I have been trying to re-establish a reading habit since 2020 now. I was an avid reader from fifth grade all the way through high school. I’d devour books in a single day. But once I graduated, fell into the daily grind of a job and every adulting task that comes with growing up, I lost that spark. Or maybe I just lost the time and energy for it. Since then, it’s been a struggle.

My previous challenges have all been flops, and 2024 was no exception to that pattern.

I had set a low, low goal again for 2024. Aiming for a whopping ten books in total after all my past “one book a month, I can handle that” goals fell drastically short.

Sadly, I didn’t hit my ten books. I only managed to read seven, most of which I read in the first six months of 2024 before life fell into shambles. I decided I still wanted to give a recap list of those seven books though after downloading the StoryGraph app earlier this year. I love the extra stats and look into what I’m reading that Goodreads doesn’t provide, but I still find Goodreads to be a little simpler and have more books listed because of its connection to Amazon. So, I’ve been using both apps.

What did my 2024 Year in Books look like then?

Completed Books of 2024:

1. Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair
2. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
3. The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD: An 8-Step Program for Strengthening Attention, Managing Emotions, and Achieving Your Goals by Lidia Zylowska
4. The Provenance Press Guide to the Wiccan Year: A Year Round Guide to Spells, Rituals, and Holiday Celebrations by Judy Ann Nock
5. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
6. Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I find it funny that the total pages read between both apps is different, so we’ll just assume that number was somewhere around twenty-one hundred pages. My best month was by far January, with two books read and the most pages. March was my second best month with two more books, though shorter ones. This was the first year I ever read a non-fiction book, let alone more than one. It’s zero surprise to me that my favorite genre was fantasy, but I’m thrilled to see I branched out beyond that more this year.

I obviously had a thing for Agatha Christie mysteries this year, and I feel like that trend is going to continue yet. My favorite book was by far Nettle & Bone. I devoured that book in a matter of two days, and it got my highest rating. My least favorite was probably the two non-fiction books, because I have a hard time finishing non-fiction books. There’s just not enough there to hold my interest. On a fiction standpoint, my lowest rated was Poirot Investigates. It seems my mood in what I was reading shifted darker toward the second half of the year, too, which is fitting considering how my life tanked around that time.

Overall, compared to my past challenges, it was my best yet. (Pitiful, I know.) Maybe this year I can do better.

So, what’s my 2025 Reading Challenge goal going to be then, you ask?

About the same as last year. I’m going to aim for a nice, round, even ten books again, but I hope that maybe I can reach that coveted “one book a month” goal I have secretly held onto in the back of my head for years now.

I’m going to make a bigger push for a reading routine this year, too. I’m thinking that’s likely to look like me reading before bed instead of mindlessly watching videos, or first thing when I get up instead of grabbing my phone. I’m also going to attempt to stick to my #WhatchaReadinWed segment that runs across my social media platforms Twitter, Bluesky, and Facebook.

How did your 2024 Year in Books look? What was your favorite book of 2024 that you read? Do you have a book for 2025 that you’re most looking forward to reading? Share with me your goals below! And if you have any secrets you’re willing to share on how you juggle the reading love with the daily grind, I’ll take those, too.

Here’s to a new year full of books! (Well, hopefully full of them for me.)