Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books of 2024!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our favorite books of 2024!  This was an interesting list for me to make.  My 2024 reading year started off so slow in terms of loving what I was reading.  It was a little disheartening, I have to be honest!  The end of the year really brought some amazing books, so it was nice to end the year on a high note!  Abby Jimenez and Kara McDowell are making appearances for the second year in a row.  There's a mix of YA, romance, and fantasy, and this is probably the most nonfiction that has ever shown up on my end-of-year list!

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

The Palace by Gareth Russell

The Big Bang Theory by Jessica Radloff

The Third Pole by Mark Synott

Fate Be Changed by Farrah Rochon

Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

What were some of your favorite books of 2024?

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2024 Year-End Goals Recap

It's hard to believe, but 2024 is just about over!  So, how did we do on the goals we set back in January?

1. Read 75 books. I was able to read over 100 books!
2. Reread once a month.  100% completed!  I accomplished this by choosing a reread for my first book of each month.
3. Read at least six nonfiction books.  I ended up reading 16 nonfiction books this year, well above my goal!
4. Finish the Bridgerton series.  Goal completed!  I finished the last book in June.
5. Purge my shelves. I've donated over 76 books this year, plus a few more dropped off at Little Free Libraries.  My shelves are still full, but I'm making progress!

And here is how my sister did on her goals:

1. Read 275 books.  I had dropped this down to 250 during the year and I was able to meet it!  I’m being much more selective about my reads so I feel good about it. 
2. Track my reading contemporaneously. Done!  My spreadsheet is completely up to date and it is so interesting seeing the sources and format of my reading, as well as what genres I gravitate towards.
3. Binge author backlists via audio.  Done!  I have listened to multiple backlist titles from Christina Lauren, Katee Robert and Sierra Simone this year.  I never would have had time to physically read all of these so the audiobooks have been a lifesaver.
4. Listen to 5 audiobooks with my hubby.  Did not complete this one, but there ended up being two interesting developments this year. One was that I ended up listening to a few audiobooks with my daughter – she is 8 and we spend a lot of time in the car driving around to different activities.  One book was full of short stories about historical women and a couple others were Disney Audible Originals.  The second was that while I did not listen to many audiobooks with James, I did recommend quite a few physical books to him this year and he actually read them!  He even has first dibs on Onyx Storm when we get our copy in January.  

How did you do on your goals this year?

Michele's Monday Picks #60

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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Bemused

By Farrah Rochon

Expected Publication: January 7, 2025

From Goodreads:

The untold origin story of the 5 Muses from Disney’s Hercules is revealed in this rollicking YA fantasy filled with mythical adventure, music, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

The Muses narrated Hercules’s story. Now, in this novel for fans of the New York Times bestsellers Go the Distance and Fire & Fate, they’ll narrate their own “gospel truth.”

Living in a quiet seaside village with their overprotective mother, teenaged sisters Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia are talented performers with no audience. If Calli had her way, she’d pursue her dream of writing epic stories in the city of Thebes. But family comes first, and as the eldest, she’d never leave her beloved sisters behind.

Then, following a disastrous public music performance, their mother reveals a shocking secret: she is Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory, and for nearly two decades, she’s been on the run from the gods of Mount Olympus, desperate to keep her daughters safe from their machinations. Before she can share more, she is kidnapped . . . and though the girls don’t know it yet, the villain pulling the strings is none other than Hades, fiery God of the Underworld. 

Under Calli’s leadership, the sisters embark on a journey to save their mother and to learn more about their own divine origins. But the path ahead is filled with mythical trials and tribulations, and they’ll need to rely on both their individual talents and the strength of their sisterhood to ensure that they ascend from “zeroes” to “heroes”–or more accurately, heroines.

Penned by New York Times bestselling author Farrah Rochon, this YA fantasy uniquely blends a twist on a Disney classic with a fresh take on Greek mythology.

I really loved Farrah Rochon’s last collaboration with Disney. Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Holiday Quick Reviews

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler (2024) 

Sienna is still getting over her bitter divorce when her friend humorously places a newspaper ad for a husband for her - to which Guy responds, needing financial stability for his daughter's kidney disease care.  Impulsively, Sienna marries the stranger, intending to keep things "in name only," but soon finds the three becoming a real family.  Honestly, I'm not sure why I chose this book - I wanted a holiday read, but marriage of convenience is not my favorite trope and sometimes the single dad trope can feel cloying to me.  This story was SO heavy - Sienna's constant thoughts about her recent divorce were tough and Emma's kidney disease was so hard on her and thus on everyone around her (obviously, not her fault, she's 4, but just a lot for a Chistmas-y story).  Sienna's decision to marry Guy after literally talking to him for a few minutes just seems baffling - sure, he seems nice, but you know nothing about him!  He could be a terrible man!  But of course, he's not, because this is a holiday romance.  I admired his love and devotion to Emma, but his relationship with Sienna moved at warp speed.  Don't believe the blurb, this is definitely not a slow burn.  It has really high reviews on Goodreads, too, so maybe take my review with a grain of salt!  3 stars

Christmas Sweater Weather by Jacqueline Snowe (2024)

Charlotte has had a crush on Hayden for a long time, even after he rejected her a couple years ago.  Now the two are thrown together for her brother's Christmas wedding, and it seems like now she's not the only one with feelings.  I have had really bad luck with my holiday reads this year, and I ended up DNFing this one around 50%.  The characters felt so immature; their inner thoughts sounded like teenagers with a major crush.  The tone and pace felt frantic, even manic - everything moved so quickly, from thoughts to feelings to events, that it was hard to keep track of what was going on sometimes.  And lastly, this book could have used another good round of editing - from the above-mentioned issues to wrong words being used.

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Top Ten Tuesday: My Winter TBR

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our winter TBR.  I'm focusing on my 2024 preorders that I haven't gotten to yet - I definitely want to make them a priority before getting into 2025 releases!

What will you be reading this winter?

Guest Blogger: NYC Book Tour

 Michele is back today to share a fun day!

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As a belated anniversary and birthday gift, my husband planned a NYC bookstore tour for us.  Nine miles and many hours later, we had visited 8 different stores:

The Corner Bookstore – a small store with a surprisingly nice selection.

 

 

Albertine – a bookstore nestled in a historic building that mostly caters to French language books.

 

 

McNally Jackson – probably my favorite of the day!  It was large and bright and had a wonderful selection.

 

 

Book Off – a used bookstore that also has a large selection of used video games, CDs and DVDs.

 

 

Kinokuniya – A large bookstore with an entire floor dedicated to Japanese books, stationary and other goods.

 

 

Alabaster Bookshop – another used bookstore with a focus on rare books.

Our last two stops were Strand and Barnes & Noble Union Square, both pretty popular NYC destinations. 

 

 

Our haul included a few books for me and a few for our daughter!

What are some of your favorite bookstores?  

Holiday Quick Reviews

 Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey (2023)

Due to a misunderstanding during a job interview, Laurel's boss is under the impression that she owns and runs her sister's farm, and when he invites himself over for Christmas, she'll have to fake her way through the holiday, including being married to her nemesis, Max.  Will the truth come out when they are all trapped by a snowstorm?  Although this wasn't my favorite Christmas read, it did have some cute moments.  Laurel is kind of a mess, but she finally has a good thing going with her current job and she's determined to keep it.  It was funny the lengths she was willing to go to in order to deceive her boss.  I also enjoyed her relationship with her twin sister, Holly.  I did think the story moved VERY fast, like warp speed, and I really disliked the miscommunication trope that led to her hating Max years ago.  It was pretty obvious what was really going on, and I wanted Laurel to stop interrupting Max and just let him explain.  Overall, a quick read with lots of holiday vibes.  3 stars

A Wish for Christmas by Courtney Cole (2023)

An unhappily married couple makes a wish on an enchanted snow globe that they had never met, and they wake up the next morning living separate lives, with no memories of their life together - but are they really meant to be?  I was really looking forward to this book, after enjoying a couple other holiday books from this author, but this one was a miss for me.  The premise sounded so good, but maybe some wires got crossed for me somewhere, because the story itself didn't really seem to match.  We begin the story with two people, but then the names change? And they go back to their shared hometown, where their respective parents are feuding over business opportunities, and the two are drawn into it, while slowly falling in love.  I just never felt fully invested in the story, even going so far as to question what the point even was.  The dialogue is so cringey, the author attempts to pull at heartstrings with animals and illnesses, and the ending left a LOT to be desired.  I love a bit of magical realism in my books, but this one took it too far.  2.5 stars

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Stolen Queen

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

The Stolen Queen

Fiona Davis

Expected publication date: January 7, 2025

From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger. - from Goodreads

Henry's Shelves #8

 

I think it's been a few months since I shared the books that Henry and I have been enjoying together, so today we're back for another edition of Henry's Shelves!  It's always fun for me to see what books he gravitates towards.  I try to give him a big selection, but he seems to want to read the same ones over and over again!

George Ferris, What a Wheel! // Hulk's Big Feelings // Duck, Duck, Moose

Curious George // How Do Apples Grow? // Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

The Goodnight Train Rolls On! // Happy Halloweenie // Penguin and Penelope

Have you read any of these?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Jigsaw Puzzles

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is a freebie, so I've decided to do something non-bookish.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love jigsaw puzzles, specifically 500 piece puzzles.  They can be challenging but not too hard, something I can work on over the course of a couple days.  It's so satisfying to see them come together, and Henry loves looking at the final product!  At the time I'm putting together this post, I've done 43 puzzles this year, and here are some of my favorites!

 

Little Feminist // Music Cats

 

Shrooms in Bloom // Garden Path

 

The Magic of Stories // Happy Plants

 

Sweet Confections // Springtime Petals

 

Woodland Pass // Spooky Portraits

If you're interested in more 500 piece puzzles, check out my picks here!

Do you enjoy jigsaw puzzles?

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Month in Review: November 2024

 

November was full of fun!  We started the month by going on a fall foliage train ride, which was really fun.  We celebrated our nephew's 3rd birthday, and Henry had a great time in the huge bounce house with all the kids.  We put up our outdoor Christmas lights very early (although we still haven't decorated inside!) - Henry's job is to turn them on each afternoon when he gets home from school.  My in-laws came over for Thanksgiving, but it was a pretty chill day.  It was also Henry's 3rd birthday!  I can't believe three years have flown by already.  I made my first birthday cake - let's just say I'm thankful that frosting can cover up a lot of mistakes!  It tasted good, though.  We ended the month with a small family party for Henry.  Our sweet boy still enjoys reading, and his current obsession is hot air balloons.  He loves reading about them, watching videos about them, and pretending everything in our house can be turned into one - it's been interesting!

The Books

Everything Beautiful In Its Time // Idaho Madams // The Big Bang Theory // Never Coming Home

The Palace // The Demon of Unrest // The Situation Room // Fangirl Down

The Posts and Reviews

Nonfiction November 2024: Choosing Nonfiction

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Is She Really Going Out With Him?

Horror Novella Quick Reviews

Nonfiction November 2024: Book Pairings

Top Ten Tuesday: Destination Titles

Audiobook Quick Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #59

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Jewel of the Isle

Blog Tour: Idaho Madams

Nonfiction November 2024: New to Our TBR

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Under Loch and Key

Nonfiction November Review Round-Up

How are you doing?

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