Hello friends! Another year coming to an end…I actually can’t quite believe at the time of writing this, there is only 13 days left of 2024…where has this year gone?
I write book reviews on this page fairly frequently – if you follow my socials or visit my site regularly, you’ll know that already. But the reviews I share are a tip of the iceberg of the books I read in a year; so what I did a few years ago (3 years actually!) was a post discussing my year of books (which you can read here: https://oneshowatatime.co.uk/2021/12/26/a-year-in-books-a-review/). This is something I wanted to bring back last year but truth be told, I left it too late. So this year, I was determined to start earlier so I can share my year of books with everyone. Don’t panic – I won’t have 60+ reviews in a mega-long post…but I thought it would be fun to look at my highest and lowest-rated books, highlighting books I loved that I’ve not already reviewed on my website, and declaring what my favourite book of 2024 is.
So, get yourself comfy with a snack and a drink, as I discuss my year’s worth of books with you!
This year has been a real mixed bag of reading for me – there have been books that have consumed me, I’ve loved, laughed and cried over books, and had some that I just couldn’t wait to get off my shelves and into the charity shop. As I go through them, who knows – maybe you’ll find a book you want to pick up and read in 2025! Heck, you may even find a new favourite…I know I did this year!
First up, here is a list of all the books I fully read this year (ie the ones I didn’t abandon because I wasn’t enjoying them), and their ratings:
Books with a * mean they were sent to me in exchange for an honest review. Books previously reviewed on this website have their review linked, click the title of the book to be taken to that review.
Total books read in 2024: 70 Books
A Tempest of Tea* – Hafsah Faizal – 5 stars
This Woven Kingdom – Tahereh Mafi – 3.5 stars
A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara – 5 stars
Front Desk – Kelly Yang – 4 stars
Anna O – Matthew Blake – 3.5 stars
Out of the Blue – Jason June – 2.5 stars
Where Sleeping Girls Lie – Faridah Abike-Iyimide – 3.5 stars
In Memoriam – Alice Winn – 5 stars
House of Dreams* – Mark Stibbe – 3 stars
The Jungle – Pooja Puri – 3 stars
A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J Maas – 3 stars
Diva* – Daisy Goodwin – 4 stars
Escaping Mr Rochester* – L.L. McKinney – 3.5 stars
Jaded – Ela Lee – 5 stars
Heartless – Marissa Meyer – 3.0 stars
Four Eids and a Funeral* – Adiba Jaigirdrar & Faridah Abike-Iyimide – 4.5 stars
Orphans of the Storm – Celia Imrie – 5 stars
Every Time We Say Goodbye* – Natalie Jenner – 3.5 stars
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea* – Rebecca Thorne – 3.5 stars
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy – Cassandra Clare, Robin Wasserman, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan – 5 stars
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi – Shannon Chakraborty – 5 stars
Keira & Me – Noel Fitzpatrick – 4 stars
Hex – Jenni Fagan – 3.5 stars
Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers – Anna James – 5 stars
The Island of Missing Trees – Elif Shafak – 5 stars
The Reappearance of Rachel Price – Holly Jackson – 4 stars
Cross The Line* – Simone Soltani – 5 stars
The Honey Witch* – Sydney J. Shields – 3 stars
I Wish You Would* – Eva Des Lauriers – 3 stars
Tales from Beyond the Rainbow – Pete Jordi Wood – 4 stars
Sleep Like Death – Kalynn Bayron – 3.5 stars
Allow Me To Introduce Myself* – Onyi Nwabinelli – 4 stars
Heatwave – Victor Jestin – 1 star
Good Girl Bad Blood – Holly Jackson – 4.5 stars
Hiding Him* – Adam Hattan – 4 stars
Sorry, Bro – Taleen Voskuni – 3.5 stars
A Magical Girl Retires – Park Seolyeon – 4 stars
Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros – 3.5 stars
You’ve Reached Sam – Dustin Thao – 3 stars
Kiki’s Delivery Service – Eiko Kadono – 4 stars
Race to Fire Mountain – Remi Blackwood – 3 stars
There are Rivers in the Sky* – Elif Shafak – 5 stars
Somewhere Beyond the Sea* – TJ Klune – 5 Stars
Verity – Colleen Hoover – 2 stars
Convenience Store Woman – Sayaka Murata – 3 stars
Before We Forget Kindness* (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #5) – Toshikazu Kawaguchi – 4.5 stars
Tne Pairing* – Casey McQuiston – 2.5 stars
Fyn Carter and the Agents of Eromlos* – Ian Hunter – 4 stars
A New Adventure (The Magic Faraway Tree) – Jacqueline Wilson – 3.5 stars
Some Like it Cold* – Elle McNicoll – 5 stars
Small Things Like These – Claire Keegan – 4 stars
The Black Flamingo – Dean Atta – 4 stars
The Sun and the Star – Rick Riordan & Mark Oshiro – 5 stars
Caraval – Stephanie Garber – 5 stars
Faebound – Saara El-Arifri – 3 stars
The Housemaid – Freida McFadden – 5 stars
All About You* – Shaina Veronica – 5 stars
Ros Demir is Not The One – Leyla Brittan – 3.5 stars
Legendary – Stephanie Garber – 5 stars
I Might Be In Trouble* – Daniel Aleman – 5 stars
Finale – Stephanie Garber – 5 stars
Spectacular – Stephanie Garber – 4 stars
Rani Choudhury Must Die* – Adiba Jaigirdar – 4 stars
Holes – Louis Sachar – 4 stars
Percy Jackson and the Wrath of the Triple Goddess – Rick Riordan – 3.5 stars
The Winter Garden – Alexandra Bell – 3.5 stars
The Way Up is Death – Dan Hanks – 3.5 stars
The Christmas Killer – Alex Pine – 3.5 stars
The Little Mermaid (Movie Novelisation) – 5 stars
Celestial Monsters – Aiden Thomas – 3.5 stars
Number of books I did not finish this year: 17
And that’s the full list! Funnily enough, this is actually not one of my best years for reading. Last year I read 77 books; I did want to read fewer books this year anyway as I wanted to really take in and enjoy the books I was reading more than wanting to read a large number, but due to various periods of illness and life generally getting in the way meant this is one of my slower reading years. This did not, however, stop me from reading some absolutely fantastic books! But first, let’s look at my reading habits and how I’ve rated books this year…
January: 5 books
February: 6 books
March: 4 books
April: 10 books
May: 7 books
June: 5 books
July: 5 books
August: 3 books
September: 8 books
October: 7 books
November: 3 books
December: 7 books
1 star reads in 2024: 1
2 star reads in 2024: 1
2.5 star reads in 2024: 2
3 star reads in 2024: 10
3.5 star reads in 2024: 17
4 star reads in 2024: 15
4.5 star reads in 2024: 3
5 star reads in 2024: 21
This year, I was thinking a lot more about the books I was reading, about what makes them a good or bad read for me – just because I enjoyed a book, did that make it a 5 star read? For me, I can enjoy a book but enjoying it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a 5 star piece of literature. As a consequence, this year my ratings have been a bit more evenly spread rather than lots of fantastic books or awful books; there’s more middle ground.
And now, let’s look at some of the books…like I said I won’t be talking about all of them, but I think a good place to start is at the very bottom – the one singular 1 star rated book.
Heatwave – Victor Jestin – 1 star
You can read the blurb for this book here.
What is it about this book I didn’t like? In all honesty…I picked it up because the concept sounded intriguing – a kid panics and buries a dead body and then has the internal struggle of dealing with his actions? What a brilliant way to look at so many complex themes! The follow-through was very different indeed. If this book had been any longer, I wouldn’t have finished it, but at only 104 pages, I thought I might as well see it to the bitter end. Whilst this book is translated from French, this was not a reason for me to enjoy it, as I have read many translated books before and loved them; I do not think it was a translation issue, but just the writing as a whole did not work. The characters were very superficial and two-dimensional; granted it is hard to flesh out characters effectively in such a short book, but if this was the case I feel either the book needed to be longer, or the plot and writing style needed to make up for the lack of characterisation, as not being able to connect or empathise or even just understands any of the characters is a big barrier for me not enjoying a book. Generally, it just felt like this is a book that was better in theory than practice; I think had the book been longer and the author had gone further into the themes, the outcome would have been different. As it happens, it just felt like a very two-dimensional book that I struggled to find my way through.
Whilst this is the lowest-rated book this year, there were a lot of middle-ground books. When I rate books 3-4 stars, I think this is still positive, it means they’re books I enjoyed, even if they’re not the best books ever written. So now it’s time for a book from each rating – a 3 star, 3.5 star, 4 star and 4.5 star read.
The Honey Witch – Sydney J. Shields – 3 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
I was so excited for this book and I was so disappointed…it started off brilliantly! I loved the historical fiction element, the cosy fantasy, Marigold learning about her magic from her grandmother…but that’s where things slowed down for me. I found Marigold’s relationship with her grandmother really lovely to read about and although *that* (not said explicitly for spoilers!), happens early on, I still got emotional about it!
After *that*, I found the book very slow until the last third. Whilst at the start I did like reading about Marigold and her friends, hoping it would be a found family situation, I just found there was not enough depth in the characters for me to care about them. I think this is largely down to a very two-dimensional writing style; we are told what is happening and how everyone is feeling rather than there being development for me to feel these emotions and relationship changes. I wasn’t fully sold on the romantic relationship because why do they love each other? Especially when they hated each other just the last page? Again, there’s no explanation or exploration, the readers are just told ‘and now they are in love’.
There were a lot of pages but nothing happening, no plot progression but also it didn’t feel there was enough character development to compensate for that. The last third I found a lot more gripping and exciting, but then ironically everything was just suddenly resolved, seemingly very – too – quickly, considering the rest of the book.
It definitely had the cosy fantasy elements and I liked the natural integration of lgbtq+ characters, proving historical fiction isn’t a barrier. I do think this is a very good introduction to people reading fantasy as the magic system is easy to digest and lose yourself in. I’m just disappointed because I had high hopes and even reading it, I can see the potential this book had, and what it could have been.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie – Faridah Abike-Iyimide – 3.5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here
Dark academia and a dark twisty story that keeps me on the edge of my seat, with a sapphic subplot? A book that’s definitely my cup of tea!
This book was fab, I loved it. A dark academia thriller that tackled a really dark yet real and hard-hitting theme in a creative way; I was constantly guessing and never did guess correctly! I thought this book had a really interesting storytelling technique and I flew through it really fast. There was an addictive and engrossing writing style used, and a lot of time and content was dedicated to the world-building, fleshing out the characters and their relationships, Because of this content in addition to the main plot, this means the book is a bit on the longer side, but I did find all the characters really intriguing and I really enjoyed learning more about them as they went. Despite there being good and bad and middle-ground characters, everyone was equally interesting and no one I didn’t enjoy reading about.
I loved Ace of Spades and now I love this book too. Faridah Abike-Iyimide has a really absorbing and addictive writing style which makes her books easy to read, even if the content is far from it. I’m always touch and go with thrillers but I really enjoyed this one.
Allow Me To Introduce Myself* – Onyi Nwabinelli – 4 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
I was sent a free copy of this book to read & review as part of a read-along with Tandem Collective; despite this, this review is my own thoughts.
With the trend of family bloggers/vloggers, Allow Me To Introduce Myself is such an interesting way of taking this trend and turning it on its head; what is the impact of this content, what does it say about both the audiences, content creators and also the children themselves?
This book is so gorgeously well written. It’s easy to read and understand, and therefore so easy to lose yourself in. I’d sit down to read and in an hour I’ve flown through so much of the book! A super engaging writing style and a cast of characters all so different yet so interesting to read about; my heart broke for how much Anuri is still struggling, you could feel all the complexities of her emotions throughout the books, and her character progression and journey were so heartwarming. It really did feel like we went on her journey with her.
I really enjoyed reading all the characters throughout the book; I instantly loved Anuri’s found family and was really intrigued by how determined Ophelia was to persist despite the pushback she was getting from Anuri. I also really liked the insight of how Anuri’s upbringing can still affect her as an adult, but also the relationships she makes with people. It’s not something I’d considered, the change from children in content into adults, so the book being based around that was really eye-opening. I also love how clearly it’s shown in the book that recovery from whatever it may be, is not linear. I think so much media can show a glamorised ideal of recovery where you go to therapy and are magically fixed, but in Allow Me To Introduce Myself, Anuri’s recovery is not straightforward. Whilst it’s heartbreaking to read on her behalf, it’s realistic and something I really appreciated.
A brilliantly written book, Allow Me To Introduce Myself is definitely one I’d recommend to anyone interested in the whole blogger/vlogger content and what the reality is like for the people on the other side of the screen. A really thought-provoking read!
Before We Forget Kindness* – Toshikazu Kawaguchi – 4.5 stars
You can read the blurb of this book here.
I was sent a free copy of this book to read & review from PanMacmillan; despite this, this review is my own thoughts.
This book is the 5th in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series, and I actually think this is my favourite book in the series so far! What another beautiful, emotional and heartwarming book. What I love is even though this is the next in the series, each of the books can also be read individually as standalones and people can still understand and enjoy them!
I must say, when I read Before The Coffee Gets Cold, I enjoyed the book but I didn’t obsess over it like a lot of people did…but I did continue with the series nonetheless, and I think every book just gets better, once again proven by this one in my opinion.
I can’t pinpoint why Before We Forget Kindness was my favourite, as the whole series is emotional and heartwarming all at once, but this one just did something a little bit more for me. I loved how different the tales were from each other, so they were easy to differentiate, but I also loved the familiarity and comfort of the same setting and the same familiar characters we see in every book. At this point, the main characters in the cafe feel so familiar, it’s almost as if they’re real to me.
Even though each story is short, I loved the characters so quickly. I love the multiple POVs throughout the stories, I love the reasons people have for travelling in the cafe, and I love the way one short conversation can impact so many people so quickly. It’s hard to write short glimpses into people’s lives and still flesh out the characters and their stories enough to win readers over quickly, but the writing style is so perfect that I couldn’t help but feel so invested and love them all so much so fast. In fact, when they do travel, I find myself panicking for them – that they won’t say what they wanted to, that they won’t get back before the coffee gets cold!
A perfect, beautiful continuation of a beloved series, my heart is so happy and warm. Before We Forget Kindness has the emotion, the depth, the lessons and so much more that people have come to expect in this series, yet it is still far from tiresome. This instalment feels fresh as ever, it stands out in its own right and will make fans of this series very happy indeed.
And with that, that now leaves the 5 star reads, and my top books of the year. Although helpfully, all my top reads of the year, I’ve already reviewed on this website – so allow me to share them first. I won’t write huge amounts for these, given they’ve already been reviewed, but I will share the reviews for you to go back and read them. So, here they are. These next 3 books are my top books of the year, the ones that really stood out for me against all the other books I’d read, for all the right reasons…
3 – A Tempest* of Tea – Hafsah Faizal – 5 stars
You can read my review of this book here.
I was given a free copy of this book to read & review from PanMacmillan; despite this, this review is my own thoughts.
Simply put, this book is incredible. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year but it more than surpassed any expectations I had before going in. Stunning writing, a gripping plot, and characters I’d kill and be killed for, just epic. I loved every page.
2 – Jaded* – Ela Lee – 5 stars
You can read my review of this book here.
I was given a free copy of this book to read & review from Penguin; despite this, this review is my own thoughts.
Now, I say Jaded is technically the joint 1st best book of the year, because this book moved me, gave me validation and made me feel understood in so many ways. Lee has perfectly encapsulated what it is like being the child of an immigrant, even more specifically a mixed race person, the experiences that can come with that, all whilst processing a life-changing experience. Jaded is a fantastic exploration of so many complex themes and emotions in a beautifully written piece of literature.
1 – There Are Rivers In The Sky – Elif Shafak – 5 stars
You can read my review of this book here.
And that brings me to my top book of 2024. None other than the newest book by Elif Shafak. I feel if I try and give a short summary of why I loved this book so much, I’ll end up writing a whole new review, so let me just say this: Shafak is a masterful storyteller and this book is yet another example of that. Moving, lyrical and beautiful, There Are Rivers In The Sky is a book that took me on an incredible journey and is a book I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
And that is my top 3 books of the year! With those being shared, I wanted to share just a few more books I rated 5 stars this year. I managed to narrow it down to just 6, randomly chosen, simply because there are so many fantastic choices but I can’t write about every 5 star book this year! These final few books are ones I absolutely loved and would wholeheartedly recommend.
In Memoriam – Alice Winn – 5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
This is a book I have struggled all year to review; it is one of those books that simply must be read, to understand why it is so popular and highly rated. It is brutal, honest, heartbreaking, yet beautiful, emotive and sensitive all at the same time. Winn perfectly writes the horrors beyond comprehension of war, but balances this with such tender emotions and beauty. An easy writing style that contrasts the content – whilst it may be easy to physically read, it is a hard read emotionally, yet the book is so absorbing that I flew through it in a matter of days. Winn is deserving of all the praise for this book – the hype is more than justified, even more so considering this is a debut novel. I think In Memoriam is a book I will remember for a long time, and one people will still be reading in years to come.
Tilly and the Bookwanderers (Pages & Co #1) – Anna James – 5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
What a gorgeous book! This book may be a middle-grade book, but I adored reading it, even as an adult. I’d have loved this as a child but I also think adults who love books will also adore this. I was completely sucked into Matilda’s world, and I adore the concept and magic of book wandering. What a fantastic way to get kids’ imaginations going, and to emphasise how magical reading can be. I loved the twists, the adventure, every single page. A gorgeous quick read and I can’t wait to carry on with the series. My goodness, I love love loved this!
The Island of Missing Trees – Elif Shafak – 5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
I had actually read this book when it first came out, but re-read it as a buddy read with a friend this year, so this review is my original thoughts from the first time I read it.
It’s no secret to anyone just how much I love, admire & respect Elif Shafak as an author. Her writing style is beautiful, emotive and captivating. With this book, she’s done it again. An incredible, heartbreaking, emotional and unique story about the Turkish-Cypriot divide.
This book showed that with the divide of Cyprus, it was not a black-and-white issue; it affected real people, their lives and relationships. It was innocent people just trying to live who were affected the worst of all. I loved reading Kostas and Defne’s story. I hoped with them, I cried with them – my heart broke for them. I loved reading how the past did not necessarily stay in the past despite how much everyone tries, I loved reading Ada’s story in the present day, and I loved Meryem as a character too, and hearing her tell parts of the story from her point of view. The use of the fig tree to tell parts of the story was genius, and the twist/plot reveal at the end made my heart soar and break simultaneously. It was so clever and creative and unique and a perfect literary device.
The details of Turkish culture, Greek culture, and how these cultural elements are passed down through generations and are never lost made me so happy. I saw a lot of myself and my father in the pages and it felt like a little bit of home. I cannot sing my praises for this book enough. This may be one of my favourite books I’ve read by Elif Shafak, and I’ve read a lot! I think reading this book whilst I was in Turkey, surrounded by my family and in a place I felt so at home made this an extra special and unmatched reading experience.
Everyone raves about this book, and rightly so. The praise is so well deserved, and I agree with the statements that this book is a must-read. Elif Shafak is a literary genius and this book is a literary masterpiece. I cannot recommend this book more.
Cross The Line – Simone Soltani – 5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
I was given a free copy of this book to read & review from PanMacmillan; despite this, this review is my own thoughts.
A gorgeous summer romance book, even more perfect if you’re a Formula 1 fan! This was a book I was so excited for & hugely anticipated to read. It did not let me down!
This book had the perfect middle balance; the characters were fleshed out as their own individuals – a pet peeve for me in romance books is if the two characters’ whole personalities are just them being in love, but in Cross The Line, Dev & Willow have been established as individuals, and that made them so fun to read about. I loved reading the pair’s chemistry together and seeing their relationship & they themselves grow over the course of the book. Their romance was written in a way that felt real, believable and a natural progression of their relationship. There were also enough side characters that made the book even more interesting and about more than the main relationship, but not so many it’s hard to remember who is who. I loved learning about everyone individually, they were all just as easy to love! In fact, I want a whole book just on Chava!
The integration of the Formula 1/social media manager plot and the romance was really smoothly done so there was a good balance of both plot points. The book moved at a pace where there was time for the plot to develop but it was never dragging or too fast for the emotional/enjoyable impact to be lost. I love how the theme of representation is included in a way that feels like a natural part of the story; the mentions of there being very few women in Formula 1, or sports in general, and the same for people of colour, and the importance of seeing others like you to know it’s a dream anyone can and should achieve. It was an important theme that was brilliantly included!
Yes, cheesy and cliched at times, but as romance novels go, this is one I loved fiercely and will absolutely be going back to again and again and I can’t wait to read more from Simone Soltani!
Somewhere Beyond the Sea* – TJ Klune – 5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
I was sent a free copy of this book to read & review from PanMacmillan; despite this, this review is my own thoughts.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, continues TJ Klune’s wonderful cosy fantasy world and is every bit as magical and heartwarming as the first. Welcome home, everyone.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my favourite books for when I need something to make my heart happy, a comfort read book…so when it was announced there was going to be a sequel? I was elated and couldn’t wait to be reunited with some of my favourite characters again. Somewhere Beyond The Sea did not disappoint & is every bit as wonderful as the first book. The first book seemed to end quite conclusively, however the second book reminds everyone: just because there’s a happy ending for everyone… it doesn’t mean all the problems are solved. Somewhere Beyond the Sea felt like a perfect continuation of the story which began in The House in the Cerulean Sea.
This is an example of what a sequel should be. We learn more about the characters we know and love, seeing their personalities leap off the pages. We see them all come together as a family in the face of hatred and fear, and we see what can happen when people listen – not listen to respond, but actually listening to others’ stories, and the impact that can have.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea may be a fantasy about magical beings facing prejudice & hatred for no other reason than being themselves… but when reading, it’s obvious the subtext is a reflection of real life & society today. And it is brilliantly done. The challenge would be to read this book and *not* feel moved and inspired. There is a perfect balance between a light, joyous and loving book that also handles the darker themes in a way that is sensitive & effective. This is an example of how fantasy can be both heartwarming, cosy and still so relevant and clever to transport readers whilst also reflecting life and leaving readers with messages they’ll think about long after the last page.
The Sun and the Star – Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro – 5 stars
You can read the blurb for this book here.
Again, this book I read for the first time when it first came out, but I re-read it this year as a part of a buddy read with a friend, so this is my review thoughts from the first time I read the book.
We all know how much I adore the Percy Jackson universe, this was no different. Nico & Will have my whole heart and soul! A fantastically gripping book, The Sun and the Star had me in tears all the way through (both happy and sad!), I want a whole book on the troglodytes & the cocoa puffs alone! Riordan and Oshiro combining forces with the book worked so well; I think the overarching metaphor of mental illness all the way through was so clever and such a good way to get younger readers to understand mental health and come to terms with their emotions. I loved the nods to previous books and the cameos of previous characters, and the natural authentic discussion and representation of sexuality was brilliantly and sensitively written, and interwoven into the plot seamlessly. This book was sublime and for want of a better word, I’m obsessed. Beautiful.
And that brings me to the end! That was a glimpse into my year in books; there’s been good and bad, across a whole range of genres and I’ve enjoyed reading new books and new authors I may not have picked up before. I hope if you are a reader, you found some books you enjoyed in 2024 – and if you read this whole post, thank you for making it to the end! I hope this was somewhat enjoyable or interesting…maybe there’s even a book I’ve written about here that you’ll want to pick up now!
I wish everyone reading a happy, safe and healthy 2025…and maybe see you this time next year for another reading round-up post!
One Show at a Time 