Happy New Year!
I never like to list my favorite books of the year until the year is completely over – so choosing Sonderbooks Stand-outs is my favorite New Year’s Day activity.
During 2024, I read 470 books, distributed this way:
Rereads: 7
Adult Fiction: 36
Adult Nonfiction: 32
Teen Fiction: 80
Teen Nonfiction: 10
Children’s Fiction: 50
Children’s Nonfiction: 69
Picture Books: 186
At the end of the year, I choose and rank the ones that stand out in my mind. This is not a measure of literary merit. It is based on how much I remember enjoying reading the book, not how much I feel I should have enjoyed reading the book. And, yes, I’m afraid the order especially may depend somewhat on my mood when I make the list, subject to my whims.
Here’s the bottom line: These are books I loved. They are worth reading.
[Please remember, readers: I only review books I like. With so many books read, these books are true stand-outs.]
Also be aware that this list includes reading for the Mathical Book Prize, Capitol Choices, and CYBILS Award YA Speculative Fiction. But is completely separate from how I might vote in a committee (when I very much do consider literary merit). Also, for the third year now in 2025, after the ALA Youth Media Awards are announced, I try to read as many winners as possible and then present a program about the awards for other librarians. So many of these books I loved are last year’s winners.
I have switched to reading far more Audiobooks than ever before in 2024, and I caught up on some books I’d been meaning to read for ages, so there’s really a mix of publication years in my list. Oh, and I combined the 7 volumes that I’ve read so far of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion into one item, because it’s really one continued story, and otherwise it wasn’t fair to the other books.
I make my lists long, and split Speculative Fiction (my favorite) from the rest, so as to not have to choose. But look at how many I’m choosing from and you will realize these are true stand-outs!
Now go and check out the Sonderbooks Stand-outs 2024!