Top

A lady with a love for literature and shiny things discusses books & bling.

You are here: Home / Archives for Books

My favorite fiction of 2024

It’s just about the end of the year, so let’s take a look at the best fiction I read in 2024!

My favorite fiction of 2024!

My favorite fiction of 2024

This wasn’t a huge reading year for me: we moved near the end of 2023 and I spent a lot of time this year working on our home – lots of home decor Pinterest boards, outings to vintage furniture stores, and meetings with contractors.

But I still read 115 books (and counting!) in 2024 and some of them were excellent. As is typical for me, I mostly read Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romantasy, and YA, with a little Mystery and occasional Literary Fiction mixed in.

Find my favorite fiction of 2024 below, along with my summaries and links to buy.

Death At Morning House House by Maureen Johnson

Death At Morning House House by Maureen Johnson
Bookshop.org link | Amazon link

I love a book about a creepy old house, don’t you? Main character Marlowe takes a last minute summer job out of town to get some distance after she accidently(!) burns down a house while on a first date with the girl she’s been in love with for years.

Sure, the long-abandoned 1920’s mansion where Marlowe will be giving tours for the summer is a little creepy…but surely the house’s secrets can’t hurt anyone in the present day, right? Or at least that’s what everyone assumes.

Marlowe gets to know her fellow Morning House employees as she learns more about the building’s dark past and her own heart.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Bookshop.org link | Amazon link

Misery Lark has been chosen as the Vampyre bride for a marriage to an Alpha Werewolf that will seal a treaty between their two peoples. Misery agrees because she has reason to think the marriage will help her with the only thing she cares about: solving the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance.

Once Misery is in her new home with the Werewolves, she discovers that quite a few things are not as they seem…especially her enigmatic new husband.

This book is a romance, and I must warn you about one thing: in this world, Werewolves are uniquely endowed with a characteristic that human men do not share. Google “wolf knot” if you want to be forewarned.

This book contains on-page sex scenes.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Bookshop.org link | Amazon link

From Bookshop.org:

“There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. […]

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. […]

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.”

Read More

What I’m Reading: Vol. 126.

What I'm reading. Photo of books by Ed Robertson on Unsplash


Hello darlings,

Happy spring!! (Feels a little late to say that, I know, but I checked and summer doesn’t start until June 20th – so I think I’m in the clear.)

I’ve been sneezy but happy, enjoying the endless discovery process that is living in a new house during a new season. We’ve been very lucky with how much gardening the previous owners of our house did over the 30 years they lived here. Mr DitL and I have no idea what we’re doing when it comes to maintaining that garden, but we’re going to do our absolute best to try to keep everything alive and flourishing.

Did you know about mulch? I now know way more about mulch than I ever thought I would. We needed 44 bags of it to cover all of our garden beds. And yes, I know that because we bought it all bit by bit in endless trips to the hardware store. Mulch! Who knew?

I’ve been a busy bee lately with a few blog posts and some fun freelance writing projects for individual brands. If you ever need more jewelry content than I’m posting here, you can always come find my articles over at Instore Magazine.

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

The Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn.

The Veronica Speedwell series follows Veronica, a Victorian era lepidopterist who finds herself in the position of investigating mysteries alongside her gruff and fiercely intelligent sidekick, the handsome disgraced nobleman and fellow natural scientist, Stoker.

I’ve read a couple of these books before, but this was my first time doing the whole series all at the same time. It was delightful. If you like bold woman characters, clever writing, and a good historical mystery, this series is absolutely fantastic. They’re not capital R Romance, but there is a consistent, enjoyable slow burn love story.

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay.

Emily is a librarian who, like me, is emotionally attached to a young adult fantasy series from her childhood that she rereads constantly. But the series she loves is unfinished, and when Emily lands her dream job of moving to Ireland to help her favorite author write the last book in her favorite series, she discovers an unexpected complication: the handsome, grumpy owner of the bookstore where she has a part time job while in Ireland. When he turns out to be her new employer’s son, she realizes she’ll have to get along with him somehow.

This sweet contemporary Romance made me cry happy/sad tears. It’s a true book lover’s fantasy and it fits my own personal relationship to books so perfectly that I already know I’ll be rereading it.

Want to see more fiction I’m loving? Click here.

Internets

I recently had the chance to serve as an Influencer Judge for the JCK Jewelers Choice Awards! You can see the winners announced here.

Thanks to Shop LC for including Diamonds in the Library on your list of top fashion blogs!

A Brief Compendium of Advertising Fans.

Why a String Quartet Set Sail on a Giant Violin in Venice’s Grand Canal: Local artist Livio De Marchi views the wooden replica as a symbol of the Italian city’s rebirth following Covid-19.

The Convertible Necklace Napoleon Gave His Mistress, Uncovered.

A Brief History of Women’s Eyebrows in Art: Since antiquity, women’s eyebrows have been sites of intense scrutiny, constantly shifting between trend cycles.

Emerald Jewelry Is Having a Moment, according to W Magazine.

Inside a Secret (but Shoppable) Antiques Museum on the Seine. Teleport me there right now, please.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

What I’m Reading: Vol. 125.

What I'm reading. A beautiful library, photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash

Hello darlings,

Happy new year!! Is it still okay to say that on January 16th? I’m going to say yes, because the year still feels all fresh and new.

January can be a rough month for me: the sky is dark, the weather is cold, and I’m still worn out from holidaying through the end of 2023. But we just had the fireplace in our new house repaired, so I’ve been spending a lot of time curled up in a fuzzy blanket in front of a warm fire, reading great books. It’s lovely.

The sun will return eventually and then there will be fun things to do, but for now I’m leaning into the hibernation vibes and taking lots of time to rest and recharge.

How is 2024 treating you so far?

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.

I read this entire book yesterday from start to finish. Not only is it exactly my type of book – fantasy romance with dragons and a strong woman protagonist – the author has the same rare genetic connective tissue disorder as me (hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) and so does Forth Wing’s main character.

The world definitely feels like a modern reimagining of iconic fantasy classic The Dragonriders of Pern but with fewer sexual consent issues and less domestic violence (no shaking of women). There’s adventure, intrigue, and awesome dragons who each bond to a rider and have the ability to communicate with that rider mind-to-mind.

I was honestly shaken by how much it meant to me to read a book about a character whose body works the same way mine does. Apparently that’s something that I was craving so deeply that I wasn’t even consciously aware of it. I’m definitely looking forward to book two.

Fair warning: this book sounds like YA, but the sex scenes are a little more on-page action than I associate with YA. There are only a couple of them, but the spice level puts on the same shelf as ACOTAR rather than The Hunger Games.

Want to see more fiction I’m loving? Click here.

Internets

Amateur Treasure Hunter Discovers Trove of Sixth-Century Gold Jewelry: Found in Denmark, most of the 22 objects are bracteates, or medallions inscribed with mystical symbols.

Anatomical Sculptures Made of Crystals Explore Themes of Love and Loss.

The Story Of The Dress From My Date With The President’s Daughter. Did anyone else LOVE this movie and know the exact dress?? Well, it has been DISCOVERED in a THRIFT STORE. The exact dress.

An Antique Dress Held a Secret: A Coded Message From 1888: For nearly a decade, sleuths had tried to decode a cryptic note discovered in the silk bustle dress. An analyst finally cracked the case.

Not Even the Rich Can Buy Fancy Watches. If you’re in the market for a $25,000 Rolex, you better know a guy. And you better have $50,000.

Nerding Out at New York’s Antiquarian Book Fair: The fair showcases thousands upon thousands of books, ephemera, and historic works on paper.

An Ode to the Patron Saint of French Art Nouveau.

Haunted Houses Have Nothing on Lighthouses. From drowning to murders to the mental toll of isolation, these stoic towers carry a full share of tragedy.

Booktails from the Potions Library, with Mixologist Lindsay Merbaum

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

Follow along with me on Instagram