2024 Book Post (and an update)
| January 3, 2025 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
It’s been a while, but don’t worry, when it comes to my 2024 four and five star books, I still have you covered!
A few updates since I pop in a say hi so rarely these days…I’ve come to the conclusion that practicing clinical medicine full time and writing are almost mutually exclusively for me. Part of it is the sleep deprivation that comes from doing shift work – I flip flop between day and night shifts every week. I could go back to day shifts only, but that would mean giving up ER….and that means more surgery shifts….which means enough wear-and-tear on my hands to make things like typing and playing the fiddle a bit dicey.
So, in summary, right now I get to choose between physical wear and tear on my hands (ugh) or constant underlying sleep deprivation that makes creativity such as writing get pushed to the back burner. (ugh). And, if I’m being honest, it’s also the reason I’m less motivated to go out and run and do other physical things. (ugh). So choosing sleep deprivation is affecting my physical health too, but hey! At least my hands feel great! (laugh-sob).
I hadn’t really faced just how sleep deprived I am all the time until I travelled to Greece this fall with my best friend and sister. Coming back they both complained about jet lag and went to bed “absolutely exhausted” the day we got back. Me? It didn’t feel any different than my normal day shift – night shift turn around in my regularly work week, and I powered through just fine. Despite having slept during travel less than either of them.
Oops.
Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. And I am definitely should-ing every single week.
Here’s the good news. I’ve decided to leave clinical medicine in about 5 years. One of the biggest things I’m looking forward to is the space to write again. I missed you, My Dear Reader, so much (Yes, I know that the blogging may be “dead” and perhaps there are no Dear Readers left…but that’s ok too. I write because the words need to come out of my fingers, not that they need to find ears.) But even more I miss the good things that happen in my brain when I’m engaging in the self-reflection that comes with writing honest thing about my life.
Fingers crossed that now that I’m one year moved (yes, it does take a year to recover from moving even though I always feel like I can cheat it) and settling into a routine, maybe I can integrate more writing? I can’t wait to tell you about my current horse herd – FIVE of them, not including Farley – who are the best ponies in the world, even if you can’t tell them apart (they are all…chestnut mares. ????). I’m riding as much or more than in my endurance days, Woot! And of course, sharing more about finding balance in life, my decision to leave clinical medicine (and what I plan on doing afterwards, and share the stories that I’m collecting these days, even if I’m not writing many of them.
But let’s leave all the hopes and crossing of the fingers (sounds like New Year Resolutions to me and that’s not what we are here for). Let’s get back to the books!
General reminders:
- I rate every book I read on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/melnewton) in real time and you are welcome to follow me there if you want to see what I’m reading and recommending throughout the year.
- How I rate books: A 5 star book isn’t a perfect book. It’s a book that kept me up way past my bedtime. A 4 star book was good but didn’t grab me quite the same way. Both 4 and 5 star books I can recommend without reservation.
20 books this year made the 4/5 star list.
Normally I say that if you’ve been following these posts over the years, than you know whether my tastes are a match for yours…but a note of caution this year! I belong to some reading groups whose taste is more into Rom-Com than my typical reading style, and I have friends who have been whispering into my ear to “just try this one book, you will like it!” To my surprise yes, there have been some books outside of my regular genres that kept me up past my bedtime. I’m doing my best to note genres below, but it’s best to click on the title link for each book to learn more.
Happy reading :).
Fiction
A Man Called Ove – by Fredrik Backman: I finally got around to reading this book. It’s a different style than what I normally read. I usually stay away from general fiction because there’s too much sadness and tension in that genre for what I want out of reading. But this book, I loved. I watched the movie this year with Tom Hanks and it doesn’t quite capture the book, which was hilarious, touching, joyful, and serious all at the same time. I read this book because it got mentioned over and over on my facebook book club and I took it on faith. I was hooked from the very first page.
Iron Flame – by Rebecca Yarros: Rolling my eyes at some of the smut scenes in the first book and the ridiculousness of it all didn’t stop me from pulling an all nighter when I really shouldn’t have, earning a spot in my list last year, so of COURSE I read the sequel. The sequel was much better written and yes, kept me up past my bedtime and earned its spot. My big complaint with this book is that it has the same plot points as the first book. It’s like she wanted to write a better version of the first one – and did – but when reading the books back to back it was distracting to watch the same beats get covered in practically the same way. Will that keep me from reading the third one? Nope.
Red, White, & Royal Blue – by Casey McQuiston. Another book that I really enjoyed. Couldn’t even make it through the first part of the Netflix show but the book is absolutely wonderful. I listened to the audio book and I found myself using every excuse to stay in my car to listen to it. Drive to school 30 min too early to pick up the kid? No problem, I’ll just sit on the curb and listen to my book. Caution – definitely not an audio book to play when the kid is IN the car.
The Shawshank Redemption – by Stephen King: My mother browbeat me into reading it this year, and it didn’t dissapoint. Wow. I didn’t watch the movie (and don’t have immediate plans to) but I finally “get” why this book and the movie is still a thing. Worth a read (I can’t remember if I listened to it or read it) if you haven’t yet.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – by Stuart Turton: A different kind of book and it takes a bit to know what is going on, but once you “get it” it’s immensely interesting. Give it a try if you are a murder mystery who done it fan.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler – by Casey McQuiston: this is the same author as red, white, and royal blue above. Less smut, still really good relationship writing. Honestly, I don’t remember many details from the book – Romance genre books don’t stick with me the same way sci-fi does and they sorta blend together. But I promise you that if it’s on this list and it’s a Rom-Com it’s worth a read if that’s your thing.
The True Love Experiment – by Christina Lauren: Another Rom-Com, this one notable because (if I remember correctly…) it takes place in California and I enjoyed the backdrop of the towns and areas that I was familiar with. An interesting hook, writing that kept me reading.
The Twyford Code – by Janice Hallett: Like the Evelyn Hardcastle book above, the Twyford Code is another non-traditional book that is creatively written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it (I don’t know how well it would translate as an audio book).
Daughter of the Pirate King(Daughter of the Pirate King, #1) – by Tricia Levenseller: Really enjoyed this first book of the series. The second was OK, the third I didn’t finish. I still recommend reading this one. Fun fantasy adventure book.
Boyfriend Material (London Calling, #1) – by Alexis Hall: Another rom-com. The two people in this book are adorable and I could relate to their relationship woes and wows. There’s another book in the series that I also enjoyed but it didn’t make this list.
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3) – by Sarah J Maas: I managed to plow my way through the last series by SJM that I plan on reading, the Throne of Glass. This was the ONLY book of the series that broke the barrier into 4 stars. I’m not sure that my reading life is any richer having read this, besides the fact that I can now enjoy the multitude of memes that reference her books. Fair’s fair and I put this book on my list since it met criteria, but don’t come to me whining about the series if you decide to read it based on this single recommended book.
The Seventh Bride – by T. Kingfisher: I do love Kingfisher so much. I’ve considered writing her a fangirl letter but that seems weird. And also I would be compelled to tell her how much one of her horror books to this day keeps me from looking out my windows at night. But this is not a horror book, this is what I think she does best – a dark fairytale.
Check & Mate – by Ali Hazelwood: The last rom-com on the list. I really enjoyed the chess in the background of this story. A light read that is perfect when life is heavy.
Six of Crows – by Leigh Bardugo: I dnf’ed the ebook a few times, but the audio book really clicked for me, probably because the story is told from the view point of a handful of characters and the voices helped me to keep them straight. Now that I now the characters better, I will probably read the second as an ebook.
The Hangman’s Daughter – by Oliver Potzsch: This book has been on my want to read list for a long time and I finally found the time. It’s set in an era and place that’s a bit different, and while the story is very much fiction, the details of the time and place is very well done. There are more books in the series, which is translated, and I plan on reading them.
Paladin’s Faith (The Saint of Steel, #4) – by T. Kingfisher: Did you know Kingfisher had another Saint of Steel book out? Neither did I until a friend told me. Now I’m that friend telling you!
Non-Fiction
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business – by Charles Duhigg: The outstanding non-fiction book of 2024 for me. I listened to it as an audio book while I did surgery days and found myself writing reminders and notes between surgeries because the information is so practical.
The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder – by Douglas Preston: Reads like fiction, very enjoyable. The real life events and stories that were the inspiration for some of the writer’s fiction works.
The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church – by Sarah McCammon: A “religion” book that takes it’s place beside “Holy Envy” as a book that has significantly shaped how I see myself. If you are someone that grew up “in the church” and as an adult find yourself reconciling that with your present life that explores religion in a different way, I highly recommend this book. It was incredibly healing and validating.
Counting Backwards: A Doctor’s Notes on Anesthesia – by Henry Jay Przybylo: Anesthesia is pure magic and more interesting than I ever thought prior to going to vet school. The complexity and “dark box” aspect made it flustering as a vet student but now, as a veterinarian with a primary focus on surgery, anesthesia is something I find very interesting and very fulfilling to do “right”. A well-written book on anesthesia from an anesthesiologist who spent a career it seems trying to do his very best by his patients.
What were your favorites reads this year? Did I read any of your favorites this year?
