Mini Book Reviews: December 2024 + Favorite Reads of 2024

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received a copy of Three Days in June and The Heart of Winter from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I was pleased that despite the busyness of the holiday season, I was able to read 6 books this month. Even more pleasing was that I finished off this month with 2 great prereleases, which turned out to be 2 of my favorite reads of the year. If these two books--Three Days in June and The Heart of Winter are examples of what's to come for 2025, we have a lot of good reading to look forward to!

Mini Book Reviews: Nonfiction November 2024

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received a complimentary copy of Epic Runs of North America from Hachette Publishing in exchange for my review.

I didn't expect to read so many books this month but with the focus on non-fiction, I had so many options! Some of the books were in my TBR, some were recommendations from other readers, and some were just spontaneous picks! I've never been good at planning my reading--I like to just go with what suits me at the time. Sometimes after reading a really heavy, long book, I like to read something totally different. 

My favorite book this month was The Sugar Rush. A book about maple syrup? It was just so much more--a buddy story and a competition that was humorous and touching. Plus I learned a lot about maple syrup! My least favorite book was Sure I'll Join Your Cult. Reviews called it hilarious, but I found it obnoxious and chaotic. 

I'm looking forward to getting back to some fiction. I do have a few more nonfiction books I want to read. I hope you find a book or two that you want to read here!  

Mini Book Reviews: October 2024

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

It was another busy month but I managed to read five books, including one epic novel which couldn't be rushed. I read a thriller based on lots of positive reviews, but it didn't thrill me. Maybe it was because I read it after I finished the epic novel? There's quite a variety of books here and hopefully, you will find one that you like.

Coming up: Non-Fiction November! I read non-fiction often, but in November, I dedicate the month to nothing but non-fiction. I've compiled a list of books already and hope for some really good reads. Thanks to Liz, our runner friend and book blogger, who is also participating and for sharing the info. This is my second year and I'm really looking forward to it! If anyone is interested in participating or checking out some of the other bloggers who are sharing their favorites, here's the link to Heather's blog.

Mini Book Reviews: September 2024

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

September was a really busy month for me and finding time to read was a challenge! I always read before I go to bed, which helps settle my mind unless I'm reading a book that doesn't grab me. That was the case with a couple of books I read this month. I'll let you read my reviews and let you figure out which ones they were (hint: there are 2). 

I also had one DNF this month,. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often to me. I try to pick books that sound like something I'd like. My favorite genres are literary fiction and I like suspense/thrillers, as long as they aren't gory. But every once in a while, I select a book that sounds good but just isn't right for me. That was the case with Liars, which is a short novel about a marriage. A successful woman marries a man who loves her, but as her career takes off, the marriage starts to go downhill. I couldn't understand why such a successful, confident woman would stay in such a terrible marriage--and he is a horrible man--and  I guess that is the whole book in a nutshell. I made it about halfway through and finally gave up. It wasn't a bad book, in fact, the writing was incredible, but it was not something I wanted to keep reading.

Mini Book Reviews: August 2024

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received Burn and The Instrumentalist from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my review.

It's a good month when every book I read was a winner! People always ask me how I read so many books, but when they are as good as the ones I read this month, it's hard to put them down. I may have completely neglected everything. My house needs attention. So does my husband!  A few trips out of town helped as well--I read while traveling to my destinations. 

I can enthusiastically recommend every book here. Enjoy!

Mini Book Reviews: July 2024

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, The Summer Pact, Long Island Compromise, The Heart in Winter, Guilty Creatures, Catalina, and They Dream in Gold from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my reviews. This post contains affiliate links.

For the month of July I had 7 pre-releases on my NetGalley dashboard that were set for publication. I made up my mind to get them read by the end of the month. Fortunately, all of the books were worth reading! My favorite? I loved Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. I also loved The Heart in Winter. There is definitely something for everyone on this list!

Mini Book Reviews: June 2024

Disclaimer: I received copies of Margo's Got Money Troubles, The Midnight Feast, Sandwich, Husbands and Lovers, and Bear from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest reviews.

June just flew by, didn't it? And of course, I read plenty of books this month. My NetGalley prereleases were getting cumbersome, so almost the entire month working through the list, knocking out 5 of them. I loved four of them--surprisingly, the one I didn't care for was written by Lucy Foley, who is a very popular thriller author. It would be hard to choose a favorite out of the other 4--I enjoyed them all very much! 

But it was A Walk in the Park that had my heart and took a while for me to read. It was long, yes, but it was just so good. It is a must read for anyone who loves to hike or run trails, or who wants to learn more about the Grand Canyon. I fully expect to see this on year-end lists of best of non-fiction books!

Mini Book Reviews: April 2023

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of The Limits, Backyard Bird Chronicles, Lucky, and Love is a Burning Thing from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my reviews.

Continuing with my unofficial theme this month of ups and downs, some of the books I read this month were great and some were not-so-great. My favorite book of the month, hands down, was Wolf At the Table. I also enjoyed Piglet, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, and Love is a Burning Thing. While some readers enjoyed Worry, Lucky, and The Limits, my advice is to take a pass.

Mini Book Reviews: March 2024

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Real Americans and A Fatal Inheritance from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest reviews.

Overall, this was a very satisfying month of reading! I didn't expect to read this many books--A Fatal Inheritance, a NetGalley prerelease, was very interesting. I just couldn't rush through it, wanting to savor all the details. I found some unexpected good reads this month with Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame, Yellowface, and What Happened to Nina? My other NetGalley pre-release, Real Americans, was amazing as well. The only disappointment was The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. I love a nostalgic look back at the music of the 1970s, but this was not the story I was expecting.

Mini Book Reviews: February 2024

Disclaimer: I received copies of The Road from Belhaven, My Side of the River, and Wandering Stars from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

February was a great month of reading for me. While I work on getting through all my NetGalley prereleases, I also was able to fit in a couple of books that I wanted to read. I'm happy to say that all 3 NetGalley books were great and my personal selections were too. If I were to recommend a book that everyone will like, I would pick Kristin Hannah's book, The Women. I believe this may be her best book yet. Ann Patchett's Tom Lake was my favorite, though. 

There's nothing better than a month of good books!

Mini Book Reviews: January 2024

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Come and Get It and Martyr! from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links.

I kicked off 2024 with the resolution to read my NetGalley ARCs before they are published! I have so many that I have fallen behind. I love that they send me so many books to review but now I am below 80% and need to fix that. Moving forward, I'll be sharing a mix of upcoming new releases from NetGalley as well as library holds and backlist books. 

This month had 5 very different books. My favorite one was Martyr!. You can't judge a book by its cover and when I first received Martyr! from NetGalley, I thought I wouldn't like it at all. The first sentence grabbed me and the book didn't let go. It won't be the book for everyone but it gave me a lot to think about. 

It's been a little frustrating trying to find good books to read lately. Every time I pick up a book that everyone is raving about, I'm disappointed. I've got 3 NetGalley books coming up for this month. Let's see what I find.

Mini Book Reviews: December 2023

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

What a great finish to a great year of reading! As I read my final book of the year, Strange Sallly Diamond, I couldn't help but notice some of the themes of the books I read this month overlapped. I read two books with quirky characters, The Mystery Guest and Strange Sally Diamond. Questionable adoptions were the themes in The Berry Pickers and Strange Sally Diamond. I couldn't help but make comparisons between the books. In All That is Mine, I Carry With Me, and Strange Sally Diamond, you have themes of misogyny and victimization of women. Don't let that deter you from any of these books--they were all good reads!

This year I read 70 books and DNF'd 3. My top 10 books were; Demon Copperhead, Hello Beautiful, Adelaide, The Great Believers, Last Summer on State Street, The Collected Regrets of Clover, Shark Heart, Birdie and Harlow, The Berry Pickers, and Strange Sally Diamond. There were many other good ones as well, so if you don't follow me on Goodreads, please do so you can check them out! 

Mini Book Reviews: April 2023

Disclaimers: I received an ARC of If We're Being Honest from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

April was a really good month for books for me! I read a prerelease novel, 4 new releases, and while waiting for library holds to come in, I dug deep into my TBR for an old selection from Reese's Book Club. All good reads, but my favorite book of the month was the last one I read--Adelaide was recommended highly by another book blogger. I almost didn't read it, but I am so glad I did. It was one of those books that got me in the feels. If I'm being honest, there's not a bad book here!