On today's show I discuss my favorite books I read in 2024 and share my most anticipated books of 2025, plus some popular authors coming out with new books this year. A few statistics first. In 2024:

I read 67 books.
I did not finish (DNF) 16 books.
67% of my books were fiction, with 33% nonfiction.
All but one book was for adults; I read one young adult book.
I read 21 debuts, or first-time-published authors, which was about 31% of all my books.
All my books were physical books. I don't use an e-reader or listen to audiobooks.
Mystery/thriller was my most read genre.

Here are the books I read that were mentioned in this episode:

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
Falling by T.J. Newman
Drowning by T.J. Newman
Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh
The Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanaugh
Colored Television by Danzy Senna
James by Percival Everett
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
The Caretaker by Ron Rash
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
The Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner (loved books 1-2; hated book 3)
Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth
The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner
Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (memoir)
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin (memoir)
The Message by Ta-Nehisis Coates (nonfiction)
Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love by Rebecca Frankel (nonfiction)
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

2024 books I tried to read in January but DNFed:

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (very popular but I couldn't get into it)
Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj (debut I was excited about but discovered the main characters were all teenagers)

2024 books I'm still excited to try:

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family by Mark Daley
The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz (memoir)
A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson

2025 books I'm excited about:

Back After This by Linda Holmes — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo)
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Wrong Place Wrong Time)
The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker — publishes Feb. 25 (author of The Age Of Miracles and The Dreamers
What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon — publishes April 15
It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — publishes May 27
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — publishes June 3 (author of Daisy Jones & The Six)
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby — publishes June 10 (author of All the Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Teers)
Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (fourth in Frankie Elkin series) — publishes August 12
All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall — published Jan. 7 (I loved it! Similar in tone to Station Eleven)
Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel — published Feb. 4

GoodReads' "Readers Most Anticipated Books of 2025"

Big-name authors with new books in 2025:

Fiona Davis
Anne Tyler
Jojo Moyes
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Frederik Backman
Kevin Wilson
Alice Feeney
Freida McFadden
Riley Sager
Lisa Jewell
John Scalzi
Grady Hendrix
Stephen King — book #4 in the Holly Gibney series publishes May 27
Ali Hazelwood
Abby Jimenez
Jasmine Guillory
Emily Henry
Beth O'Leary

Resources:

Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group

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#201: My Fave 2024 Books & Most Anticipated 2025 Books