2024 on Goodreads

December 28th, 2024. I read a total of 104 books for 2024. This year overall was better than most on a mental level. For a reading level, it was alright. I lost motivation in february and didn't get it back until June. But... I was pregnant for most of the year. Sooooo... yeah
I might try to do this again next year... but time is short and I'm busy.

October 2024: Wow... I 100% forgot about this

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ 2024 goodreads reading challenge

✧. ┊ goals:
: ̗̀➛ read 85 books
: ̗̀➛ try not to dnf
: ̗̀➛ join more buddy reads



ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

✧. ┊ january:
fav:fourth wing by rebecca yarros
lowest rated:heir of fire by sarah j. maas
number of books read: 9

✧. ┊ february:
fav:kingdom of ash by sarah j. maas
lowest rated:queen of shadows by sarah j. maas
number of books read: 6

✧. ┊ march:
fav:the crimson moth by kristen ciccarelli
lowest rated:shatter me by tahereh mafi
number of books read: 20

✧. ┊ april:
fav:the throne of broken gods by amber v. nicole
lowest rated:captive of the pirate king by rebecca f. kenney
number of books read: 14

°••☆••°2024 Years in Books°••☆••°

Reading Goal: 104
Books Read so far: 26

》Goals《
• Read 104 books
• Continue being active on goodreads
• Attempt to review every book I read
• Read 100 pages/day
• Read books of different genres
• Read books based on mood, don't feel compelled to read something when I don't want to
• Don't try to read series all in one go, more likely to fall into a reading slump
• Do not fall into a reading slump at all

☆2024 new releases☆
■ The Atlas of Us (09/01)
■ The Ever Queen (26/01)
■ If Only I Had Told Her (06/02)
■ The Prisoner's Throne (05/03)
■ The Primal of Blood and Bone (Spring 2024)
■ Born of Blood and Ash (07/05)
□ Reckless (02/07)
□ The Darkness Within Us (09/07)
□A Dawn with the Wolf Knight (01/08)
□ Wisteria (20/08)


24 books in 2024
1. If Only I Had Told Her ✅
2. The Ever Queen 
3. The Prisoner's Throne ✅
4. Reckless
5. Wisteria
6. The Atlas of Us
7. Throne of Glass (and the rest but they take up too much room) ✅
8. The Burning God ✅
9. Babel
10. Family of Liars ✅
11. Ruthless Vows ✅
12. A Light in the Flame
13. A Soul of Ash and Blood
14. Portrait of a Scotsman
15. This Cursed Light ✅
16. A Duet with the Siren Duke
17. Children of Fallen Gods
18. The Darkness Within Us
19. Spark of the Everflame
20. The Book of Azrael ✅
21. Serpent & Dove ✅
22. Empire of the Vampire
23. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the sea
24. The Library of Shadows ✅

Series I want to finish/get up to date with
> The Last Finestra (2/2) ✅
> The Ever Seas (2/3)
> The Stolen Heir (2/2) ✅
> The Powerless Trilogy (2/3)
> Belladonna (2/3)
> The Poppy War (3/3) ✅
> We Were Liars (2/2) ✅
> Letters of Enchantment (2/2) ✅
> Blood and Ash (4/6)
> Flesh and Fire (1/4)
> Red Queen (2/6)
> A League of Extraordinary Women (2/4)
> Married to Magic (3/5)
> The War of Lost Hearts (1/4)
> The Shadows Between Us (1/2)
> Dangerous Damsels (1/3)
> Entangled with Fae (2/5)


Series I want to read
> Throne of Glass (4/8) [Going to treat it as if it's new]
> Kindred's Curse (0/4)
> Gods and Monsters (1/2)
> Serpent & Dove (1/3)
> The Scarlet Veil (1/2)
> Empire of the Vampire (0/2)
> The Library Trilogy (0/3)
> Crescent City (0/3)
> The Atlas Six (0/3)
> Sisters of the Salt (0/2)
> All the Stars and Teeth (1/2)
> Lightlark (1/2)

Books I want to re-read:
♡ If He Had Been With Me
♡ The Stolen Heir
♡ A Study in Drowning
♡ Letters to the Lost
♡ Throne of Glass ✅
♡ Red Queen & Glass Sword
♡ Powerless ✅️
♡ The Shadows Between Us

Total pages read in 2024: 7,375

°°•♧•°°•♧•°°
January
Total Books: 8
Average Rating: 4.0
Favourite Book(s): The Unmaking of June Farrow
Least Favourite Book(s): Lightlark
DNF's: 0

■ This Cursed light ⭐⭐⭐⭐
■ The Book of Azrael ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
■ Ruthless Vows ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
■ Lightlark ⭐⭐⭐
■ All the Stars and Teeth ⭐⭐⭐.5
■ The Unmaking of June Farrow ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
■ Sorcery of Thorns ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
■ Throne of Glass (rr)

Total Pages: 3,696


°°•♧•°°•♧•°°
February
Total Books: 8
Average Rating: 4.19
Favourite Book(s): If You Could See the Sun
Least Favourite Book(s): The Library of Shadows, If Only I Had Told Her
DNF's: 0

■ The Scarlet Veil ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
■ Family of Liars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
■ If You Could See the Sun ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
■ The Library of Shadows ⭐⭐⭐.5
■ The Drowning Faith ⭐⭐⭐⭐
■ The Burning God ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
■ If Only I Had Told Her ⭐⭐⭐.5
■ Serpent & Dove ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Total Pages: 3,223


°°•♧•°°•♧•°°
March
Total Books:
Average Rating:
Favourite Book(s):
Least Favourite Book(s):
DNF's:

■ The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
■ Crown of Midnight
■ This Time It's Real
■ I Hope This Doesn't Find You
■ The Prisoner's Throne
■ These Violent Delights
■ The Dead Romantics

ꕤ ꕤ Reading Tracker - 2024 ꕤ ꕤ

Goals
1) Read 312 books
Only really going to be possible due to reading manga and long commutes.
2)DNF books more often
Got better at it last year but need to keep the same energy going.
3)Read 115 non manga/graphic novel books (6/115)
I know I'm never going to really stop reading less manga/graphic novels . Instead, this type of goal is more achievable.
4)Keep the spreadsheet up to date
Failed at this last year. Hopefully I'll get better this year since I'm more familiar with the format this year.
5) Listen to 15 audiobooks until the end (1/15)
Probably going to be more but the goal is to finish them without switching to the physical book halfway.


Monthly Books

January
Isekai Omotenashi Gohan Manga Series (4 volumes): 4⭐
A Witch's Printing Office, Vol. 1: 3 ⭐
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World & Became Unrivaled in The Real World, too Vol. 1: DNF
I Had That Same Dream Again: 4⭐
Sh*t My Dad Says: 3⭐ (debatable)
Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More, Vol. 1-2: 4⭐
Congratulations the Best is Over: 3.5⭐
Hungry Ghost: 3.5⭐
Have Coffee After School in Another World: 2.7⭐
ダメスキル: 1.5⭐
Ume's Recipes: 3⭐
Ramen Wolf and Curry Tiger, Vol 1-2: 4⭐
Handheld Pies: 2.5⭐
Dungeon Meshi World Guide: 3⭐
Rooster Fighter Vol. 1: 2.5⭐
Mooncakes & Milk Bread: 4.5⭐
The Night Circus: 2.5⭐

2024 in Reading — And Otherwise2024 has been a challenging year on many levels that ended positively. On a global (rather than personal) level, the worst event was the election of Trump. I fear for friends and their children in the US. I fear for women in the US. As a queer man, I fear for the LGBTQ* community in the US (and worldwide). My thoughts and deeds are with you every day.On a personal level, I've tried to learn, to listen, and to be a better person. As of 31 December, I've been married to the best person I've ever met for 25 years. And I keep discovering just how unbelievably awesome she is even after all this time. I love you, C.Reading helped counteract the negative aspects of 2024 and enhanced the positive ones. Looking at my year in books, I'm especially amused by the stark contrasts: The great “[b:Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 58784475 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636978687l/58784475.SY75.jpg 89167797]” by [a:Gabrielle Zevin 40593 Gabrielle Zevin https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1503541462p2/40593.jpg] was shelved by 2.5 million of my fellow readers, whereas “[b:Dashing All the Way 221764632 Dashing All the Way Chelsea Curto https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1732141858l/221764632.SY75.jpg 228758912]” by [a:Chelsea Curto 20681411 Chelsea Curto https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1656107823p2/20681411.jpg], a contemporary romance that I also greatly enjoyed was shelved by exactly zero people. I've successfully destroyed fond childhood memories by re-reading some classic comics like “Tintin”, which—in general—turned out to be full of colonialist attitudes, xenophobia, and other ideas that I simply didn't notice or understand as a child from Generation X. (And I've come to discover that I deeply respect Generation Z for much of their cultural beliefs. They take in stride what took me decades.)In contrast to that, “Saga” remains the “gold standard” for comics for me. The unwaveringly life-affirming, inclusive, progressive, and simply kind ideas expressed in that comic, and its success give me hope. I wish there were more novels like it. In short: Discover Saga yourselves — it's brilliant!Apart from these individual books, there have, again, been many surprises: I read very few fantasy novels and mostly didn't even enjoy those. Maybe the appeal of it has worn off? I'm going to find out in 2025! (For example by reading “[b:Drumindor 208141987 Drumindor (The Riyria Chronicles, #5) Michael J. Sullivan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1707559070l/208141987.SX50.jpg 59577640]” by [a:Michael J. Sullivan 2063919 Michael J. Sullivan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1433443335p2/2063919.jpg], whose style—writing and otherwise—and stories I've loved for many years.)Scrolling over my year in books on Goodreads (which, despite all its shortcomings and changes by Amazon, is still my favourite social media platform for reading), I cannot help but grin at the wild ride it has been — and I very much hope it will be another one in 2025.Happy New Year 2025!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Well that wraps up the 2024 reading year.
As usual, some made up categories, and my favourite book for each, then some statistics, and my list of 5 star books from 2024.
Thanks all those who read and comment on my reviews, keeps me motivated to keep writing them. Happy 2025 everyone.

So first to the “Best of the Year” books I have read:

Best Travel - Michel the Giant: An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie
Second in this esteemed category: A Carpet Ride to Khiva by Christopher Aslan Alexander

Best History - In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Best Military - (although it is fiction) All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Best Biography - The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw

Best Nautical - Swirly World : The Solo Voyages by Andrew Fagan

Best Mountaineering - The Ascent of Nanda Devi by H.W. Tilman

Best Desert - The Quest For Timbuctoo by Brian Gardner

Best Polar - The Epic of Captain Scott by Martin Lindsay

Best Published by The Travel Book Club - Coast of Coral and Pearl by Peter Lancaster Brown

Best New Zealand Authored - Ocean Notorious: Journeys to Lost and Lonely Places of the Deep South by Matt Vance

Best Non-fiction Short Story Collection - How To Send A Message - Deluxe Edition by Caimh McDonnell

Best Fiction - Flashman in the Great Game by George MacDonald Fraser
Second in this esteemed category: True Grit by Charles Portis

Best Science Fiction - The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham

Best digital read - The Gulmohar of Mehranpur by Amal Singh

Best science The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
And downer of the year:

Biggest Disappointment - The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers - obviously expectations were far too high for this!

Some Statistics - Read 111 books this year, at a touch over 26,950 pages. This is one less book than last year, but around 4000 pages less, so some smaller books in there.

My average rating for books is a healthy 3.7 stars. (I remain pretty consistent in this over the years)

Longest book: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett at 1070 pages

My most popular review this year: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells.

Of the 110 Books I rated:
19 books 5 stars
49 books 4 stars
36 books 3 stars
6 books 2 stars
no 1 star books this year!

Given the 3.7 average rating, and the high proportion of 4 stared books, 4 stars for the year it seems is most appropriate, once again.



Links to my reviews of my five star reads of 2023.

Diary of a Slave by Rustam Khan-Urf
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Epic of Captain Scott by Martin Lindsay
The Opium Smugglers by Ion L. Idriess
Flashman in the Great Game by George MacDonald Fraser
A Carpet Ride to Khiva by Christopher Aslan Alexander
Dust on My Shoes by Peter Pinney
The Anzacs by Patsy Adam-Smith
Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux
Coast of Coral and Pearl by Peter Lancaster Brown
The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw
Cannibal Caravan by Charles Miller
The Land of Maybe: A Faroe Islands Year by Tim Ecott
Michel the Giant: An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie
True Grit by Charles Portis
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Tiger For Breakfast by Michel Peissel
Another Day of Life by Ryszard Kapuściński



Not really reading material, but this was my regularly edited reading list for the yearThe Room on the Roof - Ruskin BondAll Quiet on the Western FrontHeart of the Sea - PhilbrickMoby Dick - MelvilleCormac McCarthy - The CrossingHW Tilman x1Orwell - books v. cigarettesFreya Stark - Baghdad SketchesRosita ForbesEric Newby x1Buchan's Richard Hannay #3Dashiell Hammett - Continental OpFlashman #5Flashman #6Master and MargaritaRoddy Doyle x1 - SmileNicholas Jubber - Prester QuestOrhan Pamuk - My Name is RedGabriel Krause - Who they WasOcean Notorious - Matt VanceThe Kraken Awakes - WyndhamAnother HG Wells1x Joan DruettANZACsBurma SahibRe-reads: Do Androids Dream of Electric SheepCity of Djinns - DalrymplePillars of the Earth - Follettscience x2 - Longitude, The Sixth Extinction2x Penguin Orange, Cerise or brown - Africa Dances, Anzacs1x P60 - Florence Nightingale3x Idriess < 3 >2x Clune < 2 >2 on Circumnavigator books < 2 >12 TBC < 14 > 12 From Travel shelf < 14 >Read if desperate for a good book!Peter Pinney -Dirt on my ShoesSea People - Christina ThompsonErika Fatland - SovietstanCarried over from 20231x Hopkirk - The Great Game