My Favorite Books I Read in 2024 & My 2025 Reading Goals

2024 was a very bookish year for me! I read a total of 61 books in 2024, that’s one more than in 2023! I smashed and almost doubled my Goodreads reading challenge goal of 36 books! In 2024, I also joined in a mermaid reading challenge, reviewed 2 books, DNF’d 2 books, and visited one of the most beautiful libraries.

I went back through all 61 books I read and picked out seven of my favorite reads from 2024 that I would recommend to you all. I also added some of my reading challenge goals that I hope to accomplish this year. I’m not one who usually puts together reading goals but I know a lot of bookish people who do and it seemed like fun so I compiled together a few that I would like to achieve in 2024 but I’m not going to be too hard on myself if I don’t. haha

Make sure to follow me on Goodreads to be updated on what I’m reading and on StoryGraph if you’re curious about my book statistics.

My star reading scale
★★★★★/5 – Loved it! Would reread and recommend it to others.
★★★★/5 – Kept me entertained. I would reread.
★★★/5 – Didn’t love or hate but would recommend to others.
★★/5 – Did not enjoy it and probably skimmed through most of it.
★/5 – I hated it and regret wasting my time with this book.
DNF – Did not finish. This will probably be rare because I like to finish every book I start

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you make a purchase with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Down below, I listed seven of my favorite books from the year that I would like to recommend to you! If you would like to know more about my thoughts on each book check out my separate ‘What I read in this month’ post for my full reviews on each book.

Bunny by Mona Awad ★★★★/5
I love a good strange and bizarre book and Bunny by Mona Awad was one of those reads! There were turns and twists I didn’t expect and this is definitely one of those books that I would reread. If you’re into murderous Mean Girls with some supernatural surprises then you’ll enjoy reading Bunny!

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen ★★★★/5
In my monthly review, I described Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen as “Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic” so if that’s your thing I recommend Garden Spells. I really want to read more books from Sarah Addison Allen because I love her writing style, and her books seem very magical based on the descriptions.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura ★★★★/5
2024 was a year I read a lot of fantasy (it’s also the year I found out I don’t like fantasy so much. haha) this is most likely due to the mermaid readathon I participated in. However, one fantasy book that I loved was Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura. I really felt for the children in this novel and was surprised to see a different approach to bullying culture by a Japanese author and how supporting the main character’s family was about her situation.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin ★★★★★/5
After reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin I finally understood the hype! The nostalgia and gaming references were a fun nod and that second act! I wasn’t expecting that to happen and I think that was what sold me on this novel and made it special.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See ★★★★★/5
I read a lot of mermaid and water-themed books this year but The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See was my favorite out of all of the ones I read in 2024. It was so full of emotions! Friendship, grief, betrayal, courage, forgiveness, this novel had everything! I never thought I would be interested in historical fiction but after reading The Island of Sea Women I would be open to reading more historical fiction in the future.

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson ★★★★★/5
This was a heartwarming story about a boy who reminisces about his time as a child back when he got to spend time with his eccentric uncle who would tell him tales of the occult and conspiracy theories. Along the way, he meets some new friends and creates The Saturday Night Ghost Club. This was a sad yet touching read about friendship and family.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak ★★★★★/5
Hidden Pictures was one of my favorite thrillers I read this year. It’s about a girl who ends up babysitting a child who draws creepy pictures. The novel even contains copies of the kid’s eerie images! I read Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak via my Kindle which was nice because I still got to see all the creepy pictures and all but I definitely intend on buying a physical copy as I loved this read.

My 2025 Reading Goals
#1. Read 40 books
I choose 40 books as my 2025 Goodreads reading challenge. Don’t ask me why because it was just the number I decided to pick. Based on my previous reading months, I usually read 3-4 books a month. If I read more than 40 books, great! If not, well that’s okay too. As long as I’m still actively reading that’s all that matters to me. Reading is a hobby that I enjoy doing and I never want it to feel like a chore or something I have to do because everyone else is doing it.

#2. Start a book journal
I’ve seen a few book journals from some of my favorite bookstagram accounts online which have motivated me to start a book journal of my own! I plan on writing a blurb about the book and my thoughts on each book I read this year. Hopefully, I can keep up with it!

#3. DNF more books
2024 was the year I DNF books (publicly) and it felt so free! I used to be someone who felt ashamed if I didn’t finish a book I started but life is too short to force yourself to read a book you’re not enjoying. So, going forward, I will DNF any books that don’t spark any joy and I’ll be mentioning these books in my ‘what I read’ posts without any shame!

#4. Try to not be so critical of my ratings and reviews
I’m self-aware enough to know that I can be a tad bit too critical about my books (and even shows and movies). Whenever I reread my monthly posts there are times I have to edit myself down to make my thoughts seem less intense. I have high expectations (I’ve been like this my entire life) and I know that isn’t the best way to live so this year, I’m going to try (keyword: try) to be less critical about my opinions…at least online. haha

#5. Read more books off my bookshelf
I mentioned this in one of my posts last month. I don’t have a massive book collection but there are books on my shelf that I have yet to read so I’m going to make it one of my goals to read more books from my shelves.

#6. Reread some of my favorite books
Going along with my goal above, I want to reread some books that I enjoyed reading from previous years. I already have a list of books that I want to reread so whenever I feel a bit sluggish with my reading choices I plan on whipping out an old favorite.

#7. Attend a used book sale
I know that there are a few public libraries and bookstores that hold annual or semi-annual book sales around my area so one of my 2025 goals is to attend at least one of these sales. I love seeing used book hauls on bookstagram and I’m always amazed at what people can find at these sales for only a few dollars! Hopefully, I’ll be that lucky when I attend a book sale this year!

What was your favorite book of 2024? What are your reading challenges for this year?