My Favorite Books of the Year

It’s that time of year again! Time to dive into a recap of my favorite hobby: reading.

Does this have anything to do with food? Nah. But I’ve published annual “Favorite Books of the Year” posts since 2020, so I’m not stopping now. Catch up here:

• Favorite Books from 2023
• Favorite Books from 2022
• Favorite Books from 2021
• Favorite Books from 2020

Now I will say that this reading year was a bit of a bleh reading year for me. I didn’t finish quite a few books that I started, and I didn’t love many of the books I read. Plus, I had a hard time just staying focused on and prioritizing reading this year.

That said, I’m happy to report that my love of reading has come back with a vengeance, and we finished the year strong.

So let’s get into my favorite reads from this year.

As always, if you’re interested in checking any of the books I mention, I have a few links for you below:

• The first one, the link to buy a physical copy, is for Bookshop.org, a website that allows you to support independent bookstores with your purchase.
• The second, the ebook version, is an Amazon affiliate link.
• The third is a link to add the book on Goodreads.

I also highly encourage you to check out your local library––most of the books I mention here I got from my library. I download my ebooks through the Libby app by adding my library card. It’s free and super convenient!

I also ended up listening to a few audiobook memoirs through my Spotify premium subscription. More on that in a bit.

Let’s get into the reads!

I had never heard of this book before, but a local bookstore I was in featured it as a book club pick, so I did what I never do and purchased a book I’ve never read. I typically only purchase books if I’ve loved and want to re-read them, but there was something interesting about the synopsis, so I took a chance and bought it.

If you’ve read the book, you’ll know how fitting this situation actually is.

I just really loved this. It’s almost a collection of interconnected short stories, and the common denominator between them all is a book. Each story personifies the saying, “No two persons ever read the same book,” and it explores each character’s life during the time they’re reading or interacting with the same book.

It’s so clever (even the chapter images have meaning!), really heartfelt, and a story that will absolutely stick with you. There are some emotional moments and some funny moments, and I just couldn’t have loved it more.

I had this book on hold from the library for months before I actually got around to reading it, but once I finally got around to it, I absolutely loved it.

It follows Clover and her experiences serving as a death doula. I had never heard of a death doula before, but I’ve heard of them more since reading this book.

A big part of this book revolves around fully embracing and living the life you’ve been given, and even though I waited for months to read it, this book came to me at just the right time. While it certainly has some sad moments, it was inspiring and heartwarming.

Loved it, and I now have a physical copy (thanks, mom!) so I can re-read it again soon.

This is a pretty popular book, and IMO, it’s for good reason!

Imagine a world where every single person over the age of 21 receives a box with a string inside. No one knows where they came from or what they mean…until they start to figure it out.

The entire world changes once the meaning of the strings is revealed, and each character we follow copes with the decision of looking at their string, their string length, and the string lengths of their loved ones in a different way.

This book made me think, and it really stuck with me––if this happened today, would I look at my string?

It’s a slower read, but I loved the interconnected stories and the touching “found family” moments.

I love Gilmore Girls. Always have, always will.

I hadn’t really read many memoirs before this came out, but once I saw that Kelly Bishop narrated the audiobook version of her memoir, I knew that’s how I wanted to read it.

I used my audiobook credits through Spotify Premium to listen to this one during some fall activities––a hike, painting, driving to see the pretty fall leaves, etc––and it was such a great experience.

I didn’t know much about Kelly’s life before Gilmore Girls, and she came across as such a “sure of herself” person with loads of interesting stories.

I will say that a good majority of the book isn’t about Gilmore Girls, and even though I’m a huge fan of the show, I didn’t mind one bit. Kelly is a fascinating, inspiring person with or without the show!

This was a re-read, and everyone loves it, so I won’t go into too much detail here.

If you haven’t read it yet, you should. It made me cry at the exact same spot that it did the first time I read it. It’s great.

2024 Reading Stats

These stats are pulled from The StoryGraph! I use Goodreads to track my reading throughout the year (because it automatically syncs with my Kindle), and then I import my Goodreads data into The StoryGraph to get these fun graphics.

I read 41 books this year, and here’s how those books break down into genres, moods, and ratings:

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And that’s a wrap! How was your reading year? What were some of your favorite books? And how do you rate books (please tell me I’m not alone in my chaotic book ratings)?