2025 Book Log

 Goal: 100 books of all sorts, whatever I want, except they must be chapter books.

January

1. The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R. Tolkien

2024 Book Commentary

I read 38 books in 2024, beating last year's book count by 5. The years 2023-2024 have been challenging as far as reading. (The reason is at the end of this post.)

Here's my commentary for books I read this year:

Top 10 Books of 2024

1. Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes

2. The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

3. A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano 

4. The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham 

5. While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden 

6. The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green 

7. Spectres in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright 

8. Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep 

9. The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green 

10. The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel 

Runners-Up:

11. Summerlin Groves by Elizabeth Camden 

12. Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham 

I didn't read any author more than twice, so I don't have a "most-read author" to mention. 

Here are some more stats:

Non-fiction read - 2 (1 was an autobiography)

YA fantasy read - 2

Non-Christian fiction read - 6

New-to-me Christian fiction authors: 

L.E. Richmond

Hannah Linder

Naomi Stephens

Jocelyn Green

Favorite classic: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

My class read this book, so I decided to read it. I would put it near the top of my favorite classics list, though it's the only classic I read this year.

Favorite contemporary fiction: Summerlin Groves by Elizabeth Camden 

While this is the only complete contemporary book I read this year (complete meaning not a dual timeline), it's not a genre I normally read. I've had a few I've liked over the years, but historical is my preference. When my favorite historical fiction author decided to write a contemporary, I had to read it. It was so good that it's going on the very top of my favorite contemporary Christian fiction books ever!

Why my 100 Books Goal has not been feasible the last 2 years:

Though I've always homeschooled my kids and have only one left (she's currently a junior), I took on directing for Classical Conversations, which is a homeschooling program where kids meet once a week for class discussions on their assignments, giving speeches and presentations, and debating. Like a classroom teacher, I have a class (12 students), and I prepare, I manage the class, and I communicate with parents. Unlike a classroom teacher, I don't teach. The parents teach. I just direct group discussions and activities. I don't give grades. The parents do that. But I do give progress reports and communicate with parents. I only have class once a week, not 5 days a week. But I stay busy throughout the week posting what we did in class, making announcements, answering parent questions, prepping for the next class day, gathering materials, and helping my own child with her school work. It takes up more time than I expected, but I love it. I will also be directing next school year when my daughter is a senior. All that to say, this has been a new chapter in my life, and I haven't been able to read as much. Next school year will be the same. And I'm okay with that. I may keep a goal of 100 books, but if I can finish 25-30 books in 2025, that's actually great!