Let's face it, if you're a reader then you're in the market for book recommendations. I write about the books that I'm currently reading in my weekly posts and do a "best of the best" list in my year end wrap up, but after accidentally writing an "everything I read in 2022" post I thought it would useful to keep a live page of this year's books.
Here's everything that I've read this year so far. I'll keep this page updated and then archive it into a regular post at the end of the year.Disclaimer about DNF's and negative comments: it takes two to tango. If I don't like a book, that's a reflection on both the book and me. I used to avoid saying anything negative about anything, but I think that it's helpful for you to see what I don't like so that you can assess how well my reading tastes line up with yours. I just want to be very clear that because I don't like something at a particular moment in time doesn't mean that it's bad or that it won't work for you. I also like to point out that my number of published books is zero, so it's at least one less than any author whose work I don't like.
2024 Booklist
Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo. 2024 reading got off to a bang with this murder mystery set in Amish country. Heads up that the book's opening murder scene and details of the killings were too graphic for me so I had to skim them but everything else about this book was right on the money. I finished the last page of the book and immediately picked up the second book in the series.
- How I heard about it: recommendation from Jess.
Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo, book #2 in the series. We're back in Amish country with murders aplenty.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change
by Maggie Smith (audio). If you're looking for a two hour pep talk,
this is your book. Now look, it's no You Could Make This Place
Beautiful, but it was a pleasant way to pass the time while waiting for
my Libby hold for Place to come in.
- Same author as You Could Make This Place Beautiful, a book that everyone has heard of.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful
by Maggie Smith (audio). A memoir about the author's divorce. I'm
sorry that she had to go through that, but delighted in her word craft
in telling her story.
- How I heard about it: everyone has heard of it.
No Highway
by Nevil Shute. An engineering thriller! The new supervisor of an
airplane research lab gets up to speed on what the staff is working on
and learns that one of the engineers is working on a theory that a
popular new aircraft will suffer metal fatigue after 1,440 hours of
flight. And that, um, none of his superiors are taking the theory
seriously because none of the planes have that many hours of flight, the
engineer is a serious kook, and also because no one really wants to
know. Then one of the planes crashes under mysterious circumstances so
the engineer's theory gets some legs. It's a race against time to find
out what happened in the plane crash and how seriously to take the kooky
engineer.
- How I heard about it: a reread of a favorite book by a favorite author.
Pete and Alice in Maine
by Caitlin Shetterly. When your marriage is falling apart, but it's
March 2020 so you pack up the whole family and go to your cabin in
Maine. I had a couple of quibbles with the ending, but overall this
was a wonderful book.
- How I heard about it: Lisa suggested the pairing of this book and You Could Make This Place Beautiful.
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins (audio). A book that encourages you to balance acquiring financial wealth with acquiring life experience wealth. I've definitely been guilty of focusing on the former at the expense of the later. Lots of food for thought here.
- How I heard about it: it's the big hot "It" book with the FIRE crowd.
C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton. My favorite book in the series so far.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Dover One
by Joyce Porter. A satire of the Great British Detective novels. A
young woman goes missing in a small town. There are no leads and there
are a lot of people who don't want her back. When Scotland Yard is
called in to investigate, they send their hardly-est working detective
to crack the case.
- How
I heard about it: this is one of my all time favorite series that I've
read many times. This particular reread was inspired by Jenny.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman (audio). I listened to two hours of the six hour
audio book and I can't tell you what this book is about except that our
time on this earth is limited. Which made me feel like I shouldn't
spend another 4 hours of my 4,000 weeks listening to this book. DNF.
- How I heard about it: it's one of those books that everyone is talking about.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry (audio). When you're a big star with a bigger addiction.
- How I heard about it: everyone has heard of this.
On the Beach
by Nevil Shute. When it's the end of the world as we know it. This
book was written in 1957 and is set in 1963 in a world reeling from the
after effects of nuclear war. Life only exists in southern Australia
and Africa, and the ETA on the fallout reaching Australia and wiping
everyone out is nine months, plus or minus three months. So how do you
go about your business in this situation? Everyone keeps a stiff upper
lip and tries to live as normal a life as possible. The story deals
with the crew of a submarine who are sent to investigate
a radio signal coming from Seattle, where all known life has been wiped
out. If you're curious about Shute, I'd recommend starting with his
"not the end of the world biggest hits" such as A Town Like Alice or No
Highway before reading this. Don't get me wrong, he does a good end of
the world, but for whatever reason the characters in this book just
didn't have the compelling emotional pull that is his trademark
- How I heard about it: one of my all time favorite authors' most famous book.
Dover Two
by Joyce Porter. A spoof of the great British Detective Novels. A
young woman is shot on a dark and stormy night and remains in a coma
until dying nearly a year later. It's a cold case with no clues, so
it's a detective's nightmare. That's why Dover gets the job!
- How I heard about it: continuing one of my all time favorite series.
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante. This one started strong but for whatever reason I
just couldn't focus and had to give it up. I skimmed to the end to get
the gist and so that I could follow along in the Cool Blogger's Book
Club.
- How I heard about it: it's been highly recommended in Cool Blogger circles and it's the pick for the second ever Cool Blogger's Book Club ==>join us at Engie's!
Dover Three by Joyce Porter. The series is a spoof of the Great British Detective Stories, and this one is a retelling of Agatha Christie's The Moving Finger. Someone is sending poison pen letters to the women in a small English village. One of the recipients has enough pull to get Scotland Yard to investigate the case, and luckily Dover has a good reason for wanting to be away from home for a while. It's the perfect case for Dover, since the letters are just a harmless prank...or are they?
- How I heard about it: continuing one of my all time favorite series.
Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career
by Kristi Coulter (audio). A Tell All about the author's career at
Amazon. Sigh it was fine but nothing earth shattering. Hopefully it
opens the door for more Werk Tell All books.
- How I heard about it: Lisa
D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton. Did I say that C was my favorite alphabet book? Well scratch that because D is where it's at.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Beyond the Black Stump by Nevil Shute. The story of a straight laced American engineer who goes to Australia and falls in love with an Australian woman...but when he takes her home to meet the folks it turns out that the Outback doesn't mesh with small town 'Murica.
- One of my favorite authors. This one is definitely not his best work, but it was good enough.
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton. Forget D being my favorite, E is where it's at.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
By Myself and Then Some by Lauren Bacall (audio). The "By Myself" part of the book was a juicy memoir about being the hot It model turned movie star and marrying Humphrey Bogart by the age of 19. The "Then Some" part of the book was a snooze so it became a DNF at that point.
- How I heard about it: I read By Myself a long, long time ago and then my passion for all things Bogie and Bacall was reignited by visiting the site of their wedding on my travels. Nicole put this back on my radar.
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar (audio). When you're kid 4 of 19 and spend your life working for your parents for free and then you get a letter from the IRS. This was a seriously powerful book.
- How I heard about it: Elisabeth
Wellness
by Nathan Hill. Um what even was this book? A small part of it was satire
on marriage, parenthood, and modern times and the rest of it was a long rambling mess. When it was good it was very
good and I skimmed the rest. It was
too much page turning to make the payoff on the orgy scene worthwhile.
- How I heard about it: it's a Hot "It" book that everyone on the planet is reading
Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (audio). When you have sex with your future husband on your first date...with three other women. Hugh Hefner's widow tells more than you ever wanted to know, but tells it well.
- How I heard about it: this is the first book that I've ever read because of its ghost writer. Lara Love Hardin (author of The Many Lives of Mama Love) talked it up on her appearance on the Sarah's Bookshelves podcast last year.
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen. Aw man I've read some good books this year but this is definitely my first 😻😻😻 One day you're a mom to three teenagers and the next day the unthinkable happens. Please please please please drop everything that you have going on and read this book.
- How I heard about it: Jenny raved about it in a way that got my spidey senses tingling and I dropped everything that I had going on and read this book.
- How I heard about it: huge fan of the author and of Alfred Hitchcock. I've read these two stories many times.
Dover and the Unkindest Cut of All by Joyce Porter. This series is a spoof of the Great British Detective novels, and while all of the Dover books are great, this is the "money" one. Mrs. Dover witnesses a suicide while they are driving through a small town en route to vacation, and the local police pull every string to get Dover on the case. What is it about this small town where so many men have disappeared for a week and come back with different personalities?
- How I heard about it: continuing one of my all time favorite series
- How I heard about it: this Washington Post essay
- How I heard about it: continuing the series
The Indifferent Stars Above
by Daniel James Brown (audio). When you're a newlywed moving from
Illinois to California, but it's 1846 and you're traveling with some
folks named Donner. If there was ever a book that was meant to be
listened to on audio while you're all cozy in your car driving down the
freeway on a road trip, this is it.
The Breaking Wave by Nevil Shute. A WWII veteran goes back home to Australia to take care of his elderly parents, and walks straight into the investigation of the suicide of one of his parents' servants. Everyone liked her, but it turns out that no one knew much about her and she left no paperwork behind to show who she was. There's a mystery to solve here.
- How I heard about it: Shute is one of my all time favorite authors, but I don't remember if I ever read this before I not. I picked it up because Jenny selected it for her next Shute read, so this is kind of a mini CBBC read.
Dover Goes to Pott by Joyce Porter. Book # 5 in the series of a spoof of the Great British Detective novels. When the only child of a small town industrial magnate is murdered, Scotland Yard has just the man for the job. The only problem is the local industry is toilet bowls and bathroom humor is taboo
- How I heard about it: continuing one of my all time favorite series
The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini. A woman falls to her death from an office building, and another woman who was on the scene is arrested for her murder. This book started strong, but within a few chapters I was like "uh boilerplate thriller anyone? And what is with the cliched Hitchcock nods?" I thought about DNF'ing but something kept me reading and I am so glad that I did. Yes it's a Standard Thriller With A Twist Plus Hitchcock Nods but What a Twist. Bravo, and if you're in the market for a thriller please treat yourself to this book.
- How I heard about it: Modern Mrs. Darcy. Just when I had almost given up on her as a recommendation source, she nailed it.
- How I heard about it: well, everyone has heard about it, but the reason that I picked it up is Nicole's review of Pete and Alice in Maine where she said that Lucy by the Sea is the book that she was hoping for. I liked Pete and Alice well enough (except for the ending) so if she's saying that Lucy made P&A feel like a disappointment, then it's time for me to finally start reading this series.
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout. The second book in the Lucy Barton series. Looooove.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo. Book #3 in the Amish murder mystery series.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love by Carole Radziwill. When the summer of 1999 reeeeeeealy sucked. Carole was married to Anthony Radziwill, cousin of JFK Jr, and was good friends with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. All of whom died that summer.
- How I heard about it: Nicole (via her guest post on Engie's blog).
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout. When it's March 2020 and your ex-husband wants you to escape NYC and move to Maine with him.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
The Women
by Kristin Hannah. When you get back from your tour of duty as a nurse
in Vietnam and get told that "women didn't serve in Vietnam"
- How I heard about it: it's the It Book of 2024 that everyone has heard of.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Living with a Seal: 31 Days of Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler (audio). When you meat a Navy Seal at an ultramarathon and you ask him to move in with you for a month to train you.
- How I heard about it: Jenny
Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler (audio). An Amish memoir, and it's not much of a spoiler to tell you that he left the Plain Life. A nice companion to the Linda Castillo series.
- How I heard about it: Elisabeth
- How I heard about it: just one of those books that more than one person has told me to read and I finally got around to it.
The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo (audio). A military spouse memoir. The author is an exquisite writer. 😻😻😻
- How I heard about it: The Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast
The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves by Alexandra Horowitz (audio). A puppy memoir! The author is a dog researcher who knows her stuff, but even she found that a puppy is a little more hands on than advertised. As a first time Puppy Mama, this book made me feel seen 😻😻😻 If you like dogs at all I think you'll like this book and if you've ever had a puppy you NEED to read this book so that you can feel seen.
- How I heard about it: best book find ever! I stopped by Arcadia Books in Spring Green, Wisconsin on vacation and the book practically leapt off the shelves and said "buy me". I immediately checked out the audio book on Libby and bought the physical book for my husband as a father's dad present.
- How I heard about it: continuing one of my all time favorite series.
Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano. A big ol' family saga...so big that I just couldn't get into it and DNF'd.
- How I heard about it: same author as Hello Beautiful, which was one of my favorite books of last year.
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A simple story about a couple who find that their marriage has gotten stale, so they decide to separate for a year to see if they're better apart.
- How I heard about it: EVERYONE loves this book, but I was reluctant to read another TJR because I figured that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was so good that anything else of hers could never live up. I finally read it after Nicole gave it the thumbs up.
- How I heard about it: um...I don't remember.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. I have no words besides 😻😻😻 This was a perfect book that made my heart happy.
- How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves podcast
After the Storm by Linda Castillo. Book #7 in the Amish murder mystery series.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
11/22/63 by Stephen King. When you have the chance to time travel and change history by preventing the assassination of JFK. Or is it really that simple? 😻😻😻
- How I heard about it: oh man, I've been hearing about this book for years but never did anything about it since there was always a hold list at the library. Then Jenny read it and I knew that it was finally time to just buy the book already and get in on the fun.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. When it's the 1930s and you're 17 and your eccentric family is broke and living in an old castle and the eligible suitors come calling but you just want to be a writer.
- How I heard about it: The Cool Bloggers Book Club!!!
Among the Wicked, Down a Dark Road, A Gathering of Secrets, Shamed, Outsider, and Fallen all by Linda Castillo. Did I just go on a total bender with the Amish murder mystery series and read six of these books back to back? Oh yes I did. This series just keeps getting better and better with each book - well, it did until Outsider which I'd rate lower than the rest but it was still good.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
Sociopath: A Memoir
by Patric Gagne (audio). When you're a sociopath and everyone tells
you that there is no treatment but you don't buy it so you get a PhD in
clinical psychology and take care of business yourself.
- How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast.
All Fours
by Miranda July. When you're planning a solo cross country road trip but get distracted on the first day. The book had an interesting premise but it fell flat for me early on and ended up being a hate read/skimming situation.
- How I heard about it: no clue.
- How I heard about it: this is a hot It book that everyone has heard of and everyone on the planet loves. I guess it's just me.
The Hidden One, An Evil Heart, and The Burning by Linda Castillo. Yep I did it again and read books 14 to 16 in this series right in a row. IMO The Burning is the weakest link in the series - a previous book already did a death by burning and the motive was a huge stretch for me, but that doesn't take anything away from the rest of the books.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series! I'm caught up since the next book doesn't come out until next year.
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez (audio). I first read this book in
the summer of 1997 right after I graduated from college and was making
$6 per hour as an office temp and it is right at the top of the "books
that changed my life" list. The edition that I'm listening to was
updated in 2018 but the advice is timeless. I would recommend reading it rather than listening to it since I think this is one where you need to take your time and work through the exercises, but I still enjoyed the audio version.
- How I heard about it: my parents read it and passed it on to me. This rereading was inspired by Rachel.
Puppy Kindergarten: The New Science of Raising a Great Dog
by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods (audio). The authors are professors at
Duke University and who took on an adorable research project to see if
they could predict the traits that make successful service dogs. I have mixed feelings about this book - on the positive side I did not mind hearing six hours of people talking about puppies, but on the negative side I didn't feel that there was a lot of practical puppy information and in some cases they made it sound a lot more complicated (read: discouraging) than it is. For my fellow puppy parents, I'd recommend The Year of the Puppy 1000x over Puppy Kindergarten
- How I heard about it: this NYT article (OK, OK, I said it...you can probably read the article and skip the book).
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (audio). It's just my opinion, but I can't think of a single person on the planet who wouldn't adore this book 😻😻😻
- How I heard about it: dude, everyone has heard about it.
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean. A teenager goes missing and returns two years later, obviously having been through some kind of trauma. But she won't talk about it, so it's up to the detective assigned to her case to figure it out.
- How I heard about it: The Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy
by Tia Levings (audio). When you're a Good Christian Wife and everyone tells you that the way to avoid having "sit on your head" fights with your husband is to just be a little more submissive. At first I questioned whether I really needed
to read another divorce or Christian patriarchy book, since I've covered
both topics heavily in my recent reading (You Could Make this Place
Beautiful, This American Wife, Counting the Cost). Once I started reading the answer was yes and I drank in Levings skilled way with words.
Trigger warning that if this book doesn't trigger you there is something
wrong with you.
- How I heard about it: the Glamorous Trash podcast
The Wedding People by Alison Espach. The Wedding of the Century is taking place at a luxury hotel. All of the guests are part of the wedding party, except for one woman, who has checked into the hotel to commit suicide. But she can't get away from the wedding people. This book is a gem.
- How I heard about it: it's a hot It book that everyone is reading.
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra. A mother is home alone with her two young children when she becomes aware that someone else is in the house. She can't get to her phone but she can hide in the house's secret room with the kids while she waits out the danger. This book was tight - suspenseful and the payoff was incredible.
- How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast
Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner. When you're the good sister, and it seems like the bad sister gets away with everything.
- How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast
Millionaire Mission: A Nine Step System to Level Up Your Finances and Build Wealth by Brian Preston (audio). The host of The Money Guy show talks money.
- How I heard about it: The Money Guy show.
You Only Die Once: How to Make it to the End With No Regrets by Jodi Wellman. DNF - I tried it first on audio and couldn't get into it, so I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried the book version. For whatever reason
- How I heard about it: Best Laid Plans podcast - I recommend skipping the book and listening to the episode!
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris. I can't remember the last time that I read a self help book, but this one makes up for the drought. 10/10 highly recommend.
- How I heard about it: an article about self help books that therapists recommend.
Currently Reading
F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton.
- How I heard about it: continuing the series.
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