My December Reading Recap blog post includes my book reviews for the month, books I added to my massive TBR, and all the bookish events I went to. You can read the full recap at abookandadog.com/recapblog/december-2024-recap

Happy New Year! 🎉🍾📚

As we near the end of 2024, I‘m filled with gratitude for all the incredible books I read this year. I devoured the works of my favorite authors and discovered some amazing new ones. Reading them with my furry sidekick made it even more special. Linked below are my top 10 picks for the best books I read in 2024. ❤️📚🎉🍾🐾

https://abookandadog.com/best-books-2024

Smoke Signal is a fun historical fiction novella set during WWII with famed mystery writer Agatha Christie at the center of the story. It‘s a unique blend of storytelling by Marie Benedict, who‘s written about Agatha Christie, and Kate Quinn, who brings her expertise in female code breakers to the table.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/smoke-signal

I‘m still hooked on Freida McFadden‘s books. I chose to give the Housemaid series a pause and read The Perfect Son. It was another great one! Freida delivers that unexpected twist I‘ve come to rely on. The twist in this book literally stopped me in my tracks.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-perfect-son

I‘m a huge fan of Jessica Strawser! This book was so hard to put down whenever I started reading, so I mostly read it when I had chunks of uninterrupted time. really liked Lark and Mikki; they are extremely likable, admirable, and humble characters. There is such a strong relationship between these two lifelong best friends. The story is a beautiful mix of pain, hope, and suspense. 🌴

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/catch-you-later

Not the tagged book. I was immediately impressed that Alanis Morissette opened this Words + Music session by normalizing human emotions, especially anger. The use of music has been instrumental for her to process her own emotions. Throughout this audiobook, Alanis shares her insights into specific songs from her earlier albums and performs them acoustically.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/alanis-morissette-words-music

I absolutely adored this book! Lisa shared stories about growing up in Graceland, and even her returns to Graceland as an adult. Her relationship with her dad was amazing. This memoir covers everything from her adolescent struggles, the relationship with her mom, marriages, children, addiction, and her son‘s tragic suicide. Lisa‘s own death is also detailed in the book.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/from-here-to-the-great-unknown

I‘ve read a few books by Kate Morton, and The Distant Hours wasn‘t my favorite. I loved the historical fiction, dual timeline story, and setting of an old, European castle. But there were so many little things going on that made the story confusing at times.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-distant-hours

I‘ve read The Shining by Stephen King twice now, and it‘s one of my all-time favorites. I first read it 12 years ago and loved it just as much the second time around. Sure, I knew how the story ended, but I totally forgot a lot of the details.

In my full review, you can see the trailer for the TV mini-series and info about The Stanley Hotel that served as King‘s inspiration for the Overlook.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-shining

Not the tagged book. Buried in my Audible library was this short story, Yard Work by David Koepp. Kevin Bacon narrates the tale of 88-year-old Judge Calvert, who‘s recently widowed. His wife dying first was completey unexpected and not what the two had planned. To escape the memories of his wife, Judge moves into his cabin on the lake.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/yard-work

Tis‘ the season for holiday-themed reading! Peter Swanson‘s novella, The Christmas Guest, has all of the necessary elements for a holiday story — an old manor house in the Cotswolds, a large family gathering for Christmas, and a murder mystery. 😆🎄

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-christmas-guest

My Audible library is overflowing, so sometimes I just pick the book that has been waiting patiently the longest to read next. This book had been sitting in my library for so long, I couldn‘t remember what had piqued my interest. Based on the description, I suspected this was going to be one of those really long books that dove deeply into the characters‘ lives, and I was going to love it.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-great-believers

This book is relatively short for an autobiography of a man who has truly lived a fascinating life and made amazing inventions that were ahead of his time. He shared about his parents and significant events in his childhood. As he humbly wrote about his inventions, he dropped interesting personal nuggets of information. His work ethic was incredible!

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/my-inventions-nikola-tesla

Freida McFadden totally won me over this year! I‘m currently hooked on the Housemaid series, and the second book, The Housemaid‘s Secret, is just as wild and unexpected as the first. I can‘t believe how she weaves these crazy twists and surprises into the story. She‘s a total writing wizard!

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-housemaids-secret

Last month, I joined The Constant Reader book club for the first time. It‘s a monthly meetup at a local library where they only read Stephen King‘s books. November‘s meet-up is to discuss Night Shift. As a testament to King‘s skillful storytelling, many of the stories left me wanting more - in a good way! The story ends, and there could be more told, but King intentionally leaves the reader hanging.

Full review abookandadog.com/blog/night-shift

I‘ve read a few books by Darcy Coates, and I absolutely love her spooky mansion and ghost stories. Craven Manor was different from her other books I‘ve read. It had a strong emotional theme that made me care about the characters and what happened to them. 👻

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/craven-manor

Lock Every Door was good - the eerie setting of the Bartholomew kept me engaged. The characters were likable - even the villains had moments they showed their pleasant side. I figured out the main villain in the story pretty easily, but the ‘why‘ behind it was a surprise. The twist of the story was a fresh take on the suspenseful thriller genre, but it wasn‘t my absolute favorite twist.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/lock-every-door

I have been intrigued by Madeline‘s historical fiction books that have a bookshop or library theme. I finally decided to give her books a try. I can‘t imagine living like that during WWII. So much fear and destruction. I loved the heartwarming part of the story that shows the power of books. There are lots of references to classic books that were popular at the time, which was fun.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-last-bookshop-in-london

I participated in another Back Room author event graciously hosted by Hank Phillippi Ryan and Karen Dionne. There were engaging conversations with authors Tracy Clark, J.T. Ellison, Jessica Strawser, and Stephanie Wrobel. I wrote about my experience on my blog.

abookandadog.com/author-events/the-back-room-twisty-suspense

I attended the Kentucky Book Festival this weekend. It seemed to be a huge hit! Despite the many authors and programs, I only had an interest in meeting two: Jessica Strawser and Ann Gabhart. I‘ve been a fan of Jessica‘s books for years and even met her at a book festival before. Ann is a local author who writes stories set in the beautiful landscapes of Kentucky. I shared it on my blog.

abookandadog.com/author-events/kentucky-book-festival-2024

This book has been collecting dust on my bookshelf for ages. I bought my copy when I went to an author event with Delia Owens at my local indie back in 2019. I absolutely adored this book! It has everything I love in a novel. It‘s a historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, a murder mystery, and a love story all set against the breathtaking backdrop of coastal North Carolina.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/where-the-crawdads-sing

Happy Halloween! 🎃 Nikolette and I hope you have a spooktacular day filled with yummy treats. We‘re about to dive back into Stephen King‘s Night Shift for a re-read.

I am addicted to Freida McFadden‘s amazing psychological thrillers. A former coworker/friend and I have been discussing our love for her books for the past few months. My friend is always raving about the Housemaid series, along with the rest of the reading world, so I finally made it a priority to start reading The Housemaid. It‘s so creepy and diabolical! I loved it!!

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-housemaid

It has been too long since I read a book by Peter Swanson. I have been a fan of his work since he started publishing. He is an author I can count on for an outstanding psychologically suspenseful novel. I‘m so glad I decided to read this one! I was completely engaged in the story from beginning to end. 🍁

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/before-she-knew-him

My only knowledge of Griffin Dunne, prior to reading this family memoir, was his role in the 1987 movie Who‘s That Girl, starring Madonna. I enjoyed reading The Friday Afternoon Club. Other people‘s lives have always fascinated me, so I appreciate it when people are willing to share some of the most private moments of their lives.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-friday-afternoon-club

I love the cover of this book. It provides the perfect visual intrigue for what may be occurring behind that closed gate, as though only certain people are privileged enough to be included. I‘m always game for a story about an elegant mansion, its arrogant residents, and a murder to be solved. This seriously exceeded my expectations. 🎃

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/the-manor-house

It‘s always a pleasure to receive signed copies of John Grisham‘s new books from Square Books. Grisham just released his latest nonfiction book that he coauthored with Jim McCloskey, Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions. I preordered my copy, signed by both authors, from Square Books, an independent bookseller in Oxford, Mississippi. I expect this will be a good read!

abookandadog.com/blog/framed-signed

I participated in my second author event at The Back Room hosted by Hank Phillipi Ryan and Karen Dionne. There were fascinating and stimulating conversations among authors Lauren Ling Brown, Julia Dahl, Mindy Mejia, and Beatriz Williams. I wrote about my experience on my blog.
abookandadog.com/author-events/the-back-room-chilling-suspense

Author Joe Hill is easily one of my favorite horror writers. And why wouldn‘t he be — he‘s the son of Stephen King! I‘ve read all of his novels and short story collections, so I was excited when I learned from Joe‘s newsletter that his latest short story, Ushers, was available on Amazon‘s First Reads for the month of October. ?? (Not in Litsy database yet.)

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/ushers

I ended up enjoying this book more than I expected from the beginning. It seemed the sequence of events escalated a tiny bit slowly. My personal barrier to this story was the MC‘s age. As I get older, I find it hard to relate to a main character who is barely 21. The ending of the book was a complete shock! If you like ghosts, Ouija boards, and solving puzzles, this book is for you! 

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/hidden-pictures

While searching for my next audiobook, I came across this on my wishlist. The setting of a father and daughter living in the woods with no electricity and no connection to the outside world because a secret is being held sounded quite intriguing.

Full review at abookandadog.com/blog/these-silent-woods

Original painting pictured by artist, Patrick Riley, is available at https://www.poesoulstudio.com/original-artwork-pss/a-place-to-rest-my-mind

It‘s spooky reading season, and I want to devour as many scary stories as possible. I needed to find the perfect book to listen to while decorating my house for Halloween. I couldn‘t have been happier with my selection. A group of friends on their way to a hotel for a week relaxing in nature get lost, and they start disappearing — one by one? Yep, I was sold!

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/one-by-one-mcfadden

With the spooky reading season approaching, I was in the mood for a book involving a haunted house. Scrolling through books I saved on the Hoopla app, I came across this one. Fantasy is always a bit out of my wheelhouse; however, I couldn‘t resist a story set just after WWI in an old, gothic English manor with a library. The book description sounded spooky and dreamy!

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/the-last-heir-to-blackwood-library

I participated in The Back Room author event hosted by Hank Phillipe Ryan and Karen Dionne for the first time. It was a lot of fun seeing authors Madeline Martin, Rose Carlyle, Mansi Shah, and and Marybeth Mayhew Whalen discuss their latest books and interact with participants. I wrote about my experience on my blog. 💕

https://abookandadog.com/author-events/the-back-room-riveting-stories

It‘s always a good day when there is a book in my mailbox. I‘m grateful for The Poisoned Pen, an independent bookseller, in Scottsdale, Arizona, who sent me a signed copy of The Forest of Lost Souls by Dean Koontz. The gorgeous end papers are perfect for fall! The dust jacket protects a beautiful hardcover. I look forward to reading this!

More pictures on my blog at https://abookandadog.com/blog/the-forest-of-lost-souls-signed

TNH explains the power of silence by slowing down the mind so that we can recognize the surrounding beauty. Many people search for happiness; however, they spend their days frantically running from one place to another. Silence is about cultivating quiet in our minds amid chaos. TNH offers techniques to remind us to be present in the moment with equanimity in a noisy environment or mind. 

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/silence

I‘ve been a fan of Grisham forever, so I was disappointed to not have liked this one as much as I hoped. Especially since I attended Grisham‘s author event in 2017 for the release of this book and purchased a signed copy. While I have a few issues with this book, it was still an okay read. The story kept my interest enough that I finished it and didn‘t feel compelled to bail.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/the-rooster-bar

Alright #hygge hour Littens, I see you! I had a vague understanding of Hygge from my use of the Calm app and mindfulness practice. I wanted to learn more about it, so I added this book to my Libby wishlist. Thanks to your recent posts, I finally read and very much enjoyed this little book. Now I understand what you all are doing! Great idea!! 😅

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/the-little-book-of-hygge

I like how I never know what to expect from a Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery novel. Each installment in the series is unique. The only constant is that poor Horowitz has to figure out how to navigate the walls put up by Hawthorne. Trying to learn more about Hawthorne is like trying to enter an impenetrable fortress. Each murder mystery is complex and impossible for me to figure out.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/close-to-death

I‘m getting close to finishing the Alphabet series. I‘ve enjoyed all books in the series, otherwise I wouldn‘t keep reading them; furthermore, U is for Undertow, stands out as one of my favorites.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/u-is-for-undertow

Evan Smoak answers a person‘s frantic call for help. Soon after saving that person, Evan is captured, drugged, and whisked away. He awakens, realizing he is someone‘s prisoner, but he has no idea who has kidnapped him, what they want from him, or where he is. Evan expends all of his energy and skill in an effort to escape his confinement. Meanwhile, he receives another call for help. 

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/the-nowhere-man

I‘m easily drawn to stories about abandoned houses or villages. I think that is what kept me reading this novella — there were many times I came close to bailing. The story seemed to often deviate from the main story, which was the mysterious girl in the lake and the abandoned village, by the MC‘s lengthy interactions with his parents and another boy at the resort.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/lost-girl-of-the-lake

The thing I love about horror stories is how they can creep me out and get my mind racing in a million different directions trying to figure out what‘s happening. When I close the book, I can return to my relatively calm, peaceful life. But I can‘t with this new novella, because this horror story won‘t leave my head! 

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/when-you-leave-i-disappear

I admit, I judge books by their covers. I assumed this book was about external beauty based on the title and the image of a beautiful woman. I was finally drawn to reading this book because it was constantly popping up in my book feeds. Many readers seem to love this book, so I read the description and decided it sounded like something I would find interesting.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/hello-beautiful

-Not the tagged book- Audible Original Podcast offered this six-part series about Arthur Conan Doyle, and I was intrigued to learn about his personal life and the creation of Holmes. There‘s a lot of information packed into this two-hour podcast. I recommend giving this a listen if you're interested in learning the highlights of Doyle‘s life. 

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/the-real-sherlock

I have an innate curiosity to learn about the lives of other people. Identified as a biographical fiction novel, Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck, spoke to my interests about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. The novel opens in 1932 with Zelda being admitted to the Phipps Psychiatric Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland, and meeting her assigned nurse, Anna Howard.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/call-me-zelda

I had never heard of Rakiya before, but I became quickly acquainted with the knowledge that it‘s a type of alcohol, or fruit spirits. Rakiya is consistently present in this short story collection. It is either the main focus of the story, as in the story titled, Rakiya, or briefly mentioned as a modest character. This book contains an impressive 12 short stories. 

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/rakiya-stories-of-bulgaria

Professor Ben Garrod offers a lot of knowledge in just a couple of hours. He teaches listeners what defines a dinosaur, the various kinds of dinosaurs, and what led to their extinction. I was amazed to learn that some dinosaurs had feathers, and birds today are technically considered dinosaurs. Ben explains recent research that has revealed fascinating discoveries.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/a-grown-up-guide-to-dinosaurs

For the longest time, I had no intentions of reading this one. After seeing people read and love this book for about six months, I decided I would see what all the hype was about. I put the audiobook on hold with my local library and waited another eight months for my chance. I enjoyed this story and am glad I read it. If I hadn‘t read it, I think I would have been okay, too.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/yellowface

I‘m a latecomer to the writings of Neil Peart. Ghost Rider is the book I was most looking forward to reading. His 19-year-old daughter died in a car accident in 1997. Ten months later, his wife died of cancer. I remember thinking, ‘How does someone survive that magnitude of loss?!‘ Well, Neil tells readers exactly how he survived in Ghost Rider. I love everything about this book.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/ghost-rider