Welcome, to my Unofficial Book Club.

I love reading.

In fact, when I was in elementary school I had hundreds of AR points. Anyone remember those? We have a photo of me somewhere in the depths of my parents’ basement (or maybe my grandparents’ house) of me proudly posed as the reader of the month in elementary school. That’s legit stuff!

And listen, I’m not here to toot my own horn, but I did also read Gone With the Wind in 7th grade (*inserts proud emoji here*).

I stopped reading for a long time. Life got busy, work was non-stop. But two years ago I decided to claim back some of my personal time and bring my favorite hobby back with the purchase of a Kindle (game changer).

So, here we are. Currently 32 books into the year and ready to word vomit my thoughts on this year’s reads. So, WELCOME to my Unofficial Book Club where I share what I’m reading (no reading guides needed).

Current Read:

I just started The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly this week. Gabe and I watched the series on Netflix (highly recommend) and I was shocked to find out a week ago that it’s based on a book. I’m excited to get into it! I’m barely in it so I’ll hold off on sharing any thoughts for now.

Best Read of 2024 (for now):

Finding Chika by Mitch Albom absolutely wrecked me (in the best way). This is the third book I’ve read from Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie is my all-time favorite book) and it was everything I expected it to be. It was raw, honest, hope-filled, and a tear-jerker.

Surprising Favorite(s):

Fourth Wing + Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros — the chokehold these books had on me! Anyone else relate? My best friends all read this ongoing series before I did and described it as a mix of Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Honestly, I was a bit apprehensive because I’m not one for fantasy, but I really enjoyed them (the second a lot more than the first). I get it, historical background is important to understanding the lay of the land. But Fourth Wing felt overly historical for a better portion of the book. I was glad to finally be out of it and into the action!

Runner Ups:

One of my goals going into 2024 was to read more mystery. I’m a hardcore romance girl and it was time to get out of box for real. The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell was a great way to get me into this genre. Imagine Great British Bake Off but in America. Paul Hollywood is the bad guy and Prue the long-running host with a need to keep her spot (and a couple of contestants with goals of their own).

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles was recommended by my nana. She’s one of my favorite humans who knows me deeply and when she mentioned this one as a good read for me, I immediately requested it on Libby. I loved this book. I will say, I felt empty inside following the ending, but I’m assuming Amor Towles did that on purpose, leaving it up to the reader to make an ending for themselves. I did start the show on Paramount and didn’t make it to episode three as it was way off-book from the get-go. In this one, the book is significantly better than the show.

There’s some mixed reviews on Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus from the women around me who have read it, but I loved this book. I felt there was so much character growth and redemption! It was funny and empowering. The cover of the image did not match my expectations for the book (I went into it blindly and thought it was a romance), so it was a great reminder to not judge a book by its cover. I did also start the show on Apple TV. Want my honest opinion? It’s a snooze fest and the book is by far better. It just is.

Worst Reads:

You know the worst Hallmark movie you’ve ever watched? It’s better than Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. I spent most of the book angry with the characters and their lack of development. I should have trusted the brutally honest Goodreads reviews on this one. Don’t waste your time.

Controversial topic here (maybe?) but I was not a fan of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. I think the problem here is her way of writing. It’s too descriptive for my taste. The second issue for me was the direction she took the main character. There was so much development only for it to end the way it did. I felt robbed. Sorry, Kristin Hannah fans. This one was a no for me. I do have The Women on my list, so I’m setting my expectations low to hopefully be surprised.

Remember that goal I mentioned to read more mystery books in 2024? I should not have trusted Reese’s Book Club on this one. The Guest List by Lucy Foley was an absolute drag. I get scared easily, EASILY, and this book did nothing for me. It had so much potential but gave me nothing at all. If you’re looking for a mystery, don’t pick this one up.

For my full 2024 list and to follow me on Goodreads check out my account! Have recommendations you want me to check out? Let me know. I want my book list to overflow!