My top 5 reads of 2024 are: 1. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 2. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon 3. The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland 4. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 5. In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
My top ten of 2024 are: 1) Mr Ma and Son by Lao She 2) Passing by Nella Larson 3) Chess by Stefan Zweig 4) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 5) The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa 6) The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey 7) Panenka by Ronan Hession 8) Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe 9) And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Bakman 10) Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson
Your best books seem personal in some way. Love that. I also like the fact that your reading choices reflect an independent spirit. Happy New Year, Shelly.
Also loved "The Dutch House". My favs for the year off the top of my head... "James", "Small Things Like These", "Station Eleven", "The Nickel Boys", "the Old Man and the Sea", "American Pastoral", "The Age of Innocence", "Tom Lake". I loved "Caste "but Isabel Wilkerson's "The Warmth of Other Suns" if amazing and vast...like unbelievably good. I've had the Bee Sting since Christmas 2023... gotta read that one! One of my goals for 2025.
The last 4 books I read!!! Masterpieces! East of Eden, Cannery Row, Lonesome Dove, Stoner! What reading experience, may never happen again, ha. Just finished Stoner...am stunned speechless. In fact, this line up, among Best books I've ever read.
The Dutch House helped get me through some difficult times. The detailing of the house and childhood is descriptive and beautiful. Danny and Maeve hold a special place in my heart
Especially enjoyed hearing you talk about The Dutch House and how your reading experience was affected by your relationship with your siblings. You definitely peaked my interest, will have to keep an eye out for that one!
I got some good recommendations from you and your comments, thank you. Of the 80 books I read this year, these were my favorites in order of when I read them . Boy Swallows Universe - Trent Dalton Go As A River - Shelley Read The Frozen River -Ariel Lawton The Women - Kristin Hannah North Woods - Daniel Mas Tom Lake - Ann Pritchett The Lincoln Highway. - Amor Towles Rules of Civility. - Amor Towles A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles James - Percival Everett Weyward - Emilia Hart The Gods of the Woods - Liz Moore Things Your Save in a Fire - Katherine Center Eleanore of Avignon. - Elizabeth DeLosier I Cheerfully Refuse - Leif Enger.
I love Anya Seton's books - Katherine, Green Darkness, Penmarric, Devil Water, Dragonwyck (and more) - I have Katherine and am due a re-read of it anytime! So glad you enjoyed Katherine.
I am so glad you loved The Dutch House so much. It's one that has stuck with me a long time. I'm going to read The Bee Sting this summer... just the title seems perfect 😅
I loved Juno Loves Legs - such a beautifully written, emotional book on a platonic relationship, Thirst for Salt - nostalgic and melancholy book on a romantic relationship, super atmospheric
Okay, you've convinced me on Kavalier and Clay...it's funny how or what someone emphasizes in a summary that can change how you feel about a potential book and I also added Katherine to my list. 🧡. One of my favorite books this year was The Lacuna by Kingsolver. It is not about the environment per se, but a great historical fiction book of a boy who lives in Mexico with with his Latin mother and then gets shipped to DC to live with his dad. He keeps his stories in notebooks and later becomes an author in Asheville, with a secret. Sooo good.
My top 5: The covenant of water - Abraham Verghese, Moral Ambition - Rutger Bregman (non fiction), Betty - Tiffany McDaniel, Orbital - Samantha Harvey The last quarter of the moon - Chi Zijan
Great list, Shelly. I also love Sarah Waters, though I don’t think I read anything by her in this past year. I really liked The Dutch House too. I thought Caste was brilliant. I really enjoyed this video, and it was also great learning about you and your siblings. 😊
My #1 for the year is The Count of Monte Cristo. Honorable mentions go to Persuasion, All the Light We Cannot See, A Court of Mist and Fury and Piranesi
My workmates are always praising Katherine but I never see it on booktube it definitely sounds like one I want to read. I liked The Glutton too, and her first book, she is very Hilary Mantel. My top three were The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher, Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott, and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.
I'm new to finding your channel and am so happy! I love your enthusiasm for books! This was a great list. I added The Glutton to my list to try 😊 I will also priorize the Bee Sting, as I already own it but was a little intimidated at the size 😂
Honorable Mentions: Brideshead Revisited, I Who Have Never Known Men, Andy Catlett 5: The Goldfinch by Donna Tart 4: True Grit by Charles Portis 3: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken 2: The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood 1: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger Thanks for sharing your favorites... definitely adding your top 2 to my TBR.
Also, curious about your homeschool experience growing up and if you're hoping to homeschool your kids? Currently homeschooling our 6...lots of reading, library trips, and sibling mischief, but I wasn't homeschooled myself so would be curious to hear your thoughts :)
I don't homeschool my own kiddos because I'm a teacher and, thankfully, my students are able to attend the private school at which I teach for free. I look back on my homeschooling years with fondness. We also had a load of reading, library trips and days outside.
Thanks Shelly for those recommendations. My best 2 reads this year were The Covenant of Water from Abraham Verghese and East of Eden from John Steinbeck.
I squealed when I saw The Glutton on your list. It was my number one book of the year. I also had a Sarah Waters on my list but mine was Fingersmith. You have to read it!
My favorite book of 2024 is a book I had on my shelves since the late 1960s, my 50 cent paperback of _Island in the Sky_ (1944) by Ernest K. Gann. It is a suspense story about the crew of a WWII Army cargo plane that crash lands in uncharted territory in northern Quebec, their frigid struggle for survival, and the five Army air crews that desperately search for the downed plane, hampered by fading radio contact, volatile weather, and inconsistent compasses affected by the proximity of magnetic north. It was a page-turning thriller, and I’m glad I finally read it. My best rereads were _The Hound of the Baskervilles_ by Arthur Conan Doyle and _Time and Again_ (1951) by Clifford D. Simak - a story about the only man to return to Earth from a mysterious solar system, the message he has for all sentient beings, and the time travelers who try to stop him.
Cavalier and Klay was a favourite of mine years ago! I also loved the hearts invisible furies. I started the paying guests but stopped halfway through, i should really continue it! Some of my favourite books this year: Lie with me by Philippe Besson Tin man by Sarah Winman They're kind of similar to the hearts invisible furies, but more sad. Very sad actually. The storyline is similar. We could be so good by cat Sebastian Two tribes by Fearne Hill These two are not devastatingly sad. Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra Guilty by Laura Elliott Thrillers I enjoyed And then some German books. Not all that many favourites this year, I'm getting picky...
The Heart’s Invisible Furies and James were my two favorite books this year. Also loved A Gentleman in Moscow, Trust and Martyr. Another book by John Boyne I would recommend is A History of Loneliness which, like Furies, has the theme of the Catholic Church in Ireland and the hypocrisy. One of the things I just loved about Furies was though it had some of the most violent and disturbing images, it also had a lot of laugh out loud dialogue, really funny stuff. An unforgettable book for sure!
Hope you have a Happy New Year Shelly ❤❤I agree completely about The Dutch House❤Lots of brilliant books 📚 ❤Yeeeeah for favourite 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝You clearly have a AMAZING taste 😝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝❤️❤️❤️
They aren't all 2024 releases, but the following were all my 5 star favs that I read this year: The Wedding People by Alison Espach West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge James by Percival Everett Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride It was a slow year at the start - I didn't have a single 5 star read until August, and had a lot of flops! But the end of the year picked up speed and I enjoyed a good number. Thanks for sharing yours - I've added a few of yours to my TBR!
I listened to Catherine several years ago, the only Anya Seton book so far. A good book, one of many by numerous authors set in medieval England. It's my favorite time period in historical fiction.
You had a good year! My most enjoyable reads out of 139 books (it was a productive year 😊) were 2 urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews - Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy. The best 3 individual books were Innocent In Death by Robb, Pillars of the Earth by Follett and A Darkness More Than Night by Connelly. Of all of these, I think you would enjoy Pillars the most. But, if you want to try a post apocalyptic urban fantasy with a strong, kick-butt female protagonist, give Kate Daniels a try! Such a fun ride!! Happy New Year 🥳
I just discovered you, I love the way you are taking about books ❤ My top 3 favorites of this year are: ‘the Bastard of Istanbul’ by Elif Shafak, ‘1984’ by George Orwell and ‘To kill a mockingbird’ by Harper Lee Also, ‘Jane Eyre’ it’s my all time favorite , I will have to reread it. I will have to give it a try to ‘The Dutch House’ and ‘The bee sting’ ❤
My favourite books of 2024 1. Dune By Frank Herbert 2. The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson 3. The Hot Hex Boyfriend By Carly Bloom 4. Hate To Love You By Jennifer Sucevic 5. Dungeon Crawler Carl By Matt Dinniman 6. Quilt Of Souls By Phyllis Biffle Elmore 7. The Sliverblood Promise By James Logan 8. Just For The Summer By Abby Jinenez 9. Walking Practice By Dolki Hin 10. Covenant Vol 2 By Lysandra Wuong (Graphic Novel).
I have read a few of these and have several others on my TBR! One I really enjoyed this year was The Say So by Julia Franks. Picked it up at a local bookstore and was bummed that the author was doing a signing there later that same day, but I couldn’t make it. Also, I LOVE your dress! Can I ask where it’s from?
On a side note, if you every get a chance to see the move Origin directed by Ava DuVernay which is based on the novel Caste I would highly recommend it. It is done beautifully and the acting is superb.
Now I just need Scott to react to this list to complete the frenemy circle 😂 My favorites this year were Matrix by Lauren Groff, Annie Bot by Sierra Greer and True Grit by Charles Portis. If you haven’t read the latter, I can’t imagine you not loving it!
I appreciate your reviews, I haven't read any of your best books for 2024. I wonder if you've read any of my best books for 2024? Number 1 and 2 are so close because I loved them both but they are so different. 1. Hail Mary by Andy Weir This book also has the number one best side character, what's a better name for a character like that? 2. Orbital by Samantha Harvey People seem to either love it or hate it. I loved it!! The writing is like poetry and music. Happy New Year 🎉
I had an excellent reading year!!! The book I can't stop thinking about is The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton. The best way I can describe it is.....an environmental apocalyptic novel. Happy New Year!! ✨✨
Have loved several of your choices. The Warmth Other. Suns is a wonderful book. My Husband and I loved The Architects Apprentice by Elif Shafak. The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary was a fun book stepping back a few years. A very fun escape YA was The Dos and Donuts.
I read The Darkness Outside Us a few years ago and have never forgotten it. Beautiful book Katherine & Hearts Invisible Furies are two of my favourite books of all time. If you loved Katherine you should read The Welsh prince trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman. Incredible. Cutting for Stone was my top read this year.
Thanks for the forecast! I have a quick question: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?
My favorite reads of the year Weyward - Emilia Hart Sea of Rust - c Robert Cargill The Eighth Life - Nino Harataschvili The Housemaid's Secret - Freida McFadden Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver Recursion - Blake Crouch
@maryshimp2664 It was my favorite from the year, such great characters and a sad reflection on how women are treated across the centuries. Also had wonderful descriptions of the natural world.
Amazing reading year!! My 10 are: Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel The Force by Don Winslow The Silmarillion Wellness by Nathan Hill A Much Younger Man by Dianne Highbridge The Pugilist at Rest by Thom Jones Thieves of State by Sarah Chayes Erasing History by Jason Stanley Happy holidays.
❤📚📚❤️ I read so many books this year, but some that have stayed with me for one reason or another are: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles The Midnight Library by Matt Haig The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton Burial Rites by Hannah Kent The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu and Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
My favorite read by far was Project Hail Mary. Other noteworthy reads: The Night Guest Piranesi The Willows - Algernon Blackwood Beautyland Dark Matter The Little Book of Aliens I’m Thinking of Ending Things Strong honorable mention (and potential recency bias since I read both in the last week): Our Wives Under the Sea Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock
I have a question! The Last Samurai….i hear there is a lot of math throughout and I can’t stand math. Does that take away from the story? Everyone tells me I must read it but it sits on my shelf for years.
I bought The Bee Sting at my used book store after hearing you talk about it. I couldn't narrow it down so I have 25 favorites: My Favorites for 2024 1. Touch Me Not by Jose Rizal 2. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 3. Stoner by John Williams 4. Rebecca’s Tale by Sally Beauman 5. Anne of Avonlea by LM Montgomery 6. When Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe 7. The Last Time I Saw Mother by Arlene J. Chai 8. Dusk by Sionil F. Jose 9. Viajero by Sionil F. Jose 10. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke 11. Heartstone by Elle Katherine White 12. Persuasion by Jane Austen 13. Clash of Kings by George RR Martin 14. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness 15. The Magicians by Lev Grossman 16. Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill 17. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins 18. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow 19. The Omen by David Seltzer 20. John Adams by David McCullough 21. My Death by Lisa Tuttle 22. America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan 23. The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly 24. The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden 25. Passage to India by EM Forester
Best book was Empire of Ice and Snow by Buddy Levy. A true survival story which was tragic and inspiring about the Karluk ship and it's crew in the Arctic
My top reads this year were: Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher, Go as a River by Shelley Read, Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman and Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven 🪶✨
I've been using this video as motivation to make my list of best and worst books. I think I've accidentally ended up with 10 best books, and three worsts. Maybe I'll just leave off the worst books. Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup was a really fun, quick read. Revolution Song by Russell Shorto was an excellent history book. Those are two of my favorites.
People who don't like The Bee Sting just haven't realised they're wrong yet. Paul Murray, George Eliot, both can write a range of characters superbly. Is that what we agree on? Because if so no wonder when we agree on a book it's exceptional.
1. Berzerk (1989-ongoing) - Kentaro Miura 2. Beasts, Men and Gods (1922) - Ferdinand Ossendowski 3. Stoner (1965) - John Williams 4. The Fall of Hyperion (1990) - Dan Simmons 5. The Secret History (1992) - Donna Tartt 6. The Bee Sting (2023) - Paul Murray 7. Hitler, Born at Versailles (1987) - Leon DeGrelle 8. The Last Samurai (2000) - Helen Dewitt 9. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (2018) - Patrick Radden Keefe 10. Vineland (1990) - Thomas Pynchon HMs: Jesus' Son (1992) - Denis Johnson Sabbath's Theater (1995) - Philip Roth Pay As You Go (2023) - Eskor David Johnson My Brilliant Friend (2011) - Elena Ferrante The Peregrine (1967) - J.A. Baker Knife Party at the Hotel Europa (2015) - Mark Anthony Jarman
@ it was a really good book but my first one beat it out. A HF about an explosion in Halifax’ Canada during WWI. It has a connection to Boston’s Christmas Tree they get from Halifax every year as thanks. It was very interesting
2024 Favorites All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski All the Black Girls Are Activists by EbonyJanice Moore The Prospects by KT Hoffman You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian Front Dest by Kelly Yang Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi Pet by Akweke Emezi James by Percival Everett Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell They Were Roommates by DC Emerson Outdrawn by Deanna Grey Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum with Shanna Tan (Translator) The Breakaway Series by E.L. Massey
Please share YOUR favorite reads of 2024!
Legends & Lattes, The Frozen River, The Women, The Briar Club
@ thanks for sharing!!!
My top 5 reads of 2024 are:
1. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
2. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
3. The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
4. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
5. In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Loved The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - one of my favorite reads this year. Don’t hear too much about it.
@ It’s such a good book! I’ll never forget Dodo or Monkey Pants.
I LOVED The Frozen River!!! I also read The Heaven and Earth Grocery Story, It was beautiful!!!!
I loved The Frozen River Too!
So many of these I want to read! Whitaker, Lawson, and McBride especially.
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, so I have been rereading her novels this past year. Love them!
That’s awesome!!!!
Me too! 😊
My top ten of 2024 are:
1) Mr Ma and Son by Lao She
2) Passing by Nella Larson
3) Chess by Stefan Zweig
4) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
5) The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
6) The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey
7) Panenka by Ronan Hession
8) Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
9) And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Bakman
10) Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson
I love Between the World and Me! Such a lovely book.
Your best books seem personal in some way. Love that. I also like the fact that your reading choices reflect an independent spirit. Happy New Year, Shelly.
What a kind and thoughtful comment! 🥰
Also loved "The Dutch House". My favs for the year off the top of my head... "James", "Small Things Like These", "Station Eleven", "The Nickel Boys", "the Old Man and the Sea", "American Pastoral", "The Age of Innocence", "Tom Lake". I loved "Caste "but Isabel Wilkerson's "The Warmth of Other Suns" if amazing and vast...like unbelievably good. I've had the Bee Sting since Christmas 2023... gotta read that one! One of my goals for 2025.
Still pondering my best reads but have been loving all of the 'best of' videos - my wish list is growing and you have added a couple to it here!
Wonderful! I'm so excited to see your 'best of' list! :)
The last 4 books I read!!!
Masterpieces! East of Eden, Cannery Row, Lonesome Dove, Stoner!
What reading experience, may never happen again, ha. Just finished Stoner...am stunned speechless. In fact, this line up, among Best books I've ever read.
Really enjoyed East of Eden too!
I may tackle East of Eden this year! :)
My favourite book this year was There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak.
I've just started reading this and I just know from the first few pages that it's going to be fantastic 🤗🎉
Enjoy! Happy New Year lovely Shelly x
Happy new year!!!
The Dutch House helped get me through some difficult times. The detailing of the house and childhood is descriptive and beautiful. Danny and Maeve hold a special place in my heart
It’s a beautiful book. I love the descriptions of the house.
Especially enjoyed hearing you talk about The Dutch House and how your reading experience was affected by your relationship with your siblings. You definitely peaked my interest, will have to keep an eye out for that one!
Wonderful! Enjoy!
Thanks so much for your recommendations and will definitely be picking up these books to add to my list
Wonderful!
I got some good recommendations from you and your comments, thank you.
Of the 80 books I read this year, these were my favorites in order of when I read them .
Boy Swallows Universe - Trent Dalton
Go As A River - Shelley Read
The Frozen River -Ariel Lawton
The Women - Kristin Hannah
North Woods - Daniel Mas
Tom Lake - Ann Pritchett
The Lincoln Highway. - Amor Towles
Rules of Civility. - Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
James - Percival Everett
Weyward - Emilia Hart
The Gods of the Woods - Liz Moore
Things Your Save in a Fire - Katherine Center
Eleanore of Avignon. - Elizabeth DeLosier
I Cheerfully Refuse - Leif Enger.
Wonderful! I have so many of these on my TBR now!
I love Anya Seton's books - Katherine, Green Darkness, Penmarric, Devil Water, Dragonwyck (and more) - I have Katherine and am due a re-read of it anytime! So glad you enjoyed Katherine.
Such a great book!!
I am so glad you loved The Dutch House so much. It's one that has stuck with me a long time.
I'm going to read The Bee Sting this summer... just the title seems perfect 😅
The Dutch House is so wonderful! 🩷🩷
I’m reading the Bee Sting now and I just bought The Dutch House. 😅
Great rundown, Shelly! You did a great job presenting this collection. I got some good recommendations, thank you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well!
I loved Juno Loves Legs - such a beautifully written, emotional book on a platonic relationship, Thirst for Salt - nostalgic and melancholy book on a romantic relationship, super atmospheric
Thanks for sharing!!
Aaaggghhh The Bee Sting was #4 on my list. I'm just excited we had so many in common.
What else made your best books!?
Okay, you've convinced me on Kavalier and Clay...it's funny how or what someone emphasizes in a summary that can change how you feel about a potential book and I also added Katherine to my list. 🧡.
One of my favorite books this year was The Lacuna by Kingsolver. It is not about the environment per se, but a great historical fiction book of a boy who lives in Mexico with with his Latin mother and then gets shipped to DC to live with his dad. He keeps his stories in notebooks and later becomes an author in Asheville, with a secret. Sooo good.
I own The Lacuna and I'm going to prioritize the read. Thank you
My top 5: The covenant of water - Abraham Verghese,
Moral Ambition - Rutger Bregman (non fiction),
Betty - Tiffany McDaniel,
Orbital - Samantha Harvey
The last quarter of the moon - Chi Zijan
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Great list, Shelly. I also love Sarah Waters, though I don’t think I read anything by her in this past year. I really liked The Dutch House too. I thought Caste was brilliant. I really enjoyed this video, and it was also great learning about you and your siblings. 😊
Thank you! Happy New Year, Pat!
@@Shellyish Happy New Year, my friend!
My #1 for the year is The Count of Monte Cristo. Honorable mentions go to Persuasion, All the Light We Cannot See, A Court of Mist and Fury and Piranesi
The Count has been on my TBR for ages.
My workmates are always praising Katherine but I never see it on booktube it definitely sounds like one I want to read. I liked The Glutton too, and her first book, she is very Hilary Mantel. My top three were The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher, Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott, and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.
I'm new to finding your channel and am so happy! I love your enthusiasm for books! This was a great list. I added The Glutton to my list to try 😊
I will also priorize the Bee Sting, as I already own it but was a little intimidated at the size 😂
Yay! Thank you!
Loooooved The Dutch House. Your number 1 is on my TBR and there's a few others of our faves that sound interesting to me. 😊💙
It is such a great book!
Honorable Mentions: Brideshead Revisited, I Who Have Never Known Men, Andy Catlett
5: The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
4: True Grit by Charles Portis
3: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
2: The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood
1: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Thanks for sharing your favorites... definitely adding your top 2 to my TBR.
Oh, one in a million boy, is the best!
Also, curious about your homeschool experience growing up and if you're hoping to homeschool your kids? Currently homeschooling our 6...lots of reading, library trips, and sibling mischief, but I wasn't homeschooled myself so would be curious to hear your thoughts :)
I don't homeschool my own kiddos because I'm a teacher and, thankfully, my students are able to attend the private school at which I teach for free. I look back on my homeschooling years with fondness. We also had a load of reading, library trips and days outside.
Adding One in a Million Bot to my list! :)
Thanks Shelly for those recommendations. My best 2 reads this year were The Covenant of Water from Abraham Verghese and East of Eden from John Steinbeck.
Thanks for sharing! Steinbeck is on my TBR for 2024.
I squealed when I saw The Glutton on your list. It was my number one book of the year. I also had a Sarah Waters on my list but mine was Fingersmith. You have to read it!
I’m a huge fan of Sarah Waters! Fingersmith is on my list!
You do such a good job describing these books in your own way. I hate when people just read the back of the book.
Awe! Thank you!!!
My favorite book of 2024 is a book I had on my shelves since the late 1960s, my 50 cent paperback of _Island in the Sky_ (1944) by Ernest K. Gann. It is a suspense story about the crew of a WWII Army cargo plane that crash lands in uncharted territory in northern Quebec, their frigid struggle for survival, and the five Army air crews that desperately search for the downed plane, hampered by fading radio contact, volatile weather, and inconsistent compasses affected by the proximity of magnetic north. It was a page-turning thriller, and I’m glad I finally read it.
My best rereads were _The Hound of the Baskervilles_ by Arthur Conan Doyle and _Time and Again_ (1951) by Clifford D. Simak - a story about the only man to return to Earth from a mysterious solar system, the message he has for all sentient beings, and the time travelers who try to stop him.
I would’ve guessed your favorite book was a 50 cent paperback from the 1940s.
Cavalier and Klay was a favourite of mine years ago! I also loved the hearts invisible furies. I started the paying guests but stopped halfway through, i should really continue it!
Some of my favourite books this year:
Lie with me by Philippe Besson
Tin man by Sarah Winman
They're kind of similar to the hearts invisible furies, but more sad. Very sad actually. The storyline is similar.
We could be so good by cat Sebastian
Two tribes by Fearne Hill
These two are not devastatingly sad.
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Guilty by Laura Elliott
Thrillers I enjoyed
And then some German books.
Not all that many favourites this year, I'm getting picky...
Now I have to read The Dutch House! I also have 5 siblings and completely understand what you were talking about.
I’m so glad! 😍 what a great book!
The Heart’s Invisible Furies and James were my two favorite books this year. Also loved A Gentleman in Moscow, Trust and Martyr. Another book by John Boyne I would recommend is A History of Loneliness which, like Furies, has the theme of the Catholic Church in Ireland and the hypocrisy. One of the things I just loved about Furies was though it had some of the most violent and disturbing images, it also had a lot of laugh out loud dialogue, really funny stuff. An unforgettable book for sure!
Adding A History of Loneliness to my list! Thank you!!
The Dutch House and The Glutton are both being added to my list! I read Tom Lake by Ann Patchett this year and her writing is just so smooth.
Yes! Her writing is sublime. :)
Hope you have a Happy New Year Shelly ❤❤I agree completely about The Dutch House❤Lots of brilliant books 📚 ❤Yeeeeah for favourite 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝You clearly have a AMAZING taste 😝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝❤️❤️❤️
The BEEEEEEE STTIIIIIIIIIIINNNGGG is a gem of a book. So good!
Top 3 of 2024: The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston and I was surprised by The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods.
Happy New Year!
Thank you! Happy new year!!!
Interesting to hear your choices. Best book of 2024 for me was The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier. Happy new year 🎉
Happy new year!
They aren't all 2024 releases, but the following were all my 5 star favs that I read this year:
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
James by Percival Everett
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
It was a slow year at the start - I didn't have a single 5 star read until August, and had a lot of flops! But the end of the year picked up speed and I enjoyed a good number.
Thanks for sharing yours - I've added a few of yours to my TBR!
I own The Wedding People - bumping that one up! :)
I listened to Catherine several years ago, the only Anya Seton book so far. A good book, one of many by numerous authors set in medieval England. It's my favorite time period in historical fiction.
A great book!!
Kavalier & Clay has been staring at me from my shelves for a while
It’s amazing!
You had a good year! My most enjoyable reads out of 139 books (it was a productive year 😊) were 2 urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews - Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy. The best 3 individual books were Innocent In Death by Robb, Pillars of the Earth by Follett and A Darkness More Than Night by Connelly. Of all of these, I think you would enjoy Pillars the most. But, if you want to try a post apocalyptic urban fantasy with a strong, kick-butt female protagonist, give Kate Daniels a try! Such a fun ride!! Happy New Year 🥳
Thanks for the recommendations, adding Pillars to my list!
I just discovered you, I love the way you are taking about books ❤
My top 3 favorites of this year are: ‘the Bastard of Istanbul’ by Elif Shafak, ‘1984’ by George Orwell and ‘To kill a mockingbird’ by Harper Lee
Also, ‘Jane Eyre’ it’s my all time favorite , I will have to reread it.
I will have to give it a try to ‘The Dutch House’ and ‘The bee sting’ ❤
I love To Kill a Mockingbird! What an excellent book.
James, Covenant of Water, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, The Frozen River, The Wedding People, and Sipsworth.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!!
My favourite books of 2024
1. Dune By Frank Herbert
2. The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson
3. The Hot Hex Boyfriend By Carly Bloom
4. Hate To Love You By Jennifer Sucevic
5. Dungeon Crawler Carl By Matt Dinniman
6. Quilt Of Souls By Phyllis Biffle Elmore
7. The Sliverblood Promise By James Logan
8. Just For The Summer By Abby Jinenez
9. Walking Practice By Dolki Hin
10. Covenant Vol 2 By Lysandra Wuong (Graphic Novel).
The Paying Guest made my top 10 the year I read it too. Waters is so so good.
She’s amazing!
I loved the Bee Sting! I can't wait to read Skippy Dies by Paul Murray very soon. I also liked Long Island Compromise a lot.
I want to read Skippy Dies too!!!
Top two are If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga and The Blue Hour by Laura Pritchett. Both made me cry a lot
Thanks for sharing.
I keep going back and forth between 3😅:
Daniel Deronda, Hannah Coulter and The Heir of Redclyffe 🎉
Wonderful! Deronda is on my list! ❤️❤️
Hannah Coulter is one of my favorites!
@amberohearn5860 it tore my heart out!! I really related to her thoughts and grew up in a time similar to where she lived.
I have read a few of these and have several others on my TBR! One I really enjoyed this year was The Say So by Julia Franks. Picked it up at a local bookstore and was bummed that the author was doing a signing there later that same day, but I couldn’t make it.
Also, I LOVE your dress! Can I ask where it’s from?
It's very old from Halogen - maybe bought 5 years ago.
Thank you! ❤ I managed to find it on Poshmark, but not in my size. I’ll keep an eye out!
On a side note, if you every get a chance to see the move Origin directed by Ava DuVernay which is based on the novel Caste I would highly recommend it. It is done beautifully and the acting is superb.
Adding Origin to my TBR!
Now I just need Scott to react to this list to complete the frenemy circle 😂 My favorites this year were Matrix by Lauren Groff, Annie Bot by Sierra Greer and True Grit by Charles Portis. If you haven’t read the latter, I can’t imagine you not loving it!
He really should react to my best books...
I appreciate your reviews, I haven't read any of your best books for 2024. I wonder if you've read any of my best books for 2024?
Number 1 and 2 are so close because I loved them both but they are so different.
1. Hail Mary by Andy Weir
This book also has the number one best side character, what's a better name for a character like that?
2. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
People seem to either love it or hate it. I loved it!! The writing is like poetry and music.
Happy New Year 🎉
I haven’t read either! Both have such great reviews!
I ADORED Project Hail Mary!! ❤🧑🏼🚀 Orbital is high up on my radar.
I had an excellent reading year!!! The book I can't stop thinking about is The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton. The best way I can describe it is.....an environmental apocalyptic novel. Happy New Year!! ✨✨
Thanks for sharing.
Have loved several of your choices. The Warmth Other. Suns is a wonderful book. My Husband and I loved The Architects Apprentice by Elif Shafak. The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary was a fun book stepping back a few years. A very fun escape YA was The Dos and Donuts.
I'm definitely adding The Warmth of Other Suns to my TBR. Thank you
I read The Darkness Outside Us a few years ago and have never forgotten it. Beautiful book
Katherine & Hearts Invisible Furies are two of my favourite books of all time.
If you loved Katherine you should read The Welsh prince trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman. Incredible.
Cutting for Stone was my top read this year.
Cutting for Stone is a really good book!
Adding Penman to my TBR. Thank you.
Thanks for the forecast! I have a quick question: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?
My favorite reads of the year
Weyward - Emilia Hart
Sea of Rust - c Robert Cargill
The Eighth Life - Nino Harataschvili
The Housemaid's Secret - Freida McFadden
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
Recursion - Blake Crouch
Loved Weyward also
@maryshimp2664 It was my favorite from the year, such great characters and a sad reflection on how women are treated across the centuries. Also had wonderful descriptions of the natural world.
Adding Weyward to my TBR. THANKS, Jim!
@@Shellyish I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Amazing reading year!! My 10 are:
Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
The Force by Don Winslow
The Silmarillion
Wellness by Nathan Hill
A Much Younger Man by Dianne Highbridge
The Pugilist at Rest by Thom Jones
Thieves of State by Sarah Chayes
Erasing History by Jason Stanley
Happy holidays.
Love Mantel and I've always wanted to read Fraser - maybe this year!
One of my favorite books was The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
❤📚📚❤️
I read so many books this year, but some that have stayed with me for one reason or another are:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu and
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
What a great list! Burial Rights almost made it to my top 10. Almost.
@Shellyish Thank you! 🤗👍
My favorite read by far was Project Hail Mary.
Other noteworthy reads:
The Night Guest
Piranesi
The Willows - Algernon Blackwood
Beautyland
Dark Matter
The Little Book of Aliens
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Strong honorable mention (and potential recency bias since I read both in the last week):
Our Wives Under the Sea
Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock
Dark Matter is on my list! I definitely want to get to it.
I have a question! The Last Samurai….i hear there is a lot of math throughout and I can’t stand math. Does that take away from the story? Everyone tells me I must read it but it sits on my shelf for years.
The math is a component of the story, but not overwhelming in the least. I forgot it was even a component until you mentioned it.
@Shellyish thank you!!!
1. 11/22/63
2. The Berry Pickers
3. Hello Beautiful
4. The Echo of Old Books
5. The Women
These are my top five for 2024
So pleased to see someone else enjoyed The Berry Pickers. I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else.
The Women is on my mind for the coming year!
Katherine is hitting so many buzzwords for me! Got to add that to my TBR! 😮
Enjoy!!
I bought The Bee Sting at my used book store after hearing you talk about it. I couldn't narrow it down so I have 25 favorites:
My Favorites for 2024
1. Touch Me Not by Jose Rizal
2. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
3. Stoner by John Williams
4. Rebecca’s Tale by Sally Beauman
5. Anne of Avonlea by LM Montgomery
6. When Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe
7. The Last Time I Saw Mother by Arlene J. Chai
8. Dusk by Sionil F. Jose
9. Viajero by Sionil F. Jose
10. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke
11. Heartstone by Elle Katherine White
12. Persuasion by Jane Austen
13. Clash of Kings by George RR Martin
14. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
15. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
16. Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
17. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
18. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
19. The Omen by David Seltzer
20. John Adams by David McCullough
21. My Death by Lisa Tuttle
22. America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
23. The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly
24. The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
25. Passage to India by EM Forester
What a great reading year you've had! I loved Persuasion!
Persuasion had grown on me over the years.
Best book was Empire of Ice and Snow by Buddy Levy. A true survival story which was tragic and inspiring about the Karluk ship and it's crew in the Arctic
That sounds amazing! Adding it to my TBR.
My top reads were Yellow Wife, Take my Hand, The Will of the Many.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
My top reads this year were: Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher, Go as a River by Shelley Read, Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman and Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven 🪶✨
The Harpman and McConaghy are two of my favorite reads as well. ❤️❤️
I've been using this video as motivation to make my list of best and worst books. I think I've accidentally ended up with 10 best books, and three worsts. Maybe I'll just leave off the worst books. Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup was a really fun, quick read. Revolution Song by Russell Shorto was an excellent history book. Those are two of my favorites.
Oh! Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!!!
Shelley, your booklist isn’t in comments. I didn’t write them down😢.
Oh no!!
People who don't like The Bee Sting just haven't realised they're wrong yet.
Paul Murray, George Eliot, both can write a range of characters superbly. Is that what we agree on? Because if so no wonder when we agree on a book it's exceptional.
Yes! Both incredible! Truly! And both gave me that addictive reading experience. I just wanted to be inside the book.
1. Berzerk (1989-ongoing) - Kentaro Miura
2. Beasts, Men and Gods (1922) - Ferdinand Ossendowski
3. Stoner (1965) - John Williams
4. The Fall of Hyperion (1990) - Dan Simmons
5. The Secret History (1992) - Donna Tartt
6. The Bee Sting (2023) - Paul Murray
7. Hitler, Born at Versailles (1987) - Leon DeGrelle
8. The Last Samurai (2000) - Helen Dewitt
9. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (2018) - Patrick Radden Keefe
10. Vineland (1990) - Thomas Pynchon
HMs:
Jesus' Son (1992) - Denis Johnson
Sabbath's Theater (1995) - Philip Roth
Pay As You Go (2023) - Eskor David Johnson
My Brilliant Friend (2011) - Elena Ferrante
The Peregrine (1967) - J.A. Baker
Knife Party at the Hotel Europa (2015) - Mark Anthony Jarman
Thanks for sharing!
Penmarric is wonderful but the author is Susan Howatch. Cashelmara by her is also excellent!
Adding Howarch to my TBR! Thank you!!!
Top 2
When the World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward, The Frozen River by Ariel Lawson😊
I’ve heard amazing things about Lawson!
@ it was a really good book but my first one beat it out. A HF about an explosion in Halifax’ Canada during WWI. It has a connection to Boston’s Christmas Tree they get from Halifax every year as thanks. It was very interesting
It is so funny how we relate to books. I found that I didn't like any of the characters in The Bee Sting!
That is amusing.
Best book this year was Piranesi.
I love that book!
The Women, Loot
2024 Favorites
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski
All the Black Girls Are Activists by EbonyJanice Moore
The Prospects by KT Hoffman
You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
Front Dest by Kelly Yang
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
Pet by Akweke Emezi
James by Percival Everett
Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell
They Were Roommates by DC Emerson
Outdrawn by Deanna Grey
Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum with Shanna Tan (Translator)
The Breakaway Series by E.L. Massey
Adding a bunch of these to my TBR! I loved James as well. And o want to read Sky Full of Elephants. 🥰
Hello!
Hello!
Clear by Carys Davies
James by Percival Everett
Prophet Song Paul Lynch
Sipsworth Simon Van Booy
The Safekeep Yael vander Wouden
Thanks for sharing!!!
James; Demon
:)