Friday Mood Recs: The 2024 books I'm bringing into the new year
Or, everything I added to my TBR based on end-of-year lists
This week I recorded my Best Books of the Year podcast episode with Liz Hein featuring each of our top 10 lists of 2024 releases (dropping soon so stay tuned!). I know some readers like to wait until the new year to look create their best books lists because they want to count these last few weeks of reading…FAIR! But I always know when it’s time to make my official list because one of two things happens:
I’m so sick and tired of new release books I can’t imagine reading one more, or
I have 5, 6, …10 new releases I’d really love to get to before I finalize my list and don’t have nearly enough time to do it.
This year the latter happened. There were already quite a few 2024 books I felt I was missing out on, and then the best of lists started rolling out and I added even more to my TBR. At this point in the year, I always like to remind myself that these books aren’t going anywhere. Whether it’s next month, next year, or in the next decade, we can pick these books up and give them a second life well after their year of publication.
Because I am currently all-in on top ten lists, I decided to share the top ten 2025 books I still hope to read…sooner or later.
And speaking of the end of the year, I’m going to be sharing a lot of lists, wrap ups, and podcast specials in the coming weeks—some of them will be behind the paywall. I am also launching a brand new reading guide in January—more details on that coming in Sunday’s newsletter! All of this is to say, it’s a great time to become a paid subscriber of this newsletter. In addition to access to reading guides, paid subscribers get two exclusive monthly podcasts and weekly recommendation lists.
Right now, I’m offering a 20% discount on annual subscriptions (Unfortunately, there’s no way to edit your current. I wish I could grant it to everyone!). That means you can get a year’s worth of FictionMatters content for $40 instead of $50. This special will run from now until December 24th.
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