Beth Denny

In 2024, I set a target of reading 21 books which was equal to the number of books I had read in 2023. I failed to meet this target by quite a lot, as I have only read 15 so far and it is Christmas Eve!

One of the reasons I haven’t met this target is quite silly really. I would start a book but later decide that, I wasn’t in the mood, or I found a character annoying, or it wouldn’t be ‘thought provoking’ enough. I’d then spend hours searching for something else. My aim in 2025 is to stop faffing! I will put my TBR in to a bowl, pick one out and stick to it.

Of the 15 I have read this year, my top three, in no particular order are: the Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren, Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez and Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon. These books tick practically all my boxes. My least favourites were Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks and The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett, probably as they are completely out of my comfort zone. As mentioned in one of my recent posts, I want to read fiction that makes me reflect on life a bit more but I found I struggled with these two.

Although The Love of My Other Life by C.J. Connolly wasn’t one of my favourite books, I think about it fairly frequently since finishing it because of the ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but if you have read it, please let me know how you feel about the two outcomes.

I have stuck to a lot of the same authors this year including Carley Fortune and Jane Fallon. I think my favourite of Carley’s was Every Summer After. This Summer Will Be Different was my least favourite of hers as I felt the plot was weaker and less believable. Likewise, Oversharing by Jane Fallon, had an interesting plot but not as good or well delivered as her other work.

Finally, I re-read One Day by David Nicholls. The first time I read this was in 2009 or 2010 and I definitely enjoyed it more the second time around. I didn’t have as much life experience back in the 2000s to fully appreciate it then! The Netflix Series based on the book was great too.

I always update my Goodreads account whenever I have finished a book. You can check out what I have read, my TBR and Reading Challenges there.

What were your favourite reads from this year? Please leave some recommendations below. Bx