I love getting reflective about books at the end of the year and 2024 has been a great one for reading. I’ve found a few new favourites, visited some beautiful spots and shared bookish experiences with my loved ones. Here’s a run down of my highlights and some reading stats.
I finally bit the bullet in January and started my bookstagram. I’ve had so much fun sharing beautiful books, places, and thoughts in a dedicated space.
In February I finally got to build the bookshelf of my dreams and it’s still my pride and joy. It was a bit of an IKEA hack, customising some classic Billy shelves to make it look built in to my living room. I’m so happy with how it turned out and have loved filling it up more this year.
The lovely Helen and I went to bookbinding workshop in March and it was so much fun to learn a little bit about long stitching. I made a little DnD themed notebook as a present for my brother in law and was really happy with how it turned out.
August is festival month and I loved spending time at the Edinburgh International Book Festival site, as a chill spot to kill time reading and going to some brilliant talks. I particularly loved a panel discussion on book translation with RF Kuang, Anton Hur and Emily Wilson.
In October I got to combine my two loves at work and set up a Theatre Book Club with the bookshop across the road and I’m so excited to continue it in 2025.
Speaking of book clubs, the one I have with the lovely triple H has been a highlight every month of the year. It’s been a special one for us with lots of great (and some silly) books but also having Hazel’s wedding and her moving back up to Scotland so we’ve been in person again rather than hybrid which is so nice.
Then to the actual reading! I’ve stuck to my themed tbr’s in some months, celebrating pride, the spooky szn, and Christmas with cosy wholesome children’s books. I tried to set myself a ‘read what’s on your shelves’ tbr at the start of the year and while I think it’s a good idea to read what I own, I don’t like setting such a big list of specific books because I’d rather shift my mood throughout the year as things change so I won’t be doing that again.
Shout out to my favourite reads of the year; Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, 11.22.63 by Stephen King, Babel by RF Kuang, and They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey.
And finally, here are The Storygraph stats:
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