‘Tis the season for ho-ho-hos, twinkling lights, red noses, red suits, white beards, trees, wrap-ups and resolutions.
Far be it from me to skimp out on the festivities, so, let’s wrap this ho, ho, ho, up!
Bird’s Eye View of My Year in Books
In 2024, I finished a whopping (drum roll, please)… 5 books!
Every. Single. One. was Romance.
What can I say? I love love. Well, that’s not entirely true, but it sounds good, so let’s roll with it. Haha.
Since I was in my apparent romance era, I can confidently say that I adored Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams. Talk about swept away! Without a doubt, it was the best book I read in 2024.
You know a book isn’t for you when your first thought to describe it is: “kindling”. I’m talking about The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. With its meta, double-entendre title, this half-baked book turned out to be a big ol’ letdown.
Hey Context, Come Here!
Let’s talk about why I only finished eight books this year.
First, I’m officially dubbing 2024 the Year of the Toddler! Chasing after my wildly energetic little one kept me in a constant state of exhaustion all year long.
On top of that:
1) I read at a turtle’s pace—a snail’s, even, or a sloth’s, if you will.
2) I didn’t set a single reading goal.
3) I still prefer physical books above all else.
I’ve yet to board the e-reader ship, and my mind wanders far too much for audiobooks—though they seem to be every busy mom’s go-to solution for squeezing in more reading.
To make matters worse, I went four whole months without picking up a single book! My longing to read took far too long to turn into actual reading. Not to mention that I feel out of whack when I’m not reading consistently. And the longer it goes, the worse it gets. Samesies?
Let’s Crawfish Boil It Down
2024 was an ohhkayy reading year. I did what I could manage, so honestly, I’m glad to have read anything at all.
Funny enough, until I actually tallied my books, I thought I’d read more. Turns out, things were as abysmal as I’d imagined. Talk about Mom Brain! Haha.
That said, I still finished more books than the average American does in a year. Whether that means I read “a lot” or that the average American could stand to read more is definitely food for thought.
Looking back, I wish I’d been more consistent:
- Four months without picking up a book? Yikes! Way too long.
- Tracking my reads would’ve helped me stay more motivated throughout the year.
I, also, wish I’d crossed into the double-digits for books finished. But, there’s always 2025!
Now, Let’s Wrap this Wrap-Up Up!
In 2024, I finished less books than I did in 2022 and 2023.
I did better than in 2021, when I only managed to finish one book, but I’m still nowhere near my glory days of 20+.
But I’m giving myself grace—this year was as rewarding as it was challenging.
For 2025, I’m hoping to push that number a little higher.
Overall, it’s all good; I finished some books!
What reader can be upset about that? 🙂
Happy Reading!
♥ Ash
P.S. I also read between 150 and 200 picture books (remember, Year of the Toddler—haha). But those don’t count toward my personal reading goals. Still, there were some real stunners in that mix.
P.P.S. Tell me about your reading year! I want to know—how many books did you read? How do you feel about your reading year? What was your favorite book? Your least favorite?