This is a book-packed episode! Because we had not recorded a regular episode in a month due to our annual top ten with Russell (see Episode 225), we had a pile-up of books to discuss. But first, we share our LISTENER TOP TEN reads of 2024. There were several ties, so we had a top fourteen list. The first three books were not tied, and each received a substantial number of votes to place them in the TOP TEN. Chris and Emily both enjoy ushering in the new year with nonfiction. Our “Just Read” segment includes several self-help/self-improvement titles. The fiction we’ve read ranges from literary fiction, thrillers, horror, and a classic. Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality by Pema Chödrön The Book of Shadow Work: Unlock the True You: The Must-Have Guide to Inner Healing and Authenticity by Keila Shaheen Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman The Militia House by John Milas Heartwood by Amity Gaige A Son at the Front by Edith Wharton What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez We also had some fabulous Biblio Adventures to recap, including a joint jaunt to the gorgeous Providence Athenaeum, the featured image for this episode. The Zoom conversation for our first quarter readalong of Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is coming up on February 16th. We also invite you to read the THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES with us this year. Listen to the episode for details, or check out the show notes. Thanks for listening!

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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