Bram the Bookworm

101 Books: A Year in Reading Ranked Through Genres

How Many Books Did I Read?

I read 101 books this year! This was a personal record that was really exciting to achieve. I listened to many books as audiobooks, which made reading more accessible to me when life got busy. Let’s take a look at the main genres I read and my top books in them.

View my top genres (graph made by Storygraph).

Young Adult

Almost half of my reads were Young Adult!

#1 A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson

#2 My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace

#3 The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

#4 Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

I don’t know if any book could replace A Complicated Love Story Set in Space as my #1. It was a re-read this year (pretty unusual for me), and just as good as the first time through. Even though I knew the main plot twists, the story was still incredibly captivating and impactful. I love all of Hutchinson’s books, and this one is just perfection.

Memoir

I absolutely love memoirs, and I read some really amazing stories this year.

#1 Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez

#2 Know My Name by Chanel Miller (see my review here)

#3 Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin

#4 The Bodies Keep Coming: Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence, and How We Heal by Brian H. Williams

Crying in the Bathroom was so powerful. I had read and enjoyed Sánchez’s YA novel previously, but her memoir was on a whole new level. It was hilarious, somber, and so authentic.

Nonfiction (excluding memoirs)

I grew to really appreciate nonfiction this year, almost 30% of my reads fell into this category (and I hope it will be even more next year).

#1 Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

#2 The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

#3 Attention Hijacked by Erica B. Marcus

#4 Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner’s Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life Without Adding Them to Your Personality by Emily Morrow

All of these were really great reads. The takeaways from Daring Greatly continue to stay with me, and I have more Brené Brown on hold at the library for 2025. Both The Anxious Generation and Attention Hijacked explore tech use, something I’ve been working on and enjoy learning about.

Romance

I read a some great romances this year (almost all queer), and these stuck out to me.

#1 Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott

#2 The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram

#3 Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green

While I’m not typically a time travel historical romance reader, I’m so glad I read Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh. Lippincott created a captivating narrative by drawing parallels between the past and present through two women from vastly different eras.

Historical Fiction

I know my top pick was already placed in Romance, but it was really just that good!

#1 Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott

#2 Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper

#3 Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Copper Sun was one of the most intense books I read this year, and it really stuck with me. The story was thoroughly researched, and written masterfully.

Fantasy

I don’t usually read fantasy, but these books definitely make the exception!

#1 Coraline by Neil Gaiman

#2 The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

#3 The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

Turns out I’m a big Neil Gaiman fan!

Middle Grade

Even being a high schooler, I love a good middle grade book.

#1 The Insiders by Mark Oshiro

#2 The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

# 3 Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

All just wonderful reads that I believe are great picks for anyone, and especially for middle schoolers.

Sci-Fi

I’m not a big Sci-Fi reader, but there was one I really enjoyed. A Complicated Love Story Set in Space could be counted here too (and it would take #1), but I’ll leave it out having already voiced my love.

#1 I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

I didn’t expect to love Harpman’s Sci-Fi Dystopian novel as much as I did. The story is brilliant, gripping, and so well written. It is one of those books I think back on frequently.

Heading into 2025

I’m so excited for another great year of reading! I have plenty of books on my to read list, and I’m always coming across new ones. After reflecting on this past year, I’m hoping to focus on reading more of the authors I’ve loved, and continuing to read lots of nonfiction.

You can follow me on Goodreads to see my progress throughout the year here.

Happy reading!

Bramwell Stryk

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