I’m back! My unplanned, lengthy break was due to a few things that led to me just not being able to balance everything as I have done. Nothing big, just a bunch of little things. But I think I’ve got it all figured out and here I am again. This Sunday – the first in 2025 – felt like the appropriate time to reflect back on 2024, so here’s a look at my 2024 bookish year (thanks to StoryGraph)
My 2024 Reading Wrap-Up: A Year of Incredible Stories
As another year comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect on all the amazing books I read in 2024. It’s been a year full of thrills, laughs, and a few tears (the good kind, of course!). My trusty StoryGraph Year in Review is here to help me share the highlights.
By the Numbers
📚 Books Read: 147
📖 Pages Turned: 54,218
⏳ Hours of Audiobooks: 25.65
⭐ Average Rating: 4.37 (I’m picky, but fair!)
From the shortest story (Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews) to the epic journey of The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman, each book added something special to my year.
Top Genres
No surprises here—my top genres included:
- Romance 💕 (because who doesn’t love a happily-ever-after?)
- Thriller 🔪 (for those edge-of-your-seat moments).
- Fantasy 🐉 (where magic and adventure reign supreme).
- Mystery 🔍 (always fun to play detective).
- Contemporary 🌟 (for those relatable, heartfelt reads).
Romance dominated my reading list this year ( a rare year indeed!), which speaks to my need for comfort and joy in these busy times. But the thrillers and fantasies were there to keep my heart racing and my imagination alive!
Standout Authors
Some authors made a huge impact on my reading life this year. A special shoutout to my top three:
- Matt Dinniman (The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is pure brilliance!)
- Jessica Thorne (whose fantasy romances are completely magical).
- Shami Stovall (for her gripping and unique tales).
5-Star Favorites
Here are a few of the books that absolutely stole my heart in 2024:
- The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman
This thriller kept me up late into the night. Twisty, intense, and so satisfying! - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
An intricately woven fantasy mystery with a world so vivid I felt like I was living in it. - Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz
Part of the Orphan X series, this one was packed with action, heart, and unforgettable characters.
But my top 3 reads in 2024 (one in each of the three genres I read the most) are:
- Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (thriller)
- Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman (fantasy)
- Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren (romcom)
Final Thoughts
2024 has been a whirlwind of reading, and I’m so grateful for the stories that made me laugh, cry, and fall in love. Books are more than just words on a page—they’re escapes, adventures, and friends.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to see what 2025 has in store. More romance? Definitely. Some darker thrillers? Probably. New favorite authors? Always!
What about you? What was your favorite read of 2024? Share it in the comments—I’d love to add it to my TBR!
Here’s to another year of incredible books, endless pages, and unforgettable adventures. Happy reading!
21 responses to “Sunday Post: January 5, 2025”
You were missed💜💜💜 Surprised to see fantasy coming in third. Congrats on a great year of reading, Tessa.
I was kind of surprised romance was first. I guess fantasy and romance switched places for a year.
Welcome back. It’s really good to see you posting again! 😀
❤️❤️❤️
My favourite read was The Thirteenth Girl by Nicky V Peacock. Welcome back and I look forward to seeing more posts.
I’ll have to look at that one!
It is a fantastic thriller.
Tessa, hi! I used to blog at fiftytwo.blog, but life and an inadvertently unpaid-for domain (*sniff* bye fiftytwo.blog) intervened and I…well, I was in the ether for a year or more.
I’m back, blogging about books, yes, but also family and politics and my mental wellness journey. It feels good to be at least tangentially connected to the book blogosphere again!
I’m trying Storygraph this year in parallel with Goodreads. I love that Goodreads syncs with my Kindle, so I literally have to do nothing to keep track of what I read, but the functionality is sub-par at best and I have heard such good things about SG that I am going to give it a try. If I can get used to manually logging everything, it could replace GR completely—who knows.
Anyway, great to see you. Happy 2025. 🙂
Lori
justlori.net
I use them both and love them for such different aspects
I did wonder where you were, was worried I was missing posts! You had a great reading 2024!
Some of my levels were off and it was making me very tired. I managed to keep up with what I had to do on Instagram but the blog really took a hit, as I was constantly tired. The doctor is trying some different meds with me that has helped immensely
Welcome back, Tessa. It looks like you had a great year of reading, even if there were other things going on. Happy 2025.
My reading slowed down but I can’t imagine a world where I’m not reading something no matter howling it takes me to finish
Good to see you back, Tessa! Your year in reading looks great. Wish you and your family the very best and blessed 2025.
I hope the same for yours in 2025!
Happy you’re back, Tessa – I missed these updates! I read 120 books last year – and I’m still behind, lol.
I’m so behind that I made a new NetGalley account and have Influencer books sent to that account. I’m slowly picking my way through the books on my original acct. There is so many!
It was great to see your post pop up, Tessa, and oh, you captured my attention with your fantasy recommendations. I’ll be looking them up for sure! I’m glad you got all those little things done. Sometimes life needs a little focus which is hard to do when blogging! Glad you’re back and have a marvelous 2025!
I saw you have a new book coming out. Congrats! I need to go take a closer look at it ❤️
I do. It just came out on the 2nd, so I’m doing a little tour this month. Just to let you know, I picked up about 5 books after reading your post! Lol. Can’t wait to get started.
Hi Tessa, well done on such a wonderful year of reading. If I have to choose just one favourite from my year, it would be probably be the historical-mystery, The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley.
Blessings, Jessica 💌