I love this! Putting books down that aren't doing it for me is something I've been really embracing with my decline in free time the past 5 years. And reading in the morning, that sounds dreamy, I'll need to try to get myself awake early enough for that luxury soon!
I'm excited that in 2025 Geraldine Brooks & Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are both coming out with new books :) Demon Copperhead was definitely one of my fave reads last year!
Great rec's! I just put holds on most of the books you recommended. I am also a mom of a preschool aged boy who could be more present when we are relentlessly playing "rescue center" with all of his trucks. I'll try picking up a book instead of my phone when we play, maybe it will even inspire me to come up with new rescue missions for the trucks.
Making time for reading-I have slowly added more reading time to my days by dropping window shopping scrolls. I finally admitted that I was looking for escape and happy brain hormones with my faux shopping sprees. I get similar relief from a chapter of a book or a short story.
My big book wins of 2024 were:
Thrust by Lidia Yukanovitch
Poetic and raw writing presents a post-apocalyptic story that jumps time and place. Bonus is it is sex positive and has a bit of LGBTQ+ storyline
All Fours by Miranda July
My personal opinion is that anything Miranda July creates, I will consume. This novel is a story of an artist in a midlife tailspin that is non-stereotypical and centers on a woman's experience of aging and desire. If wacky narratives, sex exploration, LGBTQ+ parenting, and non-traditional relationships are your thing, then this book is for you.
Thanks again for the awesome book recommendations. Happy New Year!
Housemates is one of the ones I currently have checked out, so I will elevate this to my must read list. I loved Unshrinkable and am a major Kate Manne fangirl. I have added In Love to my must read list.
I read a lot of mostly light romcoms, so I'm looking forward to reading some new to me authors like Jenny L. Howe (On the Plus Side) and Nisha Sharma (Tastes Like Shakkar and the rest of her "If Shakespeare Was An Auntie" trilogy, and catching up with Olivia Dade.
As for new books, I am so looking forward to Jennifer Finney Boylan's Cleavage and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count. And would like to read James, The Women, The Message, The Wedding People and Great Expectations if I can get my hands on them from the library.
Yes! I also am pumped for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book -- I think I've read almost everything she's written. Half of a Yellow Sun - just incredible.
Thank you so much for sharing these recommendations, I'm also an avid reader so I love hearing what others are reading! I just started using TheStoryGraph - the more nerdy version of Goodreads and it's been fun.
Also- I went to NZ Jan 2024 and we loved it so much, we booked another trip and are going in a few weeks! I daydream about living there often :-) Also the bookstores there are AMAZING!
Here are some unsolicited NZ reads that I enjoyed:
- Come On Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story (Part memoir part history lesson Maori husband and American wife)
- Everything Is Beautiful and Everything Hurts (amazing fiction with body positive running story- this one got me good)
- There's a Cure for This (Memoir as a Maori doctor in NZ) by Dr. Emma Wehipeihana
- The Drinking Game by Guyon Espiner (super interesting history of alcohol use and legislation surrounding it in NZ- fun fact- he was previously married to Dr Emma above!)
- Straight Up by Rudy Tui (lovely memoir about Rudy's journey as a rugby 7's baddie)
If you are doing the North Island- I got you! Explored Auckland, Cook's Beach, Hamilton, Rotorua, Waitomo during our last trip and creating a bigger loop for the next one. Happy to help! :-) I am not a hobbit fan so I wouldn't be able to help in that department- much to the chagrin of everyone I spoke to about going to NZ!
For driving- we just said left, left, left, left in the car to remember.
I thought it would be dorky but on a whim we did the All Blacks (plus Silver Ferns) Rugby experience and it was AMAZING! Both interactive and fun, you get to stand into front of a haka which is intense and lots of ways to play for all ages.
Thank you!!! We are actually planning to go to the South Island -- my husband went to Milford Sound when he was in college and really wants to go back.
Oh I cannot wait to go down there someday. Have a wonderful time exploring and for your husband to go back to somewhere special from college days, fun!
The books I loved this year were The Power by Naomi Alderman, patriarchy flipping sci fi. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, a beautiful exploration of intersectionality told through the fictional lives of 12 black British women.
Maybe your book will be on my to read list in 2026? Thanks for some cool new ideas (which sadly I am going to check out from the library on my phone). Also- have you read Matt Lamothe’s other book This Is How We Do It? It’s a little more preschooler-friendly
Love your list! I started a book review blog a couple of years ago specifically to identify anti-fat bias in books…it’s at Readingwhilefat.com. My 2024 list is there—if you’re dipping into speculative fiction, I loved Yours For the Taking (2023) and The Shutouts (2024) by Gabrielle Korn, and The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins. Big Time by Ben H. Winters is also great.
Love this. Book recommendations are my love language, lol. I really relate to your tips 3 and 7! Over the last few years I've mostly been reading fiction by non-white, queer, disabled, (trans) women or non-binary folks and it's been an amazing experience. I read every genre but I'm mostly drawn to sci-fi. In this political climate, reading Margaret Atwood gives me anxiety - I need stories that affirm life right now...
For speculative fiction, I loved reading the Lady Astronaut series by Margaret Robinette Kowal, which is speculative sci-fi/ alternative history fiction envisioning what would have happened if women had been allowed to enter the space race. Such a delight.
Another sci-fi gem is Octavia Butler's trilogy "Lilith's Brood." Butler was a true visionary among the sci-fi crowd, but as a Black female writer, doesn't often make it onto lists about best sci-fi books/writers. Remembering your post about community (and your book club!), this one might appeal to you with its (postapocalyptic) story about "communal" living and partership.
I love seeing people’s book lists! I read a very small amount of Birnam Wood last year and put it down so now I’m thinking I should give it another chance (more of a “I’m not in the mood” moment than a true DNF). Also Ashley Shew’s sister was one of my best friends in high school so I love to see her name here! And maybe I should get her book too!
Oh I also have to say that if you want to read speculative fiction I have to recommend The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan! It’s also very dark which I guess is a given with speculative fiction.
Oh my gosh, I started that when my son was an infant and I couldn't handle it -- too intense for my postpartum state! Maybe I should return now that I'm a little more even-keeled about parenting. (Famous last words.)
I love this! Putting books down that aren't doing it for me is something I've been really embracing with my decline in free time the past 5 years. And reading in the morning, that sounds dreamy, I'll need to try to get myself awake early enough for that luxury soon!
I'm excited that in 2025 Geraldine Brooks & Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are both coming out with new books :) Demon Copperhead was definitely one of my fave reads last year!
Yes!!
Great rec's! I just put holds on most of the books you recommended. I am also a mom of a preschool aged boy who could be more present when we are relentlessly playing "rescue center" with all of his trucks. I'll try picking up a book instead of my phone when we play, maybe it will even inspire me to come up with new rescue missions for the trucks.
Making time for reading-I have slowly added more reading time to my days by dropping window shopping scrolls. I finally admitted that I was looking for escape and happy brain hormones with my faux shopping sprees. I get similar relief from a chapter of a book or a short story.
My big book wins of 2024 were:
Thrust by Lidia Yukanovitch
Poetic and raw writing presents a post-apocalyptic story that jumps time and place. Bonus is it is sex positive and has a bit of LGBTQ+ storyline
All Fours by Miranda July
My personal opinion is that anything Miranda July creates, I will consume. This novel is a story of an artist in a midlife tailspin that is non-stereotypical and centers on a woman's experience of aging and desire. If wacky narratives, sex exploration, LGBTQ+ parenting, and non-traditional relationships are your thing, then this book is for you.
Thanks again for the awesome book recommendations. Happy New Year!
Having a book on every floor of my multilevel townhouse is very much my hack too!
Yessssss
Housemates is one of the ones I currently have checked out, so I will elevate this to my must read list. I loved Unshrinkable and am a major Kate Manne fangirl. I have added In Love to my must read list.
I read a lot of mostly light romcoms, so I'm looking forward to reading some new to me authors like Jenny L. Howe (On the Plus Side) and Nisha Sharma (Tastes Like Shakkar and the rest of her "If Shakespeare Was An Auntie" trilogy, and catching up with Olivia Dade.
As for new books, I am so looking forward to Jennifer Finney Boylan's Cleavage and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count. And would like to read James, The Women, The Message, The Wedding People and Great Expectations if I can get my hands on them from the library.
Yes! I also am pumped for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book -- I think I've read almost everything she's written. Half of a Yellow Sun - just incredible.
Same. She's one I am happy to be a completist for!
Thank you so much for sharing these recommendations, I'm also an avid reader so I love hearing what others are reading! I just started using TheStoryGraph - the more nerdy version of Goodreads and it's been fun.
Also- I went to NZ Jan 2024 and we loved it so much, we booked another trip and are going in a few weeks! I daydream about living there often :-) Also the bookstores there are AMAZING!
Here are some unsolicited NZ reads that I enjoyed:
- Come On Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story (Part memoir part history lesson Maori husband and American wife)
- Everything Is Beautiful and Everything Hurts (amazing fiction with body positive running story- this one got me good)
- There's a Cure for This (Memoir as a Maori doctor in NZ) by Dr. Emma Wehipeihana
- The Drinking Game by Guyon Espiner (super interesting history of alcohol use and legislation surrounding it in NZ- fun fact- he was previously married to Dr Emma above!)
- Straight Up by Rudy Tui (lovely memoir about Rudy's journey as a rugby 7's baddie)
Omg amazing! I have been looking for more NZ reads. 😍
Getting ready to go to NZ and just wanted to say hi and that I came back to look these up!! ❤️❤️
Welcome any travel tips!!
If you are doing the North Island- I got you! Explored Auckland, Cook's Beach, Hamilton, Rotorua, Waitomo during our last trip and creating a bigger loop for the next one. Happy to help! :-) I am not a hobbit fan so I wouldn't be able to help in that department- much to the chagrin of everyone I spoke to about going to NZ!
For driving- we just said left, left, left, left in the car to remember.
I thought it would be dorky but on a whim we did the All Blacks (plus Silver Ferns) Rugby experience and it was AMAZING! Both interactive and fun, you get to stand into front of a haka which is intense and lots of ways to play for all ages.
Thank you!!! We are actually planning to go to the South Island -- my husband went to Milford Sound when he was in college and really wants to go back.
Oh I cannot wait to go down there someday. Have a wonderful time exploring and for your husband to go back to somewhere special from college days, fun!
The books I loved this year were The Power by Naomi Alderman, patriarchy flipping sci fi. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, a beautiful exploration of intersectionality told through the fictional lives of 12 black British women.
Yes! Loved both of those!!
Maybe your book will be on my to read list in 2026? Thanks for some cool new ideas (which sadly I am going to check out from the library on my phone). Also- have you read Matt Lamothe’s other book This Is How We Do It? It’s a little more preschooler-friendly
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Love your list! I started a book review blog a couple of years ago specifically to identify anti-fat bias in books…it’s at Readingwhilefat.com. My 2024 list is there—if you’re dipping into speculative fiction, I loved Yours For the Taking (2023) and The Shutouts (2024) by Gabrielle Korn, and The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins. Big Time by Ben H. Winters is also great.
Thanks for the recs!!!
Love this. Book recommendations are my love language, lol. I really relate to your tips 3 and 7! Over the last few years I've mostly been reading fiction by non-white, queer, disabled, (trans) women or non-binary folks and it's been an amazing experience. I read every genre but I'm mostly drawn to sci-fi. In this political climate, reading Margaret Atwood gives me anxiety - I need stories that affirm life right now...
For speculative fiction, I loved reading the Lady Astronaut series by Margaret Robinette Kowal, which is speculative sci-fi/ alternative history fiction envisioning what would have happened if women had been allowed to enter the space race. Such a delight.
Another sci-fi gem is Octavia Butler's trilogy "Lilith's Brood." Butler was a true visionary among the sci-fi crowd, but as a Black female writer, doesn't often make it onto lists about best sci-fi books/writers. Remembering your post about community (and your book club!), this one might appeal to you with its (postapocalyptic) story about "communal" living and partership.
Amazing! Thanks for the recs. <3
I love seeing people’s book lists! I read a very small amount of Birnam Wood last year and put it down so now I’m thinking I should give it another chance (more of a “I’m not in the mood” moment than a true DNF). Also Ashley Shew’s sister was one of my best friends in high school so I love to see her name here! And maybe I should get her book too!
Birnam Wood was psychologically dark -- totally get it if you aren't in the mental space for it! And Ashley Shew's book was great.
Oh I also have to say that if you want to read speculative fiction I have to recommend The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan! It’s also very dark which I guess is a given with speculative fiction.
Oh my gosh, I started that when my son was an infant and I couldn't handle it -- too intense for my postpartum state! Maybe I should return now that I'm a little more even-keeled about parenting. (Famous last words.)
After hearing about Birnam Wood here I finished it at 4am last night! Thriller indeed. Lots of food for thought
Oh my gosh! I’m so glad you liked it…. What an intense book! I can’t stop thinking about it, 9 months later.