My Year of Reading: 2024 Stats, Highlights, and Takeaways

When I started 2024, I never imagined I’d end the year with 402 books under my belt. What began as a casual challenge turned into an unforgettable literary adventure that shaped my days and expanded my worldview. As an avid reader, who found her love for reading again at the end of 2023, 2024 has been a remarkable reading journey is all about expanding horizons and deepening connections. Last year, I aimed to prioritize books by BIPOC authors, diving into diverse narratives that reflect unique cultural experiences and voices. With a busy schedule, audiobooks continued to be my go-to for staying on track. I made it a point to include more South Asian and BIPOC authors in my fun reads. Seeing my culture reflected in characters’ lives or exploring narratives I hadn’t experienced before brought a sense of connection and joy that was uniquely fulfilling, following stories that delved into the complexities of identity, culture, and belonging. From gripping novels to thought-provoking memoirs, books have become a bridge to understanding the myriad human experiences that shape us.

I started the year off with a South Asian author, and it is only right that I ended the year on the same note! Without even trying, I balanced non-fiction with my fiction books, 1 out of four. While I love my fiction books, I am a lifelong learner and constantly looking for ways to educate and improve myself. For me, the magic lies in the balance. Some days, I crave the comfort of a cozy read. Other days, I’m eager to dive into something thought-provoking and educational. The key is variety. Alternating between genres, topics, and tones keeps my reading life dynamic and fulfilling. Reading for fun brings me joy; reading for education fuels my growth. Together, they create a rich, rewarding experience that goes beyond turning pages. They help me stay curious, connected, and engaged with the world around me. 

Some amazing authors that I happen upon or found on social media (in no particular order) and their genres:

• Sajni Patel - South Asian - Contemporary Romance
• Tiffany Jackson - African American - YA, Thriller, Mystery
• Angeline Boulley - Native American - YA, Thriller, Mystery
• Tracey Deonn - African American - YA, Fantasy
• V. Castro - Mexican American - Horror
• R. F. Kuang - Chinese American - Fantasy
• Nisha Sharma - South Asian - Contemporary Romance, YA
• Claire M. Andrews - White - YA, Fantasy, Greek Mythology Retelling
• Freida McFadden - White - Thriller, Mystery
• Stacey Abrams (Selena Montgomery) - African American - Crime Thrillers

My favorite reads (again, in no particular order)!

Here are some of my reading stats (all metrics through StoryGraph):

As I plan my 2025 reading goals, I’m committed to continuing this balance. I’ll keep discovering books that make me laugh, cry, and think. And I’ll remember that no matter what I pick up next, there’s always something to gain—whether it’s a smile or a new perspective.

I have also chosen not to read/listen to books be Colleen Hoover and Sarah J. Maas. Seeing all the discourse and negativity surrounding Justin Baldoni trying to make a movie about DV and the author/Blake Lively, and the rest of the cast bullying and getting him booted off his passion project that he has been working on for the past 5 years. I've read three of her books and that was enough for me to know she's not my cup of tea. In regards to Sarah J. Maas, I have no desire to read ACOTAR due to her incorporation of Breonna Taylor's murder on the cover release of A Court of Silver Flames, as well as her lackluster inclusion of BIPOC and queer representation in her books. 

How do you approach your reading life? Do you lean toward fun or educational reads, or do you try to mix both like I do? Share your thoughts—I’d love to hear about your favorite books and what they’ve taught you!

Here’s to a new year of growth, discovery, and unforgettable stories!

Until next time...

Sharon

Audiobooks Galore

While I wish I had the time to sit down and read, I have really been into audiobooks since October 24, 2023, and still going strong. For the record, it's still consuming a book, just using a different sense, so it counts (for those who don't think it does)! Something a lot of people get a kick out of is when I tell them at what speed I listen to my audiobooks. I can't do 1X because it's so slow and I start to dissociate, having to rewind a lot to previous sections. Depending on the narrator's speed, my sweet spot is between 2.5X and 3.0X. I know you probably think I am crazy, but it's my undiagnosed/self-diagnosed ADHD I tell ya! Not only does it satisfy my attention span (squirrel?), but it allows me the ability to listen to more books and get exposure to more authors. Too many books and too much to do, so little time. I see it as killing two birds with one stone. 

The mental image I get listening at 1.0 speed is this:

(Credit: YouTube)

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one." - George R. R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons (2011)

My primary goal for 2024 is to focus on BIPOC authors and expanding my knowledge base. Check and Check!  

In January, I found so many amazing and talented South Asian authors! My current TBR for just South Asian authors is over 100 and steadily climbing as I find new titles or get recommendations.

Some of my fave Contemporary Romance South Asian authors:

• Nisha Sharma
• Alisha Rai
• Sonali Dev
• Shveta Thakrar (YA)

Can I tell you a secret? 

I have never read what are considered to be the "classics", like Jane Austen books, nor have I had any desire to watch regency-era films. That is, until Shonda Rhimes, the titan that she is, spearheaded a multi-season TV show adaptation of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton book series on Netflix. Speaking of Bridgerton, come on May 16th so we can finally watch Season 3! With that being said, Sonali Dev's The Rajes Series is a modern-day interpretation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.

Nisha Sharma's If Shakespeare Was an Auntie Series is a modern-day ode to Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, and Twelfth Night as romantic comedies. Alisha Rai's Modern Love Series incorporates how many people find love these days...through social media, dating websites and apps. Shveta Thakrar's books, Star Daughter and The Dream Runners, beautifully weaves Hindu Mythology into the storylines and perfectly worded descriptions of the visual details that you feel like you are there. 

My all time favorite book this month was My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma. This book was a love letter to Millennials who grew up in the 90s watching classic Bollywood movies. It brought back so many nostalgic memories of that era. I could read this book over and over and over again! 
Last month being Black History Month, I focused on listening to African American/Black authors. 

I found some amazing authors like:

• Tiffany D. Jackson (YA)
• Rachel Howzell Hall (Suspense/Thriller)
• Selena Montgomery (Suspense/Thriller)
• Tracey Deonn (YA)
• S. A. Cosby (Suspense/Thriller)

If you are a Stephen King fan like me, you will L-O-V-E The Weight of Blood. It's Carrie meets post-Jim Crow in the present day, but the white people in town still act like it's not. You won't be disappointed, I promise!

As a Millennial who grew up in the 90's, Let Me Hear a Rhyme paid homage to that decade's hip-hop scene. The setting takes place in Brooklyn after the deaths of Tupac and Biggie. It was like taking a trip down musical memory lane.

Legendborn was 100/10! It's not necessarily a retelling of King Arthur and the Roundtable, but more like an extension of the original story, in the present day, with the descendents, all the while weaving slavery into the plot. It's got monsters, mages, and witches, oh my! Can't wait to listen to book #2, Bloodmarked.

Honorable mention goes to Grown. It was very reminiscent of what went down with pedo R. Kelly and all those underaged girls he abused and traumatized, though the author indicated it wasn't. Tiffany Jackson, through a similar personal experience, shows us what happens when a young and impressionable girl falls for someone much older and how that person can manipulate, control, and gaslight their victim(s) into submission through narcissistic abuse. This book was heartbreaking, but does a good job of showcasing the sad reality that many young girls face.

With March being Women's History Month, my focus was on reading books about feminism and books by a diverse group of women.

What many of these books confirmed for me is that men have no idea what it means to be a woman, see things through our lens, and the challenges we face. If nothing else, the non-fiction books confirmed my decision to decentering men in my life, and let me tell you, that is the best decision of my life. Well, next to getting my degrees that is! I know men have their own challenges, but many have a patriarchal mindset and don't want to learn and grow. Men live in a system that was designed by them, for them, and yet they are not evolving to be the best version of themselves for themselves, their families, and friends. Too many think that just because they go to work and bring a paycheck that absolves them of the domestic labor at home. Many feminist and womanist thinkers are calling motherhood modern-day slavery. I feel like the divorce rates are on the low end at 50%. It should be more like 75%, especially since Covid in 2020. I do agree with the statistic that 80% of divorces are initiated by college-educated women (hence, why I am fortunate for my educational background)!

The most interesting thing I learned in March is that the "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade was Norma McCorvey, a woman from Katy, Texas who wanted an abortion when pregnant with her third child. She was unemployed and did not want the pregnancy to move forward. At the advisement of her friends, she told the police that she had been raped by a group of black men, which would grant her the abortion she desired. Luckily, during the investigation, it came out that she fabricated the story. With what happened to Emmett Till and countless innocent black men, she had the nerve to pull this BS stunt. She then tried to get an illegal abortion but they were all shut down. Her doctor recommended that she carry the baby to term, and then allow the baby to get adopted, which she did. After everything was said and done, she quit her job at an abortion clinic and became close with Flip Benham, the national director for Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion organization. She made a "deathbed confession" that she didn't actually support the anti-abortion movement, rather, she was paid to make her "sentiments" known (Wikipedia, 2024).

Between Black History Month and Women's History Month, I am mentally and emotionally exhausted by the plight women have endured since the beginning of time, especially Black women. My heart breaks for Black women who have been at the forefront of change and they continually get disrespected and not acknowledged for their contributions and accomplishments to society.

I leave you with two quotes...

1. "Your career, your money, and your education will never leave you, but a man will."
2. "When something is bad for white women, it is worse for women of color, and it is WORST for Black women.

What books have you read that you would recommend?

XOXO,

Sharon