top 10 reads of 2024.
Happpppy New Year! I LOVE the feeling of a fresh start, so the new year is right up my alley. You can read a review of one of my five-star reads this year, The Happiness Project (and how it inspired my 2025 outlook with goals and resolutions HERE!) But without further adieu, here are my favorites of 2024.
My Top 10 Reads of 2024:
1.) Frozen River - Ariel Lawhon: I read this book while traveling to Italy in February and it was sooo good. It’s a historical fiction mystery which isn’t my usual genre but it was v v v good. (just an fyi: there is some sensitive material in the storyline, including rape)
2.) The Mystery Guest - Nita Prose: Another book from my trip to Italy! SO GOOD! You may recognize Nita Prose because her other book, The Maid was on my top 2023 reads list and this mystery is another 5-star. it’s the perfect mystery full of quirk and happenings and great characters — it’s an easy read and it’s free from gore and isn’t scary! 📘
3.) 100 Ways to Change Your Life - Liz Moody: i REALLY enjoyed this book and highly recommend! i’ve listened to liz moody’s podcast for years and i’ve taken nuggets with me as i’ve listened. this book is like 100 mini-podcasts packed into one and i just enjoyed all of it! i was stoked to realize there’s a lot of life-changing things and modalities i’ve already incorporated into my daily life and the specific chapters i took with me are:
Do N-of-1 experiments.
Utilize the Fresh Start effect.
Set bite-sized milestones.
Take circ walks.
Never be the one to say no to yourself.
Make a joy list.
Make a “life is never boring”, time-confetti to-do list.
Life-admin days.
Use action as the antidote to anxiousness.
Get specific with your emotions.
4.) Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson: oh my gosh, this is one of my most favorite mysteries EVER (!!!). my friend Rachel recommended it to me via one of her besties also named Rachel and i devoured. I LOVED IT. i’ll give nothing away, but i will say, i saw some reviews that say they disliked how the character talks directly to the reader and how it makes the storyline complex and slightly convoluted. i personally HIGHLY disagree, i find zero fault in this book, but just in case that’s not your vibe, this is a heads up. it’s full of everything a good mystery needs, fun, plot twists, good characters, good humor, clues on clues and reallllllly good imagery. 🔍
5.) The Love Prescription - John + Julie Gottman (of the Gottman Institute): i’m a hugeeee fan of the gottman’s (@gottmaninstitute) and being a newlywed myself, i love continually gleaning tools i can add to my toolbox as we continue building the foundational rhythms of our marriage. this book is broken down into 7 different principles to apply over the course of a week with the goal of incorporating them intentionally for the rest of your lives. these things include making contact (turning towards each other), asking open-ended questions, staying curious, making time for date nights, looking out for each others “bids for connection”, asking for what you need, avoid using “always” or “never”, handling conflict, etc. overall, i thought this was jam-packed, comprehensive and so encouraging. the foundation of a loving relationship really is small things, every day. i highly recommend this book to anyone feeling disconnected in their relationship, or for anyone who just wants to continue growing in pursuit of loving their partner well! 💕
6.) You Are Not Your Brain - Jeffrey Schwartz & Rebecca Gladding: THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE. ⚡️🧠 truly, it did. it is the best psychological/scientific explanation giving tangible feet to the biblical principles of renewing your mind and taking your thoughts captive in 4 steps: relabel, reframe, refocus and revalue. i can’t even fully describe how amazing this book is. if you are someone who ruminates on thoughts, gets anxious, people pleases, worries, isn’t doing things you DO want to do, but are doing things you DON’T want to do, or you feel like your thought life is impacting your real life, then this book can be a great guide for you. it’s like part textbook, part workbook, part therapy and i took my time with it. huge, huge blessing and i’d truly love sit down to recap it with you over a cuppa coffee. so so good.
7.) The Unplugged Hours - Hannah Brencher: Like every Hannah Brencher book, this was everything i needed in the exact way i needed it. this book is all about being present, about putting our phones down to be engaged with what’s around us, to tune in to the groanings of our place, to see the delight in the snow falling outside our window, or to enjoy a meal with friends without the distraction of gif’s and reels and screenshots. it’s about learning “to live behind the call to constant connection and finding a path of balance that is better and more life-giving.” if you’ve been feeling the prompting to turn down the noise of notifications and news and scrolling and posting, and to do more of what the quiet yearnings of your heart or whispers of God are calling you to, be it more baking, writing, or soul-work, this book is a wonderful tool — equal parts testimony and encouraging guide. Hannah is the best person to pick you up and dust you off, and her words will hug you just like they hugged me. 🔌
8.) The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin: I loved this book! It took me 4 library checkouts to complete, but I loved the one-year journey that Gretchen took us on. The Happiness Project is an inspiring, relatable part memoir, part guide to finding joy in everyday life. She took a year-long journey focusing on new monthly themes like energy, relationships, and mindfulness, blending research with her personal insights. Her candid reflections and actionable tips made it both motivating and accessible—a must-read for anyone seeking a more intentional, joyful life! i was considering doing my own version of this for 2025 and i decided to, which you can read about HERE.
9.) Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret - Benjamin Stevenson: the same author from above of one of my most fav mysteries (everyone in my family has killed someone), came out with another ernest mystery to solve, and this time, it’s a quick, easy, and festive holiday whodunnit! i couldn’t put it down, i loved the story and i didn’t know how it’d unfold til the last chapter, as per usual. highly recommend reading for december (it’s about 170 pages)! 🔍🎄
10.) Be Ready When The Luck Happens - Ina Garten: I actually didn’t know much about Ina Garten besides sometimes watching her show on the Food Network when I was younger. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was the perfect book to listen to as we near the end of the year. I loved her story, the leaps she took, the honesty about the perils and joys of owning a business, her imagery is vivid, her stories are fun and i CRUISED through it. I love memoirs and this was a great one!
Alright — I’d love to hear about any of the five-star reads from your year, or if you’ve read any of these!
Happy New Year, and Happy Reading! 📚
