2024 Reading in Review

2024 was not my most stellar reading year, but I still enjoyed quite a wide variety of different books, with a few more audio “reads” than usual. I finished 64 books, with quite a few partially finished heading into 2025.

Choosing my top books is always tough, so categories of favorites it is! While I read many other books this year, these are the ones I’ve come back to throughout the year, recommended to friends, or have some element that I can’t get out of my head.

Caroline, Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Just absolutely incredible! The Little House on the Prairie series was the lifeblood of my childhood reading. The portrayal of “Ma” was perfectly in line with the original series, but fleshed out the character in a mind-blowingly beautiful way. This book was like coming home to a warm hug, cozy blanket, and your favorite meal. The author did an excellent job of making the story feel familiar, but I was still on the edge of my seat. The depth and expansion of Mr. Edwards’ character was also excellent. One of my favorite quotes from page 61 when Charles is talking to Caroline, “Wherever we are, you’ll always contrive to make it look like home.”

Perfect for lovers of Little House on the Prairie or other children’s classics. Highly recommend!! Bonus: This author also has an excellent book portraying Marmee from Little Women.

The Women by Kristen Hannah ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well, I almost didn’t read this book because usually I’m not a fan of trendy books. As embarrasing as it is, I’m stubborn and tend to resist, prefering to read through my thousands of current TBR titles. VERY glad I picked this up. I read about 20 pages, and then couldn’t put it down the next day. Two lattes later at my favorite coffee shop and I was finished.

Deeply moving and compelling! Hannah does such an excellent job of capturing human emotion and experience throughout the pages. While I am not familiar with the Vietnam War, this book has inspired me to read more! Her depiction of love and loss moved me - I almost cried right in the coffee shop.

“You meet people, you form these bonds that tighten around you and some of the people you love die. All of them go away, one way or another. You don’t carry them around with you over there, you can’t. There isn’t time, and the memories are too heavy. You’ll always have that piece of him that was yours and your time together.” (page 124, The Women)

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was nourishing to my soul. Penny’s descriptions of nature, the simplicity and beauty of the monastery and the chants was beautiful and so uplifting. Strange commentary for a murder mystery, but her books always leave me with a sense of quiet contentment and reflection on the nature of humanity. She is able to capture the essence of human emotion and wisdom through her characters, such as this quote about love from page 89, “What did falling in love do for you? Can you ever really explain it? It filled empty spaces I never knew were empty. It cured a loneliness I never knew I had. It gave me joy. And freedom. I think that was the most amazing part. I suddenly felt both embraced and freed at the same time.”

The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Part of the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series, this book is the perfect funny murder mystery. Based on the characters from Jane Austen’s novels, this series is perfectly true to the storylines from the original works, while still being creative, funny, and unique. This author captures the balance perfectly, and intersperses thought provoking lines about relationships, such as page 6, “Juliet liked that her parents teased each other so often and so gently. Whereas some husbands and wives she had observed used jokes to disconcert or even discredit their spouses, her parents employed wit where others stooped to anger.”

If you love Jane Austen or other classics, highly recommend! Cozy, murder mystery vibes all the way!

I love reading books just for the sake of learning something new or obsure. I will really pick up anything that sounds interesting, and I discovered a few gems along the way this year.

Laundry Love by Patric Richardson⭐⭐⭐⭐

I listened to the audiobook, and need to buy a paper copy to have for reference. This was full of so many helpful tips! You wouldn’t think a book on laundry would be riveting, but I couldn’t stop listening! Richardson’s descriptions of the women in his life and their connections to fabric were so touching. This was so much more than a housekeeping book - warm and inviting for all. I recommend this book all the time, and one of my best friends loved it as much as I did!

Among the Bros by Max Marshall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is as close to true crime as I get (horror freaks me out). Fascinating story about a drug network within a fraternity. I didn’t experience Greek life as a college student, so I enjoyed the peek behind the curtain. One of those bizarre, wouldn’t believe it could be true, stories.

The Secret Life of Groceries by Bejamin Lorr ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am a huge nerd for grocery shopping - I count it a really bad week when I have to do grocery pick up to save time, rather than browsing the aisles of food. This book was amazing since it combined my love of both reading and groceries! I love a book that provides a lot of information about a variety of topics, so the winding pathways of trucking, stocking, the history of Aldi and Trader Joe’s in the US, hiring at Whole Foods, and the history of grocery stores in general was right up my alley.

Highly recommend for grocery nerds or lovers of books by Mary Roach - very similar vibe!

Paved Paradise by Henry Grabar ⭐⭐

While I wouldn’t recommend this one, I find myself talking about it quite often. I didn’t realize the many regulations around parking that existed in the US. The recommendations for double use parking (residential at night, business during the day) were so interesting. I learned a lot (shout out to Des Moines, Iowa for having more parking than many major US cities), but didn’t feel that the time I spent listening to the audiobook was entirely worth it. But for the number of fun facts and conversations started? Maybe it was.

Win-Win by John Dues ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As a public educator, this text is one of the best I have read on implementing the work of Deming into education. Incredibly practical and easy for anyone to pick up. This isn’t a boring textbook of the past, but a thoughtful and engaging look at ways to address the struggles of the education system we currently face. You won’t find quick solutions here, but you will discover strategies to understand and transform systems.

I recommend all teachers and educators read this book!

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a major buzz book in education this year, especially due to concerns around cell phone usage and social media. I think all parents and educators should read this text - it would be a great book study for a PTO or a book club. I was somewhat familiar with the research around social media and the impact it is having on students, but very thought provoking! I found the second half of the book talking about responsibility, outdoors, and safety far more challenging. I have deep concerns about the way we are raising children and our culture of “safety-ism” within the US. This book is a great jumping off point for reflection, next steps, and beginning research on how to create a healthy environment for children.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a book I’ve referenced or quoted so many times this year. Who knew that a divorce memoir would be so beautiful and moving. I highlighted so many quotes from this and keep sharing quotes with friends and family. I did read this on Kindle, so I only have percentages for quotes instead of pages.

The Finder didn’t lose the future, only her knowledge about it. She lost the narrative. The Finder stopped knowing how to tell herself the story of her life. Where there had been a future, or at least the promise of one, there was now an ellipsis: dot dot dot. (6%)

Likewise, parents are not wise oracles - they’re just people trying to shepherd other people through the world. We may know the right path to take, but knowing the way and consistenly walking it are two different things. Everything we learn, we learn from someone who is imperfect. (20%)

It was a full circle moment, and there would be many of them. Beacuse time is recursive, because we repeat ourselves again and again, because all the things I’d done married I would do unmarried. Because I was the same and completely different. (44%)

Even if your life experiences don’t connect - I highly recommend!

What were your top reads from 2024? I’d love to hear them below!

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