December 2024 - Reading Recap
Happy Holidays!
Nikolette and I hope Santa brought everyone their most wished-for books this Christmas. We didn’t get any new books, but I got plenty of book-related gifts. It’s been a wonderful holiday season, and we have so much to be grateful for. We are looking forward to 2025 and all the amazing books we will be reading!
DECEMBER BOOK REVIEWS
BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time for me to reflect on the books I read this year. I track my reading progress with Goodreads, and the stats report that I read 100 books this year. Of the 100 books, I rated 23 with five stars. For me to give a book a 5-star rating, I had to ABSOLUTELY love it! I then paired that list down to the 10 best books I read in 2024. Click ‘Read More’ below to see the list.
BOOKS I COLLECTED IN DECEMBER
OTHER BOOK NEWS
There’s a new Barnes & Noble…in the mall!?!
Lexington, Kentucky, has a second Barnes & Noble! I’m happy to see a bookstore open when so many have been closing. I believe it opened in late summer, and I finally made a point to check it out — I seldom go to the mall. My overall impression was that it was ‘okay’ — there are pros and cons. This B&N is not an anchor store, like I’ve seen in other states, but a regular store in the mall between two other retail stores. The store itself is very deep and filled with lots of books. It has all the expected genres of books and a nice section of gifts for readers. Basically, it has all the elements of a regular B&N except it’s missing the coziness of a bookstore and Starbucks. There is no room for seating as in other stores. It’s also lacking the artwork and standard B&N decor colors. The walls are white, and the flooring is laminate. I definitely felt like I was in the mall.
It is nice to see a bookstore in a mall again. I grew up exploring in Walden Books every time I went to the mall. I think it is a great way to expose mall shoppers to books. My favorite local independent bookstore is basically a neighbor to the mall, so it was a surprise that Lexington would get a second B&N in that location. The indie bookstore is so amazing that I don’t think this new B&N will be a threat. I don’t see myself going to this bookstore unless I have a B&N gift card to spend. When I’m in the mood to visit a bookstore, I will definitely be patronizing my local indie.
Silent Book Club
I have been an inconsistent attendee of the Silent Book Club at my local independent bookstore, Joseph-Beth, but I made it for the December meeting! We arrived early and ate dinner at the Bistro inside the bookstore. I like arriving early and having time to browse books. After making a couple of book selections, I joined my fellow group of introverts for book club. As expected, I had a good time. There were five of us in total; three repeaters and two first-timers. I enjoyed our conversations, in which I learned about my fellow readers and identified common threads. We then shared about our books and relaxed into our books. I made progress on The Shining for the Constant Reader book club this month.
Constant Reader Book Club
The Constant Reader book club had a chilling December meeting to discuss Stephen King’s The Shining. It’s been the perfect horror novel to devour this chilly, snowy December. I enjoyed discussing the book with 12 fellow King fans. The facilitators prepared thought-provoking discussion questions. It was interesting to hear everyone’s interpretations of the characters and scenes. My husband and I (mostly my husband) made The Shining coasters with the original book cover as holiday gifts for the book club members.
I’m looking forward to re-reading the sequel, Doctor Sleep, for our January meeting.
Wrapping it up
I’m slowly reading my way through the Sherlock Holmes collection on Audible. I’m currently reading The Adventure of Beryl Coronet from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Only 44 more hours to go! I’m also enjoying my physical copy of Doctor Sleep by Stephen King, A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell in ebook, and Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III on Audible. I hope you enjoy the books I included in this month’s reading recap. Nikolette and I wish you all a safe and happy new year. I will be ringing in 2025 with a book in hand!
Reaching for my next book,
Natalie
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