Top 10 Books I read in 2024 (From 86 in my Goodreads Challenge)
Image of the 85 books that Jessica Tudos read in 2024 during her Goodreads Challenge
On a whim, I joined Goodreads in 2015 so I could keep track of what I was reading and wanted to read. Having an online portal felt liberating and easy - no more endless sticky notes, book cover photos, or back-in-my-brain titles.
The Goodreads welcome email was lovely; lots of āwe love and support our community of readers and authors, but what really captured my attention was the annual Reading Challenge invite. As someone who loves a worthy challenge, I was ready to set my reading challenge goal.
From 22 books read in 2015 (goal was 20) to 86 in 2024 (goal was 85) I KNOW this worksā¦for my brain. My reading satisfaction is growing!
People often ask, "How do you fit in so much readingā? To which I say, āIt depends on your life stageā.
My reading has evolved over the years ā from sneaking it in while my young son napped, propping myself up in bed on the one day I could sleep in, reading in the car while waiting for hockey practice to end, and more recently, listening to audiobooks while driving and cooking.
Efficiency often drives my reading, but finding the joy and wonder in the ideas is what keeps me engaged.
Besides staying on track with my annual reading challenge, I love choosing my favourites (the 2nd most asked question I get).
As hard as it is to choose (and this gets harder the more books I read), I love my annual ritual of reviewing my books, reflecting on the impact of each, and choosing which ones Iād like to share with my fellow book lovers.
Et voilĆ , my favourite books from 2024:
FICTION:
1. The Covenant of Water (Abraham Verghese): A sweeping saga about love and family enduring despite major generational challenges and cultural shifts. I didnāt want this to endā¦and the ending was surprising.
2. The Women (Kristin Hannah): A compelling story about the overlooked sacrifices and bravery of women during the Vietnam War era. What strong characters here ā I am excited to see the movie- version come out.
3. Here One Moment (Liane Moriarty): Would you want to know your fate? This journey into the fleeting moments and secrets that make up life made me think about fate and life decisions in a whole new way.
4. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (James McBride): A heartwarming and culturally relevant tale of community, justice, and unexpected heroes in a divided small town. Humility and humanity remain with me.
5. Circe (Madeline Miller): As a fan of Greek mythology (thanks to my son), I loved this modern twist on identity, power, and resilience amongst empowering and memorable characters. Stayed up late for this one!
Special Mentions:
The Glass Maker (Tracey Chevalier): An intriguing story about art, craftsmanship, ambition, and the rise of the Murano glass industry and its glassmakers. I will now appreciate Murano glass in a whole new light.
Oona Out of Order (Margarita Montimore): What if you lived your life out of sequence? Oona reminds us to embrace uncertainty and make the most of now. May we all have a bit of Oona in us!
NON-FICTION:
1. The Creative Act (Rick Rubin): An inspiring and practical guide about harnessing your creative spark and confidently sharing your unique perspectives no matter what. I needed this reminder ā good timing!
2. Accidental Icon (Iris Apfel): An impressive memoir from a 96-year-old icon about living authentically, embracing individuality, and finding joy in self-expression. RIP Iris and may we all age as spunkily as you.
3. Gang Leader for a Day (Sudhir Venkatesh): Being far removed from this world, this raw and eye-opening exploration of the intricate structures of gang life in Chicago's projects kept me mesmerized.
4. Honey, Baby, Mine (Laura Dern and Diane Ladd): A heartfelt exchange of letters and walking conversations between two Hollywood icons. Full of wisdom, life lessons, and heartfelt moments of honesty.
5. 100 Novels That Changed the World (Colin Slater): Educational and inspiring guide, these 100 books have indeed shaped our culture and history and I felt smarter after reading this. Also loved the crisp layout.
Special Mentions:
The Emotionary: A Dictionary Of Words That Don't Exist For Feelings That Do (Eden Sher & Julia Wertz): A hilarious and relatable toolkit for naming the weird, unspoken emotions we experience from an author with dyscommunicatia (n. the inability to articulate a feeling through words.)
Karma by (Boy George) - A fun, rompy, and surprisingly introspective journey of an 80s icon I grew up listening to. Brought me right back to the Culture Club show at Maple Leaf Gardens back in the day! This is a story of defiance, fame, and the pursuit of good karma (naysayers be dammed).
Are any of these books on your list? Any you would add/remove? Let me know in the comments below!
Whenever someone asks me how, and why, I read so many books, I always tell them itās because I have an external accountability partner in Goodreads! Knowing I can track my progress is absolutely essential.
If you need more reasons to join a reading challenge in 2025, here are my top 5:
1. Stay motivated to read more by turning it into an achievable goal
2. Discover new genres, authors, and topics you might not usually explore
3. Join a supportive community of readers who share recommendations and inspiration.
4. Track your progress and feel accomplished as you hit your milestones.
5. Turn reading into a rewarding personal journey that expands your perspectives
In my nine years of participating in the Goodreads Challenge, I have definitely leveled up my reading game to meet my goal(s) and have also been exposed to new ideas, insights, and beliefs that impact my life choices.
Reading challenges have pushed me to expand my horizons and tackle books I might have never picked up.
The majority of books I read in 2024 left me feeling curious, satisfied, and accomplished.
Book Club:
A key element in the ongoing development of my reading journey has been participation in our neighbourhood book club. Shout out to my GS reading moms!
During book club, we have a great time discussing our choice picks, along with the latest neighbourhood gossip, letās be honest! There is magic in getting together to discuss varying viewpoints, opinions, and key takeaways from a book weāve all recently read. Yummy snacks and drinks also help spark conversation.
My favourite 2024 book club read was Barbara Kingsolverās Demon Copperhead: A Novel, an endearing and expansive re-telling of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield set in 1990ās Appalachia. What characters!
Our first book of 2025 is Miranda Julyās All Fours, which will be an interesting discussion among our group of midlife peri/menopausal women. No holding back or playing it safe on this oneā¦if youāve read it, you knowā¦
In book club, we often talk about the challenges of finding (making!) time to read. There are always many reasons, and all of them are valid. We are all committed and need to find ways to overcome the challenges.
Top 3 Challenges to reading more and reaching your Reading Challenge goal:
Pressure Over Pleasure: Turning reading into a numbers game can make it feel like a chore instead of an enjoyable escape, especially if you're rushing through books just to hit your goal.
Time Constraints: Life gets busy with school, work, or other commitments, making it hard to carve out enough time to meet an ambitious reading target.
Quality Over Quantity: Focusing on the challenge may push you to choose shorter or easier books instead of diving deeply into meaningful or complex reads.