Hello everyone!! This is always such a fun post to put together. I love going back and looking back at what I read, and what I loved. I used Storygraph this year to help me out, and I really love it. My list of favorites is short this year, as I did a lot of re-reading of old favorites, and I never include them here. They have already been established, no repeats. I also seem to have been hit or miss with book reviews this year; hopefully this year I can be more consistent. We will see.

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In no particular order, let’s begin!

The House in the Cerulean Sea – Still the only Klune book I have read, and I need to fix that because I loved this book. From my review: ” This book could not have come into my life at a more perfect time. I needed this book, this warm and fuzzy read about found family and courage and becoming who you really truly are inside. It was simply beautiful, and I wanted to hug it close, along with just about every character (but especially little Theodore the Wyvern).”

Warrior Girl Unearthed: This book was such a powerful read for me. I felt like it really opened my eyes to a whole world I was unaware of. From my review: This book was thought-provoking, eye-opening, impactful, powerful. There is much more to this story of Perry and the running mystery throughout the book, that goes much deeper and speaks to a truth that is not often discussed or brought into the light. This book does that, drags these ugly truths out into the open, all within the confines of this young adult book’s pages.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries: I love anything faerie, I always have. I have never ever outgrown it and I don’t plan to. So when this book started popping up all over, I knew I had to read it. I absolutely loved it! From my review: “My only complaint is the ending! I needed more story and now I have to wait for the next installment and I hate that! I am not good at waiting and I want to know more about Emily and Wendell and this world of faery.” And…. I don’t have much longer to wait! The sequel, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is going to be one of my first reads of 2024!

Tom Lake: So I actually listened to this one, and Meryl Streep’s reading matched the depth of soul that can be found in this book. It was a deliciously beautiful story. From my review: This book is a book for when you feel like lazing about, soaking up words and a story. Meryl Streep as the reader of the audiobook just elevated the whole experience for me. She wasn’t just reading a story, she was Lara, telling the story of her youth to her children in the cherry orchards. This book was absolutely beautiful, and is definitely on my favorites of the year list.

The White Hare: Ok, so if you have been around here you know that I absolutely love rabbits. (and foxes) When I saw this book mentioned a hare, was set in Cornwall, one of my favorite settings, and was a bit mysterious, I knew I had to read it. And I am so glad I did! From my review: I could not get enough of this book. I love books that feel heavy with mystery and history and folklore, that are atmospheric and surprising. This book had all of that, PLUS rabbits! Ok so not like rabbits running around being super cute but sort of maybe ominous and curious most of the book because you are not quite sure what the heck is going on but you know, just know, something is afoot, and the white hare totally has something to do with it.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches: This book was like another warm little hug, a book that I cozied up with that left me with the warm fuzzies. I apparently never wrote a review on it, but I absolutely adored everything about it.

Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of America’s National Parks: I still need this book! I read it, I loved it, and wanted to buy it to look back on and dream about again and again, and… I didn’t buy it yet. Soon. It is filled with the most beautiful photos and history and added oh so many destinations to my wish list!

The Shop on Royal Street: I have a deep love for New Orleans and this series set there just transports me. The old houses, the ghosts, the characters, the secrets, the everything – yep, I love it. I am very anxiously awaiting a third book!

Crime and Poetry: Near the end of the year, I picked up this Magical Bookshop mystery by Amanda Flower and can’t get enough of this series either. I want a magical bookshop!!!

Have you read any of these? What did you think?