Dear Reader Reviews

As we wrap up December I thought I’d share the full list of every book I read in 2024 and what I rated them. My goal for the year was 20 books and I’m currently finishing up book 25!

Maggie O’Farrell, The Marriage Portrait, 2023 – ☆☆☆☆

Katy Hays, The Cloisters, 2022 – ☆☆☆

Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, 2019 – ☆☆

Susanna Clarke, Piranesi, 2021 – ☆☆☆☆☆

“And You. Who are You? Who is that I am writing for?”

A full review of Piranesi is forthcoming, this was far away my favorite book I read this year, and one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. If you haven’t read it I am literally begging you to drop everything, grab a copy, and read it immediately.

Neil Gaiman, Coraline, 2002 – ☆☆☆☆

Vaishnavi Patel, Kaikeyi, 2022 – ☆☆☆☆

Ottessa Moshfegh, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, 2019 – ☆☆☆☆

Nikki Marmery, Lilith, 2023 – ☆☆☆☆

More books reinterpreting the bible as the mythical text is actually is please. Loved seeing genesis, and the rest of the book, getting the Odyssey treatment.

Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic, 1995 – ☆☆☆☆

Mark Dunn, Ella Minnow Pea, 2002 – ☆☆☆☆☆

Philippe Besson, Lie With Me, 2019 – ☆☆☆☆

Maria Adelmann, How to Be Eaten, 2022 – ☆☆

Elspeth Barker, O, Caledonia, 2022 – ☆☆☆

Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, 2022 – ☆☆☆☆

H.W. Brands – Our First Civil War, 2022

I would like to quickly note that I read this book on the American Revolution as research for work. It’s a bit of a deviation from my normal reads, but it was very well written, informative, and enjoyable!

Gene Luen Yang, Avatar: The Search, 2013

Emily R. Austin, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, 2022 – ☆☆☆☆

Jacqueline Holland, The God of Endings, 2024 – ☆☆☆☆

Sloane Crosley, Cult Classic, 2023 – ☆☆☆☆

John Steinbeck, East of Eden, 1952 – ☆☆☆☆☆

Samuel and Lee sitting in a tree, being L-O-V-E-D by me.

T.J. Klune, Under the Whispering Door, 2023 – ☆☆☆☆☆

Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle, 1986 – ☆☆☆☆

Jean Hanff Korelitz, The Plot, 2022 – ☆☆☆

Emma Cline, The Guest, 2023 – ☆☆☆

John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1994 – pending

I’m about a quarter of the way into this right now for Classics Club. So far I’m thoroughly enjoying the way Berendt describes the city I love and I intend to post a full review when I’ve finished.

My reading goal for 2025 is going to be another 25. I’m hoping to reread The Picture of Dorian Grey and Wuthering Heights, and Village Idiot, The Art Thief, and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell are all on my Want to Read List, among quite a few others. What’s on your TBR for next year?