I read 62 books last year! Less than last year but not by much.
I think I’m slowly becoming accustomed to not being the person who reads over 150 books a year. I feel a little sadness for not reading all those books that I’m missing out on but I’m appreciating the slower pace and opportunity to appreciate each one a little more deeply.
Although, I could stop scrolling Reddit so much.
This year, I decided to scroll through my highlights and pick out my favorite sentences in each book. It makes it a little problematic because I don’t highlight every book.
Nora Roberts absolutely surprised me this year and I adored the Inheritance (was published in 2023). I don’t typically highlight moments with her. She just writes such a solid and enjoyable story and it had been a few years since I’ve really appreciated one of her books. So I am back in the La Nora camp again!
Funny Story by Emily Henry – This book was so poignant and special. I had so many highlights and couldn’t even narrow them down past these.
“I know,” he whispers. “I’ve got you.”
“You should always be here, my heart answers. My nervous system agrees, a feeling like some stovetop-warmed caramel drizzled over me.”
“If a person lets you down, it’s time to reconsider what you’re asking of them.”
“He was willing to be good to me, but he wasn’t willing to be any better.”
“But you—you make love so easy, Daphne. You make me think I already deserve it, exactly how I am.”
Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves – I have a special place for this author and she doesn’t write a lot but I decided to grab this new release. I was happy I did. It was so quiet, thoughtful, emotional, and I thought about it for awhile after I read it.
“Makes me wonder how many people are in relationships with someone they don’t want to marry but love too much to hurt.
“Life is so heartbreakingly amazing,”
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld – It was emotional. I laughed a lot. I love Saturday Night Live so this was such a spoof of it. I rated it 4 stars but I gave it as a gift to two people during the year so that had to elevate my rating.
“Sally, there are certain insights a woman has to have on her own.”
“Aren’t we all just looking for someone to talk about everything with? Someone worth the effort of telling our stories and opinions to, whose stories and opinions we actually want to hear?”
Not in Love, by Ali Hazlewood – I actually had this as a 4 star but couldn’t stop thinking about it and when I reviewed my highlights I remembered some parts so well. She writes STEM books so well and I loved the fact that Rue had to go back and be vulnerable.
“He had no right to resent her for being the best and worst thing to ever happen to him. And if his heart wasn’t going to survive her, then so be it.”
“I’m sorry.” His Adam’s apple moved. “I forget to look at other things, when you’re around.”
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez – She always writes a winner. I love all of her books. The Reddit curse was hysterical, the best friend relationships between the two women was awesome, and I love how the relationship evolved.
“If this isn’t magic, then what is?” he asked. “What does it feel like to be under a spell if this isn’t it?”
“I did what I was good at. I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and I put systems in place.”
“You’re not asking too much,” he said. “You were just asking the wrong person. Ask me instead.”
The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy – I keep thinking I would get tired of this author. Do I really need more hockey romances in my life? But she doesn’t just write hockey. There are such amazing emotions in it and while I think it’s just another fun New Adult romp, it smacks me around a little.
“You’re the heartbeat of my days. You’re the reason I look forward to tomorrow. I honestly never thought I’d find someone who understands me so completely”
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center – Dang, that quote hits.
“You wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you’re at the mercy of darkness.”
Failure to Match by Kyra Parsi
“I’d never kissed someone while we were both laughing before. It felt dangerously right. Like I’d been kissing the wrong people my whole life.”
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren – Just to be clear, that’s not my enneagram.
“Whenever someone asks me what my Enneagram is, I’m like, ‘Whichever is the lazy, affectionate, cheese-loving one.”
Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez – This was a sweet, quick read.
“Take responsibility for your own unhappiness, Holly. If you don’t love your life, change it.”
Normal People by Sally Rooney – I totally feel this quote. It’s so real.
“Connell always gets what he wants, and then feels sorry for himself when what he wants doesn’t make him happy.”
Look at the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins – She’s funny.
“You’re a human golden retriever, Dr. Smith. You make people feel calm and special.”
Tangled up in You by Christina Lauren – Same girl, same.
“The thought of having someone in her life, someone who chose to know her, who cared what she was thinking, who sought her out because he wanted to, not because they happened to occupy the same space all day, every day, made her feel dizzy with longing.”
Someone Else’s Shoes by JoJo Moyes – This feels like something I’d say and it hits.
“I didn’t know how I’d get through everything without you. I don’t even know who I’d be without you. And I know that’s stupid and selfish for me to be thinking like that because it’s you who’s been in the shit.”
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck – This quote made me laugh so hard.
“There’s a good response to this but it isn’t in his arsenal.”
Fake Empire by CW Farnsworth – Le sigh
“I love him because I want to. Because he challenges me and confides in me. Supports and softens me. I know the moment he enters the room and the second he leaves.”
Wedding People by Alison Espach – I four-starred this book but had a ton of highlights. I remember it slightly and it was definitely good. But I’m still including the highlights here because they make me sigh.
“I feel good. I feel honest. I feel like myself.”
“Nurture secret feelings in the dark of her mind, because total honesty is terrifying. It feels like it can ruin everything.”
“She wonders how terrifying it felt . . . looking at the sea, feeling like she was at the very end of it all. She wonders what it was that made her realize there was somewhere else to go.”
Sprint: How to solve big problems – I read this one as a recommendation from the Kaizen leader at my company. I wanted to a) impress him that I read it and b) quickly remember what the heck I needed to do. It was a really quick read and I realized that I basically knew everything anyway. Whether I could actually DO it was another story but that’s fine. It was a good refresher.
“My best work happened when I had a big challenge and not quite enough time.”
Brianna Wiest’s 101 essays was SO good. I highlighted it, gave it as a gift, bought two more copies, and highlighted more… and I just gave away my 2nd copy for Christmas. I got the Pivot Year as a gift and will read that next but it’s a nice way to take a breath and have some calm for a bit.
It also took me a year to read Secret Service and I really enjoyed the history of it! And I always love reading autobiographies and Selma Blair’s was hysterical. With Five Dysfunctions of a team, it really was a fantastic read and gave me some good ideas for work. I could probably use a re-read and better notes.
I need to go build up my 2025 list! Onyx is definitely on it, as is the 3rd Nora Roberts Lost Brides trilogy. (I’m 60% through the 2nd one right now!) I do need to figure out a good autobiography to read though. Something silly and fun.
