Reading List 2024
A look back at what I read in 2024, split into fiction and non-fiction books. You can see my previous years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
You can see my Goodreads Year in Books 2024 for the full list. I set out with the goal to read 30 books in the year and ended up one over reading 31, for a total of 9,917 pages.
Fiction
Come Closer
Well-written, and strong premise about losing control. It starts strong but becomes predictable and ends up disappointing without a real payoff. The strong opening earns it three stars, but I wanted more from the story.
Horror Movie
I found the constant shifts between the present & past, and movie script & reality to be distracting. Plus, too much foreshadowing and frequent references made the climactic scene predictable, reducing its impact. While the premise for the horror movie was decent, the remake gimmicks felt unnecessary. I believe it would have been more powerful if told as a straightforward story focused solely on the original film’s production.
Four Found Dead
Great setting, the movie theater and abandoned mall is as much a character in the story as the people. Unfortunately, I felt there was more setup for a twist that never came, a bit of a let down that it was as straight-forward as it looks.
The Great Alone
Kristin Hannah must not like her characters so much, she is so mean to them putting them through such horrible circumstances. Wonderfully written, and fairly intense. It took me a bit longer to finish because the tension was so high through numerous scenes I had to take breaks.
Holly
Another great King novel going back into the Finders Keepers world.
Munich
An interesting look at a historic event, but all in all not much really happens.
Dragon Teeth
An excellent captivating story. This is the type of historical fiction that I really enjoy. A roughly true history with a focus on an interesting story and not just facts. Dragon Teeth captures the spirit of essence of The Old West and what it must of been like discovering the first dinosaur bones.
The Hunting Party
An enjoyable murder mystery, a very similar formula as her other book I've read The Guest List, but I do like the setup jumping back and forth and not knowing who was murdered nor the murderer. It is a great mechanic to keep you guessing.
Outrun the Moon
I found this book in one of our Little Libraries and picked it because a story around the San Francisco earthquake sounded interesting . I was pleasantly surprised, it's a good story with solid characters and moves at a good clip.
Non-Fiction
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
An excellent look at the use of bombers and strategies during World War II. I listened to the audiobook which is well done with a full mix of clips, interviews, and footage mixed in, like an extended five hour Revisionist History podcast.
So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin
Enjoyable, but I wanted a bit more. I'm not sure if it's just too short, or didn't quite get deep enough in any area.
Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War
I really enjoyed this book, great stories and anecdotes over the years of cyberware. A little dry in some points about politicians and policies, but hearing the details and backgrounds of various operations was quite interesting.
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
An excellent book on organizational management and the necessity to be flexible and adept in a complex world and environments. The two main takeaways: (1) build a shared consciousness, and (2) empower teams and individuals. I also enjoyed the anecdotes and case studies, they were all interesting and relevant and ranged from historic battles to airline disasters.
Poverty, by America
Great research and reframing numerous ways to think about poverty in America.
My 2025 To Read List
A couple of themes for books I'm interested in for this year, see my full To-Read list on Goodreads. for an ever growing list.
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Mystery and Horror - I've been enjoying reading mystery books with my daughter, How to Solve Your Own Murder was one of the books we both read and enjoyed. So looking for more similar. Also, I'm hoping to read some of the early Stephen King novels.
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Alternative History - There are a few books I'm interested in about how the world might be if key events had played out differently.
- The Maid, by Nita Prose
- Cujo, by Stephen King
- Salem's Lot, by Stephen King
- The Trial and Execution of the Traitor George Washington by Charles Rosenberg
- Fatherland by Robert Harris - What if Nazis won?
- The Alteration by Kingsley Amis - What if Martin Luther became Pope?