My Year of Reading
Does it count if I read my own novel like, four times?
This year has been filled to the brim, bubbled over, with high quality reads (in my most humble opinion, that is). Audiobooks, ebooks, library books, physical books, newsletters, long form essays and poetry. I didn’t realize it until I was waist deep in my books, but 2024 was the year I rediscovered how much I love being a reader.
If you’ve been following vibe with me over the last year, you’ll know I have crafted a monthly digest of sorts that covers everything I’ve been reading, book-wise. A few months ago, I even started adding links to online content as well, because to me, anything we read absolutely counts! That said, this recap of sorts will focus on books.
I have been a reader my entire life. It’s consistently been one of my favorite past times. I was reading ahead of my level as a young child, earning copious personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT program, which is incredibly still a thing! I saved my pennies and begged for extra cash to spend at the Scholastic Book Fairs. I spent wild amounts of time visiting the libraries (both at school and in my small town). Summers were filled with weekly trips to the town library, where I would grab every single new release of The Baby-Sitters Club (especially those thick Summer Specials) and The Boxcar Children. I also have a distinct memory of being in fifth grade and borrowing Abraham Lincoln’s biography, which was the most advanced piece of work I had read at the time… and I devoured it.
All these years later… I am still obsessed with reading. I love the stories I consume, but more than anything, I love the escape. I imagine myself alongside the characters I read about on the pages. Like I’m standing with them, but as an observer, watching the drama unfold in my mind.
As I grew older, I read less and less, but I never fully stopped. It just became something I did on the side, when I had time, or the desire to pick up something everyone was talking about. A few years ago, I started using Goodreads and set yearly goals, starting with one book per month. I figured if I could get back into reading a book each month, I’d be happy.
For 2024, I decided to aim to read thirty books. It felt achievable with a slight increase. Dear reader, I knocked that one out of the park and around the block. My final number for 2024 is ninety-five. 95!!! That’s 317% of my original goal.
Incorporating audiobooks for nonfiction gave me the opportunity to have at least two books going at the same time, so I quickly blew through my goal before getting halfway through the year. I still can’t believe it! The rhythm I have going now is attainable and enjoyable, and I feel like I can keep up this pace going forward (so long as life allows, I suppose).
I am also working on my own novel, currently completing another (dare I say final?!) draft before I hired an editor to help me whip it into better shape (and cut down the word count). I read my own book at least four times this year — happy to report I still love it, yay! It surprised me, the fact I was able to read my own work several times through, making edits/revisions, and keeping up with other books.
Now, it’s the end of December. Christmas is over, we’re preparing to usher in 2025, and I’m sitting here reflecting on the fact I have read 95 books! I am still in disbelief. I hand-counted them several times on Goodreads too because I kept thinking, there’s no way I actually read this many books. But I did. How incredible, to resurrect an old habit/hobby and feel the absolute joy it can bring! Ahhh. Being a reader is filled with such pleasure.
It’s thrilling to also think how close I am to publishing my own novel, for other people to read and form a relationship with my story and characters I crafted over the last decade of my life. I hope others can get lost in my story like I have. Reading stories makes me a better writer, and I am looking forward to sharing that work with everyone. Hopefully in 2025? Stay tuned. 🥰
In reviewing the books I read this year, I noticed a few interesting stats. For one, 75% of my reading came from my local library! A mixture of both fiction and nonfiction (and all audiobooks) came exclusively via the Libby app. It’s wild to think that every three out of four books essentially cost me nothing, and I didn’t even have to leave my house to get them. What a win!
The other 25% are purchased physical or eBooks via Apple Books (I do also use the Kindle app, but sparingly at this point). For someone who has stacks of unread physical copies in her home office, you’d think that would account for more of my reading, but alas, I’ll get to those sometime — hopefully early in the new year.
I opened Goodreads to see my year in review and pull a few more interesting tidbits. Like shortest and longest books (Gillian Flynn’s The Grownup: 64 pages; Katie Couric’s Going There: 736 pages), average book length (320 pages), and my average rating (4.2 stars).
Here is a comprehensive view of everything I devoured, if you don’t want to go back through my individual monthly posts. I implore you to do just that, though, because I give a quick synopsis and what I liked about each read.
My Favorite Books of 2024
It was hard to narrow down my top-top faves, so I decided I would just go with twelve for both fiction and nonfiction. The picks don’t belong to a specific month; it’s just a nice, round number I felt was fair.
The year was full of great reads, but these really stood out. If anyone asks me if I have a book recommendation, it’s coming from this list.
Unputdownable. Thrilling. Captivating. Stunning.
All of these books have those things in common. When someone asks me to name just one, I instantly go to Yellowface. Now, if I get the opportunity to ask them what they’re into, if they can handle a little magical mystery or fiction with historical references, I will say The Book of Doors and Bright Young Women, respectively. The Last One’s final page left me screaming. The Sequel was such a great follow up to its predecessor, The Plot. A gorgeous, solid mystery? God of the Woods. Want a fun ride? Listen for the Lie and We Were Never Here. Looking for a suspenseful page-turner? Dark Things I Adore, Rock Paper Scissors, and Beautiful Ugly (out January 14, 2025).
Informative. Delicious. Heartfelt. Vulnerable.
This year, I went exclusively audiobook for nonfiction reading and it was so enjoyable. I found I loved listening to memoirs read by the author themselves, and historical subject matter felt like a long podcast that taught me something.
These twelve really stood out, for various reasons. If someone were to ask me to recommend something, it would be off this list. Want a strong celebrity memoir? Pick up the ones by Viola Davis, Henry Winkler, Rob Lowe, Paul Scheer, Demi Moore, Griffin Dunne, and Minka Kelly. Want some history and reflection of major world events alongside the celeb’s memoir? Grab Katie Couric’s, especially if you grew up with her delivering the news. Memoirs by some fantastic writers? Nora McInerny and Chelsea Devantez can write one hell of a story. That leaves Adam Higginbotham’s Midnight in Chernobyl, which is an intricately woven, detailed history of the nuclear disaster, giving readers much more than what we were taught in history classes. (I’d like to give an honorable mention to another book he released this year, Challenger, about the space shuttle disaster.) Saving the best for last: Michelle McNamara’s posthumously published work, thanks to her husband Patton Oswalt working tirelessly to help complete it after she died. Follow up with that documentary on HBO, if you’re so inclined.
Tracking everything I’ve been reading this year has been such a delight. I think I’ll continue doing so in the new year. Speaking of… I want to set some goals!
As I write these down, I remind myself of three things: any reading is good, lots of reading is great, and if I hit these goals, that’s awesome. The main goal is just to keep reading.
2025 Reading Goals
READ 60 BOOKS. This doubles my goal set in 2024, and even though I blew that out of the water, I want my yearly goal to stay attainable (because, you know, life). This feels comfortable, based on this past year.
BRANCH OUT. I want to give some other genres a genuine try — while I’m not really into romance or fantasy (or romantasy) maybe I’ll pick up a series my bestie loves to see if I can lost in it like she does. I’d also like to incorporate some more contemporary literary fiction. Rest assured, I will still be a mystery/suspense/thriller queen, for sure.
DEVOUR MORE POETRY. I have a few collections I’ve sifted through that are on my shelf or in my library and I want to dedicate some more time to each of them, so I will add those in throughout the year.
READ CLASSICS. Now seems like a great time to add some classic novels I have never read to my monthly slate. I’m thinking I will craft a list to read in 2025 to further broaden my literary horizons.
REREAD CLASSICS/PAST FAVORITES. I want to revisit some classics and some past favorites I read a decade or two ago, to see if my view of the work has changed. I’ll review my shelf or Goodreads and pick out a handful that I remember fondly and report back!
As always, if you have any recommendations for things I should add to my list, please share them in the comments. You can also send me a direct message here or on Instagram. And please tell me what your favorite books of 2024 were — I’d love to know!