This is a book-packed episode! Because we had not recorded a regular episode in a month due to our annual top ten with Russell (see Episode 225), we had a pile-up of books to discuss.

But first, we share our LISTENER TOP TEN reads of 2024. There were several ties, so we had a top fourteen list. The first three books were not tied, and each received a substantial number of votes to place them in the TOP TEN.

Chris and Emily both enjoy ushering in the new year with nonfiction. Our “Just Read” segment includes several self-help/self-improvement titles. The fiction we’ve read ranges from literary fiction, thrillers, horror, and a classic.

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality by Pema Chödrön

The Book of Shadow Work: Unlock the True You: The Must-Have Guide to Inner Healing and Authenticity by Keila Shaheen

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins

The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Militia House by John Milas

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

A Son at the Front by Edith Wharton

What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez

We also had some fabulous Biblio Adventures to recap, including a joint jaunt to the gorgeous Providence Athenaeum, the featured image for this episode.

The Zoom conversation for our first quarter readalong of Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is coming up on February 16th. We also invite you to read the THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES with us this year. Listen to the episode for details, or check out the show notes.

Thanks for listening!