I really enjoyed this read! It basically reminded me of a mix of Gundam Wing and a medieval joust.
What I liked: – Unique World Building – Strong emotions (all the righteous rage and grief) – Morality is in all shades of gray. – Multi-POVs from characters with very contrasting perspectives – Slowly unfurling political intrigue – Solid audiobook narration
What I didn’t like: – The relationship between Rax and Synali. While I like both Rax and Synali individually, their relationship felt a bit forced to me and rather stagnant. For some reason, I see this is listed in the romantasy genre and brahhh, that is inaccurate. This is a straight sci-fi. – Very plot-driven. In general, there’s not a lot of deep, evolving relationships between the characters but that may be because… (see next bullet) – This book doesn’t stand alone in any way. Most readers won’t mind this, but the end reads like we kind of dropped off in the middle of the book, and it’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
Recommended for those looking for an engrossing sci-fi with some interesting world building and intriguing political turmoil. (But definitely not a romantasy)
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
If we can compare it to Gundam Wing, you’ve probably got me already.
This was such a unique premise! Battle of the bands in space with some AI intrigue.
What I liked: – Top-notch world-building! The interplay between the music and the spaceships was well-thought out and described. – A quick, flowing writing style that is easy to get into – The original music?! whaaa! Dude, I’m always a fan of book playlists, but original music to go with the book is going the extra mile. – Naveen and Kindle definitely popped as characters and I enjoyed tagging along with them – Solid audiobook narration
What didn’t quite work for me: – I had a little trouble connecting to Jude as a character, and I wasn’t an Isley fan. Their dynamic wasn’t really there for me. And just in general, this story felt more plot-driven than character-driven.
Recommended for anyone looking for a unique, music-infused sci-fi with a fast-paced, plot-driven story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Definitely here for more YA science fiction in the world.
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!
What I liked: The MCs were likable The premise was interesting
What I disliked: The pacing just felt a little too slow for me I didn’t feel like we got as much closure as I wanted I feel like the big twist was too heavily foreshadowed
Recommended for anyone looking with a YA thriller with an interesting premise.
⭐⭐⭐ ½
Foreshadowing is kind of like salt. We definitely need some… but it can definitely be too salty. And then I get the salty look. (as seen here.)
I picked up this one on the recommendation of a friend, and I would describe it as Sherlock meets a paranormal-flavored Doctor Who in the late 19th century. It’s a fun premise and was a quick read, but the characters just didn’t quite shine for me. This is one of my friend’s favorite though, so if the premise calls to you, I recommend you give it a look!
My kindergartner picks out 3-5 books to read to me a week as part of his advanced reading program. Most of them just kind of blur together, but this one stood out with whimsical writing that a child can still read, simplistic yet beautiful illustrations, and a really sweet, timeless message. It was totally a joy to hear him read this one, and I’d definitely recommend!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Because sometimes there’s nothing like a really sweet picture book.
Wow. This book totally blew me away. The emotional journey Rayne goes through hooked me from the start, and I was totally entranced as I followed along with her journey of loss and acceptance. I also incredibly appreciated the insight from the author’s note on her own story, and the choices made to bring Rayne’s experience to the reader. The audiobook narration was amazing, and after being in a reading slump for most of the year, I devoured this one in two days. A fantastic middle-grade for all ages that I highly recommend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Man, the middle-grade really hit me hard in the feels this year.
Duuuuddddeeee. This one is intense. Exactly what enemies to lovers fantasy is meant to be. I have been in a *serious* reading slump, and DNF’ed my last like 4 reads, but this one kept my attention from start to finish.
What I liked: – The darkness and intensity of this book are pitch-perfect – All the main characters are complex and interesting – The set-up for book 2 – An ACTUAL enemies to lovers (I feel like so many books these days are like dislike or annoyance-to-love, this one is no-kidding justified hatred.
What I am still mulling over: – So, I like Gideon and Rune as people, but for some reason their chemistry as a pair wasn’t quite right for me. Like, I don’t think I’m really rooting for them or against them, but I am *extremely* curious to see how it turns out. This could be the reading slump talking, or it could be that maybe, at the heart of it, I haven’t been converted yet from the “enemies” to “lovers” camp… Emphasis on the “yet.” Which also has me googling when book 2 is getting here, because I need it yesterday.
Also, a side note on the audiobook. This story has dual POVs (which I ADORE), but only one narrator. While the narration was amazing, I’m still hoping book 2 might have two narrators for the two POVs? Pretty please?
Which is all to say, you should definitely check out this read and then lemme know what you think, because it’s definitely one of my top reads this year so far.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars for being super curious where the sequel takes us. I really need more mortal enemies to lovers in my life.
So I enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, but wasn’t really into Love on the Brain, and it’s been a *long* time since I’ve read a vampire or werewolf book, but this was so fun! Definitely my favorite Ali Hazelwood book so far. Misery’s voice totally pops—both light and relatable, and I found the dynamics of this world to be super interesting. I also really liked Lowe’s character and enjoyed watching them grow together. Overall, just a light, fun read (with werewolf-flavored steam, so beware) that I would definitely recommend to romance fans, and I’m totally hoping for a sequel!
What I liked: – Adam & Juliette have a super cute relationship – I like how the mystery of Juliette & the world in general kind of unfolded – The writing style and format had a intensely emotional/lyrical feel
What I didn’t like: – In many ways, this plot is super simple – While I thought it started out unique, the ending I found to be very much… not. – This book doesn’t really stand on its own – I think it requires the sequel to flesh things out – I’m pretty sure a pair of good gloves could’ve solved most of Juliette’s problems.
Overall, recommend for anyone looking for an engaging YA dystopian with a heavy side of romance and a distinctly X-men flavor.
⭐⭐⭐¾
This one came highly recommended from a friend, but I’m not sold on picking up book 2.
Hayley Reese Chow 