My Year in Books
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My reading hyper-fixation well and truly returned in 2024 and I’m not complaining. For much of my childhood, I read almost a book a day, but my love for books faded as a teenager. The fact it’s returned makes me so happy! AND I’ve received messages to say that me sharing what I’ve read has encouraged people to get back into reading, which is just the best thing ever. I share everything I’ve read on my Instagram stories and on Goodreads.
My Book Statistics: 147 books · 97 physical books · 50 audiobooks · 52 non-fiction books (including 17 memoirs) · 95 fiction books
I rated 58 ☆☆☆☆☆, 37 ☆☆☆☆, 33 ☆☆☆, 14 ☆☆ and 4 ☆
My Top Ten Books of The Year (in no particular order)
1. An Elephant in My Kitchen by Françoise Malby-Anthony with Katja Willemsen
‘A blonde, chic Parisienne, Françoise never expected to find herself living on a South African game reserve. But when she fell in love with renowned conservationist Lawrence Anthony, her life took an unexpected turn. Lawrence died in 2012 and Françoise was left to run Thula Thula without him, even though she knew very little about conservation...’
This is an incredibly special book. Heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, it made me cry and filled me with sadness in places, but made me smile and filled me with hope in others. This is a story showing the best of humankind and the worst of humankind. Of animals being saved, loved and protected at all costs from the never-ending threat of poachers. Of the beautiful relationship between animals and people and of the absolute wonder that animals are.
2. My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar
This is one of the most important books I have ever read. Hannah’s story is incredibly powerful, harrowing and emotional. It provides more detail around Anne’s life and story before and after her Diary, and also introduces us to Hannah’s own life, experience and that of her family’s. The contrast before and after the war, her time in the concentration camps, and how she managed to carry on with her life after almost everyone she knew and loved had been murdered is deeply moving. This is a book that everyone should read.
3. The Institution by Helen Sarah Fields
‘They’re locked up for your safety. Now, you’re locked in with them. Dr Connie Woolwine has five days to catch a killer. On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital, a scream shatters the night. The next morning, a nurse’s body is found and her daughter has been taken…Dr Connie Woolwine must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth and use her unique skills to find the girl - before it’s too late.’
The Institution is an exhilarating, electrifying and suspenseful read that surely must earn a place as one of the top thrillers of this decade. Helen Fields’ writing and plotting is insanely clever. When I say I was gripped, I was GRIPPED. I tore through this in a day. Everyone who likes the thriller genre should have read this.
4. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria E. Schwab
‘When Addie LaRue makes a pact with the devil, she is convinced she’s found a loophole - immortality in exchange for her soul. But the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone. Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no-one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken.’
THIS book is EXACTLY why I read books outside of my comfort zone. Because every so often I stumble across a gem like that, that I know will linger in my heart for a very long time. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an enchanting, unforgettable and timeless tale of Addie’s journey through centuries, her desire for connection, and battle with darkness. V.E. Schwab’s writing is both haunting and mesmerising. The ending left me breathless, my heart physically aching, and in tears. I cannot describe how special this book is, and how firmly I believe that Addie will be loved for centuries to come.
5. The Confession Room by Lia Middleton
‘Welcome to the Confession Room: an online forum for anonymous atonement. Some people confess to affairs, others to stealing. Some admit deep, dark wishes. But one day a confession is posted that nobody expects: murder. And not just one named victim, but two. As more victims are named, and more bodies found, people begin to fear who could be named next. Because it seems that if you have a secret, they’ll find you…Not everyone can survive The Confession Room.’
If you want your body to feel it is being violently shaken on a rollercoaster, this book is for you. My stomach was clenching the whole time and took time to recover from this journey. A completely absorbing, very original plot.
6. Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton
For twenty years, nobody knew what Paris Hilton had suffered as a teenager. Not even her own siblings. The truth was that she was kidnapped by two men in the middle of the night at the age of 16; her parents having been promised that an ‘emotional-growth boarding school’ was what she needed. Paris writes about the horrific abuse she endured for two years in the troubled teen industry. The world judged her, but she built a successful career whilst suffering from PTSD and trauma. Now, her ‘goal is to shut down every facility with a track record of abuse and to make sure that every child has access to proper care.’
I was invested in this memoir, heartbroken for Paris and all the other children and adults who are victims of the troubled-teen industry. I will carry Paris’ words with me - ‘the people who hurt you don’t get the last word. You get to tell the story of you, and your story has more power than you can imagine’.
7. Lily’s Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live by Lily Ebert and Dov Forman
There are no words to encapsulate the importance of this book. This is Lily’s testimony: the atrocities she faced, the murders of her family and friends, her determination to look after her younger sisters, her survival of Auschwitz, then her building a life having lost both parents and the majority of people she knew and loved, whilst coping with horrific trauma and facing a world which at the time didn’t want to know about the Holocaust.
Thank you Lily Ebert and Dov Forman for sharing Lily’s story. Sadly Lily passed away this year on 9th October at the age of 100. Like Lily describes, every Holocaust survivor’s experience is different, and I learn more in every testimony that I read. Everyone should read this book.
8. The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson*
‘18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on. But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary…And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again. Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And - could she be dangerous?’
Listening to the audiobook of The Reappearance of Rachel Price was a whirlwind of a journey. I’m never normally so engrossed in an audiobook, let alone a YA, yet I wanted to listen constantly until it was finished. Holly Jackson is a wonderfully talented voice in young adult fiction and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
9. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid*
‘Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?…as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.’
This was a book I put off reading for ages because I really disliked Taylor Jenkins Reids’ Daisy Jones and the Six, but this was SO GOOD and the audiobook narration was absolutely perfect. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the sort of book an author aspires to have written and I imagine this to be a future classic.
10. Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
‘He will kill your worst enemy. All you have to do is kill hers. One dark evening in New York City, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise they have so much in common. They both feel alone. They both drink alone. And they both desperately want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families. Together, they have the perfect plan. If you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.’
Kill for Me Kill for You was INCREDIBLE. Gripping from the first page, twists I did not see coming and a jaw-dropping ending. I was breathless when I finished the last page. This is a thriller that should be at the top of every reader’s TBR.
My ☆☆☆☆☆ Books
These are the fifty-seven five star books that I read, in order of when I read them. The ones marked with an * I listened to as an audiobook. The titles in bold are my absolute favourites that have made my top 10 books of the year.
My ☆☆☆☆☆ Fiction Books
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Eight Bright Lights by Sara Gibbs
The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid, #2) by Nita Prose
The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, #2) by Richard Osmon*
Loveless by Alice Oseman*
The Institution by Helen Sarah Fields
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria E. Schwab
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Keedie by Elle McNicoll
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover*
Something to be Proud Of by Anna Zoe Quirke
The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen
The Confession Room by Lia Middleton
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery*
Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
One Day by David Nicholls
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett*
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson*
Black Rainbow by Danielle Jata-Hall
Verity by Colleen Hoover*
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid*
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
One by One by Freida McFadden
Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
My ☆☆☆☆☆ Non-Fiction Books
Unmasked: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence by Ellie Middleton*
The Sober Girl Society Handbook: An Empowering Guide to Living Hangover Free by Millie Gooch
The Reality Manifesto: An A-Z anti-exploitation manual for social media, mental health & body image by Leanne Maskell
An Elephant in My Kitchen by Françoise Malby-Anthony with Katja Willemsen
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
Honest. Everything They Don’t Tell You About Sex, Relationships and Bodies by Milly Evans and Lucia Picerno
My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family by Miep Gies
PDA in the Family: Life After the Lightbulb Moment by Steph Curtis
Time After Time: Repeat Offenders - the Inside Stories by Chris Atkins
How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess
So I’m Autistic? An Introduction to Autism for Young Adults and Late Teens by Sarah O’Brien
ADHD Works At Work by Leanne Maskell
You are Stardust: Little Adventures in Perspective by Lisa Murray
Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton
Fix the System, Not the Women by Laura Bates*
Looking After Your Autistic Self: A Personalised Self-Care Approach to Managing Your Sensory and Emotional Well-Being by Niamh Garvey
Small Talk: 10 ADHD lies and how to stop believing them by Richard and Roxanne Pink
Educated by Tara Westover
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
How Not To Fit In: An Unapologetic Guide to Navigating Autism and ADHD by Jess Joy and Charlotte Mia*
Lily’s Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live by Lily Ebert and Dov Forman
Untypical: How the World Isn’t Built for Autistic People and What We Should All Do About it by Pete Wharmby
Autistic and Black: Our Experiences of Growth, Progress and Empowerment by Kala Allen Omeiza
Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD by Jesse J. Anderson
The Choice by Edith Eger
NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism by Steve Silberman
Different Not Less: A Neurodivergent’s Guide to Embracing Your True Self and Finding Your Happily Ever After by Chloé Hayden
Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity by Devon Price
So those are all the five star books I’ve read this year. Perhaps next year I need to be a little stricter with handing out five stars…
For Christmas I got a book hamper from my parents and I could not have been more excited! Many of them are from World of Books where you can buy preloved second-hand books for lower prices (which I highly recommend). The books I was lucky enough to receive…
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
I Found You by Lisa Jewell
The Interview by C.M. Ewan
The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden
The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden
Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden
Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden
The Breakdown by B. A. Paris
The Institute by Stephen King
The Twins of Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
I See You by Clare Mackintosh
Knife River by Justine Champine
Asperger’s Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna by Edith Sheffer
I can’t wait for another fab reading year in 2025.
Have you read any of my favourites? What were your favourite reads this year?
GIRL UNMASKED (The Sunday Times Bestseller) is available to order from Amazon and all major bookstores!
https://linktr.ee/girlunmasked.