Welcome to my 12th annual favorite reads list! Narrowing it down to just 10 books this year felt too hard so I’m going to share twelve of them (after all… seems appropriate for the 12th list).
My goal this year was to read 100 books and I approached it a little differently than previous years. I decided to work my way through the Read with Jenna book list, as some of my previous favorites (Remarkably Bright Creatures, Nothing To See Here, Black Cake, etc) had come from there so I figured our tastes aligned.
The plus side was she started her list back in 2019 so most of these books were readily available from the library- no waiting! The downside was it turns out maybe our tastes don’t align as closely as I’d hoped. Hardly any of her picks made my year end favorite list. For what it’s worth there are still twelve books I haven’t finished yet from her list (again, with the number 12!) so this project will carry into the new year.
How did I read 100 books? Here’s my secret:
- Audiobooks: They’re the ultimate multitasking magic. Walking the dog? Listening. Cooking dinner? Listening. Cleaning the house? Listening. 60% of the books I finished this year were audiobooks.
- My Kindle: This thing is my favorite! It fits in my purse, holds hundreds of books, and reads well in the dark.
- The Libby app: Every single book I read this year came from the library. This reading hobby costs me $0.
Let’s dive into the 12 books that stole my heart (and occasionally my sleep) this year!
my annual book recommendations list
Somewhere Beyond the Sea
This was my favorite book of the year. I enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea so very much a few years ago and was thrilled there would be a sequel. What a treat it was to be reunited with these characters. I enjoyed it just as much as the first. If you haven’t read House in the Cerulean Sea yet, start there.
The God of the Woods
A close runner up for favorite book of the year. This story is about a girl who goes missing from summer camp. Except her family owns the camp and her brother previously disappeared years ago so it’s a little more complicated. The story of both disappearances unfolds over multiple timelines and narrators but it really kept my attention.
Drowning
Whew, this was intense. I finished it in a single day because I could NOT put it down. It’s about a plane crashing into the ocean and the rescue efforts. It’s a mix of science and engineering with emotional family storylines. If you’re afraid of flying, maybe skip this one though!
The Wedding People
This was a fun listen (I did the audiobook) about a woman who reserves a hotel room with intentions to commit suicide there. Ok I know that sounds dark and not ‘fun’ but hang in there. The resort is booked for a destination wedding and she’s mistaken for part of the wedding party. It was entertaining and kept my attention throughout.
The Only One Left
I read quite a few thrillers this year and this was a fave! It’s about a girl who is hired as a caretaker for a lady who cannot speak. They begin to use a typewriter to communicate and uncover all kinds of secrets. It has spooky vibes, but it’s not too scary.
The Husbands
This was a Read With Jenna pick that I enjoyed. The premise was really fun- every time her husband goes up into the attic a new husband climbs back down. It was entertaining to hop so quickly through different relationships. I didn’t get very attached to any characters (it wasn’t deep) but would recommend it for a light + fun summer read. I think about it even months later!
The Light Pirate
Wow. This was one of the first books I finished this year and I still find myself thinking about the premise. It’s set in the future, as climate change makes Florida uninhabitable. The entire state is forced by the government to relocate and once it’s under water it is shut down completely.
Annie Bot
This was like nothing else I’ve read recently. Set in the future when people purchase life-like robots to help run their households… and tend to their personal needs. Basically this guy buys a robot as his girlfriend so there’s a little spice in here, but it’s also interesting to see where it goes when the robots get a little TOO human.
The Return
A friend recommended this when I said we would be going to Acadia National Park. A girl goes hiking alone in Acadia, disappears for two years (everyone assumes she’s dead) and then reappears but is not acting like herself. Her friends take her on a weekend away, to reconnect, and things get crazy. It’s a thriller with some paranormal elements so it’s quite weird, but I enjoyed it.
The Lost Story
The Wishing Game by this author made last year’s favorites list so I was excited to pick this up (this story is not related). It’s is about two boys who go missing in the woods and then mysteriously return. When you find out where they were… well, it wasn’t where I was expecting the book to go at all. It has fantasy elements that make it feel young, but it’s not classified as young adult.
Keeper of the Lost Cities
This was a read-aloud with my son and we both enjoyed it. It’s about a girl who is raised by humans but finds out she’s actually an elf and then goes to live in their secret world (they use the word “elf” but I just associate that too much with the North Pole for it to be the right description for what this story is). We have now completed the first three in the series.
Hey, Hun
This is the only non-fiction on my list (this was not a big non-fiction year for me). I couldn’t stop listening to this one. Maybe I was only sucked in because I lived in Emily’s neighborhood at the time this all went down and we were friends on Facebook, but gosh it was really fascinating to hear her story of what ‘success’ really looks like in an MLM (and how drastically different it appeared on social media).
Looking for more recommendations? Check out my lists from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 & 2013!
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