Top 10 Posts of 2024 – Year in Review (Part 3)
Hi Readers! Welcome to the third post of the 2024 Year in Review Series! This one’s all your doing. You choose to rely on my judgement when it comes to what to read next. You choose to find book recommendations here. You choose to find a way to better your life by finding something new to learn here. You choose Mindscape in Words. And, for that I have been, am, and always be eternally grateful.
I know I am not always the best at sharing reviews or recommendations timely. I find it difficult to write the reviews for some books which I so overwhelmingly LOVE. I also some times find it difficult to read anything for weeks on end. My posting is never consistent. I have probably ghosted you all now and then. I also am such a mood reader that you may never know which genre or which author I will read and post about next. Believe me, I don’t know that either!
But, I know you know one thing – I always come back to it and to you all. We celebrated TEN GLORIOUS YEARS of Mindscape in Words this year. And, that milestone means so much to me and that’s something that no one else will really get. But, you know that about me in a very intimate way. No matter what, I will always come back to this, because it’s my home.
Since I didn’t read a lot this year, I also didn’t post a lot, it was only obvious that the blog’s viewership would also not be a lot. I wrote 38 POSTS across 31900 WORDS this year! I had 40,000 VIEWS & 23,02,888 IMPRESSIONS this year! All of you read my posts from across all 195 COUNTRIES! How could I not be elated about this? You never cease to amaze me. So, once again, thank you for choosing Mindscape in Words!
~~TOP 10 POSTS OF 2024~~
I never know which posts will get a higher viewership. It’s never the ones I think, so it’s always a surprise. From the posts I wrote this year, the ones below had the maximum views. If you want to view them again, go ahead. And if you haven’t viewed them yet, go ahead too!
~~2024 Monthly Reading Templates Books Read And To Be Read!~~
The 2024 reading templates include TBR templates, Monthly reads templates, book buying ban templates, what I watched & listened templates. The kind of response you have shown for the templates I made in 2023 and 2022 has really made my world. I cannot thank you enough for not only making a stop at Mindscape in Words, but also for actually downloading and using them. Thank you so much. It makes creating these templates completely worthwhile!
~~More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop: An Unnecessary Sequel~~
I loved Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. So, when there was a sequel, I had to read it. But, this one didn’t work for me for several reasons. And, I guess it didn’t work for a lot of you either. In my head I think you thought you were alone and so wanted to see what others thought of the book. And, landed on my page and I hope reading the review you felt less alone in your thoughts and more validated. I have rated More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa at 2/5 stars!
~~Cozy Book Recommendation: Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop!~~
When I started reading Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, I knew it was a book about books. I knew it would be a cozy read. I had read few such books, and in most cases, I had found them just above average. I liked them but didn’t love them. But, this one I loved. And the irony is that in the initial chapters of the book, I thought I wouldn’t like it much. Isn’t it funny how the books we think we will love end up disappointing us and the books we think might disappoint us end up being the ones we love. I have rated Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated by Shanna Tan at 4.5/5 stars!
~~Babel: The Unnecessity of a Book~~
I purposefully named this post ‘Babel: The Unnecessity of a Book’, because the book is named, ‘Babel, or The Necessity of Violence’. I’m hilarious that way I know. Babel is an overly hyped book, and for whatever reasons that hardly ever works for me. I found this book to be a glorified Robin Hood story. I think that the author’s concepts are always brilliant, but the execution isn’t always up to the mark. I have rated Babel by R.F. Kuang at 1.5/5 stars.
~~Brand New Series by Richard Osman: We Solve Murders~~
I have read all four books in The Thursday Murder Club, and no matter how the story unfolded, I loved those books. Being at Coopers Chase with the four septuagenarians somehow became very homey, like going to your grandparents’ home during summer vacations. But, since this was a new series, it took some getting used to. The irony is that it’s the same author, same genre so the style of writing is similar to TTMC. It’s just the characters who are new, so it felt like I was cheated. I have rated We Solve Murders by Richard Osman at 3/5 stars!
~~Dark Short Stories Recommendation: Instruments of Torture~~
I picked this book randomly because I saw a few bookstagrammers rave about it. Also because the author is my boss’ cousin! How amazing? So, I decided better now rather than later. That was the best decision, I think, because I was completely immersed in it and finished it in a very short time. Yet, it will stay in my mind for not a short time. If you want to get out of a reading slump, this book is ideal. I don’t shy away from any genres as such and dark books don’t faze, so reading this was uncomfortable but also thrilling. I have rated Instruments of Torture by Aparna Sanyal at 4.5/5 stars!
~~Award Winning Books of 2024!~~
Every year, I write a helpful post of the award winning books of the year, which includes The Nobel Prize in Literature, The Pulitzer Prize, The International Booker Prize, The Booker Prize, Women’s Prize for Literature, JCB Prize for Literature, National Book Awards, , British Book Awards, The Walter Scott Prize, Tata Literature Live Awards and lastly Goodreads Choice Awards. Whether you like fiction or any specific sub genres within fiction or nonfiction, you will find a book in this list! I think that’s why I saw the highest views on this one in a very short span of time!
~~The Housemaid Series by Frieda McFadden: Worth the Hype?~~
Anyone who reads mysteries and thrillers has heard the name Frieda McFadden. This series was my first read from her, and as always, I didn’t get the hype. I like the first and third books a little bit. I came to like the characters eventually. But, the very essence of writing felt somewhat amateurish to me. I rated The Housemaid at 3/5 stars, The Housemaid’s Secret at 2/5 stars, and The Housemaid is Watching at 3/5 stars.
~~Book Recommendation: The Life Impossible by Matt Haig~~
I think with some authors, you always have an inkling of what to expect in their books. I am not talking about the intricacies of it, but just a vibe, if you will. With Jhumpa Lahiri, you can always expect some kind of solitude. With Taylor Jenkins-Reid, you can always expect stellar character arcs, With Kristin Hannah, you can always expect a long period. With Haruki Murakami, you can always expect some sexism. And, just like that, with Matt Haig, you can always expect FEELINGS. If you are looking for a wholesome book, you should read this. If you want something with high fantasy or extreme magical realism, then this may not be the right choice. If you are looking for an interesting story, you will get it, but it won’t be something you won’t see coming. If you want a beach read or an airport book, this will work well. But, also, if you are feeling lonely or depressed or purposeless, then you should definitely read this book. I have rated The Life Impossible by Matt Haig at 4/5 stars!
~~Funny Story: My First Emily Henry Favorite!~~
I read some authors’ books because I love their writing. But, Emily Henry novels are the ones I hate-read. I hated the first four of her books, but every time she publishes something new, I can’t wait to dig my claws in it and make it all bloody. But, with Funny Story, I was happily surprised. I liked it because it did not have any of the flaws that the first four books had. No annoying characters. No cliché stories. Predictable yet not cringey. Hot romance. And most importantly, it wasn’t just a romantic novel. It was about glorifying healthy relationships. I have rated Funny Story by Emily Henry at 4/5 stars!
~~STATISTICS~~
I will be back tomorrow for the last post in the series: Top 8 Learning from 2024 – Year in Review (Part 4) Stay tuned!
If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can check them out below:
Top 8 Books of 2024 – Year in Review (Part 1)
Top 15 Movies & Top 10 TV Shows of 2024 – Year in Review (Part 2)
Until next time,
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.
Keep writing!