Are you assembling your book list for this year? Or maybe you need a little extra motivation to get you back on your reading streak? Either way, you’re in luck, because in today’s episode, we’ll be chatting all about some of my favorite reads from last year that you must not miss this year! I’ll share all about my current reads and my best recommendations for children’s books, clean YA, mystery + thriller, romance, and my top book from last year.
We’ll cover:
- My favorite Sherlock Holmes mystery
- My recommendations for newly discovered romance novels
- The #1 book you must not miss this year
- My new bookshop!
- How to have me read YOUR WRITING!
Find all the links for my recommended BOOKS here: https://bookshop.org/lists/10-books-you-must-read-in-2024-what-i-m-currently-reading-part-1?
CURRENT READS:
Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham https://bookshop.org/a/99521/9780840714985 (recommended by @karynnhecklerauthor)
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston https://bookshop.org/a/99521/9781368027496
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READ THE TRANSCRIPT OF THIS EPISODE AT BIO.SITE/SHIRAJRODRIGUEZ
(I participate in selected affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates for these links, so if a link takes you to Amazon, know that it is most likely an affiliate link.)
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TRANSCRIPT
Maybe you’ve tapped on this episode today because you’re pining for a cozy rom-com for Valentine’s week, or maybe you’re craving the suspense and thrill of a truly scintillating mystery to keep you company as the snow falls outside your window. Whether you’re looking for something wild or whimsical, today, I’m going to be recommending six new books you need to add to your reading list this year! I already covered my current reads, children’s, and YA, in the first part of this episode, and am so excited to jump into mystery, thriller, romance, and my top books of last year. You won’t want to miss this!! So settle yourself down for a bookish chat with me as we match you up with your new favorite book of 2024!
4. Mystery Readers
Fourth, we have our mystery readers. So, if you enjoy mysteries or thrillers, I have two book recommendations for you, among others. So, The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle.
This is such a good book. I listened to this with my dad in the car as I was driving last year. Actually, it might have been the year before the last.
Driving in the car to my eye therapy because at that time I had some eye issues and so I didn't really read that much. So, I listened to a lot of audiobooks. But as we were driving in the car, my dad decided to listen to Sherlock Holmes as it was something that we both enjoyed because some of the other books, he just was not, they just weren't vibing with him.
And so, as we were listening to this book from Sherlock Holmes, we listened to a collection on Audible. I think it's 40 hours long. It's a collection of Sherlock Holmes's best works and I think it's read by a really famous actor that I can't remember his name.
But it is available on Amazon. I really loved that version. I found another really wonderful version as well.
If I find them, I will link them below in the description. So, you'll have a lot of links there. So, but this one in particular, The Sign of the Four, really caught our attention.
We were listening in the car and we couldn't get enough of it. We would stay in the car once we'd gotten home just listening to a little bit more because the mystery was so engaging and captivating. So, so good.
And so, this mystery is basically about Sherlock Holmes and a mystery that he encounters with a young woman named Mary Morstan, whose father vanished 10 years before. Four years after her father vanished, she begins to receive an exquisite gift every year. And this gift ends up being a large lustrous pearl.
Now, she has an intriguing invitation to meet her unknown benefactor. And so, she's feeling very unsure about this. So, she approaches Sherlock Holmes and Watson to accompany her and to find out who this benefactor is.
In the ensuing investigation, which involves a wronged woman, a stolen hoard of Indian treasure, a wooden-legged ruffian who seems to appear in the shadows and spy everywhere. It feels like he's a ghost or something. A helpful dog and a love affair.
Even jaded Holmes is actually very much challenged with this mystery. It was so delightful to read this book and the twists and turns that it presents. This is my personal favorite Sherlock Holmes mystery.
And I've listened to several of them. And this has got to be my favorite. It tops all of them.
The mystery of this, the surprising nature of everything, and even a little bit of romance just makes this a perfect mystery. And I think this is the best out of the Arthur Conan Doyle works that I've read so far. Another book that I would recommend, especially if you are a thriller reader, is Grippenheist by James R. Hannibal.
And my sister and I love this series. Well, it's I think the Talia Inger series it's called. But the first book is the Grippenheist.
We personally like the second book, but in order to understand the second book, you have to read the first book. But basically, it's about Talia Inger, who's a rookie CIA case officer assigned not to the Moscow desk, as she hoped, but to the forgotten backwaters of Eastern Europe, a department known only as Other. And when she's tasked to help a young, charming Moldovan executive secure his designs for revolutionary defense technology, she figures she'll be back in D.C. within a few days.
But that's before she knows where the designs are stored and who's after them. And so this story is just so interesting because it's humorous. It's moving.
The cast of characters is exquisite. We listen to this book over and over and over, not only because the audiobook narrator of this book, Mia Barron, is spectacular, absolutely spectacular, without a doubt. But in addition, the cast of characters is so rich and fun.
And this is something that I find actually very difficult to find in most thrillers, that they have this dynamic, lovely, family-like cast that just feels so perfect and so fun. Think Inheritance Games kind of style. Not exactly, but similar.
And so you have the humorous sidekick, Talia's best friend, Eddie, whose family is Indian and who's an absolute geek. And it's hilarious to see Talia and Eddie go back and forth. And this mysterious person who is helping Talia with this mission, with this assignment.
And somehow he seems to be a part of her past way more than he lets on. And so there's this mystery about Talia's father who was also killed in a tragic, traumatizing incident. There's just so much goodness in this and so many plots and things that weave together.
I'm so excited for you guys to read this book. It's really wonderful. If you love thrillers, you will absolutely love this one, especially if you like political thrillers.
Very, very interesting. Some other recommendations I give to mystery and thriller lovers are Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, and The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray. If you're more into cozy mystery kind of thing, you may enjoy Murder of Mr. Wickham.
5. Romance Readers
My fifth category was romance. And guys, I am really excited to share some of the ones that I have here because I have some very new additions that I found either this year or actually a couple of months ago that I absolutely fell in love with. And something that I love about these romance books, because I'm actually very picky with my romance books, I love it when the romance is actually about more than just finding the right guy.
I love Hallmark, don't get me wrong, but I think there is so much more to a romance story than trying to find your perfect guy. Romance in true Jane Austen style should really be about becoming a better person as a result of your clash and friendship with these people. You know, Elizabeth grew because of Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy grew because of Elizabeth. And I think that's the mark of a true good romance. So in that spirit of Jane Austen and the wonderful romantic comedies of the past, I recommend as one of my first ones, I recommend The Other Bedded Sister by Janice Hadwell.
This was actually NPR's concierge best book of the year. And I can attest, it is absolutely, positively wonderful. It's about Mary, who's the ugly bookish duckling of Pride and Prejudice's five Bennet sisters, and how she emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.
And basically, it lays out what would have happened if Austen had given Mary Bennet a happy ever after of her own, and what would have happened after Pride and Prejudice? What would have happened to her? What would have happened to her story? Where would she have gone? And Janice Hadwell does a spectacular job of not just telling us an Austen-esque story, but also embracing her style, her wit, her humor, her perspicacity, her beauty and modesty and gentleness. This feels so Austen-esque. It is absolutely delightful and beautiful to read.
So soothing. The audiobook, again, the audiobook is also approved. So beautiful.
So wonderful. I read it actually partially as a philosophical discovery as well, and a philosophical book on life, because as a book on Mary ought to be, it's very thoughtful. And during the book, Mary explores whether, explores the question of whether happiness is about your circumstances, or whether it's a choice.
Do you need to have the perfect circumstances in order to be happy, or is happiness something that you can choose to have regardless of your circumstances? And the beautiful character growth that Mary goes through is wonderful and beautiful and so inspiring. This has been one of the books that I think has transformed my view of life the most. I say this without question, and I'm probably going to get a lot of pokes for this, but this one actually rivals Pride and Prejudice for me.
I personally might have enjoyed the other Bennett sister more than Pride and Prejudice. This is a lot from someone who is a purist, for sure. With most classics, I'm like, the classic was better.
The book was better. If there's a movie, the book was better. But in this case, this one actually rivaled the book.
So I highly recommend it. If you love books that inspire you to be a more beautiful woman, a more beautiful person, to really look deeply and reflect deeply on your life and make it beautiful, I highly recommend this book because you may find a kindred spirit in Mary Bennett, which I honestly did not expect. I loved it so much.
And I love how they also dove not only into what happens afterwards, but they dove into what made Mary who she was. They dive into her childhood and what happened before Pride and Prejudice and a little bit of what happens during Pride and Prejudice from Mary's perspective. So, so good.
So beautiful. I love it so much. I don't know what else to say about it except that it's wonderful.
My second book up is a little bit more of a romantic comedy, and this one is called The Bodyguard by Catherine Senter. Oh my goodness, this book is so, so good as well. It's, again, it really is more about who the person becomes, who the main character becomes, than about her finding the romance, which I love.
And Catherine Senter does such a spectacular job at bringing home the point in such a beautiful way. And really, I have not been satisfied with a romantic comedy since this book, plot-wise. I, it has ruined all the other books because this one was so well written and so good and surprising.
So good. I highly recommend this book. So, The Bodyguard is basically about Hannah Brooks, who, even though she looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener, or a ballpoint pen, or a dinner napkin, the truth is she's an executive protection agent, aka a bodyguard.
And she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker. And so, during this time where she is his bodyguard, where she plays the role where she is his bodyguard, he doesn't want his family to know that she is his bodyguard. His mom just got diagnosed with cancer, and he's read that stress can affect people with cancer.
So he decides to alleviate some of the stress by not telling his parents that he has a bodyguard, or that he has a stalker, or anything like that. So, to keep this charade going on, he and Hannah have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Of course, they still have to keep some professional parameters when nobody's looking, but it's really awkward and kind of funny.
And that's where it's so hilarious, because you have this really charismatic actor acting like he's in love with this bodyguard woman who is just astonished that she even gets to be with this guy. But at the same time, she's kind of no-nonsense, and very logical, and trying to approach this after the death of her mom, and really figuring out what does life look like now for me. But the beautiful thing about this book is that it's really more, it's really about more than just romance.
It's really about what makes us worthy of love. Is it what we do? Is it what people think of us? Or maybe that we're asking the wrong question the entire time. Is the most important thing not about us being worthy of love, but being the people who give love when it most matters? Giving love anyway, even if we don't receive love in the way that we want to.
Maybe it's really about being the person who gives love, unconditionally. So it's such a wonderful book. It is downright hilarious.
So, so funny. I enjoyed it so, so much. And the climax, the climax people.
It's so good. I came up to my sister because my sister recommended this one to me, and I read it. And when I read this certain part, I was like, what's gonna happen? Tell me everything's gonna be okay.
Because it was, I really was tense at that point. I, I questioned everything that I had been told in the book. And that is why I have been ruined.
Absolutely ruined after this book. And all other romance books have really, they can't surprise me anymore. So that's kind of sad.
But this book was so wonderful. It was worth it. So I highly recommend this one.
A note on this book in particular though, there is quite a bit of language. And there is also some scenes, off screen scenes, but just letting you know, again, check ratedreads.com if you'd like to get a little bit more in depth on the ratings and reviews. But again, I really think about whether the message of the book outweighs the negative things that are in it.
And the message in this one was so good that I almost dropped the book at one point. But I am so glad that I continued reading because the message in it was so beautiful and so inspiring that it totally outweighs any of the language concerns. And in fact, I find it so much better than some of the other books that may be in the Christian romance just because I learned so much and I felt like my heart gleaned so much from this book and it told it in just a way that only a story can tell.
So I highly recommend this one if you love romance and romantic comedies. Highly recommend this one. Some other books that I would recommend if you love romance are Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham, Ten Blind Dates by Ashley Elston, and An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott if you're into more classic romances.
6. Top Books of the Year
For my sixth category, top books of the year. Okay, these are so good. Okay, so for my sixth category, top books of 2023.
So top books of this year or this last year that I would recommend that you have to read this year. My first one up, which is mine, my sister and I both worked on this and so I asked her what her top book of the year would be. So for me, my top book of the year was Lovely War by Julie Berry.
If you've been following me for any length of time on Instagram, you know I love Lovely War. This is such a beautiful book. It was recommended to me by my friend Ella Meyer at E.K.M.E.Y.E.R. And by the way, she's amazing too, so definitely follow her.
But she recommended this book to me and what a book. Oh my goodness, it's such a wonderful, wonderful book. It's basically a critically acclaimed multi-layered romance set in the perilous days of World War I and World War II, where the gods hold the fates and the hearts of four mortals in their hands.
They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette, a classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect turned soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by the goddess Aphrodite, who must spin a tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that though war is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of love. Hailed by critics, Lovely War has received seven starred reviews and is an indie bestseller.
And she's been called, the author has been called, a modern master of historical fiction by BookPage and a quote, celestially inspired storyteller by New York Times. And Lovely War, the blurb says, Lovely War is truly her masterwork and yes, I can absolutely attest, it is an absolute masterpiece. So if the blurb was confusing, don't worry, I'll explain a little bit more.
Basically, this is what writers call a frame story. So it's a story within a story. The first story that you encounter is about the Greek gods who are living in World War II era, I think New York City.
And at any rate, it's during the 40s. It's during the 40s and Aphrodite and Ares are apparently having an affair and Hephaestus, Aphrodite's husband, is setting a trap to catch them. When he catches them, they attempt to have some sort of a trial.
But instead of having a trial, Aphrodite decides to tell a story to prove her innocence and to show that what she does in her work as the goddess of love is important. We enter then the second story within the story, which is about Hazel and James and Aubrey and Colette. And this second story is set during World War I. So the previous war and how it affected people at that time, and how this romance between these people, these young people, blossomed in the middle of war and maybe was actually strengthened through it.
And I really can't tell much about it because it's just such a beautiful book, but it's very difficult to encapsulate in a single, you know, paragraph. It's categorized as a YA romance, but I think it's so much more. It feels like literary fiction.
It truly does. And it really deals with at the bottom of everything, what does it mean to love someone truly, despite the odds? What can conquer love? Is love truly the strongest thing of all? Can love conquer all odds? That's really the thematic question in this book. And you're really discovering this beautiful theme as it takes the characters from England, as one of the characters is about to set off to join the war across the shores, and then takes the characters to war-torn France, and then even Germany during World War I. And you just see how the power of love just inspires these people to do noble and beautiful things, despite all the carnage and horrible things that are going around and going on.
It's really a beautiful and inspiring story, and I highly recommend that you read it if you've enjoyed this blurb. My second book, my second top book of the year that I would recommend is The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. And this one was Nevi's pick.
This was her top book of the year when I asked her. And I have wanted to read this for so long. I remember reading just the first chapter, and it is so gripping and good.
I'm afraid I can't recommend the audiobook on this one. I tried listening to it. It was not not good.
No bueno. So I don't recommend the audiobook, but the book, I am told, is really wonderful. And so basically, for those of you who haven't read it or have been interested in it, but don't really know what it's about, it's about Avery Gramps.
She has a plan for a better future, to survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why, or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.
To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into a sprawling, secret, passage-filled Hawthorne house, where every room bears the old man's touch and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne house is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes four Hawthorne grandsons, dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day they would inherit billions.
Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother Jameson views her as his grandfather's last hurrah, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.
Now my sister absolutely loved the Inheritance Games. Every book has been compared to the Inheritance Games so far, and it's just been incredible to hear her thoughts on it and to hear how much she enjoyed this series because it's a series. So her favorite was actually the last book, which I know that a lot of people have actually had some problems with because they just thought it was a little bit too much to believe, but she actually enjoyed that one the most of all.
I think it's called, I think it's called The Final Gambit. So if you enjoy books about puzzles and mysteries, then you will absolutely enjoy this one so much. I've also read a little bit, and the boys in this one are so, they really are magnetic for sure.
And just the mystery is, I think not only the house, but the characters in themselves present such an appealing mystery and puzzle to this story. I think it's just wonderful, and I can't wait to read this one. Some other recommendations that I would have and some runners up for a top book of the year were 100 Days of Sunlight by Abby Emmons, which is a YA contemporary.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, which is a classic children's book. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which is a classic book. And End of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery, which is also a classic book.
So friends, I hope that you've enjoyed this episode, and hopefully I've pumped you up to start reading again, and hopefully I've pumped you up to start reading again and create a regular reading habit. I truly hope that this has helped you find some new books to set up your 2024 reading list for success. Hopefully you've enjoyed, hopefully you're interested in one of these genres that I've recommended, and if they did, please let me know.
I love hearing from you guys, and until next time friends, continue to live, give, and repeat.
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