We started this when we were blogging at Girlxoxo and have been delighted to see some other bloggers do this as a meme. Here’s a slightly modified version to look back at some of my reading “firsts” for 2024.
First Book Read This Year
Silence for the Dead, Simone St. James
Set in 1919, this atmospheric and chilling story transports readers to a crumbling mansion turned asylum for war veterans, where the lines between reality and madness are expertly blurred. The narrative centers around two main characters: Lucy Shaw, a young woman who arrives at the asylum seeking answers about her sister’s disappearance, and Dr. Vaughan Mason, a brilliant but troubled psychiatrist tasked with treating the tormented soldiers within its walls. As Lucy delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s disappearance, she uncovers dark secrets and unspeakable horrors lurking within the asylum’s labyrinthine corridors.
St. James masterfully crafts a sense of foreboding from the very beginning, as the crumbling mansion’s imposing structure seems to exude an aura of malevolent energy. The author’s vivid descriptions of the decaying estate, replete with cobwebs, creaking doors, and flickering candles, effectively conjure up a sense of unease that permeates every page. The asylum’s inhabitants are a motley crew of soldiers shattered by their experiences on the battlefield, their sanity fraying at the seams.
First Five Star Read and Book Hangover of the Year
The Reformatory, Tananarive Due
If you don’t already know, Tananarive Due is an incredible writer. The Reformatory is her latest novel, and this is a grim one. First, it’s set during slavery times, and the descriptions are graphic! It’s a horrific time, and the author’s skill with words makes for vivid imagery. But the story is also compelling, blending together injustice, death, hauntings, grief and so much more. This is a tough read, but so, so worth it. Empathy starts with seeing … and this book lays it bare.
First New Book (Published in 2024)
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (Wayward Children #9), Seanan McGuire
This is the 9th novella in the Wayward Children series. Antsy, the main character in Mislaid in Parts Half-Known was first inroduced in the 8th novella, so I suggest reading that one first (and this review has a really good explanation of the best reading order for the series). This was not one of my favorites from the series, but overall, I enjoyed it, and love the series in general. The Home for Wayward Girls is an establishment where kids who have opened hard to find “doors” – or portals into another World – but have had to come back to this one, can go. Most want to go back to the Worlds they left, and when the other kids in the School find out that Antsy can find the doors, she’s forced to flee with some of the other students.
The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo
Since Mislaid in Parts Half-Known is a novella, I’m sharing my first “published in 2024” full length novel read, The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo. The historical fantasy vibe drew me right in, and the main character was everything for this book. Everything Luzia went through I could feel, her poverty struggles, desperation, hopelessness & hopefulness. The magical / fantastical elements were also well woven into the story along with the backstory of Santangel. This pace of the The Familiar started out slowly but kept picking up until the crushing end. I absolutely LOVED the ending. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. So fitting for the story.
In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.
First Book by a “New to Me” Author
The September House, Carissa Orlando
The September House is one of those books that the less you know about it going in, the better. I will say, I didn’t start off loving it – I was lukewarm to it at first, and that’s because I thought the main character was making some questionable decisions. Why would she want to stay in a house that’s haunted?!!! But hang in there if you feel like I did, because the 2nd half … or maybe just the last third is insane. I’m deliberately not saying much here to avoid any spoilers. Also, if you get a chance, listen to the audiobook. The narrator Kimberly Farr does an amazing job with bringing the book to life – there are just some scenes that became more vivid as she read them and thus became way more real and more gory and more … horrific.
First book of 2024 That I Wish I could Get Back the Time I Spent Reading It
Saint Death’s Daughter, C.S.E. Cooney
I finished it – but it was a struggle. Saint Death’s Daughter is lush and lavish in every way – from the World building, to the characters and the story. But it won’t be for everyone … and it wasn’t for me. In all fairness, the last 1/4 or so held my attention. There is a LOT going on in this book – A WHOLE LOT! The Stones’ family lineage is interesting – and we get the rundown on the family tree going back eons throughout the book. The main character is Miscellaneous Stones, who is a necromancer and we follow her as she grows into her power through a lot of turmoil. But, after the month it took me to get through this, I wish I had spent the time on something else.
What are some of your firsts for this year? And check out Kim’s #firstthingsfirst on IG.
