Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
As promised yesterday, here are the best books I read in 2024. I think these posts are more interesting when Top Ten Tuesday bloggers include reasons why they loved certain titles, so I will be adding that into my responses as well.
Seven of my ten answers are books I wrote reviews for, and links to my reviews are included for those ones.
1. What Does It Feel Like? By Sophie Kinsella
Why I Loved It: This book was such an interesting and educational peek at what it’s like to live with a nearly 100% fatal type of brain cancer. I’m hoping that Ms. Kinsella will be around for many years to come.
2.Bodega Botanica Tales by Maria Rodriguez Bross
Why I Loved It: Urban fantasy is such an under-appreciated genre in my opinion. I love reading about how fantasy worlds works in large, bustling cities.
3. Strange New World by A.R. Grosjean
Why I Loved It: It retells one of my favourite childhood stories in the zaniest way.
4. What Love Survives & Other Stories by DB MacInnes
Why I Loved It: The blend of genres and the willingness to try new things. I don’t think speculative fiction is something this author writes much of – or at least that’s the impression I got – so it’s awesome to see them branch out.
5. Cloudspotting for Beginners by William Grill
Why I Loved It: Clouds are endlessly fascinating. Who wants to go cloud watching with me and point out what shapes they make?
6. The Killer Catfish of Cape Cod by Bill Russo
Why I Loved It: The slight absurdity of it all, beginning with the title. It sounds like the sort of tall tale a local person would swear is true if you visited a small town bar.
7. Neuro Noir by Al Hess
Why I Loved It: Computers as protagonists. The way these ones saw the world was so wildly different from how the average person would interpret the same data.
8. Ghosted – A Short Story by H.L. Burke
Why I Loved It: What a cozy little fantasy. It felt like the literary equivalent of drinking a nice cup of tea and warming up after a damp, chilly walk outdoors.
9. Veterans of Love and War: A First World War Ghost Story by Steven Glick
Why I Loved It: While I normally shy away from war stories, I loved how this one showed how a young closeted gay man experienced World War I.
10. Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood by Gretchen Sisson
Why I Loved It: This book shed light on the shady, and in my opinion sometimes downright immoral, tactics many adoption agencies in the United States use in order to convince people – and mostly mothers – to place their babies for adoption. Adoption can be a great option for kids who can’t safely remain with their birth families, but there are many families that could stay together and thrive if offered support through hard times.
Neuro Noir sounds interesting!
It was really good!
Glad you enjoyed all these Lydia. Thanks for supporting my blog with your comments throughout the year. Happy New Year to you.
You’re welcome. Happy New Year!
It looks like you had a diverse reading year. I hope you have a wonderful 2025!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/my-twelve-favorite-reads-of-2024/
Thank you, Pam!
I only know Sophie Kinsella, but it has been years since I read a book by her.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2024/12/31/top-ten-tuesday-2024-favourites/
Cool.
The cloud watching book sounds interesting, mainly because our skies here are generally cloud free. It’s weird when I think about it, but it’s unusual to see anything but clear, blue sky in these parts.
Also, America is broken in so many ways. But if the powers that be would stop cutting funding to the social programs that actually help families, maybe more could keep their children? Okay, off the soapbox, sorry.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I’m so glad you understand that!
It’s funny that you almost always have clear skies while I almost always see over cast ones. 🙂
I haven’t read any of Sophie’s books, but several sound fun. While I’m sure her latest is well written and very personal (I only recently read about what she’s going through), it’s also probably not one I’d pick up. I tend to prefer stories that are a bit happier these days. Glad to know it’s a good read. Thanks for visiting my list today! 🙂
I totally understand that, Rissi. It’s what I thought you might say.
And you’re welcome.
Uhm, I think I need to read the Killer Catfish book. It’s not a want, it’s a need. I haven’t heard of any of these but I’m glad you love them!
Ash @ Essentially Ash
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It was fabulous! Hope you like it.
Bodega Botanica Tales sounds cool, agree with urban fantasy is very underrated
It was so good. 🙂
The only book I’ve heard of on your list is Sophie Kinsella’s and I feel like I have to gear myself up emotionally to read it. I’ve heard it’s fantastic though (and it clearly was for you as it’s on your top reads list, hehe). I hope you continue to discover new and amazing reads in 2025, Lydia!
It was quite the tearjerker, but the ending was fabulous.
Happy New Year, Dini!
I need to check out that Sophie Kinsella one; I haven’t read any of her books in awhile, but I do love the way she tells a story. fun list! 😀
It was sad but excellent!
These sound like some interesting reads! I’m another fan of urban fantasy, and agree that it’s an underrated subgenre. I don’t read as much of it these days as I used to, though. I’ve been wanting cozier reads, and UF is often not all that cozy.
That is very true! Here’s hoping we get some cozy urban fantasy. 🙂
Great list, Lydia! I haven’t read any of them yet, but they all sound very interesting. I hope you have a wonderful new year full of great books!
Thank you. 🙂
The Killer Catfish of Cape Cod sounds fun! Great list!
It was super fun!
Fabulous list! They all sound interesting. Happy new reading year! 📚🥂
Thank you. Happy new year!
So many interesting choices — I”m not familiar with any, but I’d be especially interested in checking out the Sophie Kinsella book. Happy new year!
Thank you. Happy New Year!
You always have interesting lists! I really like Sophie Kinsella and this one sounds especially good. I’m glad to hear you liked it. Happy new year!
Aww, thanks. Happy New Year!
I’m an adoptive mom in the U.S., so RELINQUISHED sounds super interesting to me. We adopted through a private lawyer and were able to meet our daughter’s birth mother, who explained to us why she was placing her baby for adoption. It was a sacred experience for my husband and me to witness her sacrifice and to promise her that she could trust us to raise her child to the best of our ability. Adoption has been a beautiful, life-changing experience for us, but I also know that our story isn’t everyone’s and there’s plenty of shady stuff that has happened in the past and is still happening now with adoption.
Glad you found so many great books to love this year! Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m thrilled that your adoption worked out so well for everyone. That’s wonderful.
I haven’t heard of any of your favourite books this year which is so fun, I love this topic and seeing what everyone loved most. That adoption book sounds fascinating but also important, it’ such a shame that the system can treat children like ‘goods’ rather than offering families support when they most need it.
it’s wonderful to be introduced to a whole list of authors you weren’t already aware of!
And, yes, that is quite the shame indeed.
So many books that sound amazing on your list. Strange New World and Veterans of Love and War need to go on my wish list. Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog.
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you like those two titles.
I haven’t read any of these but I love the idea of the Cloudspotting one! I love observing clouds.
Thank you. Cloudwatching is so fun.
What an excellent selection of books! I have to look for a copy of killer catfish of cape cod.
https://getlostinlit.blogspot.com/2024/12/top-ten-best-books-i-read-in-2024.html
Smashwords should have it!
Neuro sounds good! Looks like it was a good reading year for you
Thank you. Yes, it was.
Bodega Botantica Tales sounds so good!
It was excellent.
Relinquished sounds so good. It did not occur to me that mothers were being convinced to put their child up for adoption when they are perfectly capable of parenting them. I find that shocking. Great list.
Happy New Year!
Yes, it’s an odd part of U.S. culture. I know other countries don’t necessarily do that!
Yikes, Relinquished sounds like a probably horrifying read. I’m curious now (and wondering what it’s like in the UK).
It sure was.
From what I’ve read, things are better in the U.K. because private adoptions aren’t allowed there. So there’s not a big financial incentive to convince people to give their babies up for adoption.
Hi Lydia, these are all new-t0-me books, but glad you enjoyed them all so much. Here’s to another good year of reading in 2025.
Blessings, Jessica 💌
Thank you!
Ghosted sounds really interesting. I love a cozy little fantasy read. I like how you describe this one. Hope you have a wonderful New Year!
It was lovely. You might really like it. Happy New Year!
Fantastic list! Happy New Year! 🙂
Thank you. Happy New Year!
This is such a diverse list! I hope 2025 is just as great, if not better for you. I definitely hope the family stuff is better. <3 Happy New Year!
Aww, thank you. I appreciate that. Happy New Year!
Is it sad that I have never really considered sharing my reasons why I love the book?! Maybe next time there is a post like this I will remember this moment, LOL! I do enjoy seeing why people enjoy certain books.
Heh, no. Everyone is different. But if you do share your reasons next time, I’d love to read them!
Ghosted and Strange New World in particular sound great. I hope you find even more books to love in 2025!
Thank you. You, too!
Great list, and I’m glad to see how many cool books you read in the last year. I thought What Does It Feel Like? sounds interesting, and I had no idea that Sophie Kinsella even had fatal brain cancer. Hopefully she’ll continue to do well and write many more books that you love.
Thank you!
I believe she has already survived a lot longer than expected and is doing really well. So my fingers are crossed she’ll be around for many, many years to come.
I’m glad you found so many good books! I hope 2025 is a great reading year for you.
Thank you. You, too!
What Does It Feel Like was a 5-star read for me as well. I selfishly wished it had been a little longer, but the creative idea of doing vignettes – and the generally optimistic tone – made it stand out.
Bodega Bontanic Tales has a really unique premise — I’ll have to check that one out as my Soft Fantasy journey continues.
I’m glad you enjoyed What Does It Feel Like, too!
I think Bodega Botanical Tales would be right up your alley. Hope you like it.
loved the alliteration in #2 .. and want to add that one along with #s3 and 5 to my tbr now..
Thank you. Happy reading!
It’s funny, I wouldn’t say I’m particularly interested in war stories and I don’t usually seek them out either, but somehow they tend to interest me and I’ve read and loved a lot of them! I’m glad you enjoyed Veterans of Love and War!
Cool! Thanks for sharing.