It’s hard to believe another year is nearly in the books! (See what I did there?)
For me, 2024 has mostly been a pretty great year personally and professionally. Of course, it’s had highs and lows like anything, but my overall sentiment towards ’24 is positive and I can’t say that about every year of my life. My family is happy and healthy, and I completed the Boyfriend in the Bargain series, so what’s to complain about?
In a few weeks, I’ll do a final wrap-up post listing my favorite books of the year along with my total number of books read and reading goals for 2025. But for now, here’s what I’ve been reading in the last few weeks of the year. Spoiler alert: there are a LOT of Christmas books that I’ve been absolutely loving but that I didn’t read in time to include in my annual Christmas Book Guide, so I’m sharing them here instead.
Let’s get to it!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.
Just Finished:
This holiday flavored romantic comedy was such a delight. It’s short, just under 200 pages, and I read the whole thing in about 24 hours. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, age gap, forced proximity (they get trapped in an elevator) story that hit all the right notes for me with just the right mixture of sweetness and humor. I was impressed with how deep the author was able to go with the characters given how short the story is. Two thumbs up!
Another book I couldn’t read fast enough, this one is a marriage of convenience story with a delightful cast of characters. I especially loved Aunt Edith, who instigates the marriage with the clause in her will stating that Colin needed to find a wife by Twelfth Night in order to inherit. Mercy and Colin’s romance is so sweet as they get to know each other in a deeper way and take their childhood friendship to more.
I’ve been meaning to read a Brandon Sanderson book for a long time, since he’s well-known as a master of epic fantasy. But that word ‘epic’? It’s synonymous with ‘long’, so I’ve been intimidated to start one. I finally bit the bullet and listened to this 25-hour audiobook, and it was worth it. The worldbuilding was great, the characters were great, the plot twists were great. It’s about a street urchin who discovers that she has abilities she never could have dreamed of and becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Lord Ruler and his government in order to free an enslaved people.
In Progress:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I hope we all know what this book is about by now. But in case you don’t, Harry discovers he’s a wizard and gets a major upgrade when he goes from the cupboard under the stairs at his terrible aunt and uncle’s house to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Friendships are formed and adventures ensue as Harry’s world is turned upside down for the better. I’m doing this one as a read aloud with my two girls just for funsies and it’s just as entertaining the fourth time around as it was the first.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
If Knives Out were a romantic comedy, that’s what this book is. Maggie and Ethan are nemesis mystery authors at the same publishing house who are sent on a surprise trip together. It turns out that Maggie’s favorite mystery writer, the Duchess of Death Eleanor Ashley, has invited them to spend Christmas at her estate in England. But almost as soon as they arrive, things begin to happen and before they know it, there’s a very dangerous mystery that must be solved. This book is so fun! The banter and push/pull between Maggie and Ethan is excellent and I can’t wait to find out how it ends.
I loved Single All the Way so much that I jumped straight into this connected holiday rom-com. It’s off to a great start and I’m excited to see where this forced proximity, reverse grumpy/sunshine goes. There’s already been great banter and some cringe-worthy moments of the best kind and I’m only 5% in.
Up Next:
I love me some Courtney Walsh. She is just the best for sweet, funny rom-coms with lovable characters, so her latest holiday release is next on my list. I can’t wait to start this grumpy/sunshine, childhood crush, opposites attract romance in which Olive is hired by Liam’s parents to make the last season on their family Christmas tree farm as amazing as possible before they sell it. Also, the cover makes me think there’s probably a dog…
This book is described as “a wacky romcom mashup of Home Alone and Twelve Days of Christmas, perfect for fans of love, laughter, and holiday warm fuzzies!”. Shut up and take my money. I’ve only ever read one other Gracie Ruth Mitchell book and I absolutely adored it, so I have high hopes for this one!
And if you want even more great book recommendations, check out this month’s link-up over at Anne Bogel’s Modern Mrs. Darcy Quick Lit page.
How fun to be reading Christmas books! I’ve had several books become available this month from my library, so those are having to take precedent for me. But I’m glad to see these titles from you. Maybe I’ll pick up one before Christmas is over. 🙂