Kyrie
Here we are, at the end of another year. And good lord, this year. It amazes me how it seemed to fly by, even though this year was actually 10 years packed into one.I didn't manage to read as much as I would have liked this year. This is the first year in a while that I didn't even manage to hit 300 books read, but I've come to terms with it.My TBR started with 307 books, and ended with 291. So my concentrated efforts to clear out books I've been meaning to read actually gained some ground this year, at least!I had to work a little to put together my favorite reads list this year, but here goes:
1. Bloodline (Whyborne & Griffin #5) - I'd started reading the series back in 2018, and I'd told myself that if I ever caught any of the rest of the books on sale, I'd jump on them because I'm a sucker for a good HPL-fic. Well, Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin #2) went on sale at the end of 2019, and after reading it I gave in and bought the entire series outright. From there, I basically binged the entire series and ended up with a book hangover that lasted an entire month. Bloodline was the point of no return for me - the overarching plot started picking up, and my investment in the series went through the roof. This series brought me so much joy this year that when I saw Unhallowed (Rath & Rune #1) come out, I wept actual tears of joy.
2. Piranesi - I didn't realize that Susanna Clarke was writing this book. I was a little iffy on it, being a completely different beast from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I mean, I can actually fit this book in my purse! But daaaaaammmmnnnnn, the woman can write. Piranesi is gloriously atmospheric, and does a lot with its short page count. After the Whyborne and Griffin series, this is the book that broke my heart the most this year.
3. Truly Devious - The entire set-up for the the Truly Devious series (or the first trilogy, at any rate - not sure where the 4th book is going) was captivating. It has a great central mystery, an awesomely secluded setting, and I 1000% approve of Stevie's book organization system. Sorting books “by feel” is my go-to system.
4. Life of Melody - It's not often that a comic, let alone a webcomic, makes its way onto my favorites read list. But look - Life of Melody is adorable. It's dark, but sweet, and it was such a relief in this dumpster fire of a year that it's more than earned its spot here.
5. Legendborne - I'm always there for new takes on the Arthurian legend, and Legendborn definitely tried something new. At the same time, it goes DEEP into Arthurian lore. Also, just A++ use of Lancelot.
Honorable Mentions*
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your House - I feel bad putting a Night Vale book down in the honorable mentions, but...Faceless Old Woman didn't hit me the same way Night Vale books usually do. Not bad, by any stretch - just different.
Here we are, at the end of another year. And good lord, this year. It amazes me how it seemed to fly by, even though this year was actually 10 years packed into one.I didn't manage to read as much as I would have liked this year. This is the first year in a while that I didn't even manage to hit 300 books read, but I've come to terms with it.My TBR started with 307 books, and ended with 291. So my concentrated efforts to clear out books I've been meaning to read actually gained some ground this year, at least!I had to work a little to put together my favorite reads list this year, but here goes:
1. Bloodline (Whyborne & Griffin #5) - I'd started reading the series back in 2018, and I'd told myself that if I ever caught any of the rest of the books on sale, I'd jump on them because I'm a sucker for a good HPL-fic. Well, Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin #2) went on sale at the end of 2019, and after reading it I gave in and bought the entire series outright. From there, I basically binged the entire series and ended up with a book hangover that lasted an entire month. Bloodline was the point of no return for me - the overarching plot started picking up, and my investment in the series went through the roof. This series brought me so much joy this year that when I saw Unhallowed (Rath & Rune #1) come out, I wept actual tears of joy.
2. Piranesi - I didn't realize that Susanna Clarke was writing this book. I was a little iffy on it, being a completely different beast from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I mean, I can actually fit this book in my purse! But daaaaaammmmnnnnn, the woman can write. Piranesi is gloriously atmospheric, and does a lot with its short page count. After the Whyborne and Griffin series, this is the book that broke my heart the most this year.
3. Truly Devious - The entire set-up for the the Truly Devious series (or the first trilogy, at any rate - not sure where the 4th book is going) was captivating. It has a great central mystery, an awesomely secluded setting, and I 1000% approve of Stevie's book organization system. Sorting books “by feel” is my go-to system.
4. Life of Melody - It's not often that a comic, let alone a webcomic, makes its way onto my favorites read list. But look - Life of Melody is adorable. It's dark, but sweet, and it was such a relief in this dumpster fire of a year that it's more than earned its spot here.
5. Legendborne - I'm always there for new takes on the Arthurian legend, and Legendborn definitely tried something new. At the same time, it goes DEEP into Arthurian lore. Also, just A++ use of Lancelot.
Honorable Mentions*
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your House - I feel bad putting a Night Vale book down in the honorable mentions, but...Faceless Old Woman didn't hit me the same way Night Vale books usually do. Not bad, by any stretch - just different.