2024: The Year I Learned to Read (Again...)

I’m giving myself grace and literally only writing what I want to, so if any summaries are short, that’s why. But also, this is super long and un-edited, so enjoy.

Next year I swear I’ll write my reviews and thoughts more as I’m reading and when I first finish the book. But, this year, I’m still really proud of reading twenty-nine whole books after years upon years of reading absolutely nothing for fun. It’s been a magical resurgence of special interests and a reminder of my passion for learning.

PLEASE feel free to ask questions in the comments. I would love to talk more about it, but this is my first stream of thought. So, here’s a quick few thoughts on each book I read this year, with my recommendations below:

(***I can’t promise no spoilers ahead***)

The Artist’s Way - Julia Cameron

This is my new bible. I worked through this in the summer (imo the perfect time to pursue this 12-week program) and it changed my life. When I say changed my life, I mean it. This was a huge resurgence of my creativity this year. It brought so much spiritual guidance, bursting creativity, and a reminder of the beauty of the process of being with myself and creating in any way I choose to. I’d recommend this book to anyone, not just people who can connect their craft to “art” in some way or another. It’s a process I think everyone should go through to discover what creating means to them.

The Creative Act – Rick Rueben

Speaking of creating, I listened to The Creative Act on Audible this year and it was meditative. Although I don’t feel drawn to every single aspect of the book, I loved the consideration of creation as a spiritual act. Together with The Artist’s Way, I think about this book almost daily in my life as I go about monotonous tasks and find inspiration for creating.

The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion

I’m going to be so honest on this one… I don’t know why I didn’t resonate a lot with this book. It’s literally a retelling of her stories in grief after losing her husband, which I can draw a direct line to in my own life, yet something in me didn’t feel drawn to it at this time. I think I’ll reread this later on.

The Electricity of Every Living Thing – Katherine May

This book was beautiful, although the style of it was unexpected for me. Some of it may have even hit a little too close to home right now. I enjoyed hearing the author’s experience coming to terms with her autism diagnosis and I related to the intense internal dialogue, which is perhaps something I’m so accustomed to thinking is normal that I didn’t think it was anything different? That’s my theory. Overall though, I did find it a bit too long for me and I would’ve loved more reminiscences on her childhood and perhaps selfishly more that I related to with my own autism diagnosis? That said, I love neurodivergent writing and wholeheartedly would still recommend this book, especially for listing to on walks.

Signs – Laura Lynne Jackson

I loved how this book both gave me hope and challenged my cynicism. “Looking for signs” isn’t something I’ve ever leaned towards outside of the context of the LDS Church, but I found the ideas in this book beautiful. This is a spiritual book I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, whether religious, spiritual, or exploring.

Bad Mormon - Heather Gay

Listening to the audiobook of this, narrated by herself, was something extra special. I personally love Heather Gay and I’m a huge fan of her sharing her story in her own words. I hope someday to do the same. Most of the “Mormon stuff” she wrote about was at least somewhat relatable to me, although not my exact experience. I love her honesty.

For me, the most emotional chapter was her retelling of going through the temple. That’s a sensitive subject for me as an ex-Mormon, and I wholeheartedly felt the strangeness, betrayal, and force-fed spiritual notions of it as she told it. I’m beyond grateful that she shared that experience in such a blunt light.

Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You – Jenara Nerenberg

It’s been at least 6 months and I still need time to process. I’ll be processing this my whole life. I can’t rave enough about this book for anyone learning about neurodivergence. I’m literally not even going to try to say more other than it was life changing.

It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle – Mark Wolynn

Some of this book was hard for me… I can’t quite figure out if it’s my own skepticism or if I struggled with the sharing of traumatic experiences. Honestly, a lot of them were extremely dark and I’m not sure if I was in the best place to consume this book. That said, it made me even more curious about my own ancestors and continued my interest in generational trauma, especially in the sense of the body remembering what the mind often does not.

How To Change Your Mind – Michael Pollan

I felt the need to read this before trying mushrooms and honestly I’m glad I did. I still haven’t tried them to be honest, BUT hearing both the science behind psychedelics and so many people’s experiences helped me get over the immense amount of fear around it. I feel like I have a much fuller understanding and I’m excited for more research in all of these areas, especially to improve mental and physical ailments.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

This is absolutely in my top recommendations! Did you know they’re identical twins? Talk about a dream co-authorship! Every part of this book is a must read and I can’t wait to re-read it and keep learning. Two things resonated with me the most:

First, Amelia Nagoski mentions (I believe in this book, but it might have been a podcast?) their own autism diagnosis which sparked interest for me. Second, I’m simultaneously angry and relieved about the feminist perspective in this book. Angry, because it proves once again the immense labor put on women, ultimately causing more burnout for women, women of color, etc. Relieved, because it gives me massive relief to hear that I’m not crazy for feeling like the expectations for myself as a woman feel especially high, and there might just be a better mindset I can have about all of this shit.

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter – Sue Monk Kidd

I finished this book around the same time as my mom, so that was something really special for me. I had no idea she was even reading it and we still need to talk about it. This book was first recommended to me by my Aunt Coke and it meant a lot to me that she both read it and related to it my piece, The Creation of Woman. This was one of my favorite spiritual books I read this year.

The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church – Sarah McCammon

This was also recommended to me by my aunt, but I’m not sure she wants to be called out by name. :) This was very interesting seeing how religion plays a role in culture, especially living in a heavily Christian-based, conservative religion state.

Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection – John and Julie Gottman

At the risk of sounding very full of myself… I literally learned all of this in my classes at BYU. There was heavy emphasis on marriage and family relationships and I took multiple classes about it. Although I know there was quite a bit of bias within their curriculum, I’m honestly glad I learned this stuff!

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women White Feminists Forgot – Mikki Kendall

This has been recommended over and over in intersectional feminist spaces, so of course I had to read it as soon as I could. It’s hard to hear sometimes as a white woman from quite a lot of privilege (you mean the world doesn’t just revolve around me and my experience!? Yes.) but that’s why it’s a must read. Please read it.

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men – Caroline Criado-Perez

My cousin recommended this to me last fall when discussing our careers in an NYC bathroom. I think she’s badass, so of course I wanted to read it.

Did anyone ask me what book made me the most angry this year?? THIS ONE. I would strongly recommend engaging in exercise while listening to it OR going to the gym right after reading it. Better yet, channel that rage into the fight for equality in any space you can. It’s so upsetting, but an invigorating read.

This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life – Lyz Lenz

Ok actually, this one made me the most angry. It’s not a competition, but this was an even harder read for me personally. It’s no secret I struggle with marriage … well actually maybe it is? I’m not talking about the fact that I’ve been divorced by 27, was raised in a patriarchal religion, or that I’m bisexual.

Ok obviously those have to do with it, as there was always an inkling of discomfort that came with all of these factors, BUT I’m talking about the legal parts of it. It’s hard for me to understand the intersection of what to me will be a spiritual, romantic, and legal decision I make. It’s easiest for me to try to separate the three (and there’s definitely more than three), but this book is a great explanation as to why it feels impossible to separate them. Let’s just say…I’m glad I read this book in 2024 and not 2022.

I have very complicated feelings about this book, but more as a personal struggle, so I would absolutely recommend it. Maybe we can untangled it all together.

Wordslut – Amanda Montell

Amanda Montell is my idol this year and I freaking love the word slut. By this point in the year, I’ve also finished The Age of Magical Overthinking and Cultish, her other two published books. She is the absolute most clever in every way. Personally, I loved hearing her voice as I’ve listened to almost every episode of her podcasts Sounds Like a Cult and Magical Overthinkers, so the audiobook versions were the way to go for me. Wordslut is the most clever and my personal favorite of them all. It’s a fantastic feminist-themed quick read.

The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

This was the first book I read in March of this year, narrated by Carey Mulligan on the flight to Scotland. Does it get any more perfect than that!? I was bored at first, but ended up loving it. It’s a great existential read.

It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover

I’m not a Colleen Hoover fan, but I did like this one. It’s one of the few books I read a paperback version of, which felt like great practice for me with an easy-to-read romance novel. I still haven’t seen the movie and am less motivated than ever to see it by now.

Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism – Georgia Byng

The pug on the cover!? Did you really think I could resist when I was a kind? I was obsessssed with this series, so this was a fun inner-child summer read. I loved it.

Matilda – Roald Dahl

Matilda holds such a special place in my heart, so I can’t believe it took me this long to actually read the book. I read it poolside in Saint George and it was honestly perfect.

7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid

I was again, very bored at first, BUT pleasantly surprised. It took way too long to get halfway through, which is when I was interested. Also spoiler ahead…but I was going to be very disappointed if this didn’t turn into some sort of queer romance, so let’s just say thank god that happened.

The Women - Kristin Hannah

Idk what’s wrong with me, but I did not like this book. It might be the only one I would not recommend?

Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend – Emma Alban

Loved. This. Thank you to whoever recommended it to me. I also watched Bridgerton around this time so the pairing was perfect. I literally pictured Claudia Jesse (the actress for Eloise Bridgerton) as Gwen, and it was perfect. She fits right!?

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt

This was a bit of a slow read for me, but overall I thought it was very beautiful!

The Year of the Witching – Alexis Henderson

This is pretty perfect fiction for me. Somebody said this book is what the movie The VVitch should’ve been, and I can’t un-hear that. It sets a perfect scene with puritanical religious themes and a mix of historically accurate and fantastical witchcraft. I listened to this as it started getting colder and grayer outside and it made my hot girl walks feel more like folklore witch strolls.

The Awakening – Kate Chopin

I wanted to re-read a classic from high school. It’s not my favorite, but just interesting to read something with a different mindset than in high school, yet remember what I thought of it back in English class then. Overall my take was “women’s lives must’ve really sucked back then”. Pretty well-spoken I think.

The Scarlett Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Same with this one. I listened to this around Halloween and had a really good witch theme going. Also, something about listening to this in my kitchen while making my mid-morning coffee was hilarious to me. Lastly, something about a man writing this feels off to me now.

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

I first watched the show, then became a little obsessed with the story and the author, then read the book. It’s pretty out of order in my mind, but if I could write any fictional book, it would be this one. I think the writing is absolutely incredible.