Best Books Of 2024

 

Why do I feel like this is going to be Paper Pages meets Therapy Session? That’s because it is, Vivian. You know it is; you planned it would be, and therefore you will write it exactly like it is.

Well then, let’s get into it.

I’m not going to talk too much about life, so let’s talk books first.

I’ve read almost 100 books —more like 75; however, that was alongside life being life and job hunting being as evil as ever. I only blog about the ones that made an impact on my reading life. I tend to steer away from the ones that gave me indigestion. As a blogger, I need the journey to be ravishing. As an editor, I need the literature to speak to me in a way only words can. The right ratios of dialogue to description and steady character development. After reading so many tropes, there are only ever limited ways for the story to take its toll. The art of recycling lines is not lost, but what I look for is the book that gives me something I never expected. I expected the arranged marriage, but the reason behind it has to be innovative. That’s when a rom-com makes its mark on me, my heart, and my blog.

I’ll try my best to put these into categories however for me a read is a read so here we go.

Small Town

Chesnut Spring Series – Reckless (#4) & Hopeless (#5) – Elsie Silver

Wild Eyes – Elsie Silver

Knockemout Series – Lucy Score

Sports Romances

Fangirl Down – Tessa Bailey

Daydream (Highschool) – Hannah Grace

Promise Me Not (Highschool) – Meagan Brandy

The Striker – Ana Huang

Billionaire Heart-throbs

King of Sloth – Ana Huang

Dreamland Series – Specifically Terms & Conditions (#2) and Final Offer (#3) - Lauren Asher

Single Parent

Ghosted – J.M. Darhower

Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaire Series) – Lauren Asher

Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout Series) – Lucy Score

Mafia & Dark Romances

The Made Series – Danielle Lori

Sinners Anonymous - Somme Sketcher

Sinners Condemned & Sinners Consumed - Somme Sketcher

Twisted Pride - Cora Reilly

The Monster Trilogy – Rina Kent

Throne Duet - Rina Kent

God of Ruin - Rina Kent

God of War – Rina Kent

Do note that the Dreamland Billionaire Series by Lauren Asher was a second chance at love for me. I reviewed them as bad, then re-read them as fantastic.

Read my blog post before this one to understand why I chose these books and authors specifically. However, in a nutshell, when you can relate to characters in a book, it just gives you hope.

Okay, so real talk. I am just a little biased when it comes to Ana Huang. It’s not my fault that everything she writes is done so well. Honestly, if anyone knows how to interconnect a series, it’s this woman. I’m not biased to anyone else; I promise. Maybe Tessa Bailey, but considering her latest release has been collecting dust on my shelf, maybe not so much anymore.

Out of the number of books I’ve read, picking out the ones I did was a task. Not all of them are 2024 releases; some are just discoveries I made and fell in love with on paper.

Now onto the final therapy session from Vivian for this 2024 movie. The tropes for my 2024 life movie? Horror. Extreme horror.

I’ve never shied away from talking about the difficult periods in my life on my page, so I’m not going to start now. 2024 has been a wake-up call. I’m not talking a little slap on the face. No. No, because I could shake that off. I’m talking ice-bucket thrown on my head, punch to the ribs, slap on the face, and stamped on all before I even opened an eye. Not both, just one. I have been betrayed by those who I never would have even considered, let alone been sure about. I have been blamed and accused. I have been painted by brushes just so others’ hands could stay clean. Job hunting has been a mess. I have seen more rejections than I have rain, bearing in mind I live in blinking England. I see everyone posting amazing 2024 TikToks, and I just cannot relate. And that’s fine. Why? Because I’m in my struggling-healing-growing phase. As a person, as a professional, and as a goddamn citizen of this funny place we call life. It’s fine. I’ve learned more this year than I ever have before. I rediscovered myself, set new goals, and left a whole lot of baggage behind. That includes feelings, people, and opinions.

The biggest lesson? Just keep your mouth shut. Not everything needs a reaction. Not everyone needs time, and most important of all, not everyone needs you. It’s not a nice reality check to have but good things don’t come easy. Time will tell, and time will heal. Your feelings will change every hour, if not every day. You think you’re over a situation, until it creeps back up during the night, and all those emotions come thundering back in. So be it. Go through it, so long as you remember to get back out of it. Just keep going.

I read because I love literature. I read because I like to discover authors who deserve more limelight than some who already have it. I read so I don’t go mental over the life I have some control over. I read so I can just live in a perfectly written world for 5 minutes where expectations are met, problems are solved and happily ever afters always exist.

Yes, we are writers of our own stories; however, be realistic. There is only so much we can do, and as long as we do that, then hold no regrets. I die over writing applications. Ultimately, HR decides, I don’t. I can decide what I can do to get the recognition, but I can’t force people to recognize me. It’s fine.

You don’t always need to be the star as long as you’re the star of your own show. And with that, our – or at least my – 2024 comes to an end. It happened, and now it’s over.

I’m reading my way into 2025, as should you. Look at those fireworks and celebrate what’s happened. Some will be weeping for those they lost, while others will be cheering over the new tandems in their life. Live in it.

So, with the words that have got us through 2024, alongside the lessons we’ve been taught from those we love most, I say my final mwah! and enter 2025 as a new person. Let’s leave what happened where it belongs – in the past – and move into 2025 with an energy. It doesn’t have to be great; it just has to be there. Let’s see where it takes us, because as we all know, regardless of what we feel, life will move on. It never stops unless we decide that we do, and who writes their own life story again? Ah, yes. That would be us.

One last time, Mwah!

Vivian.

Don’t forget to keep reading, because as long as you do, it’s making a struggling authors day that much better. Reach for the starts of success. Bye 2024, you have been interesting.