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haveamagicalday · 1 month ago

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Books Read in 2024

Once again it is time for my yearly wrap up! You can find my top ten reads of 2024 here. I read quite a lot of books this year but honestly I read some real stinkers. I rarely give two star reviews but there's a few of them on this list

4 Stars

The Dollmaker of Krakow by R.M. Romero- Karolina is a living doll whose home has been overthrown by rats. She is spirited away from her home and to Poland to live with a lonely dollmaker. At first, Karolina and the dollmaker live happily together until the Nazis invade, putting their new Jewish friends at risk. Partly Nutcracker inspired, this sweet but sad book takes a look at the Holocaust through a fantasy and child-like gaze.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid- I saw some reviews that were disappointed in this book for straying away from the source material. Personally, I really enjoyed it but was also thrown off a bit in the direction it went. I really don't think this needed to be a Macbeth retelling. You could have changed the names and I think more people would have been able to get behind it that way.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager- I look forward to a new riley sager book every summer. While this was still entertaining, it's one of my least favorite of his. I predicted almost all of the twists ahead of time and there were some moments that required some suspension of disbelief. The big red herring in this one was kind of odd and would have been really interesting to explore more. Overall I still enjoyed reading this, it was just weaker than his other books.

Nightbird by Alice Hoffman- Twig lives in a town where a winged monster is rumored to live. Turns out the rumors are true but the winged creature isn't a monster, just Twig's older brother. Cursed by a witch, the first born son in Twig's family is always born with a pair of wings. James is kept hidden away but now as a teenager, James has been spreading his wings more and more. When a new family moves into town, Twig finds herself making a friend and James a possible love connection with the older sister. Twig decides it's finally time to break the curse. This was a sweet read and I loved how it ended.

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu- A middle grade retelling of The Yellow Wallpaper about a girl whose life is changing in big ways. It seems like an odd premise but I was really surprised with this one. After her mom remarried and had a new baby, Violet's family is moving into a new house. On top of that, Violet feels her life long friends moving in different directions as they navigate middle school. Violet suddenly falls ill and despite seeming to recover, the illness always comes back and confines her to her attic room with the creepy yellow wallpaper. When I heard about this book I wasn't sure how it would work but I was intrigued. The story ended up being a blend of medical negligence and middle school drama with a twinge of horror that all worked together so incredibly well. My only complaint is that I wish there had been more spookiness from the yellow wallpaper throughout the whole book and not just towards the end.

The Ones Who Come Back Hungry by Amelinda Berube- Jo is left devastated after the tragic passing of her popular older sister Audrey. But days after the death, Jo finds Audrey out in the snow. At first she is thrilled to have her sister back, but it quickly becomes apparent that something isn't right with Audrey. She doesn't breathe and her body is starting to decay. Worst of all, she is hungry and only blood will sustain her. Creepy and thought provoking. Berube writes siblings and toxic relationships very well

Slewfoot, a tale of Bewitchery by Brom- An accident leaves Abitha a young widow in a puritan colony she is still new to. Her husband’s death and independent nature puts a target on her back as the villagers start calling her a witch. At the same time an ancient power named Slewfoot is awoken and takes a liking to Abitha. This book went in a direction that I wasn’t expecting by incorporating a lot of Native American mythology as opposed to more classic pagan witch stories. I don’t know how accurate the mythology was though so that may be a problem for some people. This book is a slow build but a satisfying finale of magic and revenge.

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison- Sloane and Naomi are two friends with little in common. Naomi is wild and fun while Sloane is reserved and cautious. The two meet for a weekend away for Sloane’s birthday when they meet a mysterious stranger who invites them to a party. Naomi drags Sloane along, a decision that will change both of their lives forever and leave them both so thirsty… This was not my favorite of Harrison's but still a fun read. It reminded me a lot of Such Sharp Teeth but I liked that this time, it was two friends that got turned together so the MC didn't feel as isolated.

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso- Every summer Paige’s family stays with their rich friends the Covingtons. Paige and Audrey Covington have been best friends for years but one summer she starts to pull away while Paige grows closer to Audrey’s cute older brother. By the end of the summer Audrey is missing and Paige feels guilty for missing the warning signs. After a year with no updates, Paige returns to Clearwater Ridge for another Summer determined to find her friend. This is your typical YA thriller and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Some fun but not groundbreaking twists and teen logic you just have to go along with to really have fun with it

Under the Surface by Diana Urban- A group of teens find themselves lost in the Paris catacombs and they may not be alone down there. I will say this book did a really good job of making you feel the panic and darkness the characters are experiencing. I would have had a full blown panic attack. My only complaint is that there is someone (or something) else down with them in the catacombs that they have to evade on several occasions but this was fully fleshed out or expanded on as much as I would have liked it to be.

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W.R. Gorman- HP Lovecraft does Cinderella. Eunice is excited to be getting a stepsister but her new sister comes with a strange set of rules: Always refer to Cinderella as family, never give Cinderella access to mice, do not look at Cinderella between the hours of midnight and 3am. Eunice soon becomes Cinderella’s caretaker but on the night of the prince’s ball, Cinderella escapes and the terror begins. This was a lot of fun! If you go into it expecting a clean story where everything wraps up nicely then you'll be disappointed. We never learn why Cinderella is an Eldritch terror or why she has to follow certain rules which would be frustrating in another story but here it works well for the zany fiction that it is. My biggest issue is that I felt there was a lot that could be said for the parents that deprived Eunice of her own life when they made her be Cinderella's caretaker but that wasn't really ever addressed. Also it bothered me that her name was Cinderella in this story. It's a cruel nickname she's given in the fairy tale but it's just her name here for some reason and it doesn't fit lol

3.5 Stars

After Oz by Gordon McAlpine- After a tornado destroys the Gale farm, 11 year old Dorothy goes missing. After a few frantic days, Dorothy is found unharmed but full of stories about a magical land and talking scarecrows. Her claim to have melted a wicked witch is waved off until the town’s mean spinster is found murdered in her home, partially melted by lye. Dorothy is charged and sent to an insane asylum for the crime but Dr. Evelyn believes her to be innocent. Evelyn takes it upon herself to investigate Dorothy’s story and interview the few townsfolk that may know more than they are willing to admit. I was really intrigued by the first half but the second half lost steam and ultimately fizzled out. At first we read transcripts between Evelyn and Dorothy and once Evelyn goes to Dorothy’s hometown, her interviews are regulated through letters to her mentor. We also get backstory about Dorothy through the POV of “the townsfolk” as a whole which was interesting. I really loved the concept and wish there had been more of Oz incorporated into this. Without the connection to Oz it really just reads as a historical whodunit which was still enjoyable but I felt like it had the potential to be so much more.

The Champions by Kara Thomas- This is a sequel to The Cheerleaders. Five years have passed since the cheerleaders’ deaths were solved and the town of Sunnybrook has now focused their attention on their championship winning football team. Newcomer Hadley is only interested in the school newspaper but when she is assigned to cover the football team she becomes entangled in the football team’s dark web of secrets. When a football player is poisoned at a party, Hadley must go undercover to try and get the inside scoop. You don’t have to have read the first book to read this one but I do think it helps. They reference the events of the first book a lot with some appearances from some of the characters including the MC and even though I read the Cheerleaders it's been some time so I honestly forgot a lot and didn’t understand all the references. Another problem the book has is that there are SO many side characters and it’s hard to keep track of them all and you have to in order to understand half the story. A big twist reveals something terrible happened to this one girl and I honestly couldn’t even remember who she was

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley- Every year in New Orleans, the les masques ball crowns one debutante as their queen. Lily LeBlanc is the perfect candidate for the crown but a mysterious figure dressed as a jester hijacks the ball, throwing paint on the queen and displaying images of last year’s queen who wound up dead shortly after the ball. Lily texts three of the other debutantes to meet up with her later to discuss what happened but she never shows up. Now Vivian, Piper and April must work together to find out what Lily knew and where she went and just how it connects to last year’s wild child of a queen. This book was very similar to Jessica Goodman’s work and it offers you exactly what you came for. A fun YA thriller that requires some suspension of disbelief with its twists but is satisfying regardless.

Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry- Celia wakes up one morning in a life she doesn't remember, Allie is taking a trip with her friends to a remote cabin in the woods and Maggie is forced to make her way through a "maze" with 12 other women in order to free her kidnapped daughter. Three seemingly unrelated stories may actually be more connected than initially thought. The premise was so good but the ending was just not it. I personally don't think the book was worth it for the ending but it is a quick read and I did enjoy it up until the stories collided.

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning- A sitcom star finds herself canceled after a thoughtless tweet that angered thousands. Now without a career, Willow escapes to an adult camp to detox from life for a bit. But when campers start disappearing Willow and the others must try and escape with their heads intact. This was a lot of fun! Sometimes the main character was a little annoying but other than that I enjoyed it. My biggest gripe with this novel is that what Willow said to get herself canceled was very mild (and misunderstood) and I don't think anyone would have batted an eye at it in real life. For those curious: Willow retweets an article about some anti Gay law being dismissed and quotes it with "better luck next time!" which is a catchphrase from her show. It was clearly a sarcastic tweet but in the book everyone took it seriously and "canceled" her

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow- Eden, Kentucky is a town known for only one thing: E. Starling, the author of an acclaimed children's classic The Underworld who disappeared mysteriously and left an even more mysterious house in her wake. Starling House still stands decades later, inhabited by Arthur Starling, the reclusive heir. Troubled young adult Opal unexpectedly finds herself with a job offer to help clean the house. But Starling House obviously has secrets and Opal and Arthur will have to work together to keep sinister forces at bay. I preferred the first half of the book over the latter which turns into a more fantasy/chosen ones story as opposed to the more gothic vibe at the start. I also think it could have been much shorter but overall it was a fun read.

Royal Scandal by Aimme Carter- A solid follow up to Royal Blood, a YA book that I ended up liking way more than I thought I would. The sequel continues to follow the American illegitimate daughter of the king of England as she adjusts to life as a royal. Evan thought things would be better after the murder of Jasper was solved but an assassination attempt throws things into a tizzy again. My only gripe is that this ends with a cliffhanger unlike the first one where the mystery was wrapped up by the end.

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland- I read one of those cozy witchy romances and it was a cute read! Sage's family once offended the gods and now all the women are cursed with a magical gift at birth. Being able to communicate with plants or talk to animals doesn't really seem like a curse but whatever, that's not really important. They all have magic and it causes problems sometimes! Eldest sister Sage returns home for the first time in 8 years after her sister Sky's death. Using her ability of plant communication, she gets a job on a plant farm where she reconnects with her teenhood crush, Tennessee Reyes. A sweet read that reminded me of Encanto with some Practical Magic too.

3 Stars

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson- On the same night Lennon discovers her fiance is cheating she receives a phone call that changes her life. Lennon is given admission to the mysterious Drayton College, a school for those that have the gift of persuasion. Lennon finally feels like she found somewhere she belongs but as the semester goes on and her powers grow, she starts to untangle a dark web of secrets and lies. Interesting concept but it lacked the creepiness of Henderson's previous two books and was much longer than it needed to be. There were some elements that really never came back into play like the MC's mental health issues or whatever had happened in Amsterdam. Overall I felt like it dragged with an abrupt climax and the romance (if you can call it that) was lackluster.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed- In this novella, Veris must travel into the depths of a cursed forest to rescue the kidnapped children of her home's angry tyrant. The forest was really cool and I liked the lore of it all. I think this would have been a good book to lengthen and flesh out more.

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister- For generations, the Haddesley family has tended to the cranberry bog and in return, the bog provides them with a wife. But when the current patriarch passes away, something goes wrong and the bog wife does not materialize as she should. The five remaining siblings of the family each grapple with the loss and confusion of the failed ritual in their own ways. The lore behind this was really cool but otherwise this was a let down. The novel switches POVs between the five siblings and I wish just one had been chosen to flesh out and focus on instead. It was slow read with an ending that was a bit abrupt and lackluster. Also the eldest brother had a tree fall on top of him leaving him unable to conceive and at one point his junk is described as his crumpled testicles.

Disclaimer by Renee Knight- I started this book that same day the miniseries I had no idea they were making of it came out. Just a weird coincidence. I haven’t watched the miniseries because I didn't really like this book. Okay, our MC, Catherine finds a book on her bedside table after moving and quickly realizes that the book is a thinly veiled retelling of what turned out to be the darkest day of her life. Now desperate to find out who wrote the book and how it ended up in her home, Catherine tries to track down anyone who may have known the man that ended up dead on that day to find a lead. We also get the POV of what seems to be just a random man but obviously we learn along the way just how he is connected. First off, Catherine’s POV is in third person while the man’s is in first person and that annoyed me. And in the version I read, pretty early one Catherine did slip into first person which was confusing. My biggest issue is that once we find out the truth, all of Catherine’s actions don’t make sense anymore and it’s just overall really frustrating. The miniseries got some golden globe nominations so maybe check that out instead.

Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews- This was a very popular read this year and I’ll admit I found it just okay. My biggest gripe is that I just don’t understand what this was trying to be. Was it a story of self discovery or a metaphor for grief? Was the love story meant to be sweet or toxic? Was the focus supposed to be on the fantasy scenes or our main character’s decline into madness. And at the end of the story, what exactly was it trying to say? We touch upon mental health, sexual identity and the dark thoughts within us but it doesn’t amount to anything profound. Plenty of people loved this but I found it too unfocused to really enjoy. Also there was a big plot twist in the end that was so obvious I’m mad I didn’t pick up on it sooner but to be honest I think that’s just because I wasn’t all that invested.

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay- Told from the point of view of Merry (I think she was nine) as she witnesses her older sister begin to display signs of schizophrenia. Is it mental illness or has a demon taken a hold of her? Merry's life is forever changed when the family invites a film crew into their home to make a documentary about possession and exorcism. This was very mid for me. If you want a book that gives you answers at the end, then this is probably not the book for you.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins- When North Carolina's richest and most notorious woman dies she surprises everyone by leaving her inheritance to her estranged adopted son Cam instead of the blood relatives who feel they deserve it more. Cam rejects the inheritance and moves far away. Now Cam and wife Jules must return to his mother's home after the death of his uncle where secrets about his mother's life start to come to light. This was a very middle of the road book. I'm not a fan where the entire twists and secrets are laid out in someone's journal and we are fed the entries in between chapters. Although the journal entries are far more entertaining than the present story.

Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose: After the death of their mother, three estranged siblings find an old home tape that contains footage of their parents disposing of a dead body. Rocked by this revelation the siblings must decide if they want to continue to dig at the skeletons in their family's past. I predicted the killer pretty early on and was disappointed with the reveal in general. It also really annoyed me that they didn't immediately check their mother's lockbox the second they found out she was involved in a murder because of course her confession was locked inside and would have saved them a lot of trouble. There was nothing keeping them from the lockbox, they just chose not to open it until the end.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave- Why are the most mediocre thrillers always the ones that blow up? Hannah seemingly has the perfect husband until he vanishes one day with nothing but a note saying "protect her". Clearly the "her" is Hannah's step daughter but what is it she's supposed to be protecting her from. Somehow Hannah happens to figure it out and it's really not as exciting or an interesting twist at all. Although I guess I wouldn't really call this a thriller, more of a family drama that also focuses heavily on Hannah and her stepdaughter's growing relationship. The choices made by the husband both in the past and present were stupid as hell and Hannah didn't really have much of a reaction to any of them. Clearly I don't recommend this lol

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead- Bea's parents are divorced and now Bea's dad is set to marry his partner, Jesse. Along with Jesse comes a new stepsister. At first Bea is thrilled but things don't always go the way Bea expects. This was a cute middle grade novel about things that change and things that stay the same. It was sweet and wrapped up nicely at the end.

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall- 14 years ago, three sisters left their home after their parents were murdered and never returned. Now Emma is pregnant and circumstances bring the sisters back together in the house they left long ago. Emma never told anyone what she saw that night but as she digs deeper she begins to suspect her sisters also have secrets from that night as well. I loved What Lies in the Woods and The Narrow so this was a disappointing follow up. I felt like not a lot happened in the book and the jumping timelines and character point of views got confusing. The mystery just wasn't that exciting either

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray- I loved the movie so I read the book. The book was alright. It was told mostly from Ramy Yosef's character's pov and through letters sent from Bella back to him. It mostly followed the plot of the movie except for the ending which was interesting. I can't decide if I liked the ending or not. For those curious, the book ends with another letter from Bella explaining that the book we just read was completely made up by her husband and found after his death. She was never brought back to life and was just a girl who ran away from her husband. She was actually in love with Willem Dafoe's character but he wasn't interested and suggested she get with Ramy instead, so she did and they had kids and lived a rather ordinary life after that. It's interesting commentary on how men view women but I honestly think the movie's ending was better and more fitting for the story

A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian- I'm not sure if this was meant to be a retelling of Stephen King's It or just heavily inspired by it but the plot follows the basic setup of the story. Six high school students witness a horrifying crime at a party in the mines one night. Not trusting the rest of the town, the teens investigate by themselves. What they discover causes the six to bury the evidence, take a vow of silence and agree to never contact each other again. Twenty years later, one of the six is murdered which forces the other five to return to town to finally put things to rest. No Pennywise here but there is a creepy seemingly un-aging priest that tries to fill his clown shoes. The synopsis might not sound like It but trust me, it is. While it was mostly engaging there were too many character point of views and the big bad that they were up against just wasn't very interesting or scary.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid- Architecture student Effy jumps at the chance to redesign her favorite author's home as part of her studies. Unfortunately for her, the house is a decrepit mess and another irritating student is also staying at the house while working on a research project. But despite her initial feelings, the two work together to uncover the truth about the author and his stories. I absolutely loved Juniper and Thorn but this was a disappointing follow up for me. The world building was cool but I didn't particularly care for our main characters and the mystery was so easily solved I found myself mad at them for not figuring it out sooner. Also, I just can't get over how insane Effy's reaction to finding out someone checked out a library book she wanted was. Overall it wasn't bad, just slow and nowhere near as good as her last book.

The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson- The lore behind this was so interesting. A town has horses that give birth to human babies. Unfortunately there wasn't a story to go along with the concept. There were way too many povs and the main character was not that compelling either.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire- I’ve been meaning to read this for years now. I love the musical and also really loved Maguire’s Hiddensee but Wicked was just kind of meh for me. I already knew about all the weird sex stuff so I wasn’t surprised or thrown off by that. And honestly, I feel like people on twitter are hyping it up to be way more “disturbing” or “traumatizing” than it actually is. Yes okay, there is a random scene where they go to a sex club and it is implied that a dude got fucked by a (sentient) tiger but it’s written so vaguely and honestly, compared to what’s out on bookshelves now a days is it really that shocking? But besides that there were times that were really compelling but other parts that dragged. I enjoyed the stuff about Elphaba as a baby and the time at Shiz but some sections towards the middle and end were mildly boring. What really surprised me the most was how much religion was discussed throughout. Obviously there’s a lot of emphasis on politics (which is part of the musical too) but I wasn’t expecting the religion. And it’s really interesting lore that he came up with between a pagan religion that worships the fairy Lurline (whose from the original books) and a Christian based religion of the Unnamed God who Elphaba’s dad is actually a preacher for. I’d be interested in a prequel series about Oz from Maguire because his Oz is very interesting but I’m not really interested in reading the rest of the series about Elphaba’s son and granddaughter.

2.5 Stars

Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso- I’m glad I read The Summer She Went Missing First because this would have turned me off the author. Savannah’s sister Piper is in a coma after surviving an apparent suicide attempt from falling off, adeptly named, Suicide Point. Savannah feels responsible after texting her sister some nasty things right before the fall but when she discovers a note in Piper’s coat pocket mysterious note, Savannah realizes that Piper may not have been alone that day. Savannah decides to infiltrate the Wilderness Club and find out what exactly happened to her sister. Savannah spends the majority of the book which takes place over a two day wilderness trip, accusing everyone of murdering her sister. Every chapter of this book has a different suspect and each character is cleared of guilt and joins Savannah in her quest for the truth. Everyone in this book was unlikable and insufferable and the pay off at the end wasn’t really worth it.

There Should Have Been Eight by Malini Singh- Seven friends reunite years after the death of their beloved Bea and her sister's family estate. Some bad weather keeps the friends trapped in the huge mansion where the truth of what happened to Bea lies in hiding. I really wasn't a fan of this one. All of the friends (minus Bea's sister) were obsessed with her in an extremely annoying way and the twists will take a lot of suspension of disbelief to enjoy.

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine- I really liked Delicate by this author and found this jarring in how juvenile it was in comparison. Olivia was born during the events that would later be known as the Camp Lost Lake murders and Reagan’s mom was the main suspect. Seventeen years later, Reagan returns to Camp Lost Lake to try and clear her mother’s name and runs into Olivia, who we quickly learn is nearly identical to Reagan. What follows is another night of murders but also answers. While this a quick read, it was also pretty predictable. The whole book takes place over less than 24 hours and we have two separate romances bloom while they're all running for their lives which is ridiculous. The twists are convoluted and the last chapter is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.

2 Stars

The Cabin and the End of the World by Paul Tremblay- After reading Horror Movie I thought I would try another Tremblay book and I hated it! It was an interesting concept but it was so repetitive which got frustrating. The way it jumped from different points of views was sort of confusing at times because all the characters' voices sounded the same.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman- Another book I really did not like. This story is written from the pov of an 8 year old Bela who thinks and speaks like a four year old. Bela is haunted by a figure known as Other Mommy who wants to go inside Bela's heart. When her parents learn of this creature haunting their daughter, it sends the family on the move to find answers as to how to get rid of the demon. I didn't like how this was written and even though it was a short book it felt long and repetitive. None of what was happening was scary because of the way Bela talks and her parents were the most annoying characters.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield- I did not like this book at all. I honestly found it really boring. I don't mind a slow burn but nothing happened for the majority of the book and then it just fizzled out. So much of the book was dedicated to rehashing random memories of the past. About halfway through I knew I wasn't going to get any answers as to what the hell was happening to Leah so I wasn't really disappointed with that but I was very underwhelmed. I wouldn't really classify this as horror. It's more of an atmospheric character study I suppose.

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally- How this has an average rating of 4.9 stars with over 55000 reviews is beyond me. There are two stories happening here: one is about a girl who wakes up on the side of the road with no memory of who she is or how she got there. A man finds her at the police station and claims to be her father and proves it with a school ID, photos and a birth certificate. The other story is about Drew, whose girlfriend has gone missing and he’s the prime suspect. Your first thought is probably: Is amnesia girl and the missing girlfriend the same person? Followed immediately by your second thought: No, that would be way too obvious. And you are right! But apparently we weren’t supposed to think that because the big twist in the end is what we already assumed from the description is true! The two girls AREN’T the same person. I’m shocked that this was treated as the big twist and I didn’t see any other reviews that thought it was as stupid as I do

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer- This started as a NoSleep story on Reddit. You can tell when you read it.

#book recommendations #books #literature #my post #reading

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