The Best Books I Read This Year

Plus the holiday baking project you need this week.

At my dream bookstore, Godmothers in Summerland

Last week, I went to Summerland, California to speak at a magical new bookstore called Godmothers. It’s a truly special place—Oprah and Meghan have already graced its stage—but what captivated me most was the deep, palpable love for reading woven into every detail. I spent hours roaming the shop, browsing novels, flipping through cookbooks, and savoring that rare sense of discovery. It reminded me how much I loved wandering around bookstores when I was younger—a simple pleasure I’m inspired to embrace in the year ahead. So, it feels like a great time to share a list of the best books I read this year. Before we dive in, a few things I wanted to share:

• Alex and Sonja from A Couple Cooks shared their Mini Cardamom Cinnamon Roll recipe, and it’s the perfect recipe for cozy holiday mornings.

• If you’re starting to think about your 2025 Vision Board, you should know that when you order a Casa Zuma Vision Board Kit, you get free access to my virtual Vision Board Workshop on January 4th.

• One of the best podcast episodes on creativity I’ve ever listened to—highly recommend.

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It’s been a great year for me and books. My 2024 downloads are a treasure trove of memoirs, novels, and personal development books that have found their way into my favorites of all time. Writing this newsletter was the perfect excuse to flip back through them, rediscover my highlights, and remember what I loved so much about each one.

As explained here, I usually have 3 books going at once: something inspiring, something educational, and a novel where I can get lost in the plot. So, in the list below, you’ll find an eclectic mix of all of the above—there’s truly something for every reading mood.

And you know I’m gonna ask: what was the best book you read in 2024? The holidays are my favorite time to curl up by the fire and dive into a new read, so tell me in the comments what should be make it onto my list.