Here we are at the end of 2024 and what a year it has been. So many books! We published 405 reviews, discussions, and lists this year. Earlier this week, MK shared her favorite books, which happened to be all fantasy and magical realism, and Susan shared her reading statistics and favorite books. I shared my favorite books of the year back in November and if I were to do the list today I would add 2 books I read this month Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung and Perfect Storm by Paige Shelton.
Today, I'm taking a moment to highlight some of our most popular posts and special features of the year.
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Discussions and Lists
I love reading but I also love talking about books so this year I sprinkled in some book-related discussions and lists. I was hoping to generate more discussion through the comments so if you missed any of these and want to chime in now, please do so!
A to Z Challenge - I discussed various genres and provided an example or two.
5 Books to Read for Memorial Day - a mix of fiction and nonfiction set during various wars
11 Books for a Post-Apocalyptic Book Club - what my book club is reading. I just realized I never did a list of the books my mystery book club is reading. Are you interested in that list?
Do you re-read books? Here are my top 6 books to re-read - Susan shared some of the books she loves reading again and again
5 Audiobook Series Perfect for a Cozy Road Trip - I read a lot of cozy mysteries and some of them I enjoy more as audiobooks
When Reading Feels Overwhelming - sort of a mental health check-in for reviewers and avid readers as I share some things I was struggling with at the time
8 Books to Read This Fall - sadly I've only read one book on this list, but I have a few of them on hold at the library
25 Days of Christmas Reading - we've just wrapped up our second annual 25 Days of Christmas Reading. It includes a lot of lists, some new reviews, a recipe, and a discussion of the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas
Reviews
The first and the last
MK French kicked off our 2024 reviews with historical romance novel Death in a Gilded Frame by Cecelia Tichi.
I wrote our last review of 2024 - a cozy Christmas mystery Blue Christmas Bones by Carolyn Haines.
Most viewed review each month
January: Split by Alida Bremer - I reviewed this Croatian novel set in 1936 Yugoslavia. It was much more of a murder mystery than I was expecting.
February: The Little Liar by Mitch Albom - Susan reviewed this historical novel set in Greece during WWII.
March: Closer to Home by Jill Hannah Anderson - A romantic suspense novel that Susan said she couldn't put down.
April: Cleopatra's Dagger by Carole Lawrence - MK French wrote that this historical mystery was a great peak into the time period.
May: The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr - This biographical novel about Golden Age Hollywood star Lena Browning is "a stellar book" according to Susan.
June: Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins - "family fiction at its best" ~ Susan
July: Murder in Mayfair by Verity Bright - The Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series is one of my favorites and this one was a lot fun.
August: Hart's Ridge Series by Kay Bratt - Susan reviewed all 10 books in this mystery series.
September: Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell - I reviewed this book as a potential read for my post-apocalyptic book club. It would be great for discussion.
October: The Undercurrent by Sarah Sawyer - If you are looking for a page-turner of a mystery, Susan recommends this one.
November: MK's review of 4 crime fiction novels, including A Very Bad Thing by J. T. Ellison, Going Dark by George Mehok, Jekyll and Hyde Consulting Detectives by Tim Major, and Safe Enough by Lee Child.
December: Bluebird Day by Megan Tady - This humorous book made Susan want to read previous books by this author.
Most viewed reviews of the year
8, 9, 10. Susan's reviews of The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner, The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr, and When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart all received the same number of views.
7. Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell (my review)
6. The Undercurrent by Sarah Sawyer (Susan's review)
5. The Four Pillars of H.M. Long - MK reviewed 4 books in this fantasy series.
4. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl - Susan said this is a fun and eye-opening way to explore 1980s Paris.
3. Split by Alida Bremer (my review)
2. Cleopatra's Dagger by Carole Lawrence (MK's review)
1. The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (Susan's review)
Interestingly, if I had included discussion posts on this list of top 10, my A to Z Challenge post V is for Visionary Fiction would be #8 on the list.
Did you find a great book because of our reviews? We would love to know which books you added to your TBR list. Did you enjoy our discussions and features? What would you like to see more of at Girl Who Reads in the new year?
We wish you a very happy new year filled with great books!
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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