A book is like a garden, carried in the pocket.
- Chinese Proverb
Last year, I made it a goal to read more—and by the end of December, I had turned the final pages on 30 books. Some made me laugh, others made me think deeply, and a few stayed with me long after I closed the covers. This post is a look back at everything I read: what moved me, what surprised me, and which titles I'd recommend (or not) to fellow readers.
1. Leo
- Deon Meyer
Always a fan of Deon Meyer's books and always rush to the book store the minute a new one is on sale. I quite enjoy reading these in Afrikaans as you can really relate to the characters in his books by their local way of speaking.
2. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- John Boyne
This was a second read and really on my must read list! I'm yet to see the movie though.
3. Die Trying
- Lee Child
I'm a complete crime novel addict and love Lee Child. The problem is, I got half way through this book and realised that I've read it before. Obviously didn't leave a lasting impression...4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
- Jamie Ford
It took a little bit of concentration to get into this book, but I enjoyed in nonetheless.
5. Infanta
- Deon Meyer
An oldie, but a goodie. I discovered this Deon Meyer on my bookshelf and haven't read it before. As with Leo, I can highly recommend Deon's books.
6. Under the Tamarind Tree
- Nigar Alam
Not my favourite read of the year I'm afraid. I would have to give this one a go again at another time.
7. The Dead Wife
- Sue Fortin
LOVED, loved, loved it! I could not put this book down!
8. The Elephant Whisperer
- Laurence Anthony
I used to work in travel and have been very fortunate to visit the various corners of Southern and East Africa over the years. During these travels I experienced many magical safaris and I always say that you can see a million elephants, but it's always like the first time you see them out in the wild. Does that make sense? I loved reading The Elephant Whisperer and getting a deeper understanding of our wildlife and let me tell you, we can learn a lot from Elephants!
9. Verity
- Colleen Hoover
One of the top reads for 2024. I absolutely loved this book and was at the edge of my seat the entire time! Highly recommended! I believe there is talk of a movie, I'll be the first to buy a ticket and hopefully it will do the book justice.
10. Reacher Bad Luck and Trouble
- Lee Child
A nice one to take on holiday, but not a read I'll remember for the rest of my live.
11. It Ends with Us
- Colleen Hoover
Another great Colleen Hoover read. Not the same vibe as Verity and a lot more mellow, but the message strong. They did a good job of the movie, but I still prefer the book.
12. Laaste Kans
- Marita van der Vyver
I used to read a lot of Marita van der Vyver's books and were excited about this one. It's a lovely story, but I think I lost track along the line, there are so many characters. I will definitely give this one another go in the nearby future.
13. Safari
- Tony Park
I love Tony Park books, awesome little adventures through wild Africa mixed with crime and a bit of a love angle as well. Humble brag incoming - I met Tony Park a few years ago in Australia. At that point in time, I've only read one of his books, at least this time around (should we meet again), we'll have more to talk about :)
14. Heart Bones
- Colleen Hoover
Having read 'Verity' and 'It Ends with Us', I had high hopes for another Colleen Hoover. This one was a big NO for me unfortunately.
15. When Love Kills
- Melinda Ferguson
Not the type of book I normally read, but I really enjoyed it and got into this very quickly. Current affairs usually go way over my head, but at least I could join the conversation when the tale about AKA and Anele came up.
16. Jane's Delicious Garden
- Jane Griffiths
This is probably a cheat book in between... I did read it from cover to cover, so counting it as one of the reads for 2024. I have a few of her books on gardening and as I was preparing for my vegetable garden at this stage, it was a great reading option. She shares fantastic tips and tricks and I learnt a lot from her. Every time I do something in the garden, I consult one of her books.
17. The Women
- Kirsten Hannah
YES! I wasn't drawn in right from the start, but without noticing, within a few pages I couldn't put the book down. This is a great read!
18. The Kite Runner
- Khaled Hosseini
Another re-read. I don't think I have to tell you much about this book... An absolute favourite! I think my best advice here is to not read this book in public. I ugly cried like it was no one's business!
19. The Saint, The Surfer and the CEO
- Robin Sharma
By now you'll know that I'm a story girl and struggle with self-help books, biographies, etc. BUT, I've read the Monk who sold his Ferrari previously and loved it so thought I'd give this one a chance. It was so worth it. It is probably one of those books that need to become an annual read.
20. Along Came a Spider
- James Patterson
I'm quite a James Patterson fan, but as I'm writing this, I cannot recall a single thing about this book. Perhaps I need to try again?
21. The Hypnotist
- Lars Kepler
Perhaps the scariest book I've ever read! I don't think I will read it again (I was so freaked out), but if scary is your thing, do yourself a favour and grab a copy of The Hypnotist!
22. The Five People you meet in Heaven
- Mitch Albom
I read this book many years ago and as friends and family get older and live moves on, one needs to take a step back and evaluate. Is the lemon worth the squeeze and all that? This is one of the books I can recommend you read at least once a year. It's a thin one, but packs a punch!
23. Jack and Jill
- James Patterson
Really good crime novel, sucks you in and keeps you guessing!
24. The Seven Sisters
- Lucinda Riley
I've been wanting to get my hands on the Seven Sisters series and finally did so towards the end of 2024. WOW! I'm not sure what I expected, but I got so much more than that! This is the first of a series of 7 books (all pretty thick books - 700 pages +). Do yourself a favour, and get stuck in this series!
25. What Nelson Mandela Taught Me
- Zelda la Grange
Each and every South African needs to read this book. Scrap that... Each and every person in the world needs to read this book, as well as her first book (Good Morning Mr. Mandela). There is so much ugly in the world at the moment, cancel culture, fighting, shit everywhere... We need to look back at what Nelson Mandela stood for and how we can apply his nature and lessons to our everyday lives.
26. The Echo Chamber
- John Boyne
Fantastic! It was quite funny that this was the next book I picked up to read. It's all about cancel culture, social media and a very disfunctional family. I LOVED this book and is still recommending it to everyone!
27. The Shack
- WM Paul Young
Annual read. This was my second time reading this book and it just gives you what you need at that point in time. It does have a spiritual angle, but don't let that cloud your judgement. Give it a go, you won't regret it!
28. The Storm Sister
- Lucinda Riley
The second book in the Seven Sisters series. A journey like no other, it starts the same as the first book, but takes you in a different direction. Very well written and hard to put down!
29. The Shadow Sister
- Lucinda Riley
I'm clearly hooked... The Shadow Sister is the third book in the series. I could not put this book down (just like the first and the second).
30. The Pearl Sister
- Lucinda Riley
Fourth book - this one was probably my least favourite of all the books in the series. It took me a little longer to get into the book, but I still finished it as I wanted to start with the next book in the series as soon as possible!
Reading 30 books in a year felt like a rewarding challenge, and I’m already excited to share what I'm reading this year. I'm hoping to beat the 30 books from 2024.
If any of these titles caught your eye, I’d love to hear your thoughts or recommendations for what I should pick up next. After all, the best part of reading is sharing the journey.
