tier ranking my most anticipated books for 2024 (disappointments, best, and worst)

[@caricanread]

my usual disclaimer, these are my opinions as they were at this exact moment of filming lol things change! im already regretting putting intermezzo where it is, it could have been one lower :')

[@lyannabraxton2247]

Literally same, I made a ranking video one time and changed my mind every two seconds haha

[@samlstowell]

An education in Malice was so bad that I left it in a hotel room on purpose. I took it on vacation and didn't even want to bring it home.

[@StephyM.C.]

Whoa.

[@katevenhorst1723]

Oh damn. I too was disappointed, especially because A Dowry of Blood was fantastic!!

[@karleyjags]

me, looking at the brand new copy i bought last month: 😬

[@waxwingsfall]

You legitimately persuaded me to remove this from my tbr

[@jayak3341]

Really??? I thought it was mid, why didn’t you like it very curious. No one if my friends has read it so I need people to talk about it haha

[@MarchL-s1i]

35:10 I totally get this about so many books nowadays! When I can smell the marketable of the book regarding lines, tropes, characters I cannot help but get the ick. I love certain tropes but I don't want to feel spoon fed indulgence.

[@caricanread]

its such a bummer :( especially when you see it literally used in the marketing and you're like oh yeah, she wrote that line thinking of it going viral...

[@AnaBlagojevic-c8s]

cari we don't say it enough - we love and appreciate you

[@caricanread]

thank you :''''')

[@alexx5064]

the grumpier you are, the more we understand and empathize. also no need to apologize for being ill! hopefully you’re all better and enjoying the holidays

[@wifeunderthesea]

i’ve been having the absolute worst past few months, but i burst out laughing as soon as you said “weird that it happened twice, allison.” first time i’ve laughed in a long, long time. thanks. 💜

[@ejderhaz]

I love it when the moomin mug makes an appearance in your videos, it's so pretty!!!

[@caricanread]

so glad i brought it home with me :'''')

[@MariaAlexia24]

Once again I love how relaxing your voice is 😅😊 It always helps with my anxiety

[@caricanread]

im happy to hear that :') hopefully i dont whine too much in this one hahahha

[@DetectiveHalogen]

Cari dropping another video to help me do all my prep work as a chef ; makes 50lbs of onions go by in a breeze

[@rosie_pie_14]

THE SCREAM I SCRUMPT WHEN I SAW THIS. i love when cari posts it makes my day 😭

[@vtu_jade]

i’m so happy to see cat sebastian being talked about because she is doing something that I haven’t seen anyone else doing or not as good, she’s one of my favorite authors and people need to read her books they’re simply so good 😔

[@downrighteerie17]

Same!! I've been reading her books since she first started publishing and her consistency is unmatched.

[@shaunaisazombie]

I think the fact that editors are so overworked during the day doing non-editorial work that they have to do their actual editing work at home after work and not on the clock is the reason so many of these books are let downs.

[@themoonandtosaturn]

so perfectly worded my feelings about an education in malice, especially after i looooved a dowry of blood😭😭 the minute it lost the academic focus i was so so SO sad

[@summerg.2934]

This is making me want to read An Ember in the Ashes again. Sabaa Tahir is chefs kiss 😍. I have not read Heir yet, glad to hear she hasn't lost her touch 😏

[@shakira2976]

Girl I'm in the same place with Allison Saft, A Fragile Enchantment looked so good on paper, and then it went splat and there was no saving it.

[@downrighteerie17]

You Should Be So Lucky is also one of my favorites of the year!! Cat Sebastian has been an old reliable for me for like a decade, and this one was truly just *chef kiss* wall to wall greatness.

[@Milovatsi]

That book is so good ❤

[@pendragon2012]

Passed my 90th book on this year. Think I can make an even 100 next year? Always enjoy hearing from you, Cari!

[@caricanread]

i am powering through books this week so maybe you can even hit 1-- in 2024! hahah

[@nina80808]

Watching this at 1.5x speed bc I have 35 minutes before work and I need my daily dose of Cari asap!!! My day is made, I hope you're doing well these days Cari

[@jessicalawson1417]

the casual reference to knotting in Bride really slapped me in the face, lol

[@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme]

wow, i've never been so early. always a good day when cari posts!

[@caricanread]

wahhhhh thank you!!

[@lbtea7]

An accurate MOOD for this year in reading...but the Emily Wilde books saved this year for me! Also, thank you for all your wonderful book videos this year, Cari 🙂💜

[@chansky8541]

I'm excited to finally get Alecto in 2025 (manifesting, shhhh don't take this shred of hope from me)

[@moreofvera]

Cari will you make a video on your most anticipated books for 2025???

[@livbrock2359]

the courting of bristol keats last scene description has me CRYINGG bc there is absolutely no way

[@onithalion4641]

Omg the moomin mug at the beginning, thanks for the tier list ^^

[@Sarah.reads.sometimes]

I discovered Cat Sebastian this year & 1000% agree. I read 3 of her books (including You Should be So Lucky 😍) and loved each of them.

[@emilywilliams4296]

I love your ranking videos! If you’re looking for video suggestions I’d love to see a tier ranking of your fav protagonists or like a “building my dream protagonist” using my fav main characters video ❤

[@sydverse127]

feel so vindicated by a dark and drowning tide being placed where it was, especially on the colonization front. was so disappointing!

[@NonAnonD]

Yes, Little Thieves #3 is the finale. She was on a podcast with V.E. Schwab and said as much, she could have gone for more but they thought it was good ending point (also something about sales a bit)

[@brookereedy8661]

Hi Cari! I know this video is about your most anticipated reads of 2024, but I just wanted to say on a separate note I am so glad you thoroughly enjoyed The Library at Mount Char! It is a book I think about often and I go back every so often to read my favorite snippets or reread it entirely!

[@xxbattleblazexx]

I have to wonder if the publishing industry will bounce back after such a steep and quick decline in the quality of books. I see so many ppl, myself included, complain abt the quality, and yet these books keep making money and being pushed to publishing. I wonder if their target audience, who I believe are ppl who only started reading during the pandemic and aren’t seasoned enough readers, will ever gain higher reading comprehension. Or if they will grow out of these quickly/poorly executed books, and want to reach for more creatively executed novels. Or if they grow out of reading in general bc they never liked reading to begin with, and the same old tropes will eventually grow stale to them. As long as these books sell, I can see them continue to dominant the industry bc they’re easier to sell and consume. If the industry does begin to bounce back, I don’t see it happening for several more years, and it will be slow. It’s rather sad, considering I love reading and hope to publish one day. Writing is an art, and it’s being smeared so blatantly.

[@meganellis9609]

Wow that is a super snobby comment. Just saying

[@xxbattleblazexx]

@@meganellis9609 My tone isn’t the best when I type, but I still stand by what I said. I’m by no means trying to gatekeep reading, or try to make it out to be an “intellectual only” type of hobby. But I am frustrated by ppl on booktok who push the trope-ification of books or say books aren’t political, and at publishers for dumbing down books and regarding their target audience as stupid enough to have to be told everything instead of shown, and for not quality controlling in the editing and beta reading stage of publishing. Reading should be fun for everyone, but everything seems to be trending toward one mainstream, so much so that books are starting to lack originality and blend together. It’s sad to see creativity slowly dying out.

[@camryn9377]

I couldn't finish Funny Story. I didn't even make it that far in, but Emily Henry isn't for me, but most contemporary romances aren't. Although, thanks to this video, I now know I need to read Ember in the Ashes before going into Heir. I'll also be trying out T. Kingfisher soon, so hopefully I love them as much as you do. I love Christina Henry, so I am hoping that bodes well for reading T. Kingfisher.

[@SierraMendoza-y4x]

EXACT THOUGHTS CARI. I WAS TRYING TO GUESS WHAT YOUR RANKINGS WERE AND ALMOST GOT THEM ALL RIGHT ❤

[@morganhyde3225]

The more I reflect on The Courting of Bristol Keats, the more it doesn’t make any sense. I read the Kiss of Deception series off your recommendation about a year ago and loved it!! I was so excited for Bristol and…it feels like a whole different author😭

[@brailadonovan1129]

CARI POSTED YAY

[@caricanread]

:''''')

[@cimoyhatake]

"The future always bright" loveeee this and love all the rant.

[@violaerbach5566]

Okay, so I finally got to reading The Wild Huntress... I ate it up in one sitting and to say I was shocked by the twist is probably the understatement of the year. I actually loved it but perhaps because I feel it is such a bold and unexpected turn that never in 100 years would I have guessed it. However, I do agree with you, that the motivation is somewhat unexplained. At least it does clash a bit with my understanding of a certain character up to a point, as well as with the same character's behavior at the end of the book... But it is very difficult to express my thoughts without spoiling anything so I should stop :D

[@caricanread]

i feel you! i think it would have been much better if we had a bit more time at the end to come to terms with the twist/character but it felt so short!!

[@violaerbach5566]

@ Yes, especially since it does not make sense given his backstory that I feel we spent quite a lot of time on exploring.

[@kyrsten_kae]

Yes, amazing, a new Cari video! So happy to be here lol. My year in reading was actually great! I highly recommend the Dark Rise series by C.S. Pacat (please, I'm begging, I think you would love it)

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

If I did this myself, I'd be putting almost all of them in the mid/let down tier. It was just one of those years for reading.

[@gabriellabatel]

Thank you for sparing me The Courting of Bristol Keats, that would've TICKED me off, so thanks for taking a hit for the team!

[@lioness3146]

November really came in at the last moment with a whole BARRAGE of disappointments for us all 😔 Also I was just getting ready for bed in my side of the world, so bless you Cari ♥️ This came at the perfect time

[@caricanread]

the autumn releases are usually my favorite and they were just :'''''(

[@SuperNovacaine44]

I read The Wild Huntress and I LOVED it, I gave it 5 stars. The ending wasn't my favorite, it left me so mad at him, but it evoked big emotions so I still had to rate it so highly!

[@tattgerine]

I’ve never been so early omg. cozy time!!🧸🎀

[@caricanread]

yeeee thanks for being here!

[@meghanshinn5966]

you should be so lucky was literally one of the best romances i've ever read, let alone this year. wow wow wow twenty stars if i could give it that.

[@jessdaniello]

you should be so lucky was one of my favs of the year!!!! so amazing I sobbed

[@ZellyTheJelly]

12:45 "But could I tell you what happened in the end? Could I tell you that I cared? No. No, unfortunatly" was said with such a perfect tone to it 😂

[@hollym7878]

I'm not a huge fan of the direction that most fantasy books are tending in, so I'm reading a lot of backlisted, older fantasy works at the moment. 😆 I agree that publishing is currently leaning too much into trope-driven works, to its detriment!

[@thaisgastaldi1180]

This year has been a good reading year for me (MAYBE bc personal life has been difficult) but it was also a year that I have been VERY critical of some books (i think bc of Cari 😂 I'm fairly easy to impress but there's a couple of books that weren't even Cari's recommendation but I clock things she usually complain in books -- lack of character development for sex scenes sake especially😅) but overall, I loved a lot of books, reread favorites and read outside of my comfort zone. I usually dont expect many releases so i dont get disappointed, but im excited by Emily R. Austin release for january and Grace D. Li release for mid-2025 and then thats it 😂😅 but those are very high expectations ❤

[@thatgirlnextfloor]

bcoz you mentioned you should be so lucky i looked it up and I saw it's actually book 2, so I read We Could Be So Good first and it's a 5 stars for me!! gosh cat sebastian knows how write love and yearning like ohmygosh yes please more!

[@J.Hanna7]

A Crame Among Wolves really hit the spot for me this year. Definitely in my top 3 books of the year.

[@alisonmahler4759]

My dad just got me the Courting of Bristol for Christmas....now I am hesitant to read it. You and I normally have the same taste. I am going to read it anyway but not high on my TBR

[@maggieprice357]

Girl I felt that same way about Miles in Funny Story 😂 wasn’t attracted to him at all but was like, “do you girl!”

[@emilybookleaf]

I love your honesty and takes! I felt the same about Funny Story =/ Get good rest and feel better!! ❤

[@cheeseisdelicious4627]

I honestly forgot if you talked about your anticipated books for '25, I try to search my memory and it's so blank..

[@AdiCarin]

Love your Moomintroll mug. 😍

[@milicasnow5833]

i got, like, an actual masterclass ad on this video! with neil degrasse tyson! thats awesome how it worked out

[@caricanread]

lol!!!!

[@michellecgb]

I feel like a dedicated rant video was in order for The Courting of Bristol Keats 😂

[@caricanread]

I have a live reaction vid of it!

[@michellecgb]

@ I know, I watched it 🫶🏻 It just feels like you have more to say in more of a rant review way than a live reaction way, if that makes sense 😂

[@_rayafterhours]

Ayyyyyee she posted- happy hoildays cari and a happy new year🫶🎄

[@caricanread]

happy new year!!!!

[@perseusnova]

i'm glad i'm not the only one who felt this years books generally were not good. such a weird year for reading

[@willgalarneau5655]

if you like 1920s nyc, pleeeease tell me you've read the diviners. it's catnip for nyc 1920s aesthetics combined with murder mystery/paranormal urban fantasy

[@faustinagut_]

happy new year Cari! will toast for a better reading year for 2025 hahaha

[@cedartonk3382]

Thanks for inspiring me to read so much this year! I’m excited to continue the momentum :))

[@michellemachesney1487]

i love your videos & tier ranking is so fun bride is the only ali hazelwood book ive read and i would indeed like 14 more of them lmao i surprisingly loved it even tho it started slow to me

[@susannekesti4727]

Love the Moomin mug

[@zee8766]

I don't usually comment but happy holidays/new years Cari

[@saosao3176]

the familiar was such a letdown, can't believe I bought the hardback

[@mattkean1128]

Imagine writing a book and Cari reading it 😯 You may have just inspired me.

[@rixanoz]

Hope you have a very merry Christmas and happy early birthday!

[@anywaysooooo]

i actually got back into reading with acotar, the cruel prince and others during that era and.. nothing hits the same unfortunately. i miss an engaging interesting universe

[@JillianLovesBooks]

Wait, no! EmHen is Michigan, AbJim is Minnesota, which has its own unique charm! 😂

[@caylaelon]

THANK YOU 👏🏻👏🏻

[@kayleestichter3632]

I wanted to like A Dark and Drowning Tide so badly the cover is so pretty 😢

[@Sthemingway]

I loved Dowry in Blood; I liked the first half of An Education in Malice...and then it became portions of two other stories or what could have been. I wanna know what happens in Spain, though.

[@DaraCartujano]

These tier ranking videos of yours are the best!!! Looks like we’re all hoping 2025 will be a better reading year 😂

[@ChanelChapters]

Wild huntress is a fab wild hunt retelling. Love me a trickster character personally, always a wildcard

[@michellecgb]

I’m soooo sat ❤

[@lana.d.torres]

i felt the same way about funny story and i'm an emily henry stan.. it was just *there*

[@rchmoon]

the perfect video for my lunch

[@chelseyjohnson501]

I was explaining to my husband how my most anticipated books are usually released in the fall as well and man I was let down by so many books. I have Bristol keats but have not started it yet and honestly I don't know if I'm going to after listening to your review 🤦🏼‍♀️ it sounds so bad

[@afvokvsen]

wooohooooooo 🥰🥰🥰 happy early birthday and happy new year!!! hope u have a lovely time off. thanks so much for providing such great content both for books and vlogs on caricakes. your videos are always beautiful! with much love from Boston, MA ☺️☺️

[@lilystoyanova4900]

The only 2024 release I finished this year was The Reappearance of Rachel Price, which I was so excited for, and it ended up being soooo bad 😫😫😫 I also DNF'd An Education in Malice, but I found even the first part boring while also being extremely annoyed by the use of Carmilla for marketing while the story and the characters have absolutely nothing to do with the original story, like, what do you mean Carmilla is not even the vampire in the story??

[@perseusnova]

i think emily henry being able to write a romance book where the male lead isn't for everyone shows just how well shes able to write different male characters. most male characters tend to fall into like the same 3 categories in romance. everyone has a type in real life, and she is able to translate that into writing form.

[@mazal312]

Ofc have your own opinions, but A Dark and Drowning Tide was my fave book of 2024!

[@danielledeal33]

Regarding The Wild Huntress (slight spoilers, I suppose. I read somewhere that while this is absolutely a standalone, it actual explains the world we end up with in The Bone Houses. I don't know if this is confirmed or a fan theory but it changed the way I felt about the ending.

[@justwonder1404]

The way I just opened my Storygraph to take notes😁

[@marianamauricio]

allison saft is such a let down! i keep giving her chances but at this point i've only liked 1 of her books so...... 😬😬😬

[@Showtunediva]

My Ratings for The Books I’ve Read Give Me 14 Of These A Sorceress Comes To Call,Bride, The Thirteenth You Could Be So Lucky Well, Yes Funny Story, The Familiar , This Ravenous Fate What I Ordered: A Dark And Drowning Tide A Let Down A Tempest Of Tea, Starling House Thank you for your Recommendations this year Cari. Love you.

[@ArtemisPraxius]

Cari: "Intermezzo, don't give me 14 of them. Just give me this one." Me: "But Cari, I know you have AT LEAST two."

[@taylorrainey3606]

Girl, I’ve never read an Alison Saft book, but in February she’s publishing a prequel novel about the romance between two characters from the Tinkerbell franchise that I have wanted the story of since I was a little baby. I am so nervous about it because of how bad of luck you’ve had with her, but I need to read it, just to see! If I’m disappointed, then that’ll be my fault 😫

[@catastr0phi3]

You just have made my day better! Hugs from Poland

[@alexb2563]

Oh i can't wait for this. Thank you 🩷

[@readerobsession1111]

th one reason my attention span isn't ruined

[@Sowindiee10]

Cat Sebastian has been around for so, so long as a beloved author in the Historical Romance world (and LGBTQIA+ romance community) I am so happy she is on more people's radar these days.

[@Lillyjoy]

My most disappointing was Spectacular, I just read it and wtf. My favorite was Don’t Let the Forest in ❤

[@감자귀여운]

Thanks for another amazing video Cari!! Happy holidays! Love ya❤

[@caricanread]

happy holidays!!!

[@carstaixs]

ur channel is my safe space ❤

[@ManEatingTeddyBear]

YES @ that ST Gibson take. I feel like their books should just totally hit with me, but I haven't liked any of them....

[@karmiyagdi]

this is exactly what i needed

[@caricanread]

[@SarahAtHeart]

My best most-anticipated read was The Spellshop, it felt like it was written for me, and my most disappointing most-anticipated was Spectacular... like, what was that?

[@MidEri.]

i don't know why but "what did i order? um, i ordered the thirteenth child" really got me. i snorted so hard i startled my cat

[@angel_jojo]

cari!!! have you read slewfoot by brom? i am so tempted to grab a copy but for some reason i want to know what you think first lmao

[@christy2935]

It was a really slumpy reading year in general to me. Very few books stood out to me, no 5 stars but a couple of 4.5's. I can't tell you how many books I sent back to the Libby hold queue after starting them because I was not getting into them at that time, and I can't tell you how many I delayed checking out. I was also really disappointed in A Tempest of Tea because I really loved the Sands of Arawiya duology. She threw in everything and the kitchen sink in that one, there were some obvious pull lines to garner attention, and for all of it I didn't like Arthie. I was also didn't like that possible spoiler for others her 2 series are in the same world. I know Arawiya was essentially frozen in time for 100 years due to the Arz but it felt *so* disconnected from the world in A Tempest of Tea. I'm looking forward to Heir and really want to read a detailed plot description of some of these, like Bristol Keats.