Monday, December 30, 2024

2024 Top "Ten" Books

 This year, I did something a little different at the beginning of the year. I created a list of books that I wanted to read during the year: books I've had on my shelf for a while and hadn't gotten around to, others that I wanted to re-read, and others that I wanted to check out before recommending them to my kids.  I kept that list handy so that I could choose from it when I was deciding what to read next.  It helped keep me on track with my goals, while still allowing me to read "at whim" (picking up other books that interested me that weren't on my list).  I think that having my reading goals printed out helped me be more satisfied with my reading life this year.  Maybe that's because I just like crossing things off a list. LOL!  But it also helped me stay focused on what I wanted to accomplish with my reading time.  I've made another list for 2025, and I'm looking forward to another great year of great books!

Now, on to my favorites for the year (also known as top "10ish" -- because I lumped many of them together as series or by author).

I define "top ten" as books that I 

  • binge-read, 
  • would (or did) read again,
  • would buy new or buy for someone else,
  • inspired me to read more about the topic,
  • stuck with me and had me thinking about them long after I finished.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend these books for everyone; that depends on your taste and tolerance.  But these were my favorites of the year.  If you want to find my reviews, go to Russell Roundup: Alphabetical by Title (russellfamily2004.blogspot.com) and search for the title or author.

1. The False Prince Series by Jennifer A. Nielsen (also known as The Ascendance Series)

  • The False Prince
  • The Runaway King
  • The Shadow Throne
  • The Captive Kingdom
  • The Shattered Castle
I read these books twice each, and later listened to the audiobooks.

2. The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black
  • Kingdom's Dawn
  • Kingdom's Hope
  • Kingdom's Edge
  • Kingdom's Call
  • Kingdom's Quest
  • Kingdom's Reign
3. The Knights Series by Chuck Black
  • Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione
  • Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
  • Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
  • Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
  • Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
  • Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest
4. Books by Janette Oke
  • Love Comes Softly Series
  • Canadian West Series
  • Return to the Canadian West Series
  • Seasons of the Heart Series
5. Historical Fiction by Jennifer A. Nielsen
  • A Night Divided
  • Words on Fire
  • Rescue
  • Lines of Courage
  • Resistance
  • Uprising
6. Curious Realities Duology by Sara Ella
  • Wonderland Trials
  • Looking-glass Illusion
7. Books by Katherine Reay
  • Dear Mr. Knightley
  • The Austen Escape
  • Lizzy & Jane
  • The Printed Letter Bookshop
  • Literature and Lattes
  • The Berlin Letters
8. World War II Spies and Codebreaking
  • The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming
  • Unbreakable by Rebecca Barone
  • The Bletchley Riddle by Ruth Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

9. Non-fiction
  • Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney
  • Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito
  • Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
10. Regency-era books
  • Emma by Jane Austen
  • Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange
  • A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

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