The Firsts of 2024 Book Tag

 Hello!

This is the first time I have done the 'Firsts of 2024 book tag' but it sounds really fun and is a good way to round up the first 3 months of the year! It was originally started by Tanya @girlxoxo.

Here are my firsts of 2024:

First Book Read This Year

My first book of 2024 was Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang and what a start to the year this was! This is a book about the harsh realities in the world of publishing, and covers topics such as racism, plagiarism, cancel culture and much more. I devoured this and it will definitely be up there as one of my favourite books of the year.

First Book Reviewed

The first book I reviewed in 2024 is The Red Trilogy by Paul Kane as part of Black Tide Book Tours. This is a horror filled, twisted take on the Red Riding Hood fairytale and offers readers a lot more blood, gore and fear that will surely keep you up at night! You can read my review here.

First Book by a Debut Author

My first book by a debut author in 2024 was Blood on the Broadcast by S.D.W Hamilton. Marketed as a locked room mystery, I was hooked from the very start and love how the story gradually unfolded in this fast paced, detective thriller.

First Book by a New-To-Me Author

My first book by a new-to-me author in 2024 was What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. A retelling a Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, this novella was definitely a weird one but it also captivated me from start to finish in one afternoon. It offers a dark and gothic setting that builds up to a gruesome reveal.

First Book That Slayed Me

The first book that slayed me in 2024 was Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. A dark academia setting, a missing girl, murder and so much more are packed into this intense book that also covers topics such as grief and trauma, sexual assault, racism and misogyny.

I also had the pleasure of going to a Waterstones book event where Faridah was talking about this new novel with Cynthia Murphy and so of course I got my books signed!

First Book That I Wished I Could Get Back the Time I Spent Reading It

I really didn't enjoy Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian! Maybe I was too old for it now but all the characters were awful and unlikable and everything they did was petty and so immature. It sounded like a book I'd enjoy: 3 girls teaming up for revenge but it was just bad.

There you go! My firsts of 2024 book tag was so much fun. I loved being able to look over the first 3 months of the year and remember some of the amazing books I've read so far.

I would definitely recommend Yellowface and Where Sleeping Girls Lie and I hope I can find even more standout books for the next 9 months of 2024.

What have been your favourite reads of the year so far? Have you had any bad ones yet? Let me know in the comments!