On today's show I discuss my favorite books I read in 2024 and share my most anticipated books of 2025, plus some popular authors coming out with new books this year. A few statistics first. In 2024: 

  • I read 67 books.
  • I did not finish (DNF) 16 books.
  • 67% of my books were fiction, with 33% nonfiction.
  • All but one book was for adults; I read one young adult book.
  • I read 21 debuts, or first-time-published authors, which was about 31% of all my books.
  • All my books were physical books. I don't use an e-reader or listen to audiobooks.
  • Mystery/thriller was my most read genre.

Here are the books I read that were mentioned in this episode:

  • Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
  • Falling by T.J. Newman
  • Drowning by T.J. Newman
  • Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh
  • The Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanaugh
  • Colored Television by Danzy Senna
  • James by Percival Everett  
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  • Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan 
  • Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
  • Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
  • The Caretaker by Ron Rash
  • Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
  • The Women by Kristin Hannah
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
  • Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
  • Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
  • The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
  • Long Bright River by Liz Moore
  • The Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner (loved books 1-2; hated book 3)
  • Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth
  • The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich
  • Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
  • Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner
  • Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (memoir)
  • The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin (memoir)
  • The Message by Ta-Nehisis Coates (nonfiction)
  • Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love by Rebecca Frankel (nonfiction)
  • How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

2024 books I tried to read in January but DNFed:

  • The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (very popular but I couldn't get into it)
  • Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj (debut I was excited about but discovered the main characters were all teenagers)

2024 books I'm still excited to try:

  • The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
  • Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
  • The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
  • Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family by Mark Daley
  • The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo
  • Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz (memoir)
  • A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer
  • The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
  • We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson

2025 books I'm excited about:

  • Back After This by Linda Holmes — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo)
  • Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Wrong Place Wrong Time)
  • The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker — publishes Feb. 25 (author of The Age Of Miracles and The Dreamers
  • What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon — publishes April 15
  • It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — publishes May 27 
  • Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — publishes June 3 (author of Daisy Jones & The Six)
  • King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby — publishes June 10 (author of All the Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Teers)
  • Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (fourth in Frankie Elkin series) — publishes August 12
  • All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall — published Jan. 7 (I loved it! Similar in tone to Station Eleven)
  • Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel — published Feb. 4 

GoodReads' "Readers Most Anticipated Books of 2025"

Big-name authors with new books in 2025:

  • Fiona Davis
  • Anne Tyler
  • Jojo Moyes
  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Frederik Backman
  • Kevin Wilson
  • Alice Feeney
  • Freida McFadden
  • Riley Sager
  • Lisa Jewell
  • John Scalzi
  • Grady Hendrix
  • Stephen King — book #4 in the Holly Gibney series publishes May 27
  • Ali Hazelwood
  • Abby Jimenez
  • Jasmine Guillory
  • Emily Henry
  • Beth O'Leary

Resources:

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