Guys. It’s been a reading year. Let me tell you!
Let’s dive in with our 2024 Reading Recap!
As many of you know, I love to take time regularly to reflect. I have weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly reflections built into my habits and routines for different things. Since reading is such a huge part of my life, we pause here on GraceBought for an annual Reading Recap.
Because I strive to cultivate a variety in my reading diet, I break the year down into different categories. You can click on the links to find my complete reviews of each of the books below (if I’ve left them – I still have a few left to write!)
Alright, let’s dive in!
2024 Reading Goals
- Read a total of 65+ books for the year
- Including 12 nonfiction books
- Including 3+ devotionals/bible studies
Oddly, this year’s reading took a bit of a turn! A few things contributed to a bit of a wonky reading year.
First, I joined my church in a congregational 21 day fast in January, kicking off the year with no personal or pleasure reading (meaning, I allowed exemptions for work and bible/devo reading). It was really strange to push off reading goals until the end of January, but it was also a beautiful experience of focusing more on prayer and praise as the year began.
Second, I started a new job in January this year (more on that in the 2024 Wrap-Up post next week). I’ve been so blessed by and thankful for this job! I’m learning new skills and seeing behind the publishing curtain, so to speak – which includes a much heavier reading/editing responsibility than I’ve had in previous jobs.
It’s been an adventure relearning how to distribute my “brain energy” for personal reading when I spend so much of my day editing for work. I’ve found myself reading a lot less in heavy editing seasons just because I get to the end of the day mentally exhausted. So, there have been a few rocky reading months this year – and honestly, I think I’m still learning a little bit, but I’ve gotten better.
Another interesting impact of my work reading is that I ended up reading some manuscripts multiple times, so I had to figure out how to best track those (cause they totally count as reads!) but still set goals that stretch and challenge me.
Third, as we did for 2023, Cassie Porath and I hosted a special Reading Challenge on IG for our reading goals this year (I’ve really got to start making a post about these challenges here on GraceBought!). For 2024, our theme was to target our TBR list! (You can join our 2025 Variety Challenge here! We have fun bookish chats each month plus fun prizes at the end of the year!)
As I tackled my reading this year, I sought to focus on my TBR list, so when I was able to make time for reading, I really felt like I made some good progress toward books I’ve been wanting to read.
So! Fun stats for the year!
- Overall, I read 87 books for the year (Still got another few days, so this is subject to change!)
- 12 nonfiction reads, including 8 devotionals/Bible studies
- 24,623 pages, not quite surpassing 2023 (yet – but I expect to!) which had 25,355 pages
For more Reading Reflections (including TBR Challenge stats), check out the GraceBought 2024 Wrap-Up post!
And what we’ve all be waiting for: GraceBought’s favorite reads of 2023.
Best Re-Reads of 2024
Our TBR focus allowed me to pick off books that had been sitting on the TBR for an eternity (as well as to enjoy some newer TBRs I had marked down, too), including the priority to reread some of my childhood favorites. While much of my rereading this year was unexpected work rereads, I did get to reread my beloved Ella Enchanted <3
But one of my main rereading goals was Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Shadow Children series! And oh man, did I love them! I think maybe even more than when I read them as a kid! It’s so hard to choose a favorite from the series, but if you’ve never read them, definitely don’t make the same mistake I did as a kid by reading them out of order – start with Among the Hidden.
Additionally, I got to reread The Giver trilogy (and finally read the fourth book in the set). Both of these series have stuck with me since I was young and I’d reread them again in a heartbeat!
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver is a truly remarkable read. No matter how many times I reread, it always makes me think. It gets to my emotions and challenges me to love others well. This is an incredible read I cannot more highly recommend it, no matter how many times you have (or haven’t) engaged with the story.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Another MG dystopian read in the favorites category (is this going to be a 2024 trend?), is this delightful little read. This series feels especially poignant considering today’s society. I think I got more out of this as an adult than I did as a kid, but boy howdy, does Haddix write a good story! It’s touching, thought-provoking, and even a little bit of a warning for those who disregard life so easily, lost in a pursuit of power.
Best New Read of 2024
Honestly, this one was a little hard for several months because I read some amazing books this year! But as many really fantastic reads as I came across this year, one trilogy blew me out of the water: the Ravenwood Saga.
Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse
This was hands down my favorite read of the year (all 3 books – I couldn’t pick a favorite in the series). It’s been on my TBR for a year or two since I love Busse’s books so much. To be honest, based on the premise alone, I thought this would be my least favorite series of Busse’s, but these have become my favorite of her works so far! I binge read these in just a couple of days each. This story has touched my heart so deeply. The characters, the themes, the super cool magic system! If you haven’t read this one, you absolutely should!
Best YA of 2024
I read a fair bit of YA this year since there were several YA books on my TBR. Honestly, there were some fantastic reads so these almost feel like runner’s up or honorable mentions to the the Best of category above.
The Eternity Gate by Katherine Briggs
This one was the 2024 favorite read for most of the year! It was a truly delightful read, one of the first thoroughly “just for fun” reads of the year with a really fun world and so many twists and turns. This story took me to so many unexpected places and I loved it for that.
Winter’s Maiden by Morgan Busse
Finding another Morgan Busse book on the list of favorites is no surprise! This is her newest release set in yet another fascinating world. Her premise’s just draw me in! A warrior who can feel death? And a healer who’s powers are blocked by his own unhealed trauma? Sign me up!
Busse is an incredible storyteller and this was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year! I can’t wait for the second book in the series!
The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes
Y’all know I’m always down for a Nadine book! This one is total Gladiator x Matrix x Inception vibes – a fantasy/sci-fi mash up, and another dystopian story for the year.
It was so different from anything I expected, especially the ending, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more this one has grown on me. I just love the beautiful balance of fantastic story world and light and hope in the midst of darkness that Nadine masters.
Best MG of 2024
I love Middle Grade – and now I work for a MG publisher, so I get to read lots more of it! There have already been some MG favorites as seen above, but I have two favorite MGs listed here: one I was introduced to because of work, and the other a reread.
Neverseen by Shannon Messenger
One of my goals was to finish rereading KOTLC this year so I could read the newest ones I haven’t read yet. I didn’t quite make it through the whole series like I’d hoped, but I did get to pick up with rereading Neverseen. I love these characters and Messenger’s plots are incredibly engaging! Honestly, this is one of my very favorite MG series of all time! And definitely my top MG of 2024.
The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson by Glenn McCarty
I’d never heard of Tumbleweed Thompson before working for Story Warren, but it was a truly delightful read. It feels like a classic adventure in a world where things were more focused on people. Good, old-fashioned shenanigans with good friends. This was as surprise in my reading this year, and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to work with updating the book for the new edition as well as the release of the second book!
Best Misc. of 2024
Sooo, did I just make up this category to include these two books? Maaayyybe…but to be fair, I have fewer categories this year. I didn’t really read much in the way of classics or indie fiction this year, but these two books were two of my standout reads for the year, so it just didn’t feel right not mentioning them.
Guardian by Cathy McCrumb
LOOK AT THAT COVER! Can this be Best Cover of 2024? Or perhaps best Sci-Fi (I did read more sci-fi than normal)? Or maybe Best Conclusion to a series? Honestly, if I chose sequels for the Best Read of 2024, this might have won. But since Recorder won Best of 2023 and since this is the final book in the trilogy, I’ll just oogle it here in our new misc. category. This is an incredible story that I cannot more highly recommend!
Oathbound by Victoria McCombs
So, we’ll call this one Best of 2024 Pirate reads? Or Sea stories? Honestly, with the number of mermaid/pirate/ocean books I read, this should totally be it’s own category. Either way, this one was at the very least an honorable mention for the year. An engaging read with superb characters and some jaw dropping twists!
Best Audio Books of 2024
Okay, so I listened to soo many work audio reads this year that I struggled to listen to some of my personal audio books. I listened to a few longer books, and the audio format isn’t my strongest reading skill.
Nevertheless, a few narrations I did enjoy include Brisinger and Inheritance from the Eragon series (not for work) by Christopher Paolini as well as the Team Burger Shed (for work) by Tavin Dillard/Joel Berry (a really funny read, honestly). Also, John Kroft’s narration of Haddix’s Shadow Children series is absolutely wonderfully done.
That said, there is one narration that absolutely stands out as the Best Audio Book of 2024.
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
This little gem is an award-winning children’s classic. One I haven’t read since I was a really little girl. I love Newbery books, and so I’ve wanted to reread some recently. This was an easy, quick audio read I could listen to to clear my audio book pallet, so to speak. And I was purely delighted to find an edition narrated by the author himself, which also included an afterword about the story of how White wrote this book. It’s not by any means my favorite MG, but this narration was fabulous, and it truly is a beautiful, classic little story.
Best Nonfiction of 2024
Nonfiction is important to maintain a growing, healthy mind. Personal development, business, finance, leadership, relationships, inspirational, bible studies, craft books – you name it! Nonfiction isn’t generally my natural inclination in reading, so I intentionally strive to include 12+ nonfiction reads a year (an average of 1 a month).
My top 2 Nonfiction reads of the year – a bible study and a little devotional-style book (with an honorable mention):
Revelation: Eternal King, Everlasting Kingdom by Jen Wilkin
Jen Wilken has fast become one (if not the) my favorite Bible study writers. I love her teaching style, her heart, and how much I come away from her study having learned. Revelation can be a scary or overwhelming book for a lot of people, but Wilkin really walks readers through a better approach so we can both be encouraged and equipped to better understand the Word of God.
Honorable mention: Jen Wilken’s Sermon on the Mount study was also fabulous!
Bringing Narnia Home by Devin Brown
Another Devin Brown book for the win! Guys, I have so enjoyed getting to read Brown’s books on Narnia. This was a delightful little devotional-style book that examines lessons taken from Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia that we can apply to our own lives. I loved seeing the sweet, encouraging, and challenging thoughts with application to my life. It does include spoiler excerpts from all books in the series, so don’t read this one if you haven’t finished all seven Narnian books!
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Well, there you have it. My top reads of 2024! In no particular order 😉
What about you? What were some of your favorite books of 2024? Have you read any of the above? Or do you want to, but haven’t yet? If you did, what were your thoughts?
P. S. In case you missed it, Cassie and I are doing a 2025 Variety Bingo Reading Challenge to help readers focus on creating diversity in their reading diet! See more details here and sign up here – I’ll plan to make a post about on GraceBought it in Jan. Either way, here’s to the new adventures of 2025 reading!
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Well, I didn’t do WWW this week because it would be identical to last month’s, but I’d love to share my favorite reads of the year. I have six:
It was a great year of reading, and I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you!
Wow! This is such a fun list! I love seeing your top reads of the year! The Guzman novel sounds like a much needed topic in our society! And I love when we find good fiction to enjoy too. I’m so glad you had a great year of reading!! Thank you for sharing your updates with me!