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2024 Reading Challenge

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Hey fellow bookworms! Get ready for an adventure in 2024 because I’ve created the ultimate reading challenge, and I want you to join me! Are you up for the challenge? Let’s make this year a page-turning masterpiece together!

I’ve limited the reading challenge to 12 books to ensure that you don’t feel overwhelmed or find it unattainable as the year unfolds. However, for those eager readers who easily read 12 books in a year, I’ve added an extra six books to the challenge for you.

Guess what? I devoured a whopping 33 books in 2023! It’s officially the most literary action I’ve seen in ages. Dive into my 2023 reading challenge here and sneak a peek at my absolute faves from the year here. I’m hoping to read a similar number this year too.

I can’t wait to get started on this challenge and hopefully find some new favourites that I can’t put down.

Must read books for Melbourne Mamma’s 2024 Reading Challenge

  • A book with 24 letters in the title
  • A book that teaches you something new
  • A celebrity autobiography
  • A book with a yellow cover
  • A book with a one word title
  • A book with chapter titles
  • A book by an author who uses initials in their name
  • A book with a wing(s) on the cover 
  • A bestseller from 2004
  • A book written by an author you read in 2023
  • A book with a house on the cover
  • A book that has been banned

Extra books to read

  • A book written by a first time author
  • One of the books I read in 2023
  • A book written by a famous author who you have never read before
  • A book with an animal on the cover
  • A book that you have a screenshot of in your phone
  • A book with ‘Love” in the title

Let me know if you’re joining the reading challenge in the comments below (put your book titles in the comment section NOT the URL field) and feel free to come back and list the books you read throughout the year and let me know if you enjoyed them or not.

Keep an eye out for the books I’m reading and make sure you tag your own books on social media using #mmreadingchallenge2024

I hope you enjoy my 2024 Reading Challenge

10 Best Books I Read in 2023

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I’ve had the pleasure of reading pretty fabulous books this year. Many of them by authors I’ve never read before either.

As I reflect on my reading journey and the stories I encountered, selecting the top 10 books from my literary adventures in 2023 proved to be quite the challenge.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 books I enjoyed most in 2023 (in no particular order)…

We Begin At The End – Chris Whitaker

When was the last time you read a book that you just couldn’t put down? I started this book one afternoon and at 2.37am, I realised that I was not going to be able to finish it and I needed to go to sleep. As soon as I woke up, I was straight into it and back with Duchess and Walk and their heart-wrenching journey in a small coastal town, where the sins of the past cast long shadows on the present. This book had me laughing one minute and crying the next.

I will miss you Outlaw Duchess Day Radley.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Wild – Kristin Hannah

A touching story about a little girl who emerges from the forest, alone and hungry, and the people who work tirelessly to uncover her identity and help her recover from the trauma of her past. You’ll need tissues for this one!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pieces of Me – Kate McLaughlin

Could not put this one down! It was a pretty heavy read (childhood abuse, self-harm and a mental health condition) but I found this story so fascinating and cannot wait to read more from this author.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

RecipeTin Eats Dinner – Nagi Maehashi

I’ve been following Nagi on social media for a number of years, and after making a number of the recipes from her website, I couldn’t wait to try some of the new and exclusive recipes in her first cookbook. Do yourself (and your taste buds) a favour and grab a copy of this asap!!!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Daisy Jones & the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Love. Love. Loved it! Sex. Drugs. Rock n Roll. This book has it all. And I refuse to believe that the characters in this book are NOT real people.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Defending Jacob – William Landay

Every parents worst nightmare… your child is accused of murder and you know he didn’t do it. This was such a suspenseful read and I couldn’t put it down (finished in less than 24 hrs). I was totally caught off guard by the ending.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dictionary of Lost Words – Pip Williams

Finally got around to reading this book and I LOVED IT! This wonderful novel beautifully intertwines history, feminism, and the power of words. Set against the backdrop of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this novel offers a compelling exploration of the stories that language forgets.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Drowning – T.J. Newman

Wow! This book took me on a nail-biting journey from the first page to the last. The author’s background in the airline industry shines through, adding a layer of authenticity that elevates the story and adds a chilling sense of realism. Could not out this one down.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All The Dangerous Things – Stacy Willingham

What would you do if you woke in the morning to find that your child has gone missing during the night? Isabelle’s past comes back to haunt her as her search for her son leads to a shocking conclusion. Another fab page turner.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty Girls – Karin Slaughter

First read of the year and my first time reading Karin Slaughter. What a story! So many twists and turns. The violence was quite graphic at times but otherwise I loved it.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let me know in the comments what books you loved this year? Have you read any of my favourites?

Keep track of other books I love in my Goodreads or #MelbourneMammaBookLove

10 Best Books I Read in 2021

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I’ve read some really amazing books recently, so when I sat down to choose the 10 best books I read in 2021, I knew it was going to be hard for me to choose only 10.

And there wasn’t even a stand-out favourite as I read several books this year that will now count as my all-time best books.

I try to read of variety of books in my 2021 Reading Challenge and I’ve found some amazing authors that I’ve never read before too.

In no particular order, here are the 10 best books I read in 2021.

Betty – Tiffany McDaniel

I already called this my favourite book of the year way back in February!⁣⁣
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Even though this book tore my heart to pieces, I could not put it down (is that weird 🤷🏻‍♀️) and I actually had no words when I finished it #notlikeme⁣⁣
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Based on the life of the author’s mother, Betty is a page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story filled with resilience, tragedy, discrimination and loss….. but also a father’s unwavering love for his children, especially his “little Indian” Betty.⁣⁣

A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman

I’m so glad that I finally got around to reading this book – it had been on my #tbrpile for awhile – and I can see why so many people rave about it.

This wonderful and heartwarming tale of unlikely friendships, kindness, love and loss will be one that I remember for years to come.⁣
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I laughed. I cried. And I laughed some more.⁣

The Heart’s Invisible Furies – John Boyne

If you haven’t already read this book – add it to the top of your reading pile right NOW!!!

I laughed, I cried, I got angry and I got swept away in the brilliantly written story.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Holly Ringland

This was the first book I read this year by first-time Aussie author Holly Ringland and I absolutely loved it.⁣⁣
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The farm that I was staying at, at the time, was the perfect location to immerse myself in this captivating story of love, loss and redemption.⁣⁣

A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara

I read this book back in February and it still haunts me. ⁣⁣
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It’s definitely not a book for the faint-hearted and I found I could only read about 100 pages at a time (it’s 700+ pages) before I’d need a break.⁣
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I wasn’t sure if I was even going to make it to the end but I quickly became invested in the characters and was glad that I did because even though this is an incredibly sad and heartbreaking story, it’s also a story of extraordinary friendships and love.⁣⁣

Us Against You – Fredrik Backman

I always worry that when I read the second book in a series that I’m not going to enjoy it as much as the first but boy was I wrong with this one. ⁣
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This book is bloody fabulous and I actually think I loved it more than I loved “Beartown” (which was fantastic!).⁣
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This beautifully written story has it all; strength, love, family, grief, loyalty, courage and loss. ⁣

The Light Between Oceans – M.L. Stedman

I’ve read quite a bit of Australian based fiction this year and this would have to be one of my favourites.⁣
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It’s a heartbreaking tale of what happens when good people make bad choices. And makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation.⁣

The Good Sister – Sally Hepworth

This is the first book I’ve read by local Melbourne mamma Sally Hepworth and it was brilliant. ⁣
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It has the perfect mix of love, laughter, sibling rivalry and suspense, and was just what I needed after starting the year with some pretty intense books. ⁣

I cannot wait to read more of Sally’s books.

Anxious People – Fredrik Backman

I cannot get enough of Fredrik Backman’s books! Anxious People is the fourth book I’ve read of his and I’ve loved them all.⁣
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This is a story about many things – a bank robbery, a rabbit costume, a bridge, pizza and idiots – mostly it’s a story about idiots.

When She Was Good – Michael Robotham

What was the last book that you just couldn’t put down?⁣⁣
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The first night I started this book, I didn’t put it down until 2.18am and then I couldn’t put it down again until I finished it the next night 1:47am. ⁣⁣ It was so fast paced and suspenseful.
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This is the second book in this series, so make sure you read “Good Girl Bad Girl” first (it’s awesome as well).


⁣⁣What books have you loved this year? Have you read any of my favourites?

Keep track of other books I love in my Goodreads.