A super-big year – all 40 on the list plus 29 extras. I really don’t know where I found the time, but I’m very glad that I did and hope I can repeat it next year. With so many to choose from, completing the categories was much easier, with thankfully only two in the category of drivel. I’m looking forward to a fresh slate for 2025. Here’s the final book list for 2024:
| 1 – Book with a murder in it |
The Tenth Man, by Graham Greene |
| 2 – A body part in the title |
Thick Skin, by Hilary Peach |
| 3 – Published before 1939 |
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, by Dorothy L. Sayers |
| 4 – Published in 2022/3 |
Beneath the Surface of Things by Wade Davis |
| 5 – Book about language |
On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder |
| 6 – Book about travel (non-fiction) |
The Suite Life by Christopher Heard |
| 7 – Author’s debut book |
All My Friends are Superheroes, by Andrew Kaufman |
| 8 – Female author |
Women Talking, by Miriam Toews |
| 9 – Book that is or will be a film/TV show |
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodsgon Burnett |
| 10 – Non-fiction essays |
Payback, by Margaret Atwood |
| 11 – Referral from book-clubber |
The Absolution, by Yrsa Sigurdardóttir |
| 12 – Book you think you ought to read |
Fire Weather, by John Vaillant |
| 13 – Set somewhere you’ve never been |
The Nightingale Won’t Let You Sleep, by Steven Heighton |
| 14 – Person’s name in title |
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir |
| 15 – A number in the title |
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel |
| 16 – A colour in the title |
Olive, Again, by Elizabeth Strout |
| 17 – A place name in the title |
Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan |
| 18 – Short stories |
Table for Two, by Amor Towles |
| 19 – Based on a true story |
Followed by the Lark, by Helen Humphreys |
| 20 – One-word title |
Held, by Anne Michaels |
| 21 – A translation into English |
The Memory Police, by Yoko Ogawa |
| 22 – Poetry or play |
Goblin Market and other poems, by Christina Rossetti |
| 23 – Memoir, journal, book of letter |
Knife, by Salman Rushdie |
| 24 – Book about food or cooking |
The Rise and Fall of Magic Wolf, by Timothy Taylor |
| 25 – New author to me |
The Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel |
| 26 – Science (non-fiction) |
The Order of Time, by Carlo Rovelli |
| 27 – Received as a gift |
The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman |
| 28 – Old favourite |
Burning Chrome, by William Gibson |
| 29 – Previously left unfinished |
The Gunslinger, by Stephen King |
| 30 – Philosophy/religion |
Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman |
| 31 – History/politics |
Lady Romeo, by Tana Wojczuk |
| 32 – Book about art |
Trio, by William Boyd |
| 33 – Canadian author |
Moon of the Turning Leaves, by Waubgeshig Rice |
| 34 – Book or author that’s won a prize |
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston |
| 35 – Book or author that has been banned |
Maus, by Art Spiegelman |
| 36 – Part of a book series |
Countdown City, by Ben H. Winters |
| 37 – Non-mainstream |
Trespassing, by Uzma Aslam Khan |
| 38 – Utter drivel |
Hillbilly Elegy, by JD Vance |
| 39 – Wild card |
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Jazz Age Stories, by F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| 40 – Wild card |
Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan |
There were a many extra books this year, and a real banner year for me in terms of volume. My favourites from the list were Michaels, Taylor and Towles, as well as The MANIAC, by Benjamin Labattut. The stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald were a surprising treat, as well as the short novels of Claire Keegan.
Dominant categories again this year across all 69 reads were “new author to me” (28), female author (27), books with a murder (27) and book set somewhere I’ve never been (26).
The list for 2025 is the almost the same again, with 40 categories. I don’t see any books from favourite authors on the horizon, but I do have several series that I’ve started and will continue with, and am developing an appreciation for sci-fi that will open some new avenues of reading.
Thanks for following along on my journey through books. Looking forward to another year of reading – bring on 2025!
rclr 
Any suggestions for a 17 year old less confident reader who won’t do well with really obscure stuff, but sometimes has trouble getting started
It depends on your preferred genre – fiction, non-fiction, mystery, sci-fi. I suggest How to Stop Time, by Matt Haig.