"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins

This book was incredibly clever and a delight to read. It is worth picking up simply for the sheer pleasure of tracing all the Easter eggs and discovering all the mysteries nestling in its pages. The book at its core is the story of Ruby McTavish, a multimillionaire and a rumored husband murderess several times over. The book switches perspectives between Ruby, her adopted son and heir Cam and Cam’s wife Jules. None of the characters are what they seem to be when we first see them. They all have secrets. You have to keep reading to uncover all the truths. I also really enjoyed the role Ashby House plays in this book. It is a gothic mansion in the Blue Ridge mountains and the ancestral seat of the McTavishes. It is a presence in itself and almost a character in the novel. Rachel Hawkins is a masterful writer. I always enjoy her novels. This one by far is my favorite of hers.

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley. The US publication date is January 9, 2024.

"The Atlas of Us" by Kristin Dwyer

Sometimes I am wary to pick up a book that I know will have an emotional impact on me. However, paradoxically such books always become my favorite. The Atlas of Us explores the depth of human emotion (in this case intense grief) and the resilience of human spirit. It is also about friendship, new beginnings and love. The main character is an 18 year old girl named Atlas (aka Maps) whose father recently died of cancer. Maps has the hardest time dealing with grief. She drops out of high school, has uncontrolled anger and sadness, and overall becomes rudderless. She ends up in a program for troubled kids who set off on a month long hike in the Sierra mountains. There, on the trail her father dreamed of hiking again, Maps slowly learns her way back to herself and builds new relationships. I truly loved this book. It is raw, it made me cry, it also had a beautiful love story (both the love between parent and child and romantic love). Highly recommend. What a great way to kick off the reading year!

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The US publication date is January 9, 2024.

2024 Reading Goals

For 2024 I am not going to set any "hard" goals such as a specific author, book or genre to read. Instead, I'd like to just enjoy reading and pick up those books that truly interest me. So here are my goals:

1. Have fun

2. If I have to struggle through a book, set it aside. It's ok not to finish!

3. Participate in the two bookclubs even if I do not finish the book - it is about connecting with other readers 

4. Do not feel obligated to read every bookclub pick

5. Request fewer ARCs

6. Buy fewer books

7. Read more from my own shelves

2023 Reading Results

2023 was an extremely challenging year for our family, so the fact that I actually read 103 books is quite impressive and frankly unexpected. There were a couple of months in spring and summer when I barely read at all. So overall, I am very proud of my reading stats for the year. 

My most read genre was fantasy - 34 books. 

I read 54 books from my own library, 3 ARCs and 46 books were borrowed from the library or Kindle Unlimited. 

In terms of medium: 53 were in paper, 26 e-books and 24 audiobooks (definitely fewer audiobooks this year!) 

I read 65 adult books, 20 YA and 18 middle grade.

A few books did make a lasting impression. A list of my favorites is below.