I Need a Bigger Bookcase | The best reads of 2024—so far.

I’m a bit crazy.

Are we shocked? No. Those of you who know me least of all. It might be a condition, it might be the way I was raised (which was awesomely, in case you were wondering), or it might be the company I keep.

Now that I think about it, it’s definitely the company I keep. 🤔

I mean, surely it wasn’t my idea to try to read 30 books in 60 days while trying to write at least 100 words a day AND stay consistent with getting walking miles in, right?

. . .

No, wait, that was partly my idea. 🤔

Whoever’s to blame (surely not entirely me 😇), I ended up reading 26 books in 60 days (all 100+ pages long. That comes to a total of 7,199 pages 🤯). And that was a BLAST! Albeit a tad hectic. 😅 And, if you add those books with the whole reading the entire Bible in a month challenge that kicked off January . . . Goodreads says I read 103 books so far just this year.

It’s barely April, y’all.

So, this being spring, which is technically house-cleaning season (*protectively steps in front of my bookshelves*) I thought it would be a perfect time to share with y’all some of my favorite reads so far this year. Some are old, some are new, some are very very blue (and none of them were Dr. Suess. 🤔 This is a tragedy). And all of them are staying on my bookshelves.

I seriously need a bigger bookcase, guys.

👑 Medieval 👑

The False Prince—Jennifer Neilsen

I forgot how much I loved this book. 🤣 #1 in the Ascendance series, we meet Sage, a young orphan boy who’s been hand-picked by a mysterious nobleman for a deadly and deceitful motive—one that could overturn the entire kingdom. There’s wit, sass, sarcasm, cunning, and every scrape imaginable that a boy could get into. (AND THAT TWIIIIST!)

This Life of Mine—Victoria Lynn

Ah. My comfort read. I have several of those, but this one might top them all. The second in the Chronicles of Elira, it follows the story of the broken healer, Marcus. 🥰 He was my favorite in Once I Knew, and I fangirled to pieces when I first learned this book was going to be his. And I was not disappointed.

This Life of Mine covers some pretty rough and raw and real topics, such as abortion, slavery, and trafficking. But Victoria handles them all with beauty and grace, raising awareness while maintaining a tactfulness that I very much appreciated. This might just have become my winter read for eternity.

🌷 Historical Fiction 🌷

The Paris Dressmaker—Kristy Cambron

Confession time. This book was on my Currently Reading shelf for over a year. For some reason, I could never get very far into it, and I really didn’t want to DNF it, sooo . . . there it stayed. 

Then my sister got a hold of it. And she loved it.

So what did I do? Yeah. I picked it back up again. 😆

And now I’m mad at myself for not reading it sooner. It was so good! WWII, spies, La Résistance, German and French phrases, dual time periods that collide at the end—wow. If this is anything like Kambron’s other books, I have been sorely missing out. 😅

And kudos to Kristy for writing the brutality and harshness of the SS and the war itself without ever going overboard on details and gore. 👍

🛵 Middle Grade 🛵

Mooses with Bazookas—S. D. Smith

I’m not above swiping books from my siblings’ shelves, and that includes my brother’s. 🤭 Award-losing author S. D. Smith presents us with a collection of stories no child in their right minds would be caught reading. As the author himself states, “It’s exactly like The Count of Monte Cristo apart from the many differences.” 

Now really, why waste your time contracting stomach aches that are the direct result of too much laughter when there are much more boring things to occupy your mind? If you are allergic to laughter, avoid this collection like you would Costco during Christmas rush hour. 

In Front of God and Everybody—KD McCrite

Speaking of swiping books from siblings’ shelves . . . 😇 In Front of God and Everybody is a super cute, super fun coming-of-age tale about a young girl and all the adventures that come about when new neighbors move in. 

Sound boring? What if I told you it’s set in 1986 in the Ozarks and grandma’s getting a new boyfriend and these new neighbors are stuck-up city folk who try everyone’s last ounce of patience? 🤭 (Oh, and a minute didn’t go by that I didn’t snort or laugh or shake my head at something or other that came out of April Grace’s mouth. That girl. She’s a hoot!)

💚 Contemporary 💚

Oh, the Lamented—Abigail Kay Harris

Oh my stars. This book. I was so blessed to be able to read this early and be a part of Abigail’s writing process as she drafted this beautiful thing. And even though I knew what was coming, I still hurt for these characters. Soldiers and veterans, new believers, and a gentle love story only scratch the surface of the themes delved into in Oh, the Lamented. If you love the rough, the raw, the real of what it means to serve your country and your Lord with everything in you, don’t miss this series.

♣ Suspense/Thriller ♣

The Traitor’s Pawn—Lisa Harris

Buddy read time! I actually got to buddy read this standalone with a dear friend of mine, and it was a blast! Harris has done it again, crafting a compelling plot line with enough twists and turns to show up a rollercoaster. This might be one of my favorites of her villains, too. 🤔

Critical Threat—Lynette Eason

I love having a physical TBR. I hate having a physical TBR.

Well, actually, I hate how long it takes me to read that TBR. ’Cause months go by and the next thing I know, some really great books have sat for way too long. This was one of those books.

I present to you one of the most compelling taglines in the history of suspense/thriller—“Working with the son of a serial killer? That’s a first.”

But seriously, this plot was fascinating. Eason just keeps getting better and better. (And yes, I need to finish this series so I can get her newest, which already has 2 books out. 😑)

Fatal Code—Natalie Walters

I adore this book. Finally, we get Kekoa’s POV! 🥳 And oh man, was it amazing. I mentioned in my newsletter that I loved how his book was techy and nerdy in all the best ways while still being understandable to us non-techies out there. 😜

🌐 Spy 🌐

See How They Run & Take The Key And Lock Her Up—Ally Carter

I put these two books together for two reasons. One is that they’re books 2 and 3 in a trilogy (The Embassy Row trilogy, to be precise).

The other is that I read them so close together that they kinda, uh . . . blurred together. 😶

Oh boy, what a ride that was. I’m so glad I had them both, ’cause I don’t think I could’ve been able to wait to read the third book. 😅

You know those characters that always look at the safe option and the stupid option and without fail choose the stupid one? Yeah, that was Grace. It terrified and excited me in turns. Yes, this series was a rollercoaster. No, I am still not okay, thank you for asking.

Web of Lies—P. D. Atkerson

Speaking of rollercoasters . . . 

Two words: my. HEART!!! ’Tis not my own anymore. Hasn’t been since Smoke Screen. I knew where this character ARC was heading. And it was beautiful. Heartbreaking and terrifying and nerve wracking and hilarious and what the heck did you just do?! But beautiful. Atkerson, my hat is off to you. Thank you for writing my all-time favorite villain that ever was or ever is. 

(When’s book 4 out??? 😇)

🔎 Mystery 🔍

Another Day, Another Dali & Over Maya Dead Body—Sandra Orchard

Yep, another grouping. Ladies and gents, may I present to you my absolutely favorite contemporary mysteries ever. The Serena Jones trilogy is on my comfort shelf. My mystery shelf. My favorite shelf. My to-be-reread-until-the-end shelf. And it should be on yours too.

Art theft plus cops and agents plus amateur detective family members plus one determined FBI gal plus protective mentor plus boy-next-door equals one of the best series yet. Don’t believe me?

   Art theft

   Cops and Agents

   Amateur detective family members

   One determined FBI gal

   Protective mentor

+ Boy-next-door

_____________________________

✨ One of the best series yet. ✨

There. See? Math. 😇

🌟 Sci-Fi 🌟

Car Alarm—Angie Thompson

I’ve been having a blast going through the Chronic Warrior Chonics. Granted, I’m a tad behind, but I’m loving it all the same. And this installment was by far the most nerve-wracking yet. 😬 I had serious doubts and concerns and oh-my-goodness-Angie-please-don’t-KILL-ANYONE moments.

But it’s all good. 😅

If you’re interested in clean, no funny-business super hero, then definitely check this series out! I highly recommend it. 🤩

🎠 Classics 🎠

An Old-Fashioned Girl—Louisa May Alcott

Ah, my winter read. Well, soon to be one of  two. 😂 It was love at first read for me. Don’t listen to Goodreads, I’ve read it way more times than it thinks. I love Alcott’s writing style, and this one might just be my favorite of hers. 

I think it’s the country girl in the big city that doesn’t lose her small-town ways that gets to me every time. 🥰

Daddy Long-Legs—Jean Webster

I actually only recently heard about this book. And I happened to have a really old copy on hand, so I thought, why not?

Turns out, I’m really a big fan of epistolary books. Who knew?!

I will say, I don’t agree with everything little miss Judy thinks, but minus that, it was a comfortable read. (I should think at least, I read it in two days. 🤭)

So there you have it! My favorite reads so far this year. And, per usual, suspense/thriller was my biggest genre. No surprise there. 😉

Are you a fan of epistolary books? What’s your favorite comfort read? And who else besides me loves doing math that has nothing to do with numbers? 🤭😇

Catch ya on the flip side!

_Mac 🤎