On today’s show I discuss my favorite books I read in 2024 and share my most anticipated books of 2025, plus some popular authors coming out with new books this year. A few statistics first. In 2024:
- I read 67 books.
- I did not finish (DNF) 16 books.
- 67% of my books were fiction, with 33% nonfiction.
- All but one book was for adults; I read one young adult book.
- I read 21 debuts, or first-time-published authors, which was about 31% of all my books.
- All my books were physical books. I don’t use an e-reader or listen to audiobooks.
- Mystery/thriller was my most read genre.
Here are the books I read that were mentioned in this episode:
- Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
- Falling by T.J. Newman
- Drowning by T.J. Newman
- Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh
- The Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanaugh
- Colored Television by Danzy Senna
- James by Percival Everett
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
- Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
- Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
- The Caretaker by Ron Rash
- Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
- Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- Long Bright River by Liz Moore
- The Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner (loved books 1-2; hated book 3)
- Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth
- The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
- Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner
- Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (memoir)
- The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin (memoir)
- The Message by Ta-Nehisis Coates (nonfiction)
- Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love by Rebecca Frankel (nonfiction)
- How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
2024 books I tried to read in January but DNFed:
- The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (very popular but I couldn’t get into it)
- Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj (debut I was excited about but discovered the main characters were all teenagers)
2024 books I’m still excited to try:
- The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
- The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
- Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family by Mark Daley
- The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo
- Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz (memoir)
- A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer
- The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
- We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson
2025 books I’m excited about:
- Back After This by Linda Holmes — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo)
- Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Wrong Place Wrong Time)
- The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker — publishes Feb. 25 (author of The Age Of Miracles and The Dreamers
- What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon — publishes April 15
- It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — publishes May 27
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — publishes June 3 (author of Daisy Jones & The Six)
- King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby — publishes June 10 (author of All the Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Teers)
- Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (fourth in Frankie Elkin series) — publishes August 12
- All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall — published Jan. 7 (I loved it! Similar in tone to Station Eleven)
- Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel — published Feb. 4
GoodReads’ “Readers Most Anticipated Books of 2025”
Big-name authors with new books in 2025:
- Fiona Davis
- Anne Tyler
- Jojo Moyes
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Frederik Backman
- Kevin Wilson
- Alice Feeney
- Freida McFadden
- Riley Sager
- Lisa Jewell
- John Scalzi
- Grady Hendrix
- Stephen King — book #4 in the Holly Gibney series publishes May 27
- Ali Hazelwood
- Abby Jimenez
- Jasmine Guillory
- Emily Henry
- Beth O’Leary
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