A quick round-up of my 2024 favorites as I enjoy the Texas winter storm.
Starting off with my favorite section.
BOOKS 📖
This year not only did I manage to complete the Goodreads 2024 Challenge, I ended up reading more than my set goal. Below is a screenshot from my reading challenge.
Here are the books that made it to the “Favorite of 2024”.
THE MESSAGE by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Message is about the urgent need to break free from harmful national myths that influence our world and ourselves and to embrace the freeing power of facing even the hardest truths.
THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah
The Women tells the story of a woman who goes to war, highlighting the bravery and sacrifices of all women who risk their lives for their country but are often overlooked. It’s a novel about strong friendships and courageous patriotism.
SLOW PRODUCTIVITY by Cal Newport
Slow Productivity offers a guide to avoiding burnout and adopting a more thoughtful, lasting way to achieve meaningful goals.
THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy
The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse brings hope and inspiration in uncertain times through the story of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a cautious fox, and a wise horse. Together, they navigate challenges, share fears, and discover lessons about kindness, friendship, love, and hope.
TALAASH by Mumtaz Mufti
Talash meaning search in English is Mumtaz Mufti’s quest to discover the true meaning of what it means to be a Muslim and addresses some of the major questions concerning the minds of Muslims in the current era.
THE WAGER by David Grann
The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes. It investigates the mysteries surrounding an 18th-century maritime disaster off Cape Horn.
SECRETS OF DIVINE LOVE by A.Helwa
Secrets of Divine Love uses teachings from the Qur’an, mystical poetry, and stories of prophets and spiritual masters to help you strengthen your faith, overcome doubts, and build a deeper connection with God.
MOVIES | TV 🎥📺
I love me my movies and shows. I will happily trade going out with an awesome binge-watch (has to be worth it though). There were some really good shows this year. I enjoyed watching international shows more this year thanks to their storylines and great acting. Some worth mentioning shows were:
YELLOWSTONE ( Watched it since 2018 when it started and the ending in 2024 did not disappoint)
LANDMAN (Drama)
DAY OF JACKAL (Thriller)
ZARD PATTON KA BUN (Social Issues)
MANN JOGI (Social Issues)
KABHI MAIN KABHI TUM (Romance | Drama)
AS THE CROW FLIES (Psychological Drama)
SQUID GAMES (Dark Thriller)
DEATH’S GAME (Fantasy | Horror)
MARRY MY HUSBAND (Revenge | Fantasy)
QUEEN OF TEARS (Romance| Drama)
SHOGUN (Period Dram)
MATLOCK (Legal Drama)
LA GRANDE MAISON TOKYO (Gourmet Drama)
FAMILIAR WIFE (Fantasy)
KAMLI (Suspense | Mystery)
LIONESS (Action Drama)
HIS THREE DAUGHTERS (Family Drama)
GEEK GIRL (Teen Drama)
MUSIC🎵
This year I got hooked on instrumental/ electronic music, thanks to my husband. Two people who stood out the most were Sina Bathie and Ömer Balık.
Two tracks on repeat were
🎵 BREATH OF LIFE
🎵MUSICAL ECLIPSE
PODCAST🎙️
There are still I listen to from my previous ones mentioned HERE and HERE but the recent additions are:
🎙️ A DRINK WITH A FRIEND
🎙️ GROUNDED WELLNESS
🎙️ MOVE WITH HEART
🎙️ MEL ROBBINS PODCAST
SKINCARE/HAIR/MAKEUP 💄
AVEDA DAMAGE REMEDY DAILY HAIR REPAIR
My go to everytime I wash my hair. I love when a product is multipurpose like this one. It repairs and protects at the same time.
KISS IMPRESS PRESS ON NAILS
I am not an everyday nail color girl but when the urge happens and I have recently trimmed my nails, I reach out for the Bare but Better lines from KISS specifically this shade. They already have the adhesive so you do not need any extra glue and they last. You can file them but I didn’t need to, just snap on and you are ready to go.
AZTEC SECRET
Favorite natural calcium bentonite clay mask for over a decade. Works wonders. Clears and cleans the skin. If you have dry skin, use sparingly.
HEALTH/ WELLNESS/HOME 🌿
BRANCH BASICS
This year we switched to Branch Basics for all home cleaning needs. You just need this one concentrate for every corner of your home. From kitchen to bathrooms to floors, even laundry, everything is covered. Buy the starter kit and then you just need to purchase one refill concentrate.
PERIOSCIENCES AO PRO ADVANTAGE DENTAL GEL
Excellent for gums. I had gum inflammation after deep cleaning and nothing worked till I tried this. Gentle, and gets the work done. Also works for sores.
ELECTRIC SPIN SCRUBBER WITH ATTACHMENTS
Game-changer for home cleaning! This cordless, rechargeable scrubber delivers powerful cleaning with ease, making tough tasks like scrubbing tiles, tubs etc a breeze. Long-lasting battery ensures you can clean multiple spaces on a single charge.
Lastly, a quote that spoke to me this year ….
You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.
-C.S. Lewis
Till then,
Here’s to a peaceful and happy 2025🎉
