My Favorite Reads of 2024 (and My Goals for 2025)

Reflections on a pretty good reading year!

One thing I like to do while I put together my favorite books of the year list is to look for themes or trends. In 2023, I was a reader who went (deep, deep, deep) down rabbit holes when something caught my attention. That kind of reading — without a plan or pattern — was really fun but left me feeling a little unbalanced.

My reading in 2024 felt much more mindful. I completed my goal to read 24 books I already owned, and although I read a lot less than I did in 2023 (78 books this year, compared to 119 books in 2023), it all felt a little more intentional. I read more nonfiction but listened to fewer audiobooks. I still read a lot of romantasy, but mixed in more mysteries, historical fiction, and memoirs.

I love that every year in reading is a little different, and that reading can fit into our lives in so many different ways. Picking favorites this year was hard, but here’s what I came up with!

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Fiction

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill (February)

I think this middle-grade novel was the first book that made me cry while reading in 2024, and I still think about it often. When a series of calamities befalls a small town, the beleaguered residents find themselves slowly pulled under the control of a dragon-slaying Mayor who promises he alone can help solve all of their problems… which sounds familiar. But instead of being dire, this book offers a lovely argument for kindness and community, rather than isolation and division, in the face of trouble. Truly, a masterpiece.

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (April)

If I had to pick a single favorite of the year, it might be this one that I randomly checked out from the library. I love when a book just finds you like that. It’s a middle-grade sci-fi novel that offers a beautiful story about storytelling and community, wrapped into a very tense dystopian plot. It broke my heart, and then put it back together again.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty (May)

A work colleague recommended this sci-fi mystery, which was a total delight. The main character believes that murder follows her everywhere, so she decides to live as one of only two humans on a sentient spaceship. Wild, whodunit-shaped shenanigans ensue.

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde (August)

The genre tropes got me again, this time with a romantasy plus a heist. I love those things, and I loved this book, which is romantic without being overly spicy or clear on who our heroine will choose in the end. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan (September)

After returning to my love for fantasy HARD in 2023, a book that pokes fun at all of the tropes of romantasy while also being a really good romantasy story had to make my top reads this year. This one is so fun and funny, especially for the English nerds out there.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang (November)

Fantasy that explicitly takes on systems of power, featuring characters marginalized from those systems in some way, might be my new fantasy jam. This one dragged a bit for me in the beginning, but the rest of it just sings. Also, the romance is a very low simmer, both in terms of spiciness and impact to the plot.

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Nonfiction

This American Ex-Wife by Lyz Lenz (March)

Despite being a book about divorce, this memoir was truly full of exuberance and joy. It offers so much to think about independence, partnership, and demanding what you think is best for yourself. I thought it was excellent.

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee (March)

If you are a person (like me) who has ever said, “I am socially liberal but fiscally conservative,” this book will give you a lot to think about. Heather McGhee shows how racist social policies have economic impacts, affecting individuals and communities for decades to come. It’s really, really good.

The Wives by Simone Gorrindo (April)

This memoir about an unexpected Army wife was a fascinating read. I love learning how things work, so seeing what it means to be an Army spouse made me feel like I was getting inside something that is otherwise largely unknowable. Simone Gorrindo is a great writer who puts a lot of herself on the page for the book.

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (December)

This was almost the last book I finished in 2024, and it has helped crystalize some of what I want to focus on in my own life in 2025. It’s a book that takes on a really big topic and, as a result, didn’t always fully land every conclusion to my satisfaction, but it still resonated with me.

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Honorable Mentions

I read so many good books in 2024 that I need to include some honorable mentions. I noticed many favorite authors are on this list – it seems like familiar authors wrote many books I loved but didn’t capture my heart or my attention as much as the new authors that made it into my top 10. I love that there is always more to find. Reading is magical that way, isn’t it?

• Funny Story by Emily Henry (April)

• Fire Weather by John Vaillant (June)

• I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol (July)

• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (July)

• The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (August)

• Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (October)

• The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang and Kate Quinn (November)

• Ducks by Kate Beaton (November)

• Eden Undone by Abbot Kahler (December)

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My Goals for 2025

Initially, I thought I would only set one reading goal for 2025. But after thinking about it, I feel good about setting two goals — one related to my reading and one related to my bookish behavior.

Reading — My goal is read every book that I purchase. At the end of the year, I want to have not added any titles to “Mount TBR.”

The stretch version of this goal is also to read all the books I purchased in 2024, but that feels pretty unlikely, given how many books I acquired. I will track “Mount TBR” reads this year, but reading more of them isn’t my focus in 2025.

Behavior — My goal is only to buy books at bookstores.

Before I explain this goal, I need to say that I don’t think this is a goal for everyone. For example, it’s not a goal I could have set back when I lived in a small town. Nor is it a goal I could set without a reasonable amount of disposable income. I have no judgment about where people buy their books.

So, this goal is important to me because I want my book purchasing to support my personal values better. I’m pretty good at not buying books from Amazon, but I am often tempted by the book section at stores like Target and Costco. There’s nothing wrong with buying books there, but it also doesn’t support what I value — bookstores and bookish communities. Plus, I’m curious if pursuing this goal reduces the number of new books I buy (and then have to read).

So we’ll see! Two goals about two different aspects of my reading life feels doable, but check back with me in March to see if that’s true!

I have so many questions! What were your top books of the year? Do any of them match up? What’s great that I missed? What goals do you have for your reading in 2025?