Of the 71 books I read in 2024, these 4 are my top rec’s.

[Includes links to Amazon.]

Last year was a higher year than the previous because I added two genres: nonfiction and kids’ chapter books. In 2023, newly back to reading, all I wanted to read was fiction. But it’s been great to branch out!

Nonfiction

I actually read multiples at one time—a personal rule I broke simply because I just could not get enough.

Kids’

And since I read to my kids each night as they fall asleep, I started a two series they were interested in, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Magic Treehouse. So good.

It’s crazy to look back upon the year… and all the titles… and what’s more, two of my top favorites were read at the beginning of the year. And now it feels so long ago.

Without further ado, here are my top 4 picks from 2024:

The Five-Star Weekend (Find on Amazon)

Her writing gets 5 ⭐️.

My favorite quotes:

💬 “The thing I love best about reading fiction is that it gives you a way to connect the experiences of your own life to the larger world?” Gigi says. “Don’t you find that to be true?”

💬 “Even if the books end up collecting dust on Brooke’s nightstand, she’ll be able to look at them and remember Gigi’s kindness. When Gigi hands her the brown bag, it has a satisfying heft. It feels like self-improvement, and Brooke stands up a little straighter.”

💬 “She never asked me what happened, though maybe suspected. But on that night, Hollis told me that her mother, Charlotte, who was a kindergarten teacher, always maintained that child would be just fine as long as she had one sood friend. Some decided to be a sorority of two.” Dru-Ann feels her eyes mist up. “And from that moment on, we were.”

There were a few cringe moments but overall Hilderbrand captured the young, hip voice of today.

p.s. and I brought this book along on my own 5 ⭐️ weekend 🙌🏻 (not exactly the same though…)

https://www.instagram.com/p/C18h8CVscRx/?igsh=eXlpaHU2M3Q2cTdk

Carrie Soto is Back (Find on Amazon)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautiful, beautiful tennis. That’s what Taylor Jenkins Reid did in Carrie Soto is Back.

What an incredible character’s journey from start to finish. Reid made me feel like I was right there with Carrie from the very first page. Absolutely incredible.

Some of the best scenes by this amazing writer:

First time she acknowledges a fan:

💬 (p.132) Would you mind terribly if I asked for an autographs I sigh, but then I remember there are a lot of people who would crawl into a hole right now. So it take a kind face overhe
“Sure, yes, of course you can,” I say.
She hands me a piece of paper and a pen. “Oh, wow. Ms Sur this is… this is just amazing,” she says. “Thank you so much?
I take the pen and I scrawl Take ‘em all down, Carrie Soto acros the paper and hand it back to her.
“Thank you so much, Ms. Soto,” she says.
“I’ve been a fan of
yours since I was thirteen and you won here back in ‘85. I was there in the stands with my father. He loves you too.”
“You don’t mind that I’m an arrogant, ambitious b****?”
She laughs. “No, I do not,” she says.
“I’m going to win today,” I tell her.
“I have no doubt,” she says.
I nod at her, take the Discman out of the box . . .

Love the title mention! The shoe wiping becomes her thing here. I love the connection to what her dad says.

💬 (p.133) “And they don’t get to decide what your name is. Carrie Soto is back.” I breathe in deep and then wipe the tops of my shoes clean and start walking one step at a time onto the court.

The most powerful moment. So many feels here. I can see and feel this moment and it still tears me up.

💬 (p.335) Bowe and Gwen are in the players’ box. Gwen is clapping. Bowe catches my eye, and we look at each other as each section stands, rising like a tide.
They are clapping for my father. For this one moment of time, it feels as if everyone in the arena misses Javier Soto as much as I do.
A tear leaves my eye. I wipe it away.
Poor Dvoráková. She stands no chance. It’s over in fifty-one minutes.

There is no wonder she’s my favorite!! So fun facts! Carrie Soto has a brief appearance in Malibu Rising and is seen reading Daisy Jones and the Six in this book. Love that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2DDxaBL2gW/?igsh=MTFxcXE0Z2Q3Nmhmeg==

By Any Other Name (Find on Amazon)

Usually when I start a Jodi Picoult book I’m hooked from the very first word. This novel took me a few pages to really get into it. Which is fine.

There was a lot to get through. And scenes reminiscent of Les Mis which were rough. (Be cautioned). The rough life was cringe. But once I finally got into the story there was no leaving it.

What a perspective on Shakespeare’s existence!

By Any Other Name is comparable to a Kristin Hannah historical take on a notable character. And it was very good! So well written and deep. I will be recalling this story for the foreseeable future.

Practically sobbed reading these lines:

“Here is what I think,” she said. “Whether your father was a good man does not signify. The girl who is waiting for you at the church is marrying you. She loves you, Henry, I can see it every time you come into a room and she turns like a flower to the sun. She loves you because you are a good man.”

He puzzled over her words as if they were a song he was writing, and if he just concentrated hard enough, the melody would manifest.

“I may not know how to be a husband,” he said thoughtfully, “but I know how to love.”

He grinned. “I meant that I know to put someone first, no matter what.” Henry took her hand and squeezed. “You taught me that.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBK2XyUMDV3/?igsh=MTRsc2g2MXdieTk3aA==

It’s Not You (Find on Amazon)

This was a tough but needed read. This book educates the reader on pretty much anything to be known about a narcissistic person. Then how the reader relates/reacts to them (defends us and says we are not drawn to them, tyvm). But that’s not all. The third part of the books discusses how to live life in spite of whoever is a narcissist in your life. So good. Highly recommend. Although I finished it I feel like I need to read it again already.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEB1alJMjZm/?img_index=3&igsh=MTBiNTVneG1wMmMwbg==