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Here we are, halfway through our respective 2024 reading years. Let's inspire each other and share anticipation.

What have been your favorite books you've read in 2024? What are you most excited about reading between now and December 31 (women and non-binary authors, only, please).

5*/Best Reads of 2024 so far?

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo (Fantasy/Mystery)
Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym (mid-century Brit classic)
Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires (short story collection)
Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson (NF history feminist)

Most Anticipated Second Half Books

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley [don't laugh! I'm serious]

5*/Best Reads of 2024 so far?
(I don't give 5 stars easily, but these were my memorable 4+ star reads.)
Green Frog by Gina Chung - Speculative Fiction Anthology.
The Cursed Princess Club series by LambCat - Graphic Novels.
Ghostroots: Stories by 'Pemi Aguda - Speculative Fiction Anthology
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez - Literary Fiction
The Good Girl by Michelle Dunne - Psychological Thriller.
A Kind of Madness by Uché Okonkwo - Speculative Fiction Anthology.
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel - Contemporary Drama.
An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans - Romance.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston - Mystery-thriller.
Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky - Literary Fiction.

Most Anticipated Second Half Books
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers
Brightly Shining by Ingvild Rishøi

Rosh wrote: "5*/Best Reads of 2024 so far?
(I don't give 5 stars easily, but these were my memorable 4+ star reads.)
Green Frog by Gina Chung - Speculative Fiction Anthology.
..."

such a great list, Rosh. My TBR thanks you!

Carol wrote: "such a great list, Rosh. My TBR thanks you!"

My pleasure, Carol! I hope you too enjoy these whenever you get to them. Stalking this thread for more recs. I am curious to try 'Frostbite' and 'Witchcraft' from your list. 'The Fox Wife' is already on my agenda. :)

My 4.5 and 5 stars reads from the first half:
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton - climate fiction
24 Hours in Charlottesville: An Oral History of the Stand Against White Supremacy by Nora Neus
Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires - short stories
The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman - graphic novel
The Waiting Hours by Shandi Mitchell - novel whose main characters are first responders

Yikes! I likely give 5's way too easy. But in my defense, I judge by how I feel when I'm done with the book. And, regardless of its flaws, if that feeling is "WOW", it gets a 5. My 5's represent about 31% of my reading for the year. My average of the 65 books that I have read through June is 4.1 (so lots of 4's!)

â˜¶Ä Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, science fiction
â˜¶Ä Garden by the Sea by Mercè Rodoreda, fiction, set in Spain, translated
â˜¶Ä Abigail by Magda Szabó, historical fiction, set in Hungary during WWII, translated
â˜¶Ä My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, dystopian
â˜¶Ä West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman, mystery
â˜¶Ä Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, fiction, immigrant experience in US
â˜¶Ä Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner, fiction, set in Switzerland
â˜¶Ä A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power, historical fiction, American Indian boarding school, indigenous author
â˜¶Ä The Teacher by Michal Ben-Naftali, historical fiction, set in Hungary and then Israel, before and after the Holocaust, survivor guilt; translated
â˜¶Ä A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, science fiction with a heart
â˜¶Ä The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir by Wayétu Moore, memoir, set during the Liberian civil war, immigrant experience
â˜¶Ä Are Women Human? Astute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society by Dorothy L. Sayers, essays, feminism with a twist
â˜¶Ä Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, historical fiction and fantasy, set in a remote village in Armenia; translated
â˜¶Ä The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer, nonfiction
â˜¶Ä Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow, historical fiction, several generations
â˜¶Ä Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, fiction, best audio so far this year!
â˜¶Ä The Art of Losing by Alice Zeniter, historical fiction, three generations, two world wars, Algerian war for independence, immigrant experience from Algeria to France; translated
â˜¶Ä The Fury by Alex Michaelides, mystery/thriller, set on a Greek Island, VERY unreliable narrator
â˜¶Ä End of Story by A.J. Finn, mystery/thriller, set in San Francisco
â˜¶Ä Jamilia, historical fiction, set in Kyrgyzstan during WW2 on a collective; a love story, but not a romance; translated

Most Anticipated?
1. A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison
2. Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell
3. The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
4. What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley
5. The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

Gail W wrote: "Yikes! I likely give 5's way too easy. But in my defense, I judge by how I feel when I'm done with the book. And, regardless of its flaws, if that feeling is "WOW", it gets a 5. My 5's represent ab..."

Same!!! I think we are programmed to think this because why not give a book you love 5 stars? And if you have tons of them? So what? That means you enjoyed a lot of books. (Can you tell I am trying to reprogram myself?)

Okay - here are my five star reads so far:
Sistersong by Lucy Holland - Fantasy
Where the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again by Kimberly Williams-Paisley - Non-Fiction/Memoir
Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry - Non-Fiction/Conservation
Wicked as She Wants by Delilah S. Dawson - Steampunk
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas - Romantasy
A Vicious Game by Melissa Blair - Fantasy
The Girlfriend by K. L. Slater - Thriller
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez - Fiction
The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna - Fantasy
A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross - Fantasy
India's Story by Kathlyn S. Starbuck - Science Fiction
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez - Non-Fiction/Feminist
Husband and Wife by K. L. Slater - Thriller
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair - Romantasy
The Narrator by K. L. Slater - Thriller
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston - Non-Fiction/History
He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters - Historical Cozy Mystery
Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss - Historical Fiction
Talking While Female & Other Dangerous Acts by Teatro Luna (not technically a book, but if you have Audible - listen to it! It's is fabulous.) - Non-Fiction/Feminist
Carniepunk: The Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah S. Dawson - Steampunk
You're Not a Girl in a Movie by Hala Alyan - Poetry
Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima - Mystery
The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg - Nordic Noir
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - Romantasy
Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima - Mystery
Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima - Mystery
Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima - Mystery
Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima - Mystery
The Stonecutter by Camilla Lackberg - Nordic Noir
The Stranger (Fj??llbacka Mysteries) by Camilla L??ckberg by Camilla Lackberg - Nordic Noir
The Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg - Nordic Noir
The Drowning by Camilla Lackberg - Nordic Noir
The Lost Boy by Camilla Lackberg by Camilla Lackberg - Nordic Noir
Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians by Amber Cantorna-Wylde - Non-Fiction/LGBTQ+
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells - Science Fiction
The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart - Fantasy
Poems To Live By in Uncertain Times ed. by Joan Murray - Poetry
Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson - Thriller/Horror
Missing by K. L. Slater - Thriller
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler - Post-Apocalyptic
Lightlark by Alex Aster - Romantasy
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells - Science Fiction
Catching the Light by Joy Harjo - Memoir
Network Effect by Martha Wells - Science Fiction
The Bedroom Window by K. L. Slater - Thriller

Looking forward (I'll probably have to come add some more - been out working in the heat all day, and my brain isn't working very well right now - LOL)
Anyone But Her by Cynthia Swanson
Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson

Misty wrote: "Gail W wrote: "Yikes! I like..."

Well, you certainly made me feel better! ;>)
I just read the Killing Trail this month and really liked it (gave it a 4, we'll talk sometime about why I rarely, if ever, give cozies a 5...). Glad you loved the rest of the series!

Also good to see an Alvarez novel. I loved her stuff and didn't know she had another out. So thanks for that. But this one? This one I can tell is going to make me cry. So I'll have to save it for when I need it...

Many, many excellent books is not a bad thing. I love your lists and willingness to share them! It’s most exciting - plus I’m super excited that everyone’s lists include a generous helping of genre fiction, and not the same old same old. Christmas in July, I say.

Misty wrote: "Gail W wrote: "Yikes! I likely give 5's way too easy. But in my defense, I judge by how I feel when I'm done with the book. And, regardless of its flaws, if that feeling is "WOW", it gets a 5. My 5..."

Which K.L. Slater do you recommend for new reader? She’s been on my radar but I don’t have a sense of my best entry point.

Carol wrote: "Which K.L. Slater do you recommend for new reader? She’s been on my radar but I don’t have a sense of my best entry point."

Oh gosh - I have loved all of them that I have read. The one I just finished: The Bedroom Window would be a good one. If you have Audible, it is in the included catalog right now, so that's always good!

Gail W wrote: "Well, you certainly made me feel better! ;>)"

Good! :)

My favourite new reads for the 1st half of 2024

Non-Fiction
A Writer's House in Wales by Jan Morris
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
Becoming a Matriarch: A Memoir by Helen Knott

FICTION
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw by Jessica Johns
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power

Nonfiction
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams (voting rights)
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (memoir, riveting)
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed (history)
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (memoir)

Fiction
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I have alot I rated highly this year but there was also alot rated average and lower...
It's interesting to review reads and ratings after some time has passed cuz I notice some 4.5-5 star reads that have not lingered with me so much as others and there are 4 star ones that linger still. Sometimes I adjust my ratings cuz of this...

So, what I still feel the biggest feels for at this point regardless of how I initially rated are:

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ
Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems by Warsan Shire
Dance of the Happy Shades by Alice Munro
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib
Claudine at School by Colette
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

Special mention for Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston and The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson- they are excellent too. Maybe fiction just does a little something more for me lately...

At the moment, really looking forward to:

Greek Lessons by Han Kang
Family Ties by Clarice Lispector
Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg
-more by Colette and Zora Neale Hurston
-delving into fantasy/horror for the 4th quarter challenge

Misty wrote: "Carol wrote: "Which K.L. Slater do you recommend for new reader? She’s been on my radar but I don’t have a sense of my best entry point."

Oh gosh - I have loved all of them that I have read. The o..."

Thank you, Misty!

Five Star Book

Better the Blood (Thriller)

Four Star Fiction

The Paris Understudy (historical fiction)
Rogue Justice (thriller)
Wayward Voyage (historical fiction)
Legacy of the Third Way (near future science fiction)
The Diabolical (crime thriller)
EXSILIUM: A heart-wrenching story of the search for survival at the dusk of the Roman Empire
The Lantern's Dance (historical mystery)

Four Star Non-Fiction

The Arena: One Woman's Story (memoir)
Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words

Most Anticipated Fiction

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
The New Colossus
All the Devils Are Here
The Witch and the Tsar

Most Anticipated Non-Fiction

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History
The Buddha from Brooklyn: A Tale of Spiritual Seduction

Oooo - four star books. I am totally going to put those down as well! :)

Okay - here are my four-star books so far this year:
Malice in Maggody by Joan Hess (Mystery)
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (Mystery)
Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters (Mystery)
Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters (Mystery)
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris (Mystery)
Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris (Mystery)
The Terrorists by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (Nordic Noir)
The Abominable Man by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (Nordic Noir)
Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (Nordic Noir)
The Locked Room by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (Nordic Noir)
Cop Killer by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (Nordic Noir)
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd (YA)
Disoriental by Negar Djevadi (Fiction/Historical Fiction)
Women of Means: The Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls by Marlene Wagman-Geller (Non-Fiction)
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (SciFi)
Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz (Non-Fiction/Archaeology)
River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan (Fiction)
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova (Fantasy/YA)
Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch (Fantasy)
Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova (Fantasy/YA)
All Systems Red by Martha Wells (SciFi)
See How They Run by Rachel Howzell Hall (Thriller)
Jubilee by Jennifer Givhan (Fiction)
Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Moms Tell All by Harlyn Aizley (Non-Fiction/LGBTQ+)
Mischief in Maggody by Joan Hess (Mystery)
How It Ends by Rachel Howzell Hall (Thriller)
Much Ado in Maggody by Joan Hess (Mystery)
Small Kingdoms & Other Stories by Charlaine Harris (Short Stories)
The Chicken Chronicles: Sitting with the Angels Who Have Returned with My Memories: Glorious, Rufus, Gertrude Stein, Splendor, Hortensia, Agnes of God, The Gladyses, & Babe by Alice Walker (Non-Fiction/Memoir)
Innocence; or, Murder on Steep Street by Heda Margolius Kovaly (Mystery)
Red Dust Running by Anita Heiss (Romance)
Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss (Romance)
Paris Dreaming by Anita Heiss (Romance)
If You'll Have Me by Eunnie (Graphic Novel/LGBTQ+)
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (Fantasy/YA)
A Touch of Ruin by Scarlet St. Clair (Romantasy)
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Non-Fiction/Memoir)
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (SciFi)
Purple Hibiscus by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie (Fiction)
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (Short Stories)

The only part of the year that's been good for me has been the books! LOL. :)