You will not have missed the fact that I have read quite a bit in 2024. If I put all the covers of the books I started reading in 2024 – and most of which I also finished – next to each other, it really is a wall of books.
On the Flemish side of this blog, I already highlighted everything about the numbers of what I read (I’m too lazy to translate this to English, especially since screenshots of my spreadsheet and graphs contain a lot of Dutch words as well 😅), but apart from my monthly reviews, I have not told you much more about what I think about my 2024 reading year, apart from the star ratings.

When I look back at my blog posts over the years, it turns out that I have always been much better at writing about the numerical aspect of my reading behaviour than analyzing my feelings towards those books. Yes, I have become quite consistent in reviewing every book I read, some more extensively than others. But to look back at the beginning of the new year and highlight which books have stayed with me the most, that is much more difficult.
And yes, choosing a favourite is a difficult thing, especially because I read quite varied. Like, a great science fiction book simply evokes completely different feelings than say a mystery or romance. Over the years I have tried different things – from choosing a favourite book per month to a favourite per genre – but I am never 100% satisfied with that, because I always identify some weakness or other in the selection system. To be honest, I think I will always have some reservations about any system and that any book I select may not stand the test of time. Can you tell I’m an overthinker 😅?
However, I do find it a shame that I refrain from even trying to select favourites, so that’s why I am sort of forcing myself to write this post about my read books of 2024 and which ones I remember the most based on different categories!

The monthly favourites

Although I was not very active with my reading journal in 2024, I did make a few yearly spreads, including one for the favourite book of the month. Regardless of whether it was a good or bad reading month, I selected a favourite, so it is very possible that the favourite book of one month is a five-star book and the other only a two-star book.

In that aspect, 2024 wasn’t that bad in terms of reading, because I was able to always select a 4 or 5 star book as the book of the month!
When I look at these books now, now that some time has passed, I still stand behind the choices I made each month. Not every book still resonates or is as memorable, but I can still remember the positive feeling when reading it!

Monthly favourites book battle

In previous years, I would choose the book of the year from the twelve monthly favourites by means of a book battle. In the first round of that battle, the favourites from the first half of the year were placed one on one against those from the second half. So the January favourite competed against the July favourite, the February favourite against the August favourite, and so on, until I had reduced the favourites list to 6 books. This was then further reduced to three books, from which the book of the year was ultimately chosen.

This year I tried something new: a matrix.
In this matrix, each book competed with every other book. For example, January was weighed against every other book from February to December, so that a complete top twelve could eventually be drawn up that was much more balanced.

I filled in the matrix as quickly as possible, without thinking too much and based on my immediate feeling. Because of this, it is quite possible that I made an inconsistent choice somewhere, especially if I found it difficult to make that choice. But when I look at it now, I can still agree with this order. Some rankings are interchangeable, which is also confirmed when I look at my BALSPEL score for each book.

Monthly favourite	Month	BALSPEL	Matrix n°
Royal Assassin	May	9,71	2
The Running Grave	January	9,36	1
Comfort Me With Apples	November	9,29	3
Swordheart	June	9,07	4
The Tainted Cup	August	9,07	5
The Trouble With Peace	July	8,93	7
Two Twisted Crowns	March	8,79	11
House of Hollow	September	8,71	10
Close to Death	April	8,57	9
Dreams of Gods & Monsters	February	8,43	6
Harbinger of Justice	October	8	8
The God of the Woods	December	7,57	12

Five of the rankings according to the matrix match the ranking according to the BALSPEL score. I think the main thing is that the top five remains relatively unchanged. The rest depends on the moment you ask me.
I can explain why places 1 and 2 are swapped in the matrix versus the BALSPEL score and I do agree with that. Royal Assassin was a really powerful book and definitely deserves its BALSPEL score, but my feeling about this book is somewhat coloured when I look at it in the total of the entire Farseer trilogy, where the finale disappointed me. And yes, The Running Grave was also an immensely impressive piece of writing and of a completely different genre than Fantasy, so I certainly think its selection as favourite of the year is justified.

But are these twelve monthly favourites the only noteworthy books of 2024?
If I can choose between all the books I read, will these twelve stand out? For that reason, I asked myself a few separate questions about the books I read in 2024, which I will now highlight, in the style of a Book Awards. As far as possible, I also tried not to mention a book more than once.

Most disappointing

It is a certainty that none of the monthly favourites will appear in this category, but I also think it is important to briefly highlight my most negative feelings about the books I read in 2024. And yes, I do have a few books that I do not have such great memories of. I could make a list here of all the books that I gave few stars to, but I have limited myself to the top three that I am actually still a bit angry about.

#3	#2	#1

#3. The Spear Cuts through Water (DNF) [review]:
Although I initially thought about not mentioning books that I had not finished, my negative feeling about this one is just way too big. This book was praised so much and based on the synopsis I was very curious, but in the end this became a very frustrating reading experience and the reason why I was in a reading slump for a long time. So I think it is right to put this in third place in the ranking of most disappointing.

#2. Castle in the Air (★★) [review]:
In this sequel to the great Howl’s Moving Castle I started reading with suppressed enthusiasm, because I had already heard that it was less good. Still, I expected to find at least a glimpse of the same charm in it, but this turned out to be almost the opposite of its predecessor. Very disappointing.

#1. Assassin’s Quest (★★★) [review]:
With its 3 stars, this isn’t necessarily a bad book, but it was one that disappointed me immensely, especially after the fantastic journey that was Royal Assassin and also considering how much this series is hyped among fantasy readers. The fact that I didn’t have such life-changing feelings about it, as many claim, made me rather sad and yes, very disappointed in this finale of the beloved trilogy. Therefore, definitely the biggest disappointment of 2024.

Most surprising

And I mean this in a positive way. Of course, I start reading every book with the idea that I’m going to like it, otherwise I wouldn’t start reading it. But sometimes there are books that are extra surprising with their impact or the amount of joy they give me.

#3	#2	#1

#3. A Study in Drowning (★★★★) [review]:
Ava Reid is one of those authors whose ideas always appeal to me, but ever since my rather negative experience with the only book of hers I’ve read — “The Wolf and the Woodsman — I’ve been hesitant to pick up another one of her books. But in the spirit of second chances, I took a chance on my Illumicrate edition of “A Study in Drowning.” At first, it looked like I was going to have the same experience as I had with the previous book, but then something clicked and I started to really enjoy my experience and ended up having a much better time with it than I had originally hoped.

#2. Comfort me With Apples (★★★★★) [review]:
I started this book not really knowing what to expect. Certainly not what I got out of it. Wow, such a little gem!

#1. House of Hollow (★★★★) [review]:
And number 1 is also for a book that I was somewhat hesitant about. These kinds of books always appeal to me in theory, but in practice it usually goes wrong. This was absolutely not the case with this one. This was macabre, creepy and 100% the kind of gothic folklore that I am looking for when I open this genre of books.

Best start of a series

Series are really popular these days, either as standalone, episodic stories set in the same world and/or with the same characters, or as dynamic, overarching stories. So this category is for those first books in a new series that really make me look forward to the next instalment.

#3	#2	#1

#3. City of Ghosts (★★★★) [review]:
One that could have easily been placed in the next category, due to its nostalgic nature. This start of a trilogy was not only a great standalone story, but it made me instantly attached to its main characters, which made me read the sequels in one go.

#2. Harbinger of Justice (★★★★) [review]:
This debut drew me in from its prologue and managed to captivate me until the end. The characters came to life in my head and I am damned curious to see how they will fare.

#1. Daughter of Smoke & Bone (★★★★★) [review]:
Ah, Laini Taylor, there’s something about her writing that just keeps getting me instantly hooked. I wasn’t even halfway through this book when I decided to buy the two sequels. So definitely the best first book in a series I’ve read in 2024.

Best feel good book

From romance to coziness to nostalgia, books don’t always need to have a meaningful message or a huge plot twist to make them impactful. Nowadays, the cozy concept is a fact in various genres, and although my top three don’t fall into such a cozy genre by default, they are for me.

#3	#2	#1

#3. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (★★★★) [review]:
A delightful cozy mystery about a nosy old lady who loves to have people around her to take care of. Heartwarming and funny.

#2. Lore Olympus (★★★★★) [review]:
Yes, this graphic novel is a big favourite of mine. Beautiful drawings, combined with Greek mythology – and especially the myth of Hades and Persephone – and contemporary themes. I have reread the first parts several times and I keep getting more out of it. Absolutely addicted to it and a great series to reach for when I need some quick warmth in my reading material.

#1. Swordheart (★★★★★) [review]:
I didn’t expect this one to hit me like it did. It’s T. Kingfisher, so I was going to like it to some extent, but this was a delightful story with characters that immediately found a place in my heart. Much needed at the time I read it, to remind me why I’m such a bookworm.

Mostly laughed out loud

In my original draft of these “awards” this category did not exist, but because I absolutely wanted to give one particular book a special mention, I started looking through my read list again and this category was born.

#3	#2	#1

#3. Fugitive Telemetry (★★★) [review]:
That I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Murderbot series is perhaps known from my reviews, but this one has turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than the previous volumes I have read. If the books were only sarcastic reflections and observations of Murderbot, these books would undoubtedly get more than three stars from me.

#2. Heroes (★★★★) [review]:
Well, it’s Stephen Fry, I don’t think I need to say much more about that. The man is funny and I don’t think anyone can deny that.

#1. The Trouble with Peace (★★★★) [review]:
This book, or rather this author, inspired me to create this category. While I generally find his books too cynical and depressing to be my favourites, they do resonate with me. In 2024, I finished reading the First Law World. I appreciate his character studies and writing style, but it’s his grim humour and wit that make a lasting impression, in contrast to the events of the plot. I snickered and laughed out loud more than once, which makes his first place in this category very appropriate for my experience.

Most beautiful read cover

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for beautiful books, given the sheer volume of special editions I buy each year. So a single category that emphasizes appearance over content seems warranted.

#3	#2	#1

#3. After the Forest (★★★) [review]:
And specifically the Illumicrate cover. Content-wise, this wasn’t a bad book either – atmospheric and original – but with too many flaws to really have an impact. Its cover, however, stands out for me.

#2. A Fate Inked in Blood (★★★) [review]:
This is also about a special edition, by Fairyloot this time. I also really like the illustration on the regular edition, but I always prefer more abstract covers, and I think this one is really beautifully designed. Again, the content of this book wasn’t bad either, but it was a lot less impactful than its exterior.

#1. Elektra (★★★★) [review]:
In a way it’s funny that the cover I like best is from a regular paperback edition. I absolutely love the colours and the details in the illustration, and I thought so even before I registered that the Trojan horse is on top of those pillars. And again, this was also a very good book in terms of content. Not as good as hoped, but still gripping and compelling.

Beste Mystery/Thriller

For the final three categories for these “awards”, I decided to highlight my three most read genres, starting with mysteries and thrillers. If I add up the books from these two genres, I read 18 and these are my top three.

#3	#2	#1

#3. Close to Death (★★★★) [review]:
I really don’t understand why this series by Anthony Horrowitz isn’t more popular and why they don’t translate it to Dutch, because I really want more people around me to read it. I devour these books on audio as soon as they are available and this one was another great and very original addition to the series!

#2. The Murders at Fleat House (★★★★) [review]:
I started reading this one, because I wanted to experience the author Lucinda Riley, without having to dive into “The Seven Sisters“. And yes, a big hit. Complex, but very compelling and exciting.

#1. The Running Grave (★★★★★) [review]:
That this is number one in this category will come as no surprise. I am a huge fan of this series and I think this is my favourite so far. Gripping and compulsively readable.

Beste Romance

My second most read genre of 2024 is romance with 24 books.

#3	#2	#1

#3. Her Baseborn Bridegroom (★★★★) [review]:
With this book, Alice Coldbreath confirms why I dive into and devour her books without reading the blurbs.

#2. Love on the Brain (★★★★) [review]:
Is this high literature or super original? No, but I stayed up to finish it and that’s why I have very warm feelings towards it. It was like a drug and sometimes that’s exactly what my brain needs.

#1. The Seven Year Slip (★★★★) [review]:
A romantic book with a deeper message, that not only highlights the beauty of life, but also offers space and insights into the more difficult matters. And yet Ashley Poston manages to make it a cozy, heartwarming whole, despite the sometimes heavy elements. Top!

Best Fantasy

My most read genre for years, with no less than 47 books in 2024. The top three below is not my top three if I look purely at my given scores, but because I already mentioned a few books in previous categories, I looked at whether I would still be behind the top three if I eliminated these previously mentioned books. And yes, I am!

#3	#2	#1

#3. The Fury of the Gods (★★★★) [review]:
The finale of the Bloodsworn saga and an epic battle, full of emotions and shockwaves. Although a part of me expected more from it, this was still an intense and satisfying ending.

#2. The Tainted Cup (★★★★★) [review]:
This book was an absolute revelation to me and I hesitated for a long time whether I would not put this at number one in this top three, because this would also be absolutely deserved. A book that combines all the best of Fantasy with a detective story, delightful!

#1. Royal Assassin (★★★★★) [review]:
As deserved as the first place for The Tainted Cup would be, I have to honestly say that Royal Assassin deserves it more. I cannot undo the fact that my feelings for this book are coloured by my feelings about the finale and the trilogy as a whole, but it would be unfair to sweep the entire reading experience under the rug because of that. Therefore, a very deserved first place.

And there you have it. Quite some choosing stress and writing to get here, but I actually found it very enjoyable to do, despite the fact that I often found it very difficult. Hopefully you also found it somewhat enjoyable and interesting to read!

Which books you read in 2024 are the most memorable for you?

Cheers,
Charlotte.