Books of 2024

Books read: 30
Adult: 15
Teen: 4
Children's: 11
Nonfiction: 13
Fiction: 16
Plays: 1

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 

When people ask that impossible question, "What is your favorite book?" my go-to answer is Anna Karenina, but I realized I haven't read it in 20 years, so I thought I'd see what I thought reading it today. Unsurprisingly, I loved it. I was able to take my time and notice the wonderful writing and character development. All of Tolstoy's characters have such depth. In this reading, I particularly loved Dolly--whose life is a mess, mostly because of her irresponsible, philandering husband, but she still manages to be a kind person and enjoys moments of beauty and joy as she raises her children. I read Rosamund Bartlett's translation and may have liked it even better than P&V's. 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 

I really enjoyed this, got totally engrossed in her world and story. My favorite moment is the source of the title: People told Katie that it might be better if her sickly baby dies, but she responds, "It's not better to die...Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of that grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. It’s growing out of sour earth. And it’s strong because its hard struggle to live is making it strong. My children will be strong that way." She defiantly says to them, "This baby will live." 

Yearning for the Living God: Reflections from the Life of F. Enzio Busche by Enzio Busche 

Enzio Busche converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in post-war Germany after a period of study. Later, he became a leader in the church. This is his memoir. I picked up the book largely because I was interested to learn about his experiences growing up in Nazi Germany, and being drafted at age 14 (!). This takes up a very brief part of the book, and the rest is filled with lots of inspiring and interesting stories which testify of God’s presence in our lives. 

Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman 

Two girls who’ve always been enemies find themselves thrown together when both their fathers are at work in Chernobyl at the time of the meltdown. It’s a book about friendship and overcoming prejudices. Really nicely done. (Middle grade, but I think it would work for teens also.)

Lone Wolf Goes to School by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K-Fai Steele 

“Wolf could count his friends on one hand. Three, two, one…NONE! And that was the way he liked it.” That’s how this easy chapter book starts. The illustrations are silly and a touch grotesque. The “snotty kids” have literal green boogers hanging out their noses through the whole book. It is laugh out loud funny. The illustrations are so good–those facial expressions. And spoiler alert, Wolf absolutely does not learn the value of friendship. (Easy chapter book)

Troubled by Rob Henderson 

From a drug-addicted mother, to foster care, to an adoptive family, to a broken home, to the military, to Yale, to being published by the NY Times, to Cambridge. I couldn’t put this down. I think I read it in 2-4 days. The thing that really stood out to me was this: at the end of the book, he looks at all his accomplishments and successes and realizes he would trade it all for a stable home life growing up. 

Bye Forever I Guess by Jodi Meadows 

This was really cute. A thirteen year old who loves video games and has an instagram account featuring texts sent to wrong numbers. And then she gets an accidental text from someone her age that begins to form into a real friendship, but what will happen if/when the digital crosses into the real world? Also she’s not quite cool enough for her best friend, so there’s friend drama, too. Fast, hard to put down. (Middle grade)

The Outrun by Amy Liptrot 

Memoir about an alcoholic realizing she needs help, going to rehab, and returning to her childhood home to find a life of sobriety in the Orkney Islands. I enjoyed the strong sense of place Liptrot creates with her descriptions of Orkney. There is something peaceful and comforting about the natural world she experiences that I felt as I read. 

Day of Infamy by Walter Lord 

I wanted visiting Pearl Harbor to be more meaningful, so I read this and learned exactly what happened that day. There were times I couldn’t put it down. I learned a lot.

Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens by Rebecca E. F. Barone 

Gotta love a volcano book. There was so much I didn’t know or understand about Mt. St. Helens, and it was so interesting to learn about. It was the first lateral eruption on record, and they had no idea how devastating a lateral eruption could be. One misconception this book cleared up is that very few people were inside the red zone. The reason so many died is because their predictions were wrong rather than people defying evacuation orders. At the end, she goes over what might have happened if the volcano had erupted any later than it did, which is sobering. The chapters are short, so this is great for the middle grade audience it’s written for. (Middle grade)

Honorable mention:

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Egil's Saga by Snorri Sturluson

The Heart of the Matter by Russell M. Nelson (only belatedly realized I didn't have this on my list and maybe should have included it in the top 10, but I'm sticking it here, at least for now.)

The Heart of the Matter by Russell M. Nelson • The Outrun by Amy Liptrot • Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper • Troubled by Rob Henderson* • The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone • Bad Therapy by Abigail Schrier* • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy • Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross • Take Me with You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven • The Parasitic Mind by Gad Saad • Oedipus the King by Sophocles • Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman • A Confession by Leo Tolstoy • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith • How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell • Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance • Odder by Katherine Applegate • They Call Me No Sam by Drew Daywalt • Far Beyond Gold by Sydney McLaughlin • I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys • Egil’s Saga by Snorri Sturluson • Bye Forever I Guess by Jodi Meadows* • Day of Infamy by Walter Lord • Lone Wolf Goes to School by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K-Fai Steele* • Lone Wolf Gets a Pet by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K-Fai Steele* • The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers • Good Energy by Casey Means* • Yearning for the Living God: Reflections from the Life of F. Enzio Busche by Enzio Busche • Mountain of Fire by Rebecca E. F. Barone* • The Wild Robot by Peter Brown