> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.grafjen.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 2024: Highlights from a year of reading - URL: https://www.grafjen.com/2024-highlights-from-a-year-of-reading-2/ - Published: 2025-02-03T19:25:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-21T18:20:42.000Z - Description: 2024 was a wonderful year of reading. These are the highlights. - Author: grafjen - Tags: Fiction, Reading Life **My favorite book of the year:** Homer's *The Iliad* **The** **best reading reading project I did this year**: [The 'Epic, Epic Poetry Project'](https://www.grafjen.com/the-epic-epic-poetry-project/). **The book I read this year that literally changed my life**: *Ultraprocessed People* by Chris van Tulleken **The book I bought the day it came out:** *Darkly* by Marsha Pessl **The most fun and humorous book I read this year**: *Tales From the Gas Station, Vol. 1* by Jack Townsend (note: available on kindle only) **The book I finally read after waiting 20 years**: *The Perks of Being a Wallflower* by Stephen Chbosky **My least favorite book I read this year**: *Summer of the Dragon* by Elizabeth Peters **A children's books that I read**: Percy Jackson, *The Lightning Thief* \- read at same time I was reading Iliad and Odyssey so that was fun. **The book I DNF-ed** **(on purpose) and will never pick up again**: *S.* by J.J. Abrams **The book I DNF (inadvertently) but plan on finishing in 2025**: *Les Miserables* by Victor Hugo **The book I read that made me feel most accomplished this year**: *The Divine Comedy* by Dante **The book that I read with the best inscription:** *The Divine Comedy*, Everyman's Library edition's - translators inscription: "This translation of the *Inferno* is inscribed to... " You can see the full inscription in the photo below. **The book I really wanted to read but never got around to**: *Shibumi* by Trevanian **The most exciting book purchases this year:** Everyman's Library editions of *Rebecca* and *The Divine Comedy*, Dune (two editions - I couldn't decide!) **The best horror novel I read**: *World War Z* by Max Brooks - I read several horror novels this year and they were all meh. But this one was good. **Favorite book gift:** Everyman's Library edition of Phillip Pullman's *His Dark Materials* **Favorite ereader this year:** my Nook Glowlight 4\. Page turning buttons (on both sides) for the win! Also, my kindle died which was annoying. **Best translator:** Emily Wilson - I loved her translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/IMG_0468_8x10cropUSE-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/0B50371A-9537-4AF2-900A-532733304448.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/IMG_0673.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/WWZ_website.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/Summer_of_the_Dragon_1.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/238C2E2D-7B21-44FD-A0C5-B091BF4E95D6.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/TDC_use.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/TheIliad_USE.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/01/C29FC76E-74FC-4ED5-9E31-FD986C653B48.JPEG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/EKHT8990-62dc1cad278db96d.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/Deadkindle_color-b09427b2ff7e5ffd.JPEG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9456_edited-b209eeac9abf5a93.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/E1EA26D6-DBE3-4971-9A6A-87F931604A8C-e801b60e5a9f83c5.JPEG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/1E519067-857C-47BB-AB78-ECDA5AEB7126-685fd4d93cfb2823.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/Pullman_HDM-10a0a017090239a8.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/_1030862_edited-7c0984434f3e5841.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/6E1D710D-2FA2-448A-AD4F-0EF8C9A28B8D-825427984b15475b.JPEG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/71/cb/71cb8618-301b-4d17-8361-8bf65bf4a240/content/images/2025/02/91FA5857-0A18-498D-A7E2-5E9D2049C874-8951df6b57b96d9e.JPEG) What were your reading highlights this year? Share in the comments below!