Hello, sweet friends! Starting this post on Christmas Eve as I’m relaxing in the comfiest sweatpants, sipping on green tea and have a pilates class on the horizon. It goes without saying but I have become the person who is counting down the days until the 2.5 week holiday break. It’s funny because a few years back, when I was still at a start-up and a smaller company in start-up mode, I couldn’t have imagined being able to take this full time off. Working with different countries that celebrate holidays not just in December and the SAS company calendar ending in January, meant maybe a week off at Christmas then another week sometime at the end of January/February.
Anyway, I’ve been making my grand plan, as I do, to “get my life together” during this break. That includes decluttering and organizing the entire house, catching up content, doing a little 2025 planning and reading and sleeping as much as possible. Also, I have penned in a holiday movie from 8pm-10pm everyday and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. As I was thinking about content I wanted to share, I felt like a book post was long overdue here on the blog. So as we roll into the final few days of the year, there’s no better time for me to share my top ten 2024 reads. Let’s jump in!
Nerd Crush January 2024
Romcom, Coming of Age | Type: Audiobook
Description: Ramona Lambert is a typical shy, artistic sixteen-year-old. She has a best friend whom she’s known since they were in diapers; parents who love her; a love for cosplay; and a crush on the cute boy in her class.
The only problem? Her best friend moved away; her parents don’t quite understand her love of cosplay; and she is pretty sure her crush has no idea she exists.
To escape her troubles, Ramona turns to cosplay and her original character, Rel, who gives her the confidence and freedom that she lacks in real life. Embracing this confidence, she decides to strike up an email conversation with her crush, Caleb Wolfe, from her cosplay account in the hopes getting to know him . . . and maybe win his heart. Then as Caleb and Ramona are swept up in their emails back and forth to each other, and Ramona falls even harder as he opens up about his hopes, insecurities, and his own geeky loves. However, as Caleb starts to grow closer and closer to Rel, he also strikes up a friendship with Ramona, who knows she can’t keep the truth about Rel from Caleb but isn’t sure she is ready to risk losing him. With an important cosplay convention coming up and the anxiety of her double-life weighing on her, Ramona has to decide if she’ll hide behind her cosplay character forever or take the chance and let Caleb see the real her–because he might actually like her for who she is.
Review: My first five- star read of 2024 was Nerd Crush. I was dying to just read something cute and light and this was it. Secret crushes, needing out, finding the people who get you all with a sweet ending. The audiobook was also phenomenal. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone if you’re looking to get more into YA and/or need a few sweet reads for end of year.
The Jessabelle House January 2024
Thriller | Type: Audiobook
Description: The Coleman Family of Nantucket is a piece of work. Samantha’s father, Roland, is obsessed with image and money, so much so that Sam’s career as a social worker who specializes in addiction recovery is a “stain” on the Coleman reputation.
Now, Samantha is forty-five years old and newly divorced. The further she gets from her relationship with her ex-husband, Daniel, the more she understands she married a manipulative and cruel individual, one not unlike her father. How did that happen?
When her Great-Aunt Jessabelle passes away and leaves her home to Samantha, Sam and her daughters, Darcy and Rachelle, begin refurbishment on The Jessabelle House, a glorious house not far from the town of Siasconset on Nantucket. Once there, Samantha discovers her aunt’s diaries, which reveal dramatic secrets from the past — and still more reasons not to trust the Colemans.
As Samantha dives deeper into her family’s history and Jessabelle’s stories, she finds herself learning more about what it means to be a powerful woman who knows who she is and what she wants.
More than that, she learns the present is just as complicated as the past ever was. If the Colemans are willing to open their hearts and start anew, Samantha just might have the tools to help them come back together again. But they’ll have to start talking to her, first.
The Jessabelle House is book one of The Coleman Series, a heart-wrenching yet hopeful family drama that unfolds between the glittering shores of Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard.
Review: This book was like the perfect Hallmark movie based between Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard with a hint of mystery and a lot of family drama AKA my favorite book genre. Honestly, some of the best family dramas start with a house being gifted or a piece of land being fought over because people get absolutely feral when these things happen which creates the perfect backdrop for revenge and harbored feelings. The audiobook was only about 4 hours long and perfect to complete in a workday or on your commute. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
The Other Mothers February 2024
Thriller | Type: Audiobook
Description: New mom Tash is intrigued when a young nanny is found dead under mysterious circumstances. She has been searching for a story to launch her career as a freelance journalist. But she has also been searching for something else–new friends to help her navigate motherhood.
This book was a rec from my friend Grace, @graceatwood / thestripe.com, and I truly l o v e d it! This is a very twisty thriller including a nanny, #RichPeopleProblems and twist+turns until the very last page…literally. The entire time I didn’t expect the killer to be who they were and I was hopeful for the bit of redemption at the end but y’all, if you want to read something truly twist and will keep you on your turns, this book is it!
She sees them at her son’s new playgroup: the other mothers. A group of sleek, sophisticated women who live in a neighborhood of tree-lined avenues and stunning houses. The sort of mothers Tash would like to be. When the mothers welcome her into their circle, she discovers the kind of life she has always dreamt of–their elegant London townhouses a far cry from her cramped basement flat and endless bills. She is quickly swept up into their wealthy world via coffees, cocktails, and playdates.
But when another young woman is found dead, it’s clear there’s much more to the tight-knit community than meets the eye. The more Tash investigates, the more she’s led uncomfortably close to the other mothers. Are these women really her friends? Or is there another, more dangerous reason why she has been so quickly accepted into their exclusive world? Who, exactly, is investigating who?
The author of Greenwich Park returns with this whip-smart novel that “pulls out all the psychological thriller stops–and then some” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
Review: With this book I’m learning that another favorite genre of mine is rich moms behaving badly and this is the perfect representation of that genre. Admittedly, this book had a bit of a slow start and I had to pause and read something else in between. However, when I picked back up and the story started going, I was literally hooked. This is the perfect depiction of a thriller that keeps you on your toes until the very end. I also love the underlying message that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Highly recommend A+ for accents via audiobook!
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde – March 2024
Black Romance Magical Realism| Type: Hardcopy
Description: 
Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing.
Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her.
When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers.
One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.
Review: Y’all, this book was truly a treat! I did not expect the magical realism twist in this book and it made me fall in love even more. From the floral details to slow burn love to the connectedness of the Harlem Renaissance, I am still recovering from my book hangover. This is easily my favorite Tia Williams book. Also, I’m still pinching myself that we were able to have her on book club *eeeeeeek*
Twenty Years Later April 2024
Thriller | Type: Audiobook
Description: Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story–a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal–is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.
Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.
But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn’t realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past–one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .
Review: This book was a rec from my friends Nikki & Jasmine from Raleigh, and I truly haven’t read a book this good in a while! An absolutely crazy thriller that had my jaw on the ground at the very end. There was something so special about how this book intertwined the lives of so many “random” people and how 9/11 was the catalyst for a 20 year mystery around a love affair (maybe) gone wrong. So good, must read, 100/100!
Such a Fun Age June 2024
Thriller | Type: Audiobook
Description: Hazel Davis is drifting: she’s stalled in her career, living in a city she hates, and less successful than her younger sister, @evelyn, a mega-popular lifestyle influencer. Evie came of age online, having gone vira
l at five years old for a heart-tugging daddy-daughter dance. Ten years older and spotlight-averse, Hazel managed to dodge the family YouTube channel–so although she can barely afford her apartment, at least she made her own way.Thirteen years ago, Maggie Ellis left her small town andvowed to never return. In her rearview mirror were two men she loved and an ominous secret that would forever haunt her.
Evie is eighteen now, with a multimillion-dollar career and unlimited opportunities, but Hazel is still protective of her little sister and skeptical of the way everyone seems to want a piece of her: Evie’s followers, her YouTuber boyfriend and influencer frenemies, and their opportunistic mother. So when Evie disappears one day–during an unsettling live stream that cuts out midsentence–Hazel is horrified to have her worst instincts proven right.
As theories about Evie’s disappearance tear through the internet, inspiring hashtags, Reddit threads, podcast episodes, and scorn, Hazel throws herself into the darkest parts of her sister’s world to untangle the threads of truth. After all, Hazel knows Evie better than anyone else . . . doesn’t she?
Review: A top notch thriller! I can’t believe this is Olivia’s first book but it was SO DAMN GOOD! This book made me question my own life online and ethics behind family influencers who share their children online. Of course, never judging, but daintily made me raise an eyebrow and slightly uncomfortable about children/family influences going viral online for sharing every aspect of their child, who can’t consent, life. I literally had a jaw drop at the end. The narration is 10/10!
The Queen of Fourteenth Street
Historical Fiction| Type: Audiobook
Description: New 
York City, 1932: Eva Le Gallienne is trying to save her theatre company from the jaws of the Depression by mounting an innovative new production of Alice in Wonderland. She agrees to give a radio interview for the sake of publicity, but while revisiting the moments that shaped her career, she struggles with the need to keep a significant secret: she and her leading lady are in love. As Eva’s work careens toward catastrophe, she fights to preserve her dream of a people’s theatre—but will she destroy the people she loves in the process? The true story of one of the 20th century’s most remarkable artists, The Queen of Fourteenth Street reverberates powerfully today, as the American theatre faces an uncertain future and LGBTQ rights are once again under attack. observed…
Review: Truly the most fun audiobook I’ve listened to with a full ensemble of incredible voice actors. The cast was such a delight and I lovedddddd the pace of the book and the audio style that gave me Chicago vies. The story had some pieces of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo plus all the drama of New York City broadway life. I would 100% recommend to anyone!
Long After We Are Gone
Literary Fiction | Type: Physical copy
Description: Truly a top five read of 2024 for me. Terah did such a wonderful job sharing complicated family dynamics and longstanding town secrets and deeply flawed characters. It was such a treat to have Terah join us for book club and hear about her process writing the book, how she dedicated on the characters. This book was up for. Book of the Year at Target and was in the top two selections. Alternatively, Terah was awarded their first ever Author of the Year honor. If I can only convince you to read a few books, this would absolutely be one!“Don’t let the white man take the house.”
These are the last words King Solomon says to his son before he dies. Now all four Solomon siblings must return to North Carolina to save the Kingdom, their ancestral home and 200 acres of land, from a development company, who has their sights set on turning the valuable waterfront property into a luxury resort.
While fighting to save the Kingdom, the siblings must also save themselves from the secrets they’ve been holding onto. Junior, the oldest son and married to his wife for 11 years, is secretly in love with another man. Second son, Mance, can’t control his temper, which has landed him in prison more than once. CeCe, the oldest daughter and a lawyer in New York City, has embezzled thousands of dollars from her firm’s clients. Youngest daughter, Tokey, wonders why she doesn’t seem to fit into this family, which has left an aching hole in her heart that she tries to fill in harmful ways. As the Solomons come together to fight for the Kingdom, each of their façades begins to crumble and collide in unexpected ways.
Told in alternating viewpoints, Long After We Are Gone is a searing portrait on the power of family and letting go of things that no longer serve you, exploring the burden of familial expectations, the detriment of miscommunication, and the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children.
Review: Truly a top 10 read of all time for me. Terah did such a wonderful job sharing complicated family dynamics and longstanding town secrets and deeply flawed characters. It was such a treat to have Terah join us for book club and hear about her process writing the book, how she dedicated on the characters. This book was up for Book of the Year at Target and was in the top two selections. Alternatively, Terah was awarded their first ever Author of the Year honor. If I can only convince you to read a few books, this would absolutely be one! Absolutely A+ work
The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard
Literary Fiction, Mystery | Type: Audiobook
Description: In 1959, Hollywood ingenue Mercy Welles seems to have the world at her feet. Far removed from her Nebraska roots, she has crafted herself into a glamorous Oscar-nominated actress engaged to an up-and-coming director…
Until she shockingly vanishes without a trace, just as her career is taking off.
Almost sixty years later, Kit O’Neill, a junior television producer in Manhattan, is packing up her recently deceased grandmother’s attic, only to discover a long-lost box of souvenirs that reveal that the grandmother who raised her and her sister was, in fact, the mysterious Mercy Welles.
Putting her investigative skills to use, Kit is determined to solve the riddle of her grandmother’s missing life, and the trail eventually leads to Martha’s Vineyard.
Mercy retreats to the island nursing a broken heart, only to be drawn to the roguish Ren Sewards, who is not just the simple oysterman he appears to be but a scion of one of the island’s wealthy founding families. With her attraction to Ren quickly growing, Mercy soon finds herself entangled in the intrigues of the tightly knit community and the secrets of the Sewards.
Alternating between Mercy and Kit’s timelines, including excerpts from letters Mercy wrote the summer she disappeared, The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard unfurls into a heart-stopping story of love, betrayal, and even murder.
Review: This was my absolute favorite book of this summer. Told in alternating timelines, I was hooked from the start and ready to go all in within a few days. I generally love any and all historical fiction laced with family drama and this book was such a fresh breathe of air and gave me a lot of hope for love. There’s a bit of mystery lingering in the back ground and the author did a great job keeping the truth hidden under the surface until the very end. I cannot say more good things about this book and how the author told such a beautiful story. An added bonus that you probably already know I love: any mystery set by the water.
The Night We Lost Him
Thriller | Type: Audiobook
Description: Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar–notably, a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast where he fell to his death.
The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past and uncover a family secret that changes everything.
With Laura Dave’s trademark blend of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner with a heartbreaking final twist that you will never see coming.
Review: A+ mystery, IMO! The final secret revealed at the end was a true shock for me and I love the dual timeline and dual perspective. This author is really good at thrillers/mysteries and I couldn’t recommend enough. The audio is phenomenal so I would also recommend listening so you can hear the dual perspective in their own voices.
What a year it’s been! Admittedly, I’m only at 90% of my reading goal for the year with less than a week left. Although it would be great to read 48 books this year, if I only make it to 45 or 46 or 47, I’m totally okay with that. Next year I would love to read about the same number of books but lean more into my physical copies vs audiobooks (audiobooks are 100% books, BTW) as a way to wind down / take more intentional screen breaks.
P.S. I’m currently listening to The Midnight Feast and God of the Woods and reading a physical copy of The Inheritance Games and Real Americans. All have been on my TBR list for forever!
Check out all my book blog posts: here
Join #LotsofBooksClub, my monthly book club: here
Read along with me via Everand: here (first two months free then $10/m)
Search my virtual library: here
Thanks so much for reading, friends! Have a lovely weekend xoxo
Leave a comment!