2024 reading debrief

stats, stand-outs, disappointments

Even though I have spammed your inboxes and Goodreads feed all year with updates about my reading, I’m back for more.¹ One of the perks of reading so much in a single year is that you have a lot of books to talk about! My favorites list for 2024 rounds out at about thirty books (with a few extra honorable mentions) but this is not that list. Instead I want to reflect on stats and talk about hits and misses. It’s hard to fit 130+ books into one post, but I’ll do my best.

And for those who want to know my favorite books of the year, fear not, I am filming a full video after the holidays. (There’s still time!!! I’m still reading!!!!)

Before we get into numbers and stats, let’s go back to the beginning of the year. Well, okay, about a year ago. Last December, I made a post about my new year reading goals. It was ambitious, as always, and even though I failed at some of my hopes, I definitely read some of the things I said I would!

goals for 2024

READ 100 BOOKS

Check check checkity check check - I passed this goal in September, and so I moved on to the first stretch goal I had set for myself: 120 books. The dream was to surpass my all-time record from 2019 (107 books and 38,160 pages according to GR), and by jove…we did it. With flying colors, I might add. Once I passed 120 books, I moved on to a final secret stretchy stretch goal that I didn’t even talk about at the beginning of the year for fear it would evade me. I really wanted to read 40,000 pages this year to round out my stats…and yeah, it wasn’t even that hard actually. I slowed down a bit at the beginning of December, but then I reread some favorites and got back in the game. I’ll update with the final count when it’s actually the end of the year, but I passed 130 (ish) books and 41,000 pages. I’ve never read this much in a year. I don’t know how I did it. I don’t know if I’ll ever do it again. I am on top of the world!!!

READ A LEAST 1 NON-FICTION BOOK A MONTH (12 TOTAL)

For a while now I’ve been hoping to dive into more non-fiction because I actually think some of the most pivotal reads in my life are memoirs and informative books. I aimed for one book a month because twelve feels like a do-able number. And for the first half of the year I absolutely did that. By July I think about 1/3 of the books I’d read were non-fiction…I kind of fell off when my summer depression got bad, but I did pick up more than twelve NF books this year so I count that as a massive win.

PRIORITIZE TOPICS

And while I was picking up non-fiction, I wanted to learn about some specific topics.

• Palestine - I had read a few books on Palestine, but nothing super concrete and nothing non-fiction, so this year I wanted to really dive into some more explicit books about the conflict against Israel. Still lots to learn on this, but I finally made a dent in my TBR and it was super eye-opening.

• Trans/Non-Binary Experience - This was the one topic I feel like I failed on, even though I read some trans fiction that was super great. I have a big trans non-fic TBR that I can work on next year though!

• AIDS Crisis - Believe it or not, as a 1995 baby I know hardly anything about the AIDS crisis. I didn’t get to read a lot of AIDS books this year, but my favorite non-fiction book is about artists from the crisis, and I felt like I learned so much from that one book alone. It’s such an important part of queer history (and history in general) and I hope to add more books to this list next year.

• Autism/Neurodivergence - I did an autism deep dive in March, and while I’m still not ready to fully unpack that, maybe you’ve gathered that the books I read really changed my life. I can safely say that before this year I did not know anything about autism or ND, and it’s only through talking with my therapist and reading books that I finally feel like I understand what that looks like. This topic was super transformative to dive into, and I know I’ll be studying it for the rest of my life.

DON’T REREAD ANYTHING YOU’VE REREAD IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Listen, you know I love rereading things. Ever since the pandemic it’s become a real problem. (It’s not a problem. I’m having fun.) But since I’m trying to diversify and bring variety to my TBR, I need to reign it in a little and stop rereading the same six books over and over. So I told myself if I wanted to reread, I needed to reread different stuff. Like Angelfall by Susan Ee. And I mostly did that! I read over 90 new to me books in 2024, and that feels SO GOOD TO SAY! Did I reread AFTG again? Yes. Did I read The Sunshine Court 3x this year even though it released in April? Also yes. And sure, maybe I did read Captive Prince twice in six months. But 90 NEW TO ME BOOKS! And I didn’t reread Throne of Glass!!! (Next year though…)

AUTHORS TO TRY

• Haruki Murakami - Okay, I’m cheating a little. Did I read a Murakami book this year? Yes. But it was a novella audiobook that was only like two hours long. I really enjoyed it, and I definitely feel prepared to read more Murakami next year, but technically I’m not sure this counts as “reading Murakami.”

• Samanta Schweblin - I have been meaning to read this author for years, and I finally picked up one of her short story collections at the beginning of the year. I really enjoyed it, and I hope I get to dive into one of her novels in the new year. (Kinda another cheat, but I’ll count it as a win!)

WAR & PEACE

Yes, I had planned to read War & Peace this year. I was fully prepared to do it in February. Then February turned into in the fall and then that evolved into after Thanksgiving and suddenly it’s end of December and uh…I have not done that. My dream is to read W&P before I turn thirty. I still have time. I’m not stressed. But! Having said that, I want to point out that I still count this goal as a win because I picked up three other monsters that I did not anticipate reading AT ALL. I read The Lord of the Rings after the ebook sat on my Nook for twelve years. I read the HAMILTOME by Ron Chernow after the book sat on my shelf for nine years. And I read The Terror by Dan Simmons twelve months after discovering the show, thinking I’d never pick up the book. I wanted to read W&P for separate reasons, but really I wanted to prove that I can still read big books. And I CAN!!!! Next year though…Tolstoy, I am coming for you.

final stats

design inspired by @calicocritic

• Total Books: 131
  New to me: 94
  Rereads: 37
  Total Series: 12
  Total Pages: 41,680

• Biggest Month: July (21 books)

• Smallest Month: September (5 books)

• 18% Non-Fiction (23 books) vs 82% Fiction (107 books)

• Most-read authors: C.S. Pacat, Chloe Liese, Ali Hazelwood, Jenn Lyons, Martha Wells

• Book I read the most: The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic (3x)

• Longest book I read: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

• Shortest book I read: Fence Challengers: Long Shot by C.S. Pacat (comic)

• Longest series I read: (7) The Bergman Brothers by Chloe Liese + (7) The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells + (8) Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (comic)

most surprising

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow - Never in my life did I expect to read a 900 page historical biography and enjoy it, but Mr. Chernow proved me wrong. I’ve had this book on my shelf since 2015 when I wrote a paper about it in college, and I am so so so proud to say that I finally read it, and it’s one of my favorite non-fiction reads of all time. This is incredibly informative, emotional, and entertaining. It also reminded me just how much I adore the stage production…so the soundtrack is in my top 5 most played albums of the year. Oops.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - Apparently 2024 was the year for clearing out my ancient TBR books because I’ve been meaning to read this one since I bought the eBook in 2012 when I was SEVENTEEN. I notoriously do not vibe with LOTR (sorry) but I concede that I was wrong, that this book is emotional and beautiful and full of friendship, and I’m so proud to say that it only took me like eight weeks to get through. This is the oldest book I read this year! (Published in 1954!!)

Ali Hazelwood - I’m not all that surprised that I am an Ali Hazelwood person, but I was a bit shocked at how quickly I fell down this rabbit hole. I picked her up on a whim on my flight to Yosemite, read the book in one sitting, and proceeded to have an intense love affair while I read her backlog over the summer. I was reading her eBooks on my phone under the table at dinner with friends. I stayed up late into the night trying to fit in another chapter. It felt like middle school in the best way.

The Terror by Dan Simmons - I’m shocked I picked this up because it’s long and it’s historical fiction and I only got into the TV show in January. I figured it’d be a dry book about sailing or something, but nope this is the very worst of white men as they descend into madness. Incredible writing, fantastic storytelling, deeply fucked up and problematic characters. It’s not good but also it’s soooo good.

biggest disappointments

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake - I hate to admit this because I am first and foremost an Olivie Blake stan and I know for a fact that I’m a tiny part of why this series got traditionally published (heard it from the queen herself, I’m serious)…but my god this was a mess of a finale. I did find some consolation in parts of the ending, and certain scenes drove me insane with how good they were…but as a whole, this is not what I signed up for when I read TA6. The series really left a lot to be desired, and I’m a little sad about it, but at the same time…IN EVERY CULTURE THERE IS BREAD, AND IT IS GOOD…

The Creative Act by Mark Rubin - I’m hesitant to talk about this on the Creative App because I know so many people are obsessed with this book, but I just could not see the value in this. Part of it was the author’s voice, part of it was that I just could not get past a lot of the cliché and pompous advice in here, but mostly I just did not feel connected to anything the author was saying. We get it, you’ve worked with a lot of cool people. Who cares.

Smile and Be A Villain by Yves Donlon - Objectively this is my biggest disappointment because the concept and premise were soooo promising, and I did really love parts of the characterization in here. It’s a Queer Fantasy Hamlet retelling (!!!!), but in the end I just felt like it fell flat in the plot and world-building. And god it was so long with not a lot of payoff. Haven’t decided if I’ll read the sequel but…probably not.

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake - This isn’t a huge disappointment because I LOVED the first half and I really think this is a fantastic Romeo & Juliet exploration. The reason it fell flat for me is purely personal preference. I felt like the first half set it up to be this sexy romance book, but the second half turned into politics and weird resurrection magic and I felt like the heart of the book got lost along the way. But it wasn’t bad, per se…just not what I expected and not really what I was hoping for. Olivie I still love you I promise!!!!

best series

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat - You guys. I should put this on my biggest surprises list because I am actually baffled that we ended up here. This is my absolute favorite series from this year, so much so that I read it twice in four months. It’s taken over my mind and become a core piece of brainrot. I think about Laurent and Damen every goddamn day. I cannot get over how good this series is. It has incredible commentary on consent, on sex, on slavery…the romance is some of the most inSANE stuff I’ve ever read. It’s funny as hell. I just…I am changed. It’s an all-timer for sure. I feel like the internet lied to me for the last ten years because it’s just nothing like what I expected it to be. (Playlist)

The Bergman Brothers by Chloe Liese - Actually, this was also a shock to read. I binged this seven book series in like a week, and fell head over heels in love with it, to the point that by the end of book four I ordered the very expensive Illumicrate set. This romance series made me feel seen in ways no other books have. It is a piece of my soul, and I think I saw myself flayed alive on the pages of every single installment here. This also cemented a lot of my thoughts about my own neurodivergence. It’s insanely good. I’m still thinking about it. I will be rereading it forever. (Playlist)

A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons - This series has been on my TBR since 2021, and after two years off, I finally sat my ass down to read books 3-5…and developed an insane obsession along the way. It took a while for these books to click with me, but by the time they did, I felt changed. These are excellent queer high fantasy books - funny, inventive, complex - and I think they are vastly underrated. Starting a petition for all of you to pick this up asap!!!!

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat - This was the year of C.S. Pacat for me and even though I suspected I’d enjoy this series…I had no idea how crazy it would make me. Book one is enjoyable, but book two launched this series into the stratosphere. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book three to be announced, and I cannot stop thinking about the book two cliffhanger. Reincarnation / past lives will never not be a great trope. I still can’t believe this is a YA series because it’s THAT good!! (Playlist)

best romance (contemporary)

With You Forever by Chloe Liese - I have to put the 4th Bergman book here because never in my life have I felt so called out. Objectively all of the Bergmans belong on this list, but reading about Axel and Rooney CHANGED ME. I think I screenshotted like half of this book when I read it. Perfect romance, perfect exploration of the autistic experience, perfect vibes all around. Nobody is doing it like Chloe!!!!

Happy Place by Emily Henry - I put off reading this book for a while because frankly, the name of the main character threw me off. (I didn’t say I was smart!) But when I picked this up during my COVID quarantine in the spring…tears. I sobbed in my bed for like an hour. It’s the friendship book I always wanted. Forever and always obsessed with Emily’s books, and I’m so glad I saved this for the perfect time. (Don’t worry, Funny Story could also be on this list!!)

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood - I keep bouncing around on which Ali book is my favorite, mainly because Not in Love is so ME but Check & Mate made me feel crazy and obviously The Love Hypothesis is fantastic…But L,T was my first and objectively I do think I see myself most in this story. I read it in one sitting on the plane to San Fransisco, and it took over my brain immediately. I do not care if you think Ali is just a BookTok freak, she is MY FREAK! She’s writing for people pleasers like me!!!!

best fantasy

The House of Always by Jenn Lyons - I was rudely awakened to the fact that I call myself a fantasy person when I actually barely read any fantasy this year. (Will remedy in 2025.) The only one I want to talk about in this category is ACOD Book 4. It’s a masterclass on writing, on character, and on structure. It’s one of the most insane books I’ve ever read, if only because it plays with flashbacks and POV in a very mind-boggling way. It’s THE bottle episode book of all time, and it’s the reason I fully committed to loving A Chorus of Dragons. Also. It’s the Qown book. It makes me want to gnaw my arm off. READ IT.

best lit-fic

Evenings & Weekends by Oisín McKenna - I wrote a piece on this over the summer because it was so meaningful and moving to me personally. It was the perfect summer depression book, and it really made me feel seen in ways I did not expect. This book is a piece of my soul, and I will be sitting with it for years to come. A fantastic debut. (Playlist)

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor - Writing out all these blurbs has me thinking…wait…maybe most of my favorites this year were just complete surprises…I’d been meaning to pick up Brandon for years because he’s been a hit since Real Life, and while I loved his entire backlog, this one really changed a lot for me. It’s exquisitely written, some of his best short-story work, and I just loved how atmospheric it is. Absolutely stunning queer lit-fic. Nobody writes campus stories like Brandon!!!

Henry Henry by Allen Bratton - On the list of books that made me feel insane, this one is probably second on the list behind Captive Prince. This debut was not even on my radar until I picked it up for the Shakespeare of it all and holy cow…I know it’s not for everyone, and it’s highly fucked up, but it’s a fantastic character study. It’s full of queerness and sex and religion and I could not put it down. I could write a lot of essays about this book and I hope Allen Bratton keeps writing because his brain is insane.

best non-fiction

It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful by Jack Lowery - I wanted to read more about the AIDS crisis and I picked this up because it’s about artists and how they used their art to combat the crisis. It had me sobbing in my car while I listened to it on a roadtrip. It’s so fiercely human. Even though it does focus more on the art movement than the crisis itself, it just made me feel so much. I couldn’t stop drawing parallels between AIDS and COVID, and everything about this is just tragically beautiful. Or should I say, vulgar and beautiful. Ha. A must read for artists and queer people everywhere.

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality by Sherronda J. Brown- As an ace person, this was highly anticipated for me and it did not disappoint. It’s super intersectional, and it touches a lot on blackness and asexuality which is really needed in publishing. But mostly I appreciated how it explored the ways that sex has permeated our world and how compulsory sexuality has ruined us. Another must read for everyone, allo or ace.

What I Want to Talk About by Pete Wharmby - I read a lot of autistic books this year (cough cough) and while each of them touched me in different ways, this one makes me emotional every time I think about it. Pete is so open and honest, and it really showed me that special interests are something to shout about! It made me feel seen, but mostly it reminded me that I am allowed to talk about what I want to talk about!!!

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow - Yeah, this has to be on the list. I found myself googling Hamilton’s actual writing (something I never thought I’d do), and even though I shouldn’t idolize him…I do admire him. He’s probably one of the greatest men that has ever lived, and I still cannot believe he basically invented the American government in his early thirties. So many of our problems come back to him, but goddamn, you gotta respect it. He really wrote like he was running out of time!!!!

best 2024 releases

The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic - I read this book three times this year. It came out in April. If I think about it too much I will throw up. EXY IS SO BACK BABY!!!!!!

Evenings & Weekends by Osin McKenna - This synopsis was so compelling to me that I purchased the eBook before reading it because the library hold was way too long. I don’t think I’ve done that in years for a book that isn’t a sequel or a must-buy author. And I should’ve gotten the hardcover!!!! (Don’t worry, I’ve since ordered the hardcover. I need it for the collection.)

Henry Henry by Allen Bratton - Even though E&W was probably my favorite lit-fic book this year, I do think this is my favorite debut (it makes sense in my brain, idk). I think this is a challenging read that is so unique, and I really cannot wait to see what Bratton does in the future. STUNNING.

Funny Story by Emily Henry - Wouldn’t be a new release list without the new Emily Henry. This was another call-out (as always), but man was it FUN. I absolutely loved this book (yeah, I cried), and I can even look past the less-than-ideal third act break-up. Not my favorite EH, but still better than a majority of other romance books.

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood - I was flabbergasted when the average rating for this was less than 3.5 stars. People ragged on it, but I do believe this is some of Ali Hazelwood’s best work. It’s completely different than her previous books, and that is its strength. I love that it’s less bubbly and more gritty than her other books. Incredible character work. Steamy as hell. Yet another call-out for me. Still thinking about it, actually.

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White - I read an ARC of this over the summer and HOLY COW… AJW was a new author for me this year, and I had no idea I would connect with him so intensely. This is a stunning YA book about queerness and transness and autism in Appalachia, and I think it should be essential reading for teens everywhere. I will read anything this man writes. (It even had some aromanticism thrown in! I stay winning!!!!)

Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews - This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. It’s horror, it’s dark academia-adjacent, it’s ASEXUAL. The ending will leave you staring at the wall. C.G. Drews really shines in this book, and I cannot wait to read their upcoming releases. A masterclass on story and characters, and I cannot believe it’s YA.

new favorite authors

Brandon Taylor - Every single one of you is sleeping on Brandon Taylor. This man is single-handedly holding down the queer mid-west academia lit-fic genre. He writes about the black experience in such a beautiful, tragic way, and his way with language is just…breath-taking. I’m so glad he isn’t giving up on Substack because I need to read his writing every day for the rest of forever. Why aren’t more people talking about him!!!!

C.S. Pacat - Pacat is my most read author this year because I read her entire backlog. He is absolutely insane, and I have decided to read anything he publishes. (Like the other people on this list.) He just has such a way with language and characters, and everything she does has me screaming into my pillow (with joy? with rage? with emotion in general?). She makes me feel so crazy. I hope she rots in hell. I want the world for him. I need book three of Dark Rise IMMEDIATELY! I need to see Seiji and Nicholas get together RIGHT NOW!!! I WANT A LAURENT POV SHORT STORY PLEASE!!!! I’m cool, I’m cool.

Ali Hazelwood - Yeah yeah, I know. I can’t shut up about her. To many she is just a ditsy BookTok romance writer, and many will point and laugh because Bride is one of the most ridiculous books ever published…but to ME she is writing about neurodivergence and asexuality and men who just want to take care of their women!!! She is my hero!!! I will read anything she writes!!!! SHE MAKES ME FEEL SEEN!!!!

Andrew Joseph White - I’d heard so many amazing things about AJW’s debut when it came out a few years ago…and I still have not read his debut. But! I picked up his other two books this year, and both of them changed my life. I think his writing style is so compelling and beautiful, and he explores transness and neurodivergence beautifully. He writes YA that feels beautifully adult but keeps the spirit and experiences of teenagers at the forefront. I am obsessed with him. I wish I had his books when I was a teen.

At the end of a very long reading year, I just feel really inspired.

People always talk about how reading challenges are the devil, quality over quantity, etc etc but I think those people fail to understand that for some of us, these challenges can really enrich our reading life. A lot of these books I never would’ve picked up if I wasn’t pushing myself. If I didn’t have a number I wanted to hit, if I didn’t have goals and things to aspire to.

More than anything, this year showed me that if I stop doomscrolling on Twitter and Instagram, the world is my oyster. I feel so much better about myself and about the world now that I built a habit around reading. I use reading as a way to escape, but mostly I use it as a way to feel my feelings, to stay focused, and to center myself when I’m not at my best. I feel like I learned so much this year thanks to all the non-fiction I picked up, and I’m really proud of myself for pushing through new genres and new authors. I know numbers aren’t everything, but I really am just so stoked at what I accomplished this year.

And the most surprising thing is that after all of it, over one hundred and thirty fucking books later, I don’t even feel tired. Or burnt out. I don’t feel like I overdid it. I don’t feel compelled to stop reading or to take a break or to chill out. It’s the end of December and I’m still reading new to me books that are changing my life. If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that reading is a very important safe space for me, and I don’t need to feel bad about fueling that obsession. I’m a more well-rounded person than I was twelve months ago, and there are infinitely more books waiting to be read. What a gift!!!!!

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