January:

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Entertaining enough, the story followed a mother telling the story of dating a famous actor in her youth to her now three adult daughters. It takes place during the pandemic, when all three girls are back home on their family cherry farm in northern Michigan. No real surprises or suspense, but a semi-entertaining story. The audiobook is read by Meryl Streep so it definitely comes alive through listening.

Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

I was a fan of the Crown on Netflix so I thought I’d give Prince Harry’s book a listen on audiobook. Not sure how I felt about it, but I did finish it wondering why there is even still a monarchy in 2024… I don’t think that was his aim, but once a fan of watching the occasional royal event, now I’m wondering why they’re even still a thing. To be more fair to him, I don’t think anyone who hasn’t ever been under media scrutiny could ever relate.

February:

Fourth Wing

It seems like this was the favorite book in my corner of the internet. And it turned out to be a pretty good read. It was definitely a fantastical romance type book, with dragons, magic powers, evil creatures and star-crossed lovers.

March:

Iron Flame

This was the sequel to Fourth Wing and it was pretty fast paced, especially towards the end. A LOT happens in this book. I was so disappointed with the ending, but then I learned that Maas plans to write two more books in the series and that made more sense.

The Hypnotist’s Love Story

I am a HUGE fan of Liane Moriarty’s books. They’re kind of like the equivalent of a Nancy Meyer’s movie to me: comforting, easy, and since I listen to most of my books, the Australian accent is like the beautiful aesthetic quality I love. The Hypnotist’s Love Story was just as enjoyable as her other books. It follows a woman who runs a successful business as a hypnotist and her journey to becoming a mother.

April:

On Our Best Behavior

This book really resonated with me and I ended up passing it along to some of my friends. Warning for anyone very religious, this does take a close look at how religion has played a role in oppressing women throughout history.

This is Your Mind on Plants

I’ve been a big Michael Pollan fan since I first read The Omnivore’s Dilemma in college, so I enjoyed this book of his as well. I like his journalistic writing style and curious perspective he uses to approach his subject matter.

May:

A Court of Thorns and Roses

I decided to jump into the ACOTR series after reading the Iron Flame series and enjoying. This first book was entertaining enough, but the whole plot line was a bit “ew” and seemed outdated (especially coming off of reading On Our Best Behavior). But it was another entertaining magical tale that kept me turning the pages.

A Court of Mist and Fury

This was the antidote to the first book. It course corrected a lot of the ew and brought this series back to more modern times. I enjoyed this book so much more than the first. It follows Feyre’s journey trying to put her life together after a traumatic experience.

June:

A Court of Wings and Ruin

This book in the series was

A Court of Frost and Starlight

This was like a Christmas one-off in the series

July:

A Court of Silver Flames

By the time I got to this book I was a bit burnt out on this series and it felt like a little bit of a chore to get to the finish line.

Hunt, Gather, Parent

August:

All Fours

This book was wild! But oh so comforting to my current state as a stay at home mom and wife who often ruminates on who I have become and where I am headed in life.

September:

How To Keep House While Drowning

This was a super quick read with lots of helpful points when it comes to trying to take care of all of the little life things when you’re struggling. As a very very pregnant mom of two I could relate. While I thought the chapter on splitting household chores between partners was greatly lacking (but lets be honest that’s a whole other book) I did really like her tip to try and make the free time equal between partners, not the work. It’s a tip that has helped me let go of some of the list and relax more – because if the stack of dishes doesn’t stop my husband from playing golf then I’m not going to let it stop me from doing something I love either.

October:

The House in the Cerulean Sea

A good friend recommended this book to me as a feel good book and I couldn’t agree more.

November:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

This was the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, and while I did enjoy it I didn’t fall in love with it as much as I did the first book.

December:

Slow Productivity

This was a little bit dry to get through, but was much needed during this end of year reflection and planning for the year ahead.