Books Read in 2024

I finished 2024 with a reading total of 66 books.

Here is my list of how many books I've read each year going back to 2014 when I began keeping track.

2014:  262 books
2015:  231 books
2016:  355 books
2017:  403 books
2018:  315 books
2019:  185 books
2020:  106 books
2021:    60 books
2022:    47 books
2023:    51 books
2024:    66 books

As I wrote in September, my reading pattern is sporadic.  I can read steadily through whatever set interests me, then I end up going weeks withing reading anything.  That is, I go weeks without reading books.  

How many of you are like me, always reading everything?  Product boxes, signs, articles, anything and everything placed in front of me.  I am always reading.  Even when I'm not reading actual books, I can spend hours each day reading something.

It's compulsive.  Put words in front of me, and I'll start to read them, even if they don't interest me.  When I'm online on social media, I end up beginning to read stuff that's of little interest when it's in my feed, simply because I can see it.  I want to learn, to know, to think.  

I always have a short list of topics that are on my mind, and I seek out information about them.  One of those topics is pandemics.  Naturally, I'm keeping an eye on the bird flu situation.

I love to read.

Here is my list of books I read in 2024.  As I have done in previous years, books I had already read prior to 2024 have been marked in blue.

January:  3 books

Percy Jackson #1 The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson #2 The Sea of Monsters
Nancy Drew Diaries #25 What Disappears in Vegas...

I watched the new Percy Jackson television series, and then I decided to reread all the Percy Jackson books.  I got bored during the third book and quit.  I get sidetracked so easily these days.

In February, I decided to read young adult books.  I found praise online for the imprint, Sourcebooks Fire.  Following that lead brought me to quite a few books that I enjoyed.

February:  11 books

That's Not My Name by Megan Lally
They're Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso
The Warning by Kristy Acevedo
The Fallout by Kristy Acevedo
Plague Land by Alex Scarrow
Plague Land: Reborn by Alex Scarrow
Plague Land: No Escape by Alex Scarrow
What Happened on Hicks Road by Hannah Jayne
Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle
Don't Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack
The Last to Die by Kelly Garrett

March:  12 books

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Tiffany Brooks
The Chaperone by M Hendrix
All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown
The Compound by S. A. Bodeen
The Fallout by S. A. Bodeen
The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
The Rule of Three: Fight for Power by Eric Walters
The Rule of Three: Will to Survive by Eric Walters
Wilders: A Dystopian Half-Pocalyse Series by Cass Kim
Wilders: The Change by Cass Kim
Consequences: A Wilders Finale by Cass Kim
Michael Vey #1 The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

April:  9 books

Michael Vey #2 Rise of the Elgen by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey #3 Battle of the Ampere by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey #4 Hunt for Jade Dragon by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey #5 Storm of Lightning by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey #6 Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey #7 The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans
Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison
Campus Murder Club by Kristi Rose
They All Had a Reason #1 A Rumor. A Secret. A Lie. A Murder by Michele Leathers

I ran out of books that interested me, and I couldn't find anything else.  Also, May and June were months of extreme stress, so reading books was the last thing on my mind.

May:  none

June:  3 books

The Defiant Heart by Florence B. Michelson
Keeper of the Lost Cities #1
Keeper of the Lost Cities #2 Exile

I tried to start my rereading of the Keeper books, then I lost interest.

July:  6 books

The Riddle of Raven Gulch by Mary Francis Shura
Mystery of the Lobster Thieves by Elaine Macmann Willoughby
The Secret of Hallam House by Nina Brown Baker
The Gray Ghosts of Taylor Ridge by Mary Francis Shura
The Season of Silence by Mary Francis Shura
Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore

August:  4 books

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger
The Last Witness by Claire McFall
The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle

September:  3 books

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson

I reread Keeper of the Lost Cities #1 and #2 for the second time this year before continuing with the set.  I don't know if that rereading happened in September and/or October.  I was not keeping good track of my reading at around this time.  I have accounted for all of my reading, but I don't know where I was in the Keeper set at the beginning of October.  Also, I am only counting the June reading of Keeper #1 and #2 towards my total, so when I read them the second time doesn't matter.

October:  3 books

Keeper of the Lost Cities #3 Everblaze
Keeper of the Lost Cities #4 Neverseen
Keeper of the Lost Cities #5 Lodestar

November:  5 books

Keeper of the Lost Cities #6 Nightfall
Keeper of the Lost Cities #7 Flashback
Keeper of the Lost Cities #8 Legacy
Keeper of the Lost Cities #8.5 Unlocked
Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 Stellarlune

December:  7 books

Keeper of the Lost Cities #9.5 Unraveled
Keeper of the Lost Cities #9.5 Unraveled
If I Tell: A Murder Mystery Thriller about a Girl and a Serial Killer by J. W. Lynne
End of Times #1 Impact by Nate Johnson
End of Times #2 Escape by Nate Johnson
End of Times #3 Endure by Nate Johnson
End of Times #4 Quest by Nate Johnson
The End of Everything #1 by Nate Johnson

I read Keeper of the Lost Cities #9.5 Unraveled twice through when it was released.  I am only counting the first reading towards my total.

Currently, I am mainly interested in reading modern books.  59 of the 66 books I read in 2024 have been published since 2000.

The Best Books of 2024

These books are the most outstanding books out of all of the books I read in 2024.  I am so fortunate that I read them.

That's Not My Name by Megan Lally
Campus Murder Club by Kristi Rose
The Season of Silence by Mary Francis Shura

The Worst Books of 2024

These books bored me.

Michael Vey #7 The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans
Let the Sky Fall trilogy by Shannon Messenger
Mystery of the Lobster Thieves by Elaine Macmann Willoughby

I enjoyed this next group of books to varying degrees, but they were quite disappointing.  When I finished reading each one, I felt depressed, disgusted, or angry.  

If I Tell: A Murder Mystery Thriller about a Girl and a Serial Killer by J. W. Lynne
The Last Witness by Claire McFall
They All Had a Reason #1 A Rumor. A Secret. A Lie. A Murder by Michele Leathers

The one that really angered me was The Last Witness by Claire McFall, because it was a total waste of time.  I don't appreciate being manipulated and lied to by the author.  It is enraging. 

At present, I am still on winter break and am thoroughly enjoying Nate Johnson's books.  The books are self-published and have quite a few errors with homonyms and punctuation, but Nate Johnson writes engaging stories that have interesting characters.  I'm good to go for around the next week, and then I'll see if I can find something else that I like.