Books #33

[Heidi88]

I've read 20 books this year. I am around 60% through number 21 (The Ashes and the Star Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent). I hoped to finish it before this evening but i don't think i will manage it. While 20 is not a lot compared to what some people read I am so happy to have gotten back into reading. I loved reading as a child but fell out of the habit. I always did the Goodread's challenge and set targets of 1 book per month but never managed it. It was fantasy books that got me back into it this year. I read all of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and also the first two books in the Nyaxia series and the novella Six Scorched Roses.

Besides those I also loved The Nightingale by Krisitin Hannah, The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

 

[LaBlonde]

Interesting to hear someone else say this, I’ve had to accept that fiction on audio doesn’t work for me, only non-fiction does. No idea why

i’m the exact same! i can do non-fiction on audio but i can’t focus on an actual novel (nor can i picture the characters/location/etc the way that i can when i’m reading). i wish i could because i’d get so much more reading done and i love the idea of walking with a book but i just can’t make it work 🫠

 

[anniemouse]

I struggle too but the other week I listened to The Sh!te Before Christmas, I don’t know if it’s because it was read by the author herself but I really enjoyed it and my mind didn’t really wander off.

 

[Harlot O'Scara]

Read a book over two days to sneak in No. 66 for the year!

It was The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen and unfortunately I did not like it. 2

I actually read 9 books this month! (Two short ones, though)

I gave three of them (including Sweets) 2 , but I also gave out three 4 and a 5 so a good month to finish on I think.

Happy New Year to you all and happy reading for 2025

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I made it! 281 books. 100, 098 pages. I set my goal every year at 104 books, so two books per week. Laying in a hospital bed leaves me nothing else to do but read. I don't really watch TV and I try not to just scroll on my phone. It is surprisingly easy to read a 350ish page book when you have nothing else to do.

 

[AllieBee]

I made it! 281 books. 100, 098 pages. I set my goal every year at 104 books, so two books per week. Laying in a hospital bed leaves me nothing else to do but read. I don't really watch TV and I try not to just scroll on my phone. It is surprisingly easy to read a 350ish page book when you have nothing else to do.

That is brilliant. Not the bit about the hospital bed though, let's hope 2025 is much better for you.

 

[Hannahebee]

I've read 69 books this year and I have no idea how many I'm going to read next year but ones things for sure I'm going to take each day as it comes.

 

[Albrouze]

2024 READING ROUND UP

What is your favourite fiction read of this year?

Demon Copperhead was one of the few books that I felt emotionally invested in this year.

Also loved The Rachel Incident and Evenings and Weekends. Had never heard of either of the authors, but I guess I like Irish writers!

What is your favourite non fiction read of this year?

Did I Ever Tell You by Genevieve Kingston

What is your favourite audio book of this year?

N/A

What book/s surprised you good or bad? I.e did something not live up to your expectations or did any surpass any expectations you had for it?

Intermezzo was better than I expected it to be.

All Fours was a book I had seen listed as one of the best books of the year. The main character was so unlikeable that it could not draw me in. There are so interesting topics and the writing is great, but none of that was enough for me to say that I enjoyed it overall. I think I veered from one extreme to another while reading it.

If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading.

I have no clue how to see what my average Goodreads rating was. From briefly scrolling, it looks like 3-4 stars

Do you have a list of books you are aiming to read next year or do you have any reading goals for the year ahead, this doesnt have to be quantity based or anything like that.

To become better at DNFing a book and not letting it drag on for weeks.

I would like to read more non-fiction this year. Even to set myself a goal of reading 10 minutes of nonfiction per day.

 

[Boogs]

I've read 20 books this year. I am around 60% through number 21 (The Ashes and the Star Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent). I hoped to finish it before this evening but i don't think i will manage it. While 20 is not a lot compared to what some people read I am so happy to have gotten back into reading. I loved reading as a child but fell out of the habit. I always did the Goodread's challenge and set targets of 1 book per month but never managed it. It was fantasy books that got me back into it this year. I read all of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and also the first two books in the Nyaxia series and the novella Six Scorched Roses.

Besides those I also loved The Nightingale by Krisitin Hannah, The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

I used to read all the time as a kid (only kid I know who used to get told off for reading too much) but as I got older I found myself reading magazines and the internet more. I joined a book club a few years back to make me read more but I still rarely read for pleasure. In 2022 I read 16 books, in 2023 I read 12 books. I started out this year with 1 in January and 1 in February. Then something kicked in back in March and I’m ending the year on 83. Just a slight increase I don’t think I’ll set a goal for next year but I would like to try and read a minimum of 5 books a month. Reading is so much better for me than doom scrolling.

 

[Reality_tv_lover]

13 books this year and my favourite was Lindsey kelks love story

 

[emmer_moans]

I used to read all the time as a kid (only kid I know who used to get told off for reading too much) but as I got older I found myself reading magazines and the internet more. I joined a book club a few years back to make me read more but I still rarely read for pleasure. In 2022 I read 16 books, in 2023 I read 12 books. I started out this year with 1 in January and 1 in February. Then something kicked in back in March and I’m ending the year on 83. Just a slight increase I don’t think I’ll set a goal for next year but I would like to try and read a minimum of 5 books a month. Reading is so much better for me than doom scrolling.

Amen, regarding the reading being better than doomscrolling. Now my head is filled with plots and stories instead of terrible crap I was absorbing when doomscrolling. I go to bed thinking about my current book instead.

 

[carlaharla]

2024 READING ROUND UP

What is your favourite fiction read of this year?

I don't have a standout favourite but I really loved Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer and How To Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. I got very attached to both the egg and Pupkin.....if you know, you know.

I also really liked Penance by Eliza Clarke, it felt so real!

What is your favourite non fiction read of this year?

I had quite a few 5* non-fiction reads this year

Unmasked by Ellie Middleton - I was diagnosed with autism this year and this book just resonated so much and really helped me
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh - Written by a brain surgeon in the UK and I just found this fascinating and also a bit terrifying
Wintering by Katherine May - This was just me in a book, it felt so comforting and it's one I'll definitely re-read each winter

What is your favourite audio book of this year?

Well apparently I gave Icebreaker a 5* which was on audio - I think I was feeling generous there.

I also loved Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai but I don't think that was particularly due to the audiobook, it was just an amazing story.

What book/s surprised you good or bad? I.e did something not live up to your expectations or did any surpass any expectations you had for it?

I can't really think of any however there was Bel Canto by Ann Patchett which had been sat on my shelf for years and then my friend gave it 1* so I was dreading reading it. Anyway, ended up reading it and it was a 5*

Then there were a few like Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Lessons in Chemistry which I feel were overhyped and in my opinion were just a bit meh.

If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading.

My average rating was 3.4 which I think is really low but I think I became a harsher reviewer this year. I felt like I gave as lot of 2's and 4's so I suppose it's rounded out.

Do you have a list of books you are aiming to read next year or do you have any reading goals for the year ahead, this doesnt have to be quantity based or anything like that.

To read more than I buy - this year I read 148 books but bought 261 new physical books. Which brings me to 592 books I physically own which I haven't read which I know is just insane. But I can't help buying them! Also, a lot are charity shops buys, swaps from free little libraries etc so I haven't spent a fortune but then that seems to help justify it. I can't do a book buying ban but I might try and do a balancing the books like Drinking By My Shelf used to do on Booktube to try and keep a grip on it.

 

[CommentBelow]

2024 READING ROUND UP

What is your favourite fiction read of this year?

The Women
I Love You x 3
Gentleman in Moscow

What is your favourite non fiction read of this year?

Reach for the Stars - loved the behind the scenes 90s nostalgia.

What is your favourite audio book of this year?

Prima Facie - so good! Disappointed I missed it at the cinema but hopefully can still watch it.

What book/s surprised you good or bad? I.e did something not live up to your expectations or did any surpass any expectations you had for it?

Good - Binding 13… I did not expect to get so invested in a bunch of Irish teenagers but alas here we are holding off reading the next one until there’s a release for another

Bad - Ministry of Time

If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading.

Goodreads 3.8
StoryGraph 4.0

Have you pre-ordered any books for 2025 yet / which books are you most looking forward to being released?

I made the most of Black Friday triple stamps and pre-ordered TJR, Backman, VESchwab, Holly Bourne, John Boyne plus some paperback releases.
I expect I’ll buy the new EmHem and Thursday Murder Club too.

Do you have a list of books you are aiming to read next year or do you have any reading goals for the year ahead, this doesnt have to be quantity based or anything like that.

No official list yet but I should/will do a 25 in 2025 despite failing so badly at this years 24. I own so many books I’m genuinely excited to read (typing my top 3 made me thinking I should focus on reading the other Kristin Hannah and Amor Towles books I already own!) but get so easily distracted by something new / I just like buying books / Foyles on my commute screams ‘little treat’ at me.
Setting a target of 75 for next year and an audio target of 5. This year I read 5 of the Women’s Prize shortlisted books and would like to do the same for 2025.

 

[nbt]

I’ve just finished my last book of the year, ending on 132 books. It won’t be that many next year but that’s okay.

I’m a stats nerd, so I’ve just looked and I read twice as many books in the first half of the year, than I did in the second half.

I also love that I’m starting 2025 with brand new books and tbh, I have no idea what I’m going to start with!

 

[ToolaRoola]

I've finished the year on 81 books read. 4 less than last year but 31 more than my target.

I counted up the books I own on Kindle and stuff I've added to TBR on Kindle Unlimited, Libby, and Borrowbox and the total is 719 there are some duplicates on there so maybe more realistically there are 700.

My plan this year is to read as many as possible that I own and to remove them if I'm unlikely to read them, I've been adding to the lists for 4 years!

I've started a new book tonight but not adding it to Storygraph until tomorrow so it has the new year date and is also an A book for the new A-Z challenge.

Happy new (book buying and reading) year, folks
---
@carlaharla I LOVED Issac and the Egg.

I very nearly DNF'd it but so glad I didn't.

I'm on training next week and it's about feelings and they ask when was the last time you cried. Might just have to tell them it was over an egg and not elaborate any further

 

[Pinkii]

Unfortunately didnt reach my reading goals this year, went through a lot of non reading phases, but did read some good books.

Think my favourite has to be the wedding people.

 

[Cheddar Chalpupa]

I set a target of 50 on my kindle (and secretly hope to smash it) this year I've done 42, it annoyed me so much I had a dream last night that I kept meeting people from my past and asking how many books they had read!

42 is still decent and I'm still the winner out of everyone I know - and I beat all the dream people too. It's just annoying because it's 100% due to scrolling and phone games. I was going to try and do a quick read today but a) I was technically working and b) the phone in my hand won again.

 

[Albrouze]

What is your favourite non fiction read of this year?

I had quite a few 5* non-fiction reads this year

Unmasked by Ellie Middleton - I was diagnosed with autism this year and this book just resonated so much and really helped me
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh - Written by a brain surgeon in the UK and I just found this fascinating and also a bit terrifying
Wintering by Katherine May - This was just me in a book, it felt so comforting and it's one I'll definitely re-read each winter

I’ve read Do No Harm and another one of Henry Marsh’s books. I’d never heard of him until I started to read this thread. Do No Harm was better than the other book of his that I read. I loved all the details, but can also see how it is terrifying at the same time.

 

[Boogs]

I have loads of unread physical books (including 4 that fell into my hands in the works last week ) but I think I have a real problem with Kindle books. I’m a sucker for a free or 99p kindle book. I currently have 864 unread books on there and I’m already looking forward to seeing what Januarys 99p deals are. Think I need help.

 

[cherrymoon]

I’ve ended the year with 21 books read, which is an absolute miracle. Did read 380k words of ff in the month of December though, so I was reading!