E.C.鈥檚 Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2024

20,543

pages read

books read

E.C.

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman

Shortest Book

pages

Longest Book

671

pages

Average book length in 2024

302

pages

Most Shelved

12,088,157

people also shelved

Least Shelved

118

people also shelved

E.C.鈥檚 average rating for 2024

3.9

Voices of the Future by Marielle Henning

Highest Rated on 欧宝娱乐

4.66 average

E.C.鈥檚 first review of the year

really liked it

A short read that's both heartbreaking, simple, and profound all at the same time. And yes, that ending ripped my heart into a million tiny pieces and stomped on the remains.

I had his back. And he had mine. That's what greater love is. ...more

贰.颁.鈥橲 2024 BOOKS

it was amazing

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

it was amazing

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry

Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

it was amazing

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

it was amazing

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World by Fredrik Backman

In the Company of Cows by Sequoyah Branham

really liked it

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

it was amazing

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

really liked it

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke

E.C.鈥檚 last review of the year

liked it

I struggle to read anthologies, being one of those readers who takes forever to get invested in characters. This collection in particular is generally made up of stories that are very plot-central, with conflicts grounded in the worldbuilding, so I could see this anthology being a good fit for those who are looking for a low-intensity read and want to flip through a variety of stories over time.

That said, as usual, this is a solid set of stories! I struggle to read anthologies, being one of those readers who takes forever to get invested in characters. This collection in particular is generally made up of stories that are very plot-central, with conflicts grounded in the worldbuilding, so I could see this anthology being a good fit for those who are looking for a low-intensity read and want to flip through a variety of stories over time.

That said, as usual, this is a solid set of stories! Very proud of these authors and all the hard work they鈥檝e put into refining their craft.

My personal favorites were What Lives Beneath the Skin by Joseph Brink, The Sword Rose by Caleb E. King, The Journal in the Attic by Kira Rosengren, and The Poet Who Lived on Pickpocket Lane by Sarina Louise.

Middle-grade horror鈥攐r horror in general鈥攊sn't really my thing, but What Lives Beneath the Skin is just the perfect balance of realism and subtle spookiness (with a killer twist, and no, that's not a pun). From the very first page, we're pulled into the setting, with thick walls, excessive latches to keep the night away, and the overwhelming, sickeningly sweet smell of peaches. The story utilizes fears I think most readers can understand or relate to at one point, from the unfamiliarity of spending the first few nights in a new house to the way holes in walls can be so uncanny in a very specific way. Overall, it's very brilliantly done, and the adorable sibling dynamics don't hurt.

I鈥檓 not a huge reader of medieval fantasy, but whenever I see one of Caleb E. King鈥檚 stories, they make me want to start reading more of the genre. The Sword Rose is no exception. Right off the bat, the setting and central conflict feel grounded and familiar, making it easy to connect with Pierce鈥檚 internal conflict as he鈥檚 torn between competing for the betterment of his family鈥檚 future and spending moments with them in the now. At its core, it鈥檚 a simple story, but the simplicity of it is ultimately what makes it all the more impactful. I also appreciated the insight we got into some of the side characters, such as Pierce鈥檚 father, in a way that didn鈥檛 feel overwhelming but still served to aid the overall theme. The ending only served to enhance the realism, how it concluded Pierce鈥檚 arc while still maintaining the bittersweet nature surrounding this story.

I have a soft spot for grief stories, and Kira Rosengren鈥檚 The Journal in the Attic fits that category perfectly. But with that also comes the concern that the healing journey will feel rushed and inauthentic due to the length of a short story. This wasn鈥檛 the case with The Journal in the Attic. It鈥檚 written from a gently encouraging perspective, one that empathizes with your grief but doesn鈥檛 allow it to hold you down. I also loved the writing, the way Rosengren pulls out little details that enhance the realism of the story鈥攆rom our main character鈥檚 love of mashed potatoes, to the Redwoods trip (as a Cali resident this makes me so happy), to the way apple cider has to cool to reach a drinkable temperature. All of it was just perfection.

And of course I wasn鈥檛 surprised by Sarina Louise鈥檚 short story in the best possible way. She鈥檚 a highly skilled writer, and The Poet Who Lived on Pickpocket Lane wraps the theme of love and loss in gorgeous gorgeous prose, an atmospheric setting, and a cast of vivid characters. There were also so many small insights on being a creative and being able to craft beauty from pain and grief that were so timely. If you鈥檙e the kind of person to highlight beautiful lines, you will absolutely need to get your pens out for this one, because let me tell you: there will be plenty.

Those were just my personal favorites, indicative of my own personal reading tastes, but the fun thing about anthologies is that in reading them, you鈥檒l find a set of your own to love. So if you generally enjoy middle-grade, fantasy, and plot-central stories (as a majority but not all of these stories are), I鈥檇 recommend giving this one a try! ...more

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