122 for the year. Not bad.

Followers of the blog may remember me gushing over Dark Matter, The Code of Us, How to Know a Person, The Natural, and Beastly Beauty. I don’t usually choose a favorite book every year, but Beauty stood out head and shoulders above all others in 2024. It was the book that helped me recover from post-election blues, and that got stolen twice before any others at the book club white elephant exchange. I keep print copies of my favorite books to give away, and there are two of this title in my library waiting to meet their future owners.

I consumed fewer books and almost no podcasts in 2024. Quinn listening took up more time than I will disclose here. And I generated far more output than in previous years: Today was Day 330 of my Morning Pages practice, and I have written more specific material toward Book than in any year since I decided to pursue it in 2015. I wrote letters, cards, emails, and social media posts that I’m proud to have out in the world. So 2024 was a fantastic year for original Chenger Words, even if most of them were not published.

Which of the books below did you also consume?
Which do you recommend?

Pam Kirst and I plan to read I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán starting January 1 and will discuss on our respective Instagram feeds, if anyone wants to join us there: @chenger91

Happy New Year, dear readers. May we all continue to cultivate the healthiest relationships in 2025 and beyond, with ourselves first and then with and among others. Let us all walk together on the shared path toward our favorite selves.

———-

Key to the list below:

[Open bracket: as yet unfinished but not abandoned
[Closed bracket: abandoned]
Bold: favorite
–Dash in front: Repeat read/listen–number of additional times consumed this year
Blue (not shown on WordPress): Romance titles
ARC/ALC: Advance Reader/Listener Copy

Books and Media 2024

1. [Write a Must-Read, Anjanette Harper
2. Thick As Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner
3. [Outlive, Peter Attia
4. [The Fourth Turning, William Strauss/Neil Howe
5. Theirs to Cherish, Serena Akeroyd
6. What Is Health? Peter Sterling
7. The Lady and the Orc, Finley Fenn
8. Death’s Obsession, Avina St. Graves
9. —Sanguine, Sierra Simone–9
10. —Making Merry, Kerrigan Byrne
11. Vines, Brynne Asher
12. Diamonds and Dukes, Lauren Smith
13. Penthouse Prince: A Lunchtime Romance Read, Lauren Smith
14. —For Love of Magic, Simon R Green
15. Hers to Hold, Serena Akeroyd
16. [Ex-Wife, Ursula Parrott]
17. The Love Connection, Denise Williams
18. In Like Flynn, Lauren Smith
19. —Dr. Off Limits, Louise Bay
20. The Chasing of Eleanor Vane, Sierra Simone
21. The Last Crimes of Peregrine Hind, Sierra Simone
22. The Conquering of Tate the Pious, Sierra Simone
23. Do Your Worst, Rosie Danan
24. —Two Pretty Lies, Kelleigh Clare
25. Kingfisher Lane, Grant Gosch
26. —Misadventures with a Professor, Sierra Simone
27. Misadventures of a Curvy Girl,Sierra Simone
28. Wicked Awakening, Sarah Piper
29. Wicked Devouring, Sarah Piper
30. Wicked Ascending, Sarah Piper
31. Supplicant, Sierra Simone
32. Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
33. The True History of The Elephant Man, Michael Howell, Peter Ford
34. The Awakening of Ivy Leavold, Sierra Simone
35. Love in the Wild, Emma Castle
36. [The Little Village of Book Lovers, Nina George
37. Dr. Single Dad, Louise Bay (ARC)
38. Kryn, Patricia D Eddy
39. The Devil Made Me Brew It, Sarah Piper
40. Dirty Charmer, Emma Chase
41. Mr. Masters, TL Swan
42. [The Art of Quiet Influence, Jocelyn Davis
43. How to Plot a Payback, Melissa Ferguson
44. —The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
45. The Education of Ivy Leavold, Sierra Simone
46. My Story of Us Zach, Chris Brinkley
47. The Story of Us Thomas, Chris Brinkley
48. Why We Remember, Charan Ranganath
49. –-Perfect Chaos, Jodi Ellen Malpas
50. The Punishment of Ivy Leavold, Sierra Simone
51. Mr. Spencer, TL Swan
52. The Many Lives of Mama Love, Lara Love Hardin
53. The Knife Man, Wendy Moore–2
54. My Story of Us Grayson, Chris Brinkley
55. Beastly Beauty, Jennifer Donnelly–1
56. Return of the Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
57. Perfect Liar, Kelleigh Clare (ARC)
58. Mr. Garcia, TL Swan
59. Twisted Beautiful Lies Extended Epilogue, Kelleigh Clare
60. Baby Proposal, Evie Rose–2
61. The Fae’s Captive, Lily Archer
62. —Curious, Ian Leslie
63. Fear and Fortitude, Cheri Champagne
64. Moira’s Pen, Megan Whalen Turner
65. Midnight Mass, Sierra Simone
66. The Rest Is History, Sara Madderson
67. Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
68. [Born Liars, Ian Leslie
69. Let’s Hang Out, Chris Duffy
70. The Code of Us, Liv Evans
71. Adrenalized, Phil Collen and Chris Epting
72. [Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
73. Midnight With the Devil, Emma Castle
74. Duke of Depravity, Scarlett Scott–2
75. When the Duke Bought a Wife, Mariah Stone
76. [The Left Hand of God, Paul Hoffman
77. All Duke and Bothered, Mariah Stone
78. Her Rake Fiancé, Mariah Stone
79. Project Duke, Mariah Stone
80. Betting On the Scoundrel, Mariah Stone
81. How to Know a Person, David Brooks–2
82. The Natural, Richard La Ruina
83. Lost With a Scot, Lauren Smith
84. —Rory in a Kilt, Anna Durand
85. Reckless Chance, JD Carothers (ALC)
86. The Lady’s Command, Stephanie Laurens
87. A Buccaneer at Heart, Stephanie Laurens
88. The Daredevil Snared, Stephanie Laurens
89. Lord of the Privateers, Stephanie Laurens
90. Dark Wild Night, Christina Lauren
91. Escaping the Earl, Lauren Smith
92. White As Snow: Blanche Wood, May Sage
93. The Earl of Zennor, Lauren Smith
94. —The Duke’s Twin, Lauren Smith
95. The Heiress and the Orc, Finley Fenn
96. The Best Strangers in the World, Ari Shapiro
97. The Keeper of Happy Endings, Barbara Davis
98. Sleeping Beauty: Aurora Stephenson, May Sage
99. The Duke’s Dove, Lauren Smith
100. —Sweet Liar, Laurelin Paige
101. –-Sweet Fate, Laurelin Paige
102. No Rest for the Wicked, Lauren Smith
103. The Echo of Old Books, Barbara Davis
104. [Wild, Cheryl Strayed]
105. Faking With Benefits, Lily Gold
106. Rival Secrets, JD Carothers (ALC)
107. —Bossy Brit, Kendall Ryan
108. [Connie: A Memoir, Connie Chung
109. You Are Why You Eat, Ramani Durvasula
110. Midnight Blue, LJ Shen
111. Groom Gamble, Evie Rose (ARC, ALC)
112. Waltzing in the Snow: A Regency Christmas Romance, Lauren Smith
113. [Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous, Gillian Anderson
114. The Wedding People, Alison Espach
115. A Very London Christmas, Sara Madderson
116. [Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond
117. Grave Talk, Nick Spalding
118. Duke of Rath,Mariah Stone
119. Merry Kissmas, Piper Rayne
120. Duke of Luhst, Mariah Stone (ALC)
121. [Once Upon a Christmas Tree: A Valentine Nook Chronicles Prequel, Lulu Moore
122. [The Will to Live and Other Mysteries, Rachel Naomi Remen