I can‘t yet do a short “favorites” list of books of 2024, but I sure can do a favorites of each month so far!

Here‘s January 2024‘s five-star, shove-into-your-hands, gorgeously-written chunkster of a novel that reached right through to my tree-hugging heart and never let go.

Nature themed books were my sweet spot this year and I have this gem to thank for kicking it all off. 🌳

#bestof2024 #bestofjanuary #fivestarreads

This type of thing is generally my jam, but this guy is irritating and at 40% I‘ve decided that I officially do not care to know any more about him or this hike of his. Somehow he has managed to make me both bored and bothered. Later, alligator.

Delightful! In my little corner of Maine, no tree seems to be safe from new housing being built or neighbors “wanting less shade” or highways being widened all at the expense of our stately gorgeous forests. So, to spend time with this man who loves trees with a passion and has made his climbing a career of adventures and focus was so enjoyable! (There‘s crazy stuff in the trees of the world, gang. Stuff that bites and stings…and worse.😬) 4.5⭐️

Well, this was much grittier than expected! Really well written and intense. The smatterings of charm and wit and humor were so well executed for a story that, overall, was not a light one. This had been on my TBR for a wicked long time and I went into it just trusting that I‘d put it on that (admittedly extensive) list for a reason. If you like a tidy ending and linear storytelling, skip it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

November has been a huge reading slump for me! ☹️I‘ve tapped out on at least five books…some I‘ve gotten almost to the middle of before official DNF status. So, my trusty TBR Jar gave me the prompt “less than 1000 ratings on GR” and I chose this from my saved Hoopla titles. I enjoyed it! Soft pick, but still a pick and I actually finished it, which is a win. A good man‘s story of the hardships and joys of his self-appointed seclusion. 3.5⭐️

I went into this totally blind, and it wound up being one of my top audiobooks of the year! What a romp of a tale, well-told. And what a delightfully entertaining and well-produced audio this was! I was on the edge of my seat, I laughed, I exclaimed out loud, I spent 20 minutes on the phone with my 78yo mom telling her this true story that I‘d previously known nothing about. Don‘t be put off by multiple voice credits - it‘s excellent! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was…okay. I was really enjoying the physical version a lot! Around 20% in, I switched to audio ever-so-briefly so I could run errands and keep on reading…and the narrator‘s inflections kind of ruined it for me. I don‘t remember that ever happening before! What a bummer. Even though I easily read 80% with my peepers, I couldn‘t unhear the disappointing audio which had set an entirely different tone. *sigh* ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I decided to read one book from each year entered onto my GR “to read” list and delete (mostly 🙄) all the others from each year. In 2016, I put 23 books on that list, and this is the one that made the cut. I‘m so very happy that I finally read this! Beautiful. I started in print, switched to e-reader, and finished the last 40ish% as audio, which was narration perfection.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ALL THE STARS! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can‘t even watch the super-brief commercial previews for scary shit - and itisallscaryshit this time of year, y‘all - so I felt like this book was published exclusively for sissy ol‘ me! Excellently narrated. I appreciated the tone, the information, the cool little details and history, and some surprisingly insightful psychology related to the genre of horror. The books recs within are a hard pass for me, but fun! 👻

I loved this so much!

Funny, smart, interesting, educational (for a political dufus such as myself, anyway) and - yup! - hopeful.

Things cannot possibly still be the same as they were in the pre-pandemic, pre-Trump White House but I truly appreciated this story, which felt like a delightful visit with a successful and humble and witty friend with a cool job.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can‘t remember how this got on my radar, but it was a readily-available ebook through my library and past-me had marked it “saved” so I just figured that the worst-case-scenario was I could just tap “return” if it didn‘t work for me. Alas, I loved the first line and just went along for the ride! Witty and dark and a little over the top, but unique enough and paced in a way I could get on board with. A good conversation starter, to boot! 3.5⭐️

If you are not reading this because you avoid books that are deep in the hype, you are missing out! I read it in two sittings; shoulda been raking leaves and feeding myself and generally participating in life but NOPE. Needed to know what was going to happen! Propelling and consuming. Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well, it‘s official: I am glad that I was not born into an empire of any kind and that I am not a billionaire. 😬Shout out to my accountant dad and bank manager mom for raising me with love and security and obscurity, and to all my household bills that require my attention like a normal person.

Still, I do love me some rich-folk drama in my reading life! Felt the author was getting judgy by the end, but overall just well-told good dirt here.

My first #whole30 was in 2013. My life was totally different back then (toxic boyfriend! toxic relationship with my body! employment insecurity! sooooo much CrossFit!), and the availability of such things as ghee and coconut aminos was so limited that it was often an expensive and frustrating chore to make food. I just finished my 2024 W30 and it was great! So much info, recipes, support and advice out there now. I will put my takeaways ⬇️

The only reason this isn‘t a pan for me is that the author was a 20yo at the time the story takes place and thus his brain was clearly *not* fully formed. TW for the (sometimes senseless, often suffering) deaths of a number of wild animals. The author learned some life lessons, in a good way, but not before I wanted to throat punch him. Also: do not bring a dog along on your tale and then fail to keep me constantly updated on their wellbeing. 3⭐️

Fantasy has been a genre I‘d assumed was too complicated and confusing for my pragmatic, structured, boundary-enforcing Capricorn brain to embrace and enjoy. And then, I read The Name of the Wind, which was my gateway to my new fascination with the genre! That said: when you‘re a newbie, *some* fantasy is…a lot. Of names. Of worlds. Of languages. Of magic. I enjoyed this one, but I found those things a bit overwhelming. It‘s me, not the book!

Another solid installment in the series! I‘m a big fan of the elder Kellerman‘s Alex Delaware series and while I definitely see representation of that writing style in these Clay Edison books, there is also enough difference to see it‘s not a solo endeavor. A quick and entertaining read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well, I‘m sure glad I didn‘t check to see what y‘all thought of this book before I read it because WOW, there is *no* Litsy Love to be found! Was it an alien story? Nope. Were there some plot holes? I suppose, yes, but can‘t that also just mean that we get to walk away with some questions? Isn‘t it okay to wonder, to allow some space for our beautiful brains to choose imaginative explanations of our own? Anyway, I‘m making this a pick. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I heard someone say recently “a ‘good‘ book is not necessarily a page-turner, and a page-turner is not necessarily a ‘good‘ book,” and I agree! There are times that I am propelled through a story and I stay up late, reading to see what happens next, and the reading experience in those moments is SO GOOD…but it‘s not a book I‘ll jam into my friends‘ hands. This is one of those. Solid, quick, engaging, twisty and entertaining. A slump buster for me!

I‘ve lately been having an unusually difficult time finding a book that both grabs and keeps my attention, so I relied on my TBR Jar to help send me in the right direction. I pulled “a book that is outside your comfort zone” and figured I‘d let the library gods do the rest. This chunkster - 722 pages in this format 🫣- was on the FREE FOREVER rack! I am only on page 75 but am loving it…fantasy isn‘t always easy for me but so far this is amazing!

I think I keep expecting Mike Bowditch to be Walt Longmire (or Paul Doiron to be Craig Johnson?) which is not only unfair but distracts me from being able to love-love this series like I once did. That said, this is so much better than the last one (which was Mansplain City, ugh). A fast-paced pursuit of a killer through the deep Maine woods on dark night during a wet spring (ick, and NO THANKS), this had great tension and sense of place! ⭐️3.75⭐️

I feel as though you‘d have to be about 64% more weather-nerdy than I am to fully and truly appreciate the book in its entirety. Still: wow! There was some big tension and a lot of detail that made me extra-super happy that my biggest weather woes in Maine typically involve snow and ice, both of which are kittens compared to the weather events described here. Respectful and interesting story of smart people taking risks for science. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this! One of the most creative premises, executed brilliantly. Would make for really lively discussion, I bet! A fast, propelling read that I found thoroughly entertaining. Unlike the opinions of so many others who have read this, I found the ending satisfying. (I wonder if it matters that I‘ve never been married? 🤔 See?! Good fodder for discussion, right?!) I look forward to more from this author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This started strong for me as a witty tongue-in-cheek story where I saw some comical trouble brewing right off the bat, and I was ready to ride that zippy ride! But then, it was…a lot.
A lot of characters (omg, a whole damn town‘s worth, my middle-age brain cannot hold all those names!).
A lot of topics, all worth discussing but maybe not all at once?
An unexpected level of heaviness.
Low pick. Felt exhausting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Make no mistake about it, friends: at the center of this book is the love story between the author and her dog, Elvis. Hold onto your heart, and read it anyway. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Often, a book series makes me feel like I‘m reading the same book over and over again (I‘m looking at you, Janet Evanovich). This pattern is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when reading for comfort and reliability! Still, I really appreciate that Johnson does not waste my time trying to acclimate me to Walter and the gang - at 20 books in, I know the dealio - and that each story is intense and unique. Loved this latest! A hearty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If my bedroom a/c fails me and it is even one half degree above 67 when I go to bed tonight I will die and take you all down with me, but otherwise I‘d say I‘m not wicked concerned about the hot-weather warning.

Halfway through this latest series installment starring my dream men, Walt and Henry - it‘s so good and I do not want it to end but cannot stop reading. Best. Problem. Ever.

I gravitate towards the Alaskan setting and experience, both in fiction and non-fiction. I‘ve read some incredible first-hand accounts of dogsledding, so this perspective was really cool! Lots of great behind-the-scenes information about the Iditarod, some interesting Alaskan history and culture around the race. The author shared lots of love and respect for the dogs, the mushers, and the spirit of the land, the people, and the competition. 4⭐️

What a page turner! Propelling and gripping throughout, this book was a blast to stay up too late and get up too early for. One of the better written, most compelling unputdownables I‘ve read in a while. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maggie O‘Farrell‘s blurb on the cover uses the word “polyphony,” which I had to look up. I‘m so glad I did! From an article in “The Millions” about this style of writing: ‘Bypassing traditional notions of character and plot, polyphonic novels create meaning at the intersection of seemingly random plot lines. Harmonies are found in the artful assemblage of disparate voices.‘
I loved this skillfully-written book, loved the many lives within. 5⭐️

Really wonderful audiobook! A love story, really, about family and the bonds unbroken even after the deaths of her mom and big brother. So much to enjoy here! From Whoopi‘s chuckling and humorous digressions (there is no way print can compare to the audio version) to the expression of deep, enduring love and respect for how and by whom she was raised, this was personal in all the best ways. Memoir without tragedy! It‘s a thing! Try it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘d heard this recommended on the What Should I Read Next podcast a while ago and snagged it from the library yesterday for a weekend read. It took me away right off the bat, and I blew through it! I don‘t think I would have enjoyed it as much if I‘d expected it to be a “mystery.” Excellent character study and unique perspectives, wonderfully strong sense of place, a whole tide of tension throughout. I really liked it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I did not enjoy “Nothing to See Here,” and I just cannot fully embrace first-person narrative when it‘s a male author writing from a female perspective. I just can‘t. I can kinda-sorta get good with an observational tone, but it is distracting for me to be expected to see through the eyes of a female teenager as written by someone who was never a female teenager. (I like westerns not written by cowboys, tho, so…🤔) Anyway, soft pick for me. 3.5⭐️

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A nonfiction nature story that will make your heart soar! I listened to the audiobook but also snagged the ebook so I could better appreciate the adventure through the author‘s photos and drawings. This made my work commute a delight the past few days, and that‘s saying something. Highly recommend!

If character-driven novels are your sweet spot, I strongly encourage you to read Monica Wood‘s books. I fall in love with the characters as though they are my very own neighbors, every single time. It is, of course, a delight that the setting is typically in Maine - the author‘s home state, and mine. This was beautiful and funny and charming; I can think of no other author who makes me adore humans more than MW does. Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Compassionate and vulnerable and moving. A unique perspective, relayed respectfully. What an intelligent, resilient, caring woman this nurse/author is! Just one of the many wonderful people helping us mere mortals find comfort and hope through the last of our lives. I appreciate the glimpse into these personal and heartbreaking experiences. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clean, sharp, touching, smart, wise, delightful, fun and funny. A great listen! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As I listened to this beautiful book of linked essays this week, construction started in earnest to build two homes on a tiny lot of land behind my home. What was wild and untamed and unruly is now shredded and torn and barren. Even as I write this, the rock-splitting equipment forges ahead. The timing of the book in my life is impeccable, and the book itself is a testament to the straight line from heart to nature.So good! I loved every word.♥️🌳

Superb! The author‘s narration enhanced the reading experience for me, who would have butchered any Spanish dialogue, pronunciation of animal species, and cadence of the story if left to my own voice. I know in my heart that I will *always* remember, think about, and recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the first in a series of clean, sweet, humorous mystery stories with an enjoyable cast of characters. Set in a Florida retirement community, the protagonist is actually a young woman who has been raised there by friends and neighbors of her deceased and beloved grandmother. There‘s a Stephanie Plum-esque vibe in all the best ways. A great palate cleanser! A few typos, no intellectual challenges, but I‘m on book three and happy as a clam.

My TBR Jar pick this week was “has been on your TBR for more than 5 years,” and this was marked as “to read” on Goodreads in 2016. I guess past me could better handle some super sad shit because - Oof. This book is *not* gonna make you laugh. Not once, not even a little. A story of a childhood that is grim and intense and deeply, deeply sad. Well written, wonderfully narrated. No rating. But I‘m gonna go REALLY light for next book‘s theme, man.

Listen to this like the author is just someone you know who wrote (and narrated) a book instead of expecting it to be literary perfection and you will be delighted! I‘m a single, middle-aged woman fully intending to lead at least a semi-nomadic life starting ASAP so this checked a lot of boxes for me. Humorous, enlightening, engaging, entertaining. A fun glimpse into an interesting life! A happy pick for me. 🚐 🏕️

Well, at almost 50% I‘m tapping out. I can‘t get the 5 hours of my listening life back but I *can* (and did) return this to the library and move on. Here‘s the thing I learned: the author is a skilled linguist and a really, really terrible narrator in equal measure.

This might be a fantastic book in print but it is downright painful to listen to. Later, alligator. 👋

When one day I do not show up to work, no one can say there there weren‘t any clues. 🤷‍♀️⛰️🏝️🌎🚐🏕️

From the months-ago library wait-list request to approximately page 200, when the orchid becomes significant to the plot, I thought the title was “The Ghost Orchard.” 🤷‍♀️
ANYWAY:
Kellerman is one of my auto-read authors and I am absolutely delighted to have ignored every and all active, productive, social, responsible plans I had for today so I could double down on hanging with Alex, Milo, Blanche and Robin. 📖

Wow, I truly loved this! I‘d never heard of the author and I don‘t have any inclination to view her Instagram account…this type of narrative is the “platform” I prefer because comments are a pass for me. I will definitely be grabbing her most recent memoir, coming out in the spring of this year. *There is a lot of really deep dog love in this book and some heart-stopping stuff happens. I wish someone had told me this: the dogs all live 🎉❤️ 5⭐️

Am I the only one who finds that their rating goes from “so-so” to “pick” after reading the author‘s note/acknowledgements? 🤔

An easy, enjoyable read with a predictable cast of characters and unsurprising plot points. What felt underwhelming upon finishing the story turned more towards appreciation and kind regards after reading the author‘s end notes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I‘m a little over halfway through and I can easily say that this one is gonna drop into my top ten of all time. 🏆

Castaways and scurvy and mutiny, oh my! Not a tale for the faint-hearted. 😳 The author did such an amazing job of gifting us this linear, well-told account of the shipwreck and aftermath of The Wager. (Am I the only one who doesn‘t read blurbs and thought the book was about a ship-related bet of some kind and not an actual ship called The Wager? 🙄) Fantastically narrated! I definitely would not have loved it as much using my own brain-voice. 5⭐️

I never would have picked this up if not recommended on What Should I Read Next podcast; as promised, it is far less fluffy than the cover implies! An enjoyable read with strong characters and well-done plot. A nice pace with a tidy ending. Not the type of book I read most often, but I‘m happy to have read this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️