2024 Book Recap

2024 Book Recap – Goal 100 Books – Books Read 110

I can’t remember at what age that I learned how to read. I can only remember that I have ALWAYS had a love for books. I remember being read to at bedtime as a child. Favorite stories told over and over. Going to the library during the summer and finding my favorite author and piling high as many books as I could carry, many of which the school library didn’t have on their shelves. Having a book in my hand or in my bag every waking moment, even reading when my then boyfriend, now husband, took me to sonic during my lunch breaks in high school. 

There have been years where I have read less than others, for many reasons. Over the past decade, I’ve had long periods of time where I didn’t read much other than non-fiction, which isn’t my first choice when I think about my time in a book. I started using Goodreads in 2011. I have no idea how many books I read in years before that. That year I read 36 books. I had joined the AFCW and the local chapter in the DFW area. I attended those monthly meetings and met some awesome writers. I joined an email group for writers and got on many of their ARC teams. I got lots of free books in exchange for a review and sharing their books  I made some wonderful friends during those years, MANY I still consider to be my friends and count their books as must buy and top of my list of books that I have read. 

Between the years 2017 and 2022, I read very little fiction, 0-2 books. I didn’t record the books I did read on Goodreads, but I’m sure there were some self-help, devotional, and educational books during those years. In 2023, I jumped up to 13 books recorded. I was finally getting back into what I loved so much of my life. The years where I wasn’t reading, I felt so sad about what I was missing. I was still collecting books from my favorite authors and books that were recommended. I just didn’t have the desire to pick them up and read them. I used the excuse that if I did, then I wouldn’t get anything else done because I wouldn’t want to stop reading. While that is true to an extent, it was a copout, a lie that I told myself. 

In January 2024, my girls and I decided to do the reading challenge on Goodreads. We each set our own goals for what we felt we could attain. I was afraid to put too big of a goal and not come close to reaching it. I started my goal with 45 books. During the year, I reactivated my Audible subscription and I was given a Kindle White for Mother’s Day from one of my girls. I get some books on Bookfunnel on my phone, mostly ARC books that I am reviewing. That gave me four different ways to read and I took advantage of it. I started listening to books while I did dishes or driving in the car, on the treadmill or stairsteps at the gym, sometimes when I just wanted to sit in the dark and listen at the end of the day. I found books on Audible for free that I was interested in reading. I read 26 books in May which was the most for any given month in 2024. That put me 1 book away from the goal I set at the beginning of the year. I changed the goal to 100 books that month because after seeing what I was capable of and knowing that I only read 1 book in January and 2 books in February, I could get much farther than I gave myself credit for. I was all in for this adventure. 

I spent the year finding new authors and reading books on my TBR pile that I had wanted to read for years. I listened to many on Audible for free. I read 15 series (some not complete) and 3 duologies. I only read 9 non-fiction books. I read books by 19 new-to-me authors this year. I can’t wait to read more by them and add more to this list in 2025. There is such an abundance of books to read and I know there is no way I’ll ever be able to read everything I want to read, especially since more come out every year. Never fear! I will keep giving it my best shot. The author's with the most books I read this year were Jody Hedlund, Penny Zeller, Roseanna M. White and E.A. Winters. E.A. Winters is a new author and is now my favorite Fantasy writer. 

I did book reviews on all of the books I read this year, so if you are interested, PLEASE look me up on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/terriharr

There were so many books that I loved. There were books that had things in them that I felt the book could have done without and been just as good story-line wise. I’m not big on cursing and s$x in books. I love romance and enjoy having that in the different genres I read. I just don’t need all the bedroom scenes that often come with it. Closed door is much preferred. I’ve been married for over 40 years so I can use my imagination, thank you. 

I wanted to share how I rate books. The first thing I do it take into consideration the type of book it is. I judge it by the standards I enjoy that type of book. There are many different levels of books in the same genre, some more in-depth and some shorter. I AM more likely to give a 5 star to a book that I enjoy and not take a star away just because it isn’t over the top. If it touched my heart and the writing was good, I will reward it as such. I DO wish we could rate them 1-10 because many would be between 8-10 for me. I don’t rate books that are under 4 stars because I know that even if it isn’t for me, someone may enjoy it and the author put effort into their work. It is just something I feel is the right thing. There are too many people out there that sound plain mean instead of helpful. If you wonder just HOW MUCH I loved a book, just check out my review. 

It is time to reveal my 2025 reading goal...150 books! IF I get close to that number with time to read more, I will UP that goal, like I did this year. I'm really excited to see what I can read this year! 

As Always,

~A Simple Texas Girl living life on the Jesus Way!