Fives - Five Non bookish Things I Loved in 2024

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  This week I'm looking back at 2024 to 5  Non-Bookish Things I Loved.  I also included a couple of dog pictures because this post doesn't really lend to photos but I always like sharing photos of my pup!  Oh and one of us meeting wolves because that was one of the best non-bookish things that happened in 2024

These heated eye masks from Amazon (though I've gotten them from Ulta a time or two.  I get migraines, tension headaches, and sinus headaches a decent amount and I love these eye masks.  They're single use and work kind of like those pocket handwarmers where they start warming as soon as the package is opened.  The best thing is that they have ear straps that are so thin I can lie on my side without it causing my neck to be in an unnatural angle.  If you get any kind of headache where it feels like there is pressure behind your eyes I highly recommend these.  

Universal Yums - This is a subscription box that focuses on a different country every month.  I had the medium sized box for awhile but then switched to the biggest box.  It's so fun!  The shipping is pretty fast and each box includes a pamphlet that has information on each snack - flavor profile, history, and a few other things.  The boxes also include stickers - a few that are just pretty but some that are for rating the snacks so you can make it a group event.  They also had a fun advent calendar that was candy from around the world.

The Sims 4 - I was a big player of The Sims back in the days of the original but have only been an intermittent player since then and haven't played for years.  But this year I got a new laptop and had some free time and decided to start again.  I really love that the starter game is free though it is WAY too easy to go on a bit of a binge buying expansion packs.  I have to be careful to only play it when I don't have too much to do though!

Lands End Pajamas - I've bought flannel sheets from Lands End for ages but this year I branched out and tried their pajamas and am in love.  My favorites are this set and I have three sets and am seriously tempted to get more.  The sizes are generous.  I'm typically in between a small and a medium and the small fits me with room to spare.  They also always have some kind of discount  and the material holds up to lots of wear and washing.  

Packing Cubes - We did some traveling in 2024 for the first time since 2019 and I forgot just how wonderful packing cubes were.  I have the vacuum sealed ones but I like the regular ones just as much.  It makes pre-packing and organizing so much easier.  I don't know how I packed before them and it's just so nice to have something that legitimately makes something work better.

What were some of your favorite non-bookish things in 2024?

Authors I Plan to Read in 2025

Last year I made a list of 10 authors that I've been meaning to read for ages but just have never managed it.  I had really good luck with that list so I'm looking forward to trying.  

1.  Katherine Center - I'm not exactly sure which book by Cetner that I'm going to read but I'm going to read something by her this year.

2.  Abby Jimenez - I'm leaning towards Part of Your World because it's the first book in the series that her most recent book is in.  

3.  Nancy Atherton - I've been meaning to read the Aunt Dimity series forever as it's one of the longest running cozy mystery series and I've somehow never read any of it.

4.  TJ Klune - I'll probably start with The House in the Cerulean Sea.  I've heard wonderful things about that book and pretty much everything by that author.

5.  Ann Cleeves - I have read a book by this author, but I haven't read any of the Vera series which I've been wanting to try for quite some time.  This is the year!

6.  Elin Hilderbrand - Hilderbrand has been on my radar for at least a decade, but I've never read any of her books.  I'm thinking I might start with this series.

7.  Lisa Unger - I've been in a less cozy more thriller mood and I've heard good things about this author for literal years but have never read anything by her.

8.  Ilona Andrews - This is another author I've been wanting to read for ages and I actually own several of her books. This is the year I'm actually going to read one of them!

9.  Phaedra Patrick - Her books always look wonderful, and I've bought several of them over the years!

10. Joshilyn Jackson - This author has a number of books set in my home state and has had fantastic reviews from bloggers I really trust yet I've never read any of her books.

Have you read any of these authors?  Any recommendations from their books?

My Series Reading List to Start 2025

I'm a big cozy mystery reader and where there are cozy mysteries there are lots of series!  I'm trying to make progress and get caught up on 10 different series and when that happens, I roll in a new one. Here are the 10 I'm starting with for 2025.

1.  Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews - This is the third book in the Meg Langslow series.   I've read most of the more recent books but there are so many early books to catch up on.

2.  Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams - I love this author and I own a lot of the books in the series but somehow I haven't read any of them.

3.  Picked to Die by Sheila Connolly - This series has finished and I really don't have many books left in it so I'm hoping to finish it this year.

4.  A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle - I enjoy this series but have so many to catch up on.

5.  Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball by Emily Brightwell - This is a long running series with a fun upstairs/downstairs setup.  I've read the more recent books but I've really been catching up on the earlier books.

6.  A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander - I've bought a number of books in this series and finally just started it at the end of 2024.  I'm really looking forward to continuing with it.

7.  Keeper of the Castle by Juliet Blackwell - I like the series and own pretty much all the books so I need to actually read them!

8.  Hot Button by Kylie Logan - I ended up with all 4 books in the series and read the first book last year and really enjoyed it.  Now I need to read the other 3.

9.  Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower - This is the 4th in a series around an Amish Candy Shop and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

10.  Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen - I've read the most recent books in the series and I've read the beginning but somehow I missed the middle!

Do you have any series that you're reading?

Top Ten Tuesday - Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025.  I'm sure there are some books I'm missing but here are 10 I'm really looking forward to reading!

1.  Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jessie Q. Sutanto - I'm so excited for this one but a little apprehensive because I loved the first book so much.  

2.  The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang - I'm starting this in a few days and am really looking forward to it.  It looks gorgeous.

3.  The Dressmakers of London by Julia Kelly - I've loved all the books I've read by her and this looks really wonderful.

4.  Killing Me Souffle by Ellie Alexander - The last book in the Bake Shop series ended in an interesting place and I'm curious to see how the story develops.  Plus, I really enjoy this cozy series!

5.  Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff - I've heard good things about this author and this one sounds absolutely fantastic.  

 

6.  Who Will Remember by C.S. Harris - This is one of my favorite series and I'm looking forward to reading more from it.

7.  The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - I like Davis' books and I'm fascinated by ancient Egyptian history and archeology, so this book is one I'm really excited about.

8.  The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict - This is historical fiction about Christie and Sayers.  I might read Benedict's book on Christie first to see if I like her version of her but I'm excited about this one.

9.  Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn - I read the first book in the series and while I did enjoy it it wasn't a favorite.  But I'm so curious to see how the series develops that I can't wait to pick this one.

10. Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell - I love her books and this one looks like another creepy read!

What books are you looking forward to in the first half of 2025?

Shattering Dawn - Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads: Shattering Dawn (The Lost Night FIles #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, hires private investigator Gideon Sweetwater to catch the stalker who has been watching her. Amelia suspects the stalker may be connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost to amnesia—a night that upended their lives and left them with paranormal talents.

Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or an outright con artist, but he can’t resist the chemistry between them. He takes the case despite his skepticism. For her part, Amelia has second thoughts about the wisdom of employing the mysterious Mr. Sweetwater. She is wary of the powerful attraction between them, and deeply uneasy about the nightmarish paintings on the walls of his home. She senses they were inspired by his own dreamscapes.

Amelia knows she doesn’t have time to find another investigator, and Gideon is forced to reckon with the truth when he disrupts what was intended to be Amelia’s kidnapping. Now the pair is on the run, with no choice but to return to the haunting ruins of the old hotel where Amelia’s lost night occurred. They are desperate to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a dangerous drug that is designed to enhance psychic abilities. If they are to survive, they will have to trust each other and the passion that bonds them.

Genre: Romance - Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read the previous two books in this series and a number of other books by this author and always enjoyed them.

My Impression:   This was a fun read for one of my first books of the year.  I've enjoyed this series and the other paranormal books from Jayne Ann Krentz but this one was especially enjoyable.  I really liked Amelia and Gideon as individual characters and together as investigative partners.  

I don't want to say too much as the plot of this one is closely linked to the previous two books and I don't want to give spoilers.  I liked Amelia's insistence that they're going to be partners even when Gideon isn't as agreeable as well as how the plot progressed.  The pacing in this one was really enjoyable and I finished the book on the second day at about 2AM if that gives you any idea of how much I enjoyed it!  

I'm looking forward to seeing what Krentz comes up with next and if we will be revisiting the Lost Night podcast crew.  I'm really hoping we haven't seen the last of them!  If you're looking for some paranormal romantic suspense this is a fun and interesting series.   The plot does build through the books so I do recommend starting with the first book (though you could probably skip the second one if you insist as it is only loosely related).   

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  This is one of my reliable authors - anytime I pick up one of her books I know I'm going to enjoy it.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're in the mood for some fast paced paranormal romantic suspense give this series a try! 

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - January 5

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Nothing!  I'm starting off the New Year with a No Buy month (which if it goes well may turn into a No Buy first quarter) so I'm not buying books and no review books for this month either.

Currently:

Reading:  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Haunting and Homicide by Ava Burke

Slow Read:  The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn

Listening:  Funny Story by Emily Henry

What I did to make 2025 cozy this week:

This week I spent a lot of time reading in blankets which always feels pretty cozy!  I also made book lists and resolution lists to get 2025 started off in the right direction.  I do love a good list and there's something about the start of the new year that makes me happy.  

Have a great week and happy reading!