Ifa’s Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2024

15,118

pages read

books read

Ifa Inziati

Shortest Book

pages

Longest Book

592

pages

Average book length in 2024

302

pages

Most Shelved

580,933

people also shelved

Least Shelved

people also shelved

Ifa’s average rating for 2024

3.4

Highest Rated on Goodreads

4.75 average

The Selkie's Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan

Ifa’s first review of the year

liked it

Happy Pub Day to The Selkie's Daughter! This book is released on Jan 2, 2024. Thank you Holiday House and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

It's been a minute since my last Middle Grade read, and since I don't really follow the trend of this genre, I'm not sure if there's such thing as lower/upper MG like in YA. But if there is, this one leans more to upper MG due to its more complex theme and content (the book literally opens with Brigit getting her ...more

IFA’S 2024 BOOKS

liked it

Kota Lama & Sepotong Cerita Cinta by Herdiana Hakim

really liked it

The Misdirection of Fault Lines by Anna Gracia

Ibu Tercinta - Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyung-Sook

The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

really liked it

Before & After You & Me by Dallas Woodburn

Dance of the Starlit Sea by Kiana Krystle

We Carry the Sea in Our Hands by Janie Kim

Hourglass, Rosewood, Hereafter by Prisca Primasari

Of Elderberry, Fire, & Fables by Bridgette Valentine

really liked it

Darkness Falls in Jakarta by Louise Soraya Black

really liked it

Fated Winds and Promising Seas by Rose Black

really liked it

A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz

Ifa’s last review of the year

liked it

This book is tides-damned long. I also suspect that it was written non-chronologically or not from the prologue ---> the end, so when it was arranged in chronological way some exposition that has been delivered can show up again in later chapters a few times. Especially the first half. It mostly consisted on either world-building and magic system explanation or Emory's feeling about Romie and Baz and Keiran, and Baz's feeling about Emory and Romi This book is tides-damned long. I also suspect that it was written non-chronologically or not from the prologue ---> the end, so when it was arranged in chronological way some exposition that has been delivered can show up again in later chapters a few times. Especially the first half. It mostly consisted on either world-building and magic system explanation or Emory's feeling about Romie and Baz and Keiran, and Baz's feeling about Emory and Romie and Kai. However, the uniqueness of lunar magic system fortunately was able to keep me reading past half the book mark, even though I kind of missed having sun or daylight description since it's always about moon power and all.

The way everything magic or location is described was so exquisite it was almost tangible out of page. On the other hand, the emotional description was bluntly conveyed, telling us this and that instead of placing us in the narrator's shoes. The story is told in 3rd limited POV from Baz and Emory, and while it's a good choice I enjoyed Baz's part more. The Order thing on Emory's part felt too easy to have such high stakes and the older adult involvement was minimal (both are eighteen, freshly adult) compared to scholarly way of Baz's arc, in which he had guidance from professors and experienced characters. Speaking of characters, Baz, Kai, Vera, and Jae were more interesting to follow than Emory, Keiran, or Lizaveta (I liked Virgil, so I spare him LOL) who made me question myself 'am I too old for YA' like when I read Romie's side in Uncharted Dreams. It was more like a magical clique than a secret society.

In book two I'm sure we'll get more of Baz and Kai instead of Baz and Emory, which was already hinted, since Emory and Baz despite being the primary perspectives are not love interest let alone an endgame. And I really appreciated this aspect of romantic dynamics. I think this is my first fantasy dark academia and I'd say Curious Tides is a nice introduction. Not sure if I would pick the next book, but if I do, I hope the same good stuff will remain or perhaps amp up. ...more

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