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Hi friends! I can't believe there's like 2 weeks left of this year. I was hoping that I was going to be able to read more than 10 books this year, but here we are, only at exactly 10 books. My goal was to read at least 20 so I'll be popping that one over to next year (maybe I can get a Kindle or something to help me read). Anyway, enough of me getting mad at myself for that because I've done a lot of other cool things this year).
This blog post is dedicated to all the books I've read this year (2024) with a mini-review of each and then there will be a list of books on my list to read! Please enjoy!
You can check out the 2023 book review "here".
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2024 Books I've Read + Mini Reviews
Ultra-Processed People - Chris van Tullemen - Luke's dad let me borrow this book and it took me a long time to read, it was given to me because I have IBS but the book doesn't discuss IBS, it just discusses how ultra-processed foods are bad for you and that it's not your fault if you're obese. And I get it, ultra-processed foods are terrible for you, but I didn't grow up eating them. I don't have IBS because of my diet, I have IBS because of a traumatic upbringing and the gut-brain connection. I found the author was really judgemental to anyone who didn't fit what their BMI was supposed to be - he didn't take into consideration other life factors that might be at play, it was all about food. It was a hard read for me, it used super scientific language which is fine, but I just wanted some humour or some more interesting things in the book - the most interesting thing I learned from this book is that Pringles cans are designed so that you will eat the whole pack. And to an extent, the social factors at play, like how low SES areas tend to have more food deserts were interesting to me. I just wish the author wasn't so judgemental, especially towards his brother who was overweight.
100 Tales from Australia's Most Haunted Places - Ben Pobjie - Yep, I was still reading this in October last year and then I put it down and picked it back up at the start of the year. I really enjoyed this book. I think because it was a lot of short stories, I didn't feel compelled to read it as fast as another book. If you love ghost stories, it's definitely a good read PLUS the author was a little bit passive-aggressive and sarcastic in parts and I really enjoyed that (he's obvs a skeptic).
Black River - Matthew Spencer - I could not put this book down. I was hooked. It's a fiction book but I felt like I was following a real murder case in real time. The writing in this book was so clever. It did get a BIT scary and gory at times and the ending was a bit abrupt - like I kinda wish it was drawn out a bit more, but at the same time, it felt right.
Ghost Stories of Henry James - Henry James - This is another book with a collection of short stories (idk why I've been reading a lot of those lately) and some were AMAZING but others were soooo hard to read - and it took me a long time to read because a lot of the language was very old fashioned.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? - Dr. Julie Smith - I really like Dr. Julie Smith, sometimes I see her IG reels and think they are really helpful and the book was great. She has a different approach - a more generalised approach to helping with anxiety but this book taught me a lot of different techniques to help conquer anxiety. I know a few people who I could recommend this to but I think they'd be offended. If you are thinking of getting this book, I recommend getting the paperback because there are resources in the back that you can write on. It definitely helped me do a lot of reflecting inward at myself and I like that.
Reacher: Killing Floor - Lee Child - So I watched the show before I read the book which kinda sucks because now every time I imagine Jack Reacher, it's Alan Ritchson and nothing wrong with that, but I do like reading books before watching stuff because I like coming up with my own visuals of what the characters look like. Anyway, once I bought this book, I was hooked on the Reacher books and tv series - it's like falling into a whole new world, I guess escapism is the right word but when I'm reading books like this, it feels like I'm in another universe and I can't stop reading. I never thought I was a Lee Child fan, but clearly I was soooo wrong. And now I am going to read the whole series (wish me luck, there's like 30 books).
Die Trying - Lee Child (#2 in the Reacher series) - I'm almost finished this one and probably will be in the next day or two but I can see why this book wasn't made as s2 for the tv series - especially with the anti-government doomsday preppers. I really like this though because it has that "omg are they ever gonna get out" sorta vibe to it and things just keep going wrong. Obviously, I know Reacher isn't going to die because there's like 30 other books he's in but it just keeps you wondering, omg, what's gonna happen next? Can they catch a break? The start was a little harder than Book #1 but once I was 1/4 of the way in, that's when the whole I feel like I'm in a different world started. Highly recommend it if you like crime thrillers.
Elevation - Stephen King - This was a very quick read, I think I read it in less than a day and it's not scary in the same sense that Pet Cemetery, Carrie, or The Shining are scary, it's more of a psychological scary (which I personally don't find that scary) BUT the end did leave me wondering and I audibly went "what the f#ck?" Like, I get that it's a metaphor about illness and how others may be affected by things, but still, it made me go wtf haha. It's a good read though, especially if you've lost someone close to you.
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - I had NO idea that the TV show with the same name was based on this book BUT also that the storylines don't connect at all (like, the TV show just took inspiration from the book). I think both the show and book have their own pros and cons to them. The TV show was absolutely terrifying and the book wasn't as scary - it was more like we were left wondering whether anything really happened in the house? I loved it though, an easy read. If you can't tell, I love ghost stories, horror, sci-fi, and all things dystopian.
Conspiracy Legends - David Gardener - I'm not one to believe in conspiracy theories but this book changed my mind about a lot of things. Like, Princess Diana was 100% set up when she died (especially after learning her driver was dr*gged) before driving her and her then partner. Very eye-opening and very interesting. I definitely learned a lot of things I wasn't aware of - like Marilyn Monroe's ab*sive upbringing and her affair with both JFK and RFK. An easy read for sure, but also keep the tissues handy if you're easily affected by trauma.
The Psychology of Stupidity - Jean-François Marmion - And for no. 11, I thought I had finished this book, but I hadn't LOL because I found a bookmark near the end of it. It's an academic book but I like it from a sociological perspective. Because I put it down for so long, I might have to go back and read it again but it's definitely good if you're interested in any sort of social science.
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So what about what's on my list to read for 2025?
Well, I'm gonna start by saying the Reacher series obviously. I know Luke got me the 3rd book in the series (for Christmas) and I've got the book that s2 of the tv show was based on so enjoy the list of books below:
Tripwire - Lee Child (#3 in the Reacher series).
Reacher: Bad Luck and Trouble - Lee Child (#11 in the Reacher series).
The Never Game - Jeffrey Deaver - A TV show Tracker is based on these books and I watched in on the plane on our last trip to CHCH and was hooked. It's like discount Reacher (or a more relatable Reacher). So I wanna go and read the books.
The Wheel of Time Series - Robert Jordan - I have the first 3 books in this series and have read one page of the first book (LOL), but one of my uni friends loved this books so I definitely want to give them a chance, especially because there's also a TV show.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley - I have read a lot of dystopian fiction like 1984, Animal Farm, The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, Clockwork Orange, The Kite Runner, etc. but I don't ever remember reading Brave New World so that's going on my list for 2025.
The Mist - Stephen King - Because I love Stephen King novels and he's a corgi lover and supports trans-rights so duh.
The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman (I have the first 2 books in this series and I heard they were good so I gotta give them a go).
Lights Out - Navessa Allen - Just sounds interesting tbh.
How My Neighbour Stole Christmas - Meghan Quinn - Just because I feel like I'm really out of the loop with the fairy smut and I want to know if it's good LOL.
Going Home in the Dark - Dean Koontz - My mum had a lot of Koontz's books on her bookshelf when I was a teenager so I read a lot of them and I loved them - I can't remember which one it was but one I read freaked me out so much I had a dream the moon fell out of the sky and tried to kill me. Anyway, very scary but I still wanna read more of his work so his new book coming out in May 2025 might be one to go for. I also really liked Phantoms.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post! I've got a lot of reading to do in 2025.
Much love,
Ash xoxo
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I'm also at about 10 this year. Love the Reacher books, also enjoyed Haunting of Hill House book. Some of the others sound interesting too.