Tag: best books I've read lately

The Best Books I Read in February (2024)

In February, I only read 12 books, which is…not very many for me. And there was an extra day! I need to catch up.

Of those twelve, two were fantastic and a few others were pretty good.

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros. I saw mention of Fourth Wing being excellent on audio, so I gave it a shot…and got sucked in from the first three minutes. I could not stop listening. I was so caught up in these characters and this world that I bought the second one—also on audio—before I even finished the first. And now I’m languishing, wondering when the release date for the third book is. Those cliffhanger endings….

The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck, by Kylie Scott. This book was just good, plain fun! I laughed from the very beginning, and I was completely invested in finding out if Lilah’s prophecy came through—I also love how the prince was handled. This would be a fun weekend read!

The Best Books I Read in January (2024)

In January, I read 14 books towards my goal of 225 books for the year. Most of them were decent reads, but several of them really stood out.

I enjoyed my re-read of Matched, by Ally Condie quite a bit, although the idea of such a tightly controlled society isn’t quite so far-fetched these days.

All Rhodes Lead Here, by Mariana Zapata. I enjoyed this so, so much! The voice is phenomenal and it was so much fun to read. Aurora’s mental stream-of-consciousness was hysterical to me, and I laughed out loud several times. Such a great contrast to the taciturn Rhodes.

South of the Buttonwood Tree, by Heather Webber (audio). This was a fantastic Southern fiction read! Both the main characters were engrossing and I was totally enmeshed in their stories—even the secondary characters in this book were fascinating, and so well done.

The Best Books I Read in December (2023)

In December, I read 19 books, bringing my total for the year to 207 books. Of those, three were really good reads.

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. It’s my favorite book and I’ve read it 20+ times, but it still makes me angry every time I read it, and the ending makes me cry. Scarlett is a terrible person, but she’s such a vibrant character. her self-destructiveness fascinates me…and makes me want to smack her.

The Iron Knight, by Julie Kagawa. Goodreads told me I’d read this before, but I have zero memory of it. I’m still loving this world and these characters.

The Prince & the Apocalypse, by Kara McCowell. This was just a cute, fun read that I could not put down. I enjoyed it so much, and I was so unhappy when I found out the next book doesn’t come out for months!

Sundays Are for Writing #254

This was a decent writing week, although I didn’t get any fiction writing done. (I did a bit of work on the new project, though.) I wrote two book reviews, The Curse of Penryth Hall, by Jess Armstrong, and This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede. I enjoyed both reads, but This Cursed Light was really good! I also wrote my November reading post, and my Best Books I Read in November post.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in November (2023)

In November, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 188 books read. Of those, some were just meh read, some were solid, and some were fantastic.

This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede, was a fantastic end to this duology. I love the society and culture, the main characters, the dialogue…everything. And the ending totally made me cry, which isn’t a common thing.

Shards of Glass, by Michelle Sagara. I love this world and the main series, but I’m really enjoying these spin-offs and the new characters, too. A really well done fantasy setting.

And a re-read of one of my favorites, gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson. I discovered Southern fiction the first time I read this novel—and fell in love with the genre. The author completely captures the flavor of life in a small Southern town, and you should absolutely read this. Plus, she captivated me from the very first line…”There are gods in Alabama…”

The Best Books I Read in October (2023)

In October, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 171 books read. Most of those were solid reads, but a few of them were really good.

The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa. This is a re-read of this series for me (Well, a re-read of the original books with Meghan and Ash anyway.). I love these characters and this world, and if you haven’t read them, you should. Actually, anything by Julie Kagawa is a pretty solid bet.

Send Down the Rain, by Charles Martin. Yes, another Charles Martin book is one of my best reads for the month. I can’t help it. He’s phenomenal, and he has an extensive backlist that I haven’t read yet. Also, his newest book, The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin, is very highly recommended—and not on his backlist, as it just came out in October. Go read it. And anything else by him.

The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young. This wasn’t quite what I expected, but I loved it. I’ve read all of her novels and loved them all, and this is another great read. The time travel aspect might mess with your mind a little bit, but you’ll be fine.

Best Books I Read in September (2023)

In September, I read 19 books, bringing my total for the year to 154 books read. Of those, most of them were either meh reads or solid reads, but a handful were great.

Wrapped in Rain, by Charles Martin (audio). Another lovely book by my favorite author. This one made me cry, but it was so good!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I forgot how much I loved this world and these characters! This was just plain fun to re-read.

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar. I do love reading about the 1920s, and this was such a good read! I loved all the details about life and culture during this times. The romance was so well-done, and I even enjoyed the fashion descriptions. Which is really saying something, considering my complete disregard of fashion.

The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this read a lot! Love the magic system and the characters—I found the Crown Prince to be so endearing in his…uselessness. This was a strong fantasy read with vibrant characters, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

The Best Books I Read in August (2023)

In August, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 135 books read. Of those books, a few were standouts.

The River Runs South, by Audrey Ingram. This was an excellent Southern fiction read, and a debut novel from this author. I wasn’t too sure if I liked the main character at first, even though she was going through a very tough time, but I ended up loving her—and her adorable daughter. I also loved the setting so much and thought it was portrayed so well.

Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder. I’m a big fan of this author and I’d read this before, but I remembered almost none of it. I enjoyed the characters so much! They were so memorable and believable and made the rest of the story truly magical.

The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I’ve enjoyed this series so much, and I read this entire novel in one session, on release day. It did not disappoint. The Hawthorne brothers and their antics are thoroughly entertaining, and I love the relationship between the three brothers.

The Best Books I Read in June (2023)

In June, I read 14 books. Of those, some mere meh, most were solid, and three were exceptional.

The Study of Poisons, by Maria V. Snyder. This is Poison Study from Valek’s POV, and I loved it! It’s been so long since I first read these books, but now I want to re-read all of them.

Morgan Is My Name, by Sophie Keetch. I love King Arthur mythology, and this was a riveting read! From the very first page, when Morgan was seven years old, her voice and personality captivated me. I had trouble putting this down to sleep!

Beach Read, by Emily Henry. I loved the dialogue in this novel! The banter was so witty and had me in stitches so many times. This would make and excellent weekend read—or let’s be hones: a great beach read!

The Best Books I Read in May (2023)

In May, I read 14 books, bringing my total for the year to 84. Three of those were re-reads of beloved classics: Pride and Prejudice, The Return of the King, and All Creatures Great and Small. All excellent reads, of course. Some of the new-to-me reads were also excellent:

The Secret Book of Flora Lea, by Patti Callahan Henry. This book was a lovely read! I was enchanted from the very first page—with both timelines.

Emma of 83rd Street, by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. I was on the fence with the first, frivolous scene of this book, but I ended up enjoying it very much!

Painted Devils, by Margaret Owen. This was the second book of a series, and I enjoyed this from the very beginning. Love the characters, the setting, and everything.