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Best books of 2024

So far in 2024, I read (and by read, I mean, mostly listened to, as I’m primarily an audiobook listener) 82 books! Like last year, I scrolled through my Goodreads reviews and tried to pick out the reads that were a cut above the rest, and tried to bin them in a genre.

For the record, I usually love fast-paced books with likable characters and satisfying endings. Throw a slowburn romance in there, and you’ve got me completely hooked. That said, sometimes the books I like the most are those I had no idea I was looking for. This year, I feel like my 8 favorites were all over the map.

Without further ado (and in no particular order):

Favorite Middle Grade read

So I read a lot of good middle grade this year, but this one was truly just a magical, cozy adventure. This book started me on T. Kingfisher reading binge, and I absolutely just adore the way her characters pop and her unique stories unfold. Can’t recommend this one enough. Full review here!

Favorite Young Adult Read

The show was amazing, and yet the graphic novel was somehow better. This series sucked me in so much I basically put everything else on hold so I could devour them. The characters are lovely, the art is fantastic, and the story just feels so poignantly YA, it’s really just jaw-droppingly good. I blew through the first five books, and you can find the full review here!

Favorite Fantasy

This one was so completely atmospheric and transportive. The writing was fantastic, the characters were delightful, and months later, I’m still thinking about this book. Quite frankly, this may have been one of the best fairy tale retellings I think I’ve ever read. And this was her debut!?! Seriously, I can’t wait for more from Poranek. Full review here.

Favorite Series

I’d file this under: books I didn’t know I needed in my life. Apparently this a LitRPG, and six audiobooks later (each of which are about 20 hours long), I still can’t get enough. Action-packed, hilarious, and with incredible world-building, if this series could actually never end, that would be awesome. Impatiently waiting for the seventh audiobook in 2025. Full review of books 1-6 here!

Favorite Children’s Book

I have a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old, so I have read *a lot* of picture books in the last five years, and it’s very rare that one sticks out. Really have to give it this one for being the full package with lovely illustrations, writing, and message. Full review here.

Favorite Horror

This was my first read of 2024, and I knew pretty much immediately that it would make this list. Hilarious, disturbing, and deep all at once, with turns that keep you guessing, I basically ran to recommend this to my friends. I definitely need more smart horror like this. Full review here.

Favorite Romance

This one legit jumped out of nowhere at me. Like seriously, I think I was aimlessly scrolling through the Libby app when I stumbled upon it. But it was just a such a sweet romance (with a little spice), I can’t even. I get a warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about it! Full review here!

Favorite Paranormal

I read a *lot* of books that didn’t live up to the hype this year. This was not one of them. Ali Hazelwood books have been hit or miss for me, but this was a big hit. A vampire, werewolf world with the feel of a romcom? Um, yes please. Fingers seriously crossed for a sequel. Full review here.

2024 was another fantastic year of reading! I’m still catching my blog up on my Goodreads reviews, but if I missed some of your favorites from this year, definitely drop them in the comments and I’ll check them out on Goodreads! Please remember to support your favorite authors with ratings and reviews to spread the word about their amazing books, and as always, thanks for reading! 😊

Cheers to a 2025 filled with even more awesome books!

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Favorite Reads of 2023!

So far in 2023, I read (and by read, I mean, mostly listened to, as I’m primarily an audiobook listener) 66 books! Instead of categories or a top 10, for this year’s favorite lists, I scrolled through my Goodreads reviews and tried to pick out the reads that were a cut above the rest of me.

For the record, I usually love fast-paced books with likable characters and satisfying endings. Throw a slowburn romance in there, and you’ve got me completely hooked. That said, sometimes the books I like the most are those I had no idea I was looking for. This year, I read three fantasies, three romances, and one wildcard that rose above the rest.

Without further ado (and in no particular order):

Favorite Middle Grade read

Okay, this one was a *complete* surprise. I’m not a huge middle grade reader, but I’m a sucker for a magical school. The writing in this one was so completely fabulous, and while the comparison to Harry Potter is unavoidable, I loved the family dynamics, the rich magic system, and the bigger themes here. Honestly, when I started reading this, I was like, why aren’t more people talking about this book?! Highly recommend, and I will TOTALLY be reading the sequel. Full Review here!

Favorite Young Adult Read

Defy the Night (book one of this series) was one of my favorite reads of 2022, and this sequel did not disappoint! More fast-paced action and fun romance. Though I didn’t necessarily enjoy the third POV added here, I really liked the plot development and will totally be reading book 3. Full Review here!

Favorite Fantasy

Normally, I find that incredibly hyped books rarely live up to expectations, but this one totally did. The writing, the characters, the unique setting… it was almost like You’ve Got Mail, in a WWII setting, with magic. I loved just about everything about it. (Except that cliff-hanger ending!) I’ve recommended it to pretty much everyone I know and currently have the sequel on hold at the library. Full review here.

Also worth the hype

Another book that totally lived up to the hype. After loving Beach Read, this one cemented me as a Emily Henry fan. Perfectly balanced between thoughtful and fun, with characters that just sizzle with chemistry. Even though this was one of my earlier reads in this year, it has totally stuck with me. And now I’m on hold for Henry’s next book, Happy Place as well! Full review here.

Favorite Romantic Comedy

Felicity Chen might be one of my favorite rom-com heroines. Her voice is so punchy and fun, the romance was perfectly executed, and the premise of a reality show in the world of titanium and gold matching technology was *chef’s kiss.* I would LOVE to have more books in this world, and a movie, pleassseee!! Full review here.

Favorite Historical Fiction

This was one I didn’t know I was looking for. A darker, more literary historical fiction outside of my normal reading wheelhouse, I fully enjoyed this masterpiece. It was actually only after reading this that I realized I’ve really loved most of Lehane’s work. This was no exception. Despite the grittiness of the tale and the instensely flawed characters, something about that ending was so satisfying. Highly recommend, and fully expect a movie. Full review here.

Favorite Romance

Another fantastic contemporary romance that totally sold me as a Jimenez Fan. (I’ve now read all the books she’s published so far and can’t wait to read her next release.) Her banter is always delightful, and her characters so loveable even as this one explores a deeper blend of themes. Reading a Jimenez book feels like easing into a hot bath, and I can’t wait to read more of her work! Full review here.

It was a such a great reading year! I’m still catching my blog up on my Goodreads reviews. But if I missed some of your favorites from this year, definitely drop them in the comments and I’ll check them out on Goodreads! Please remember to support your favorite authors with ratings and reviews to spread the word about their amazing books, and as always, thanks for reading! 😊

May your 2024 be filled with new and amazing books!

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Audiobook Review – Defy the Night

I’m not going to lie. I was scared to read this book, because I don’t trust sequels. I loved Defy the Night SO much, I was so scared the sequel wouldn’t live up to it. But, it did NOT disappoint. Tessa and Corrick are back and facing new troubles in both the kingdom and their relationship that flow well from the first book and make a lot of sense. The new adventure takes us onto a ship (which I love) with a dashing captain (who I also love), and intrigue and twists to spare. The only two things that fell a little flat for me were the third POV (which I won’t spoil) and I did wish that Tessa had more of a stronger role in this book. I felt like she played more of a supporting/pawn role here than in the first book, but I think it’s set up perfectly for her to come into her own big time in book 3. I also loved the narration of the audiobook—couldn’t put it down—and look forward to the third!

⭐⭐⭐⭐¾

Yay for sequels that deliver!

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – Book Lovers

Dannnnnng. This was a good friggen book.

Okay. THIS BOOK. This was another one that I came into with big expectations. The hype has been CRAZY, and I loved Beach Read (though not People We Meet on Vacation, so this was an Emily Henry tiebreaker for me.)

And boy, did she deliver. The characters are likable and relatable, they had great chemistry, the concept is fun, and the twists fit perfectly like missing puzzle pieces. One thing I love about this book and Beach Read is that while it is, at its core, a romance, it goes so much deeper than just the relationship and I love the growth her characters undergo in her novels. Her writing is beautiful as she peels back the onion layers of her characters, and I am so here for every word. Also the audiobook narration is fantastic. There is some steam and language so if you’re not into that, beware, but otherwise, I’m recommending this one to all romance fans, and I’ll definitely be picking up Emily Henry’s next book, whatever it is.

My favorite read of the year so far. Five glittering stars.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Eeeee! This one made me so happy!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Top 5 Favorite Reads of 2022

I feel like this is one of those personality tests I didn’t know I was taking! I completed my Goodreads challenge, and have managed to read 61 published (so not counting beta reads) books this year! I’ll probably squeeze in a few more before the end of the year, and if I’m lucky enough to stumble across another contender this late in the game, I’ll be sure to update accordingly!

For the record, I usually love fast-paced books with likable characters and satisfying endings. Throw a slowburn romance in there, and you’ve got me completely hooked. That said, sometimes the books I like the most are those I had no idea I was looking for.

Without further ado (and in no particular order):

BESt young Adult read

Not only is this the best Young Adult book I read this year, but this is probably one of the best young adult books I have read EVER. Yeah. A contemporary rivals-to-lovers romance with a fun premise that is paced to perfection. Seriously, give me the movie now!!! *Grabby hands* Full Review here!

Best Fantasy

Okay. I read Kemmerer’s A Curse so Dark and Lonely and enjoyed it, but not enough to read the sequel. THIS book, however, was on a completely different level, and I will DEFINITELY be reading the next book in the series. I adored the double POV here, the high stakes, the interesting world – basically everything I love about books. And I currently have the book 2 audiobook on hold! Squee! Full Review here!

Best Romance

Okay, you know I think highly of a romance when I recommend it to my mom, and I can definitely say we both loved this one. Emily Henry’s “People We Meet on Vacation” didn’t work for me, but I absolutely adored this one. I loved the emotional depth, and the progression of their relationship was just so sweet. Loved it, and I have the Book Lovers audiobook on hold now. Full review here.

Best literary

This one’s definitely not my usual read, but I’m so glad I picked it up. Nana’s voice is so strong, and lends a light, sardonic air to this bittersweet reflection on life. Heavy and yet so soothing at the same time. Yes, I loved this one too. Full review here.

Best series

Okay, generally speaking, I’m not a series person. If the first one is amazing, I often find the sequel disappoints. And if the first one wasn’t amazing, why would I want to read the second. It’s such a trap! However… sometimes they do suck me in, and this one was SO worth. The characters, the romance, their quirky little town, the mystery – I loved it all, and I would read a million more of these suckers. Please write more Sunshine Vicram novels! Pleassseee! Full review here.

A fantastic reading year over all! But if you think I missed some of your favorites, please feel free to drop them in the comments and I’ll check them out on Goodreads! I’m always on the lookout for new gems, and I’m excited to see what books 2023 brings my way. Please remember to support your favorite authors with ratings and reviews, and as always, thanks for reading! 😊

May your 2023 be filled with new and amazing books!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Travelling Cat Chronicles

The Travelling Cat Chronicles was an unexpected gem. Told from a cat’s perspective, the story follows a sardonic stray (Nana) as he is adopted by a Satoru, a kind, optimistic cat-person with a somewhat tragic backstory. The main meat of the plot follows Satoru as he visits his friends across Japan trying to find a place for Nana to stay.

And it is just incredibly poignant, thoughtful, funny-in-turns, and in the end completely satisfying. The themes of friendship, the journey of life, and closure are so well delivered here, but in such a flowing, peaceful fashion, punctuated by amusing commentary from the sarcastic cat (especially in contrast with his benevolent owner.)

This is one that’s hard to give justice through a review so you really just have to go read it (or listen to it, because the audiobook is narrated fantastically). Definitely one of my favorite books of 2022, and I’m absolutely adding it to my list of books that I shall now go recommend to everyone and their grandmother. A truly beautiful novel. Don’t miss this one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my heart. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Book Review – A Hard Day for a Hangover

Ah yes, how shall I start this ode to the newest Sunshine Vicram book, except it was absolutely *amazing.* Please just inject this series into my veins. I loved the audiobooks of the first two entries in the series, and the cliffhanger at the end of book 2 just about killed me, so when I saw the ebook for #3 on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity, and was NOT disappointed.

However, for the sake of the uninitiated (please start with the first audiobook and then we can all squeal together), I will try to keep my gushing spoiler free.

All of the elements we love from the first two books are here and in force: the witty banter is fun and a joy to read, Del Sol is as quirky and weird as ever, the muffins are back, The Dangerous Daughters and Sinister Suns are at play, the stakes are high, there’s a mystery to solve, and Levi plays his biggest part to date.

There were a lot of plot lines from the first two books (specifically regarding Levi & Sunshine) that came to a really satisfying end here. However, I am a little torn, because I’m seeing that this is supposed to be the end of the trilogy, and I feel like there is so many more questions/loose ends to tie up. So basically, if this WAS the end of the series, I think I would feel just a tiny bit disappointed because I’m still hoping to see a little more of Auri & Cruz, Hailey & Quincy, and the Dangerous Daughters.

But even if this is the last one, honestly, I can’t even hate, because I do feel like this *could* be the end of Levi & Sunshine’s story and it totally left me with such a gooey, satisfied feeling, I am TOTALLY okay with it.

Let’s just say, regardless of what Darynda Jones writes next, be it Sunshine or something else, I will *definitely* be reading it. Five wholeheartedly glowing stars.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free ARC! A Hard Day for a Hangover launches on 6 December!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Please tell me there will be more Sunshine books, Darynda. PLEASE!

Thanks for reading!

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Ten Favorite Reads of 2021

It’s been quite the year! Goodreads is telling me I’ve read 78 books as of December 13th… which is quite a few for me! So I figured I’d round up my favorite highlights and a one line review for anyone that’s looking for a good read to start off 2022.

Note: these books were not necessarily published in 2021, that’s just when I happened to read them!

And second note: If I love the first book in a series, but overall the series is unsatisfying, I won’t recommend the first book. (However… if I haven’t read the sequel yet but I plan to, I’ll still recommend the first.)

Favorite Sequel: Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
Book 5 of the Innkeeper Chronicles is every bit as good as the 4 books before it. If you want some light sci-fi romance in your life, this series about a magical inn that connects to the rest of the universe and the uncountable species and cultures in it (including a fun take on vampires and werewolves) is absolutely fantastic. I NEED MORE.

Favorite Novella: Split Therapy by E.P. Stavs
A fast-paced psychological thriller with two likable leads, a sweet side of romance, and a vigilante. Recommended to cure any reading slump.

Favorite Romance: The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams
I actually just finished this one, and was able to come add it to this post just in time! There’s so much to love in this book! Wonderful characters that feel real (especially in the audiobook!), a cute romance, fun plot (although as a gym rat I might be biased) and body positivity. I’m so glad I stumbled on this 5 star read, and highly recommend!

Favorite Middle Grade: Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry
An achingly beautiful book told half in verse and half in prose about friendship, being different, and the difficulties and confusion of being a middle-grade kid.

Favorite Picture Book: Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Love love love love love this book. Fantastic illustrations and a wonderful message about dealing with bullies and embracing your awesome self.

Favorite Fantasy: Thief of Spring by Katherine Macdonald
A fae Persephone/Hades romance that I didn’t know I needed in my life. Great YA fantasy with a fun romance that totally sucked me in.

Favorite Young Adult: Billy Lemonade by Sarah J Maxwell
A beautiful paranormal tale of two healing teenagers. I read this book in one sitting, and I think it’s probably the most poignant, emotional tale I read this year.

Favorite Sci-fi: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
A sci-fi, post-apocalyptic pandemic novel with a unique premise, a twist, and a solid romance. I haven’t read the sequel yet, but it’s mostly because I’m scared it can’t live up to the first!

Favorite Thriller: The Whisper Man by Alex North
It was creepy, it was tense, it kept me guessing, and I was rooting for the characters the whole time. This is the kind of thriller that makes you want to read more thrillers. And the audiobook was amazing, so bonus!

Favorite Novel Overall: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
This book absolutely blew my mind. A book about a group of goofy strangers that get caught up in a hostage situation that manages to be funny and sweet and poignant all that the same time. Definitely my number one book this year, no contest. And the audiobook is superb. If I have to recommend only one book this year, it’s this one.

If you have any best reads of 2021 I’d love to know! Thanks for reading!

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The Library Haul – Aug 19

We try to take our littles (ages 5 and 3) the library almost every Saturday to get a fresh armful of books to tide us over for the week. We’ve missed the past few weekends, so this library haul is from a while back, but I thought I’d try to give a quick sum up.

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates. Dog loves books so they open a book store. A cute story, but a little bland. ⭐⭐⭐ ½ And no request for rereads. 😕

Michael Recycle Meets Litter Bug Doug by Ellie Bethel. Cute story, great message, fun rhymes, and great illustrations. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ But… no request for rereads. 😕

Pirate Chicken All Hens on Deck by Brian Yanish. Chicken gets tired of being a chicken, so becomes a pirate. But then gets tired of being a bad pirate… and goes back to chicken life. Story fell a little flat for me. ⭐⭐⭐ And no request for rereads. 😕

Fire Truck vs Dragon by Chris Barton. Fire truck and Dragon are friends and do a lot of fun things together. A cute simple story with great illustrations aimed at the younger picture book crowd (2-4). ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And it seemed to be a hit with the 3yo with multiple reread requests. 😍

Eerie Elementary by Jack Chabor. After perusing the pictures, my 5yo rejected this one on the basis of being too scary. No rating.

The Last Firehawk by Katrina Charman (#6-9). Owl, squirrel, & firehawk go on epic fantasy adventure, battling against the evil vulture and finding the firehawk’s family. My 5yo LOVED this series. They were always the first books he wants when we get in the car, an whenever get back he checks to make sure they don’t have #10 yet (it doesn’t come out until November.) So this one gets double heart eyes! 😍 😍

Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko. Goofy super hero chicken and sidekick egg brother fight silly crime. My five year old seems to enjoy these, and he reads through them very quickly independently. We’ll definitely be picking up more of this series. 😍

Who Would Win? Ultimate Jungle Rumble by Jerry Palotta In which they make a bracket and postulate which animals would win in a fight to the death. A bit morbid perhaps… but as a kid I probably would’ve loved this series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And my kids asked me to reread this SOOOO many times. 😍 😍

Maisy Plays Soccer by Lucy Cousins. Exactly as the title describes. Super simple story, but Maisy books have always been a hit at our house in the younger age groups (1-3). ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And 3yo asked for a reread. 😍

Flyguy Presents Dinosaurs by Tedd Arnold. Very standard dinosaur book. No facts we didn’t know before, and the illustrations were pretty basic. This is my second flyguy book, and it hasn’t really resonated with the boys or me. ⭐⭐⭐ ½ And no reread request. 😕 Which is kind of shocking considering this is a dinosaur book!

Our Saturdays are busier with fall sports, but hopefully we’ll still be able to squeeze in our library visits!

Whew! And that’s it for now! Tune in next week for the review of our next library haul! Kid’s book recommendations and review requests welcome (as long as it’s find-able at our library).

Posted on by hrchow12

The Library Haul – Jul 25

We try to take our littles (ages 5 and 3) the library almost every Saturday to get a fresh armful of books to tide us over for the week. I was traveling for work last week, so I didn’t get to read each of these the usual 3-5 times. But I read most of them at least once!

The Last Firehawk #5 & 6 by Katrina Charman. We finished up book #4 last week, and my 5yo started cracking into book 5. The basic ongoing premise of kid-warrior owl, spunky squirrel friend, and quickly-growing baby firehawk vs evil vulture and co. continues (via collecting ember stone pieces). We’ve been somewhat sidetracked by the latest Dragon Master book, but hopefully we’ll finish these up this week in time to nab book #7 & #8. Since my 5yo reads these independently and can follow the story it gets a: 😍

Mouse and Mole by Wong Herbert Yee. Sadly we didn’t get around to this one this week (that I know of) so back to the library it goes. No rating.

Dragon Loves Tacos 2 The Sequel by Adam Rubin. Um. I hate to say it, but this wasn’t for me. There’s a taco shortage so they make a time machine to go back in time to get a taco, bring it the future and… plant a taco tree. Naturally dragons keep getting the spicy tacos which gives them flaming breath. The story, prose, and illustrations all fell pancake flat for me. The only reason I’ll give it three stars is because the littles made me read it three times. ⭐⭐⭐ from me. 😍 from the littles.

How to be a Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald. The boys in the treehouse say she can’t be a pirate, so the little girl goes to her seaworthy-looking grandfather to show her how to be a real pirate through his tattoos. And spoiler alert, she takes over the treehouse as the best pirate ever, to the awe of the boys. This one was probably my favorite one we read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

But my littles, alas, didn’t ask for a reread. 😕

Superbuns by Diane Kredensor. Little sister buns goes around being a super hero with the power of kindness, but her older sister doesn’t buy it until she gets her own chance to be nice. This was more of a meh for us. The superhero-kindness connection didn’t seem quite as strong as it could have been. The illustrations were bright and catchy. ⭐⭐⭐½ But there was no request for rereads. 😕

The Magic School Bus Sees Stars by Nancy White. My kids LOVE magic school bus, and it actually gets them asking questions about the world so these are always safe choices for us. I have read magic school bus books a million times and they have seen all the episodes (original and reboot) at least 3 times each. So yeah. Magic Schoolbus is always a solid choice. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😍

The Dragon Hunters by James Russell. A cute story with cute illustrations about two boys who go save their dog from a dragon. It reads well, but I guess it just didn’t seem to stand out to me, and apparently it didn’t stand up to my boys either because we only read it the once. I would still give the other books in the series a try though. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😕

I Can Read! Level 2: The Amazing Spiderman by Susan Hill (I think.) This is your pretty standard “this is Peter Parker aka Spider-man” early reader. I probably read this 3 times, and they picked it up multiple times themselves because, you know, superheroes. My only beef is at the end Peter says “I’m not a nerd! I’m Spider-man!” Which… c’mon, I mean honestly he’s both, and he’s obviously in some self denial here. Plus, at least in this house, we think fondly of nerds, so we were all confused by this comment. You can’t be a nerd and a superhero? I thought that was kind of the point. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😍

Mind your Manners by Nicola Edwards. This book was a pleasant surprise! I thought the author did a great job of illustrating why bad manners are gross and rude, and how being nice really helped straightened out the animals and make them all happier. I would totally recommend this one! My boys were also asking questions and seemed to get it to (although they didn’t pick it up by themselves or ask for a reread. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😍

The Last Firehawk saga continues! (And yes I am sitting in the doorjamb because that it just where my laptop and I happen to be right now. 😂)

Whew! And that’s it for now! Tune in next week for the review of our next library haul! Kid’s book recommendations and review requests welcome (as long as it’s find-able at our library).