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24 books in 2024, book review, book-reviews, Books, goals, goodreads, reading, Reading Challenge, reading goals
I can hardly believe 2023 has almost come to an end. As of writing this post, I logged 172 books on Goodreads out of my goal of 175. Even if I do not reach that goal, I feel satisfied with the books I read this year. I discovered so many new favorites, abandoned some books not worth my time, and pushed myself to read a little out of my comfort zone. I chose 23 books to read for 2023. Some of these books I may not have read this year if I had not challenged myself to read them. I decided to do the same for the coming year and choose 24 books to read in 2024. For this list, I chose books I had never read before, not in any series I have already started, a mix of owned and potential library books, and a mix of fiction and nonfiction books. Without further ado, here are the books I chose to prioritize in 2024 (with snippets taken from Goodreads to summarize the plots):
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo: Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. I picked up this book at a library sale this year. It may make a good read aloud book with my children.
- No Space Like Home by Dell Tunnicliff: If life were only as simple as following a yellow brick road. Gail’s quiet life among the Kansa Station turbines ends with a hug, a prayer, and a shove… into space. I bought this book back when Chautona talked about books for Anne-tober. I sometimes forget about the science fiction genre and how much I like it.
- I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys: Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe. Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom? I have read two books by this author. One I really liked, and the other annoyed me at times. This one has had amazing reviews by people with similar reading tastes to me. My husband found a copy somewhere, so I already have it on my unread pile.
- A P.D. James book. I picked up a copy of The Skull Beneath the Skin at a library sale. I have thought about trying this author for a while and randomly chose one of her books at a bag sale. Since this is the second book in a series, I may read a different book by this author first.
- A Georgette Heyer book. Again, I have been curious to try this author’s books for years. I snagged a copy of Charity Girl at a thrift store. However, the reviews on Goodreads lead me to believe this is not the best example of Heyer’s writing. I may decide to try out a different book. Or, I might start with a mediocre book and work my way up to the better ones.
- Kydd by Julian Stockwin: Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, is seized by the press gang, to be a part of the crew of the 98-gun line-of-battle ship Royal William. The ship sails immediately and Kydd has to learn the harsh realities of shipboard life fast. Despite all that he goes through in danger of tempest and battle he comes to admire the skills and courage of the seamen – taking up the challenge himself to become a true sailor. My husband bought a copy at a library sale. I want to either read this or purge it from our shelves to make room for more books.
- Volition by Chautona Havig: It’s Doctor Who meets mail-order brides when “rescuers” from the future arrive to save Andi Flanders from a happy life with her loving family and fiancé. Okay, so they meant to get her suicidal roommate, but hey. Mistakes happen, right? And as far as Andi’s concerned, they can fix them—by sending her home. However, when she learns what happens when she disappears from home, Andi has an impossible choice. Stay in the government-controlled futuristic world she despises and never see her family again or return to the twenty-first century and doom an innocent person to death. Volition— Life and death decisions are so overrated. I snagged a copy of the ebook during Chautona’s generous birthday sale this summer. I have not read her science fiction writing yet. I think I will really like this one since I have loved most of the books I have read by her.
- Selected Poems: Emily Dickinson. I want to like poetry for adults, but I have yet to find some I really like. Amanda Flower referenced Dikinson’s poetry in her book Crime and Poetry, which I read last year and again this fall. When I found a copy of Emily’s selected poems at a thrift store recently, I decided to give poetry another try.
- The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton: is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for “social”) has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he’s always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers–until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy’s skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. Chantel raved about this book when she read it this year. This seems like a low-commitment classic to read this year.
- The Body They May Kill by Audrey Stallsmith: In the quaint village of Deerfield, Pastor Enoch Foster falls over dead in front of his congregation after drinking from the communion cup. An autopsy indicates he was poisoned. In the aftermath of his murder, his influence continues to be felt as a diverse group of parishioners learns to depend on God as well as each other–even though all of them are suspect! Chautona highly recommended this book in one of her videos. I enjoyed several of the books she referenced in Twice Sold Tales, so a few of the books she likes made it on my list to read next year.
- Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce: A charming, irresistible debut novel set in London during World War II about an adventurous young woman who becomes a secret advice columnist. I think I found out about this book from Chantel. I meant to read it for one of the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge prompts this year, but that did not work out. If I do not get to it this year, I will most likely take it off my Goodreads tbr.
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson: Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster? Since I finished the Sanderson series I started in years past, I want to get to some of his secret project books he published this year.
- The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh: A middle-grade survival story that traces a family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s. Again, Chantel mentioned this book in one of her videos. I want to find more good middle grade books to recommend to my niece and to have my boys listen to on audio as they get older.
- The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit: Jerry, Jimmy, and Cathy stumble upon a mysterious castle with a beautiful princess asleep in the garden. The princess is really Mabel, the housekeeper’s niece, who is only pretending to be royalty. But when she shows them a secret room filled with treasure where they discover a magical ring, enchantment becomes a reality. I used to love books like this when I was a teen and young adult. I want to find more books like it to enjoy as an adult.
- The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragón: Margaret, Rose, Jane, and Fran had a good thing meet every week in the quiet of their peaceful chapel and knit prayer shawls. No muss, just ministry. That is, until their pastor boots them out of the church in his last-ditch effort to revive the dwindling congregation. Chautona mentioned this book as a possibility for Anne-tober and/or as one of the books she read in October. A couple of people also commented on her videos about enjoying this book during the fall. It seems like a cozy book to read in the cold months. It reminds me a bit of my church growing up as a group of ladies crocheted and knit prayer shawls for the church.
- Love, Mary Elisabeth by Christy Martenson: Eleven-year-old Mary Elisabeth’s life will never be the same. It’s 1924 and her mother has contracted tuberculosis – a deadly, terrifying disease. A far away sanatorium holds the only hope of saving her. Papa takes a grueling job at the shipyards to pay for her treatment. Mary Elisabeth must travel 350 miles from home to begin a new life on her uncle’s farm. Her only connection to her parents is by letter. Will that be enough to give her courage to brave the challenges that await? I gleaned this book from my reread of Twice Sold Tales this fall. I read a few books referenced in this story this year and loved most of them. I added just about every book I had not read to my Goodreads tbr.
- The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold: Among her late grandmother’s belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town’s history, her ancestors–and her estranged father. Brunsvold’s debut novel, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, may be my favorite book I read this year. I may pre-order this one as I have already heard good things about it from people who received advanced copies.
- The Dark Lord’s Daughter by Patricia C. Wrede: Kayla is just an ordinary girl . . . or so she thinks. When a day at the state fair is interrupted by the news that she’s the daughter of a “Dark Lord,” she and her family are quickly whisked to another world—one that’s chock-full of magic but lacking in technology! I haver really enjoyed Wrede’s books over the years. I am eager to read her newest release.
- The Reading Life by C. S. Lewis: A window into the thoughts of one of the greatest public intellectuals of our time, this collection reveals not only why Lewis loved the written word, but what it means to learn through literature from one of our wisest and most enduring teachers. I enjoy books about books and reading. I look forward to reading this one.
- Teatime Discipleship by Sally Clarkson: With Teatime Discipleship , Sally invites you into her beautifully photographed home, pours you a steaming cup of tea, and shares the prayers, Scripture, stories, recipes, and traditions that are dear to her heart. You’ll experience the incredible gift of teatime as you take in eternal truths about God’s love and design while learning how you can use your own unique gifts to share with others the beauty of a life redeemed by Christ. I enjoyed other books by Sally Clarkson. This one looks gorgeous.
- A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller: Author Paul Miller shares his insights and conclusions about how to connect the broken pieces of your life and allow prayer—even poorly delivered—to fill the gaps with meaning and substance. Miller’s down-to-earth approach and practical nature will help you see that your relationship with God can grow and your communication with Him can get better. Parents will find Miller’s family-life experiences especially helpful. My praying life could use some work. I hope this book will get me on a better track.
- Broken Bread by Tilly Dillehay: When we take the business of breaking bread together seriously, as the early church did, we not only use the table to build community, faith, and love, but the act of preparing and eating food becomes sweeter, more savory, and much more enjoyable. A Sheologians podcast referenced this book. I ended up buying a copy as I do not think my library has it, and Amazon had it on sale this week.
- Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie Mallowan: a charming, fascinating, and wonderfully witty nonfiction account of her days on an archaeological dig in Syria with her husband, renowned archeologist Max Mallowan. Something completely different from arguably the best-selling author of all time, Come, Tell Me How You Live is an evocative journey to the fascinating Middle East of the 1930s that is sure to delight Dame Agatha’s millions of fans, as well as aficionados of Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody mysteries and eager armchair travelers everywhere. I want to learn more about the woman who wrote so many good mysteries. I also had an interest in archeology in my younger years.
- Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster: explores the ‘classic disciplines,’ or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found. One of my pen pals recommended this book to me. I think it will be a great addition to my personal education for the year.
I chose these books to challenge myself a bit, get to some books I have put off for a while, read some nonfiction, and to clear some space on my shelf where I keep books I own but have not read. I hope to find some new favorites from this list. Do any of you write out a list of books to read each year? I will read more books than this, but I want to prioritize these books.