2023 on Goodreads

Total books read:
Total pages read:

Top 10 Fiction
1. The Thursday Murder Club 1-4
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
3. Project Hail Mary
4. Death Gate 1-7
5. Shades of Magic 1-3
6. The Rithmatist
7. Murder on the Orient Express
8. Miss Marple 1-2
9. Supernatural Investigations 1-2
10. Themis Files 1-3

Top 10 Nonfiction
1. Ejaculate Responsibly
2. What if Jesus was Serious About Heaven
3. No Cure for Being Human
4. The Book of Common Courage
5. God Speaks Through Wombs/Touch the Earth
6. She Deserves Better
7. Good Enough
8. Sometimes Women Lie About Being Okay
9. Something's Not Right
10. Liturgy of the Ordinary

Top 5 Rereads
1. Narnia 1-7
2. The Hunger Games 0-3
3. What to the Slave is the Fourth of July
4. Wingfeather Saga 1-4
5. This Too Shall Last

Top 5 Worst Books I Finished
1. Sketchy Behavior
2. Prayer
3. The Secret of Chimneys
4. The Big Four
5. Ready Player One

Happy New Year, everyone! I just stumbled on this year in review entry, and it is a neat little feature, isn't it? 2023 has been something of a reading renaissance for me, but this all really started in 2022. That was the first year in my adult life without any need to study/cram or work long hours, and I realized that I needed a “productive” alternative to my phone. I rode the momentum of that decision along with a string of some really excellent books ([b:Hyperion 77566 Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1) Dan Simmons https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405546838l/77566.SY75.jpg 1383900], [b:Blindsight 48484 Blindsight (Firefall, #1) Peter Watts https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924412l/48484.SX50.jpg 47428], and [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet 22733729 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) Becky Chambers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474l/22733729.SY75.jpg 42270825] to name a few) and decided that in 2023 I would have three main reading goals:1. I would read a minimum of 30 minutes every day. (326 Days in a row according to kindle)2. I would try to read as many books as I could. (92 Books read!)3. I would try to review everything I read. (this got added later)I stuck to my genres (SF/Fantasy) but I made sure to cleanse the palate with whatever sounded interesting/ whatever literary references went over my head. I wanted a baseline for just how much I could read in a year without pushing myself; turns out you can read a ton when you don't have casebooks and social media competing for your time. Once I started the Urth of the New Sun series I realized that I couldn't keep it all straight without taking notes, and once you have notes you're basically obligated to post a review.It's been a great reading year for me, and I intend to keep up with this habit I've formed. My goals for 2024 are a little different, I'd actually like to read with a little more moderation (I may have spent more time with the books than I did with my girlfriend), I'd like to finish the Dandelion Dynasty, and I would like to read more books outside my genres/wheelhouse (maybe a little more non-fiction and literature).With all that said I read a ton this year so let me highlight some stuff!Favorites Series for the year:I was big into series this year, I read Urth of the New Sun, The Culture, Bobiverse, Murderbot, The First Law, The Dandelion Dynasty, Monk and Robot, Alex Stern, and the Sarantine Mosaic.I had a blast reading all of these series and I have nothing but praise for all of them, you seriously can't go wrong picking up any one of these. That makes it super tough to pick my series of the year, since almost all of these books left such a strong impression on me. I mean, seriously, it's kind of like picking which cut of Wagyu was most delicious!When in doubt, I turn to the roots, and what I was most excited about (and most diligent with) had to be the Culture Series by Ian M. Banks. I was absolutely consumed by this series, it was like “oh wow, I can't believe this has existed all this time, and I am literally the last person to hear about it.” I didn't love every book, but it's 10 whole books, there's bound to be a miss or two. What's really impressive is that each book could very easily be the start of their own series, each book is wholly unique and PACKED with ideas and content. I wish I could read more Culture. RIP BIG BANKS.Author of the Year:I only read two of his books this year, but I love them both. I will be reading more Philip K. Dick in 2024. His authorial style agrees with me in a way that no one else I read this year quite managed to match. Obviously, I am a little late to the party and I know that marking him as my favorite for the year is a little bit like saying Citizen Kane or On the Waterfront is my favorite movie. But I can't help it, Ubik was amazing and A Scanner Darkly really agreed with me!If I have to pick someone a little more contemporary, I am giving the nod to Becky Chambers. I first read her in 2022, but with each additional book of hers that I read, my appreciation of her style and ideas only grows. I absolutely loved Monk & Robot, I fully intend on grabbing a box set for this series once it's complete. M&R aside, there is more Wayfarers on the horizon for me. Count me as a fan.Top 5 Books for the Year:1. [b:The Library at Mount Char 26892110 The Library at Mount Char Scott Hawkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453225113l/26892110.SY75.jpg 42797715]2. [b:Use of Weapons 12007 Use of Weapons (Culture, #3) Iain M. Banks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587400756l/12007.SX50.jpg 1494156]3. [b:A Scanner Darkly 14817 A Scanner Darkly Philip K. Dick https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388737865l/14817.SY75.jpg 1527439]4. [b:Bad Brains 341941 Bad Brains Kathe Koja https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1297032583l/341941.SY75.jpg 2038474]5. [b:Cosmos 55030 Cosmos Carl Sagan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388620656l/55030.SX50.jpg 3237312]This list is in order, but maybe it shouldn't be. I read so many excellent books this year, so this isn't a quality metric, but rather I'm ranking these books by how much I liked them and just how much of their ideas/imagery/plot managed to make it into my daily thoughts (Love and Staying Power). What makes me rank Char at the top has a lot to do with just how much of a surprise it was, I expected nothing and got something so incredible and unique. Let's not forget to mention that it is an authorial debut for Scott Hawkins, a grand slam the first time up to bat is something that I can't help but take note of. Wish I could unread this:[b:Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality 10016013 Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality Eliezer Yudkowsky https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659761696l/10016013.SY75.jpg 14911331]You can read my review of this fanfic, but I don't know why I didn't put this down. Chalk it up to morbid curiosity. My problem with this book had a lot to do with the weakness of the writing, and not necessarily with the premise or plot.

Reading goals 2023:❀ Read 104 books. [5/104]❀ Read [a:Agatha Christie 123715 Agatha Christie https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1589991473p2/123715.jpg]'s Hercule Poirot series including the short stories. ❀ Read [a:Agatha Christie 123715 Agatha Christie https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1589991473p2/123715.jpg]'s standalone books. ❀ Try to shrink my physical TBR by reading books from my shelves. Books I will be prioritising throughout the year:❀ [b:Daughter of the Moon Goddess 57789637 Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology, #1) Sue Lynn Tan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.SX50.jpg 77538895] ❀ [b:Luck of the Titanic 54711210 Luck of the Titanic Stacey Lee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604558427l/54711210.SY75.jpg 85359536]❀ [b:Daughter of Sparta 50123234 Daughter of Sparta (Daughter of Sparta, #1) Claire M. Andrews https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604065091l/50123234.SX50.jpg 72606604]❀ Any Agatha Christie book ❀ Illumicrate books I have gotten in past boxes (2022)__________________❀January❀❀February❀❀March❀❀April❀❀May❀❀June❀❀July❀❀August❀❀September❀❀October❀❀November❀❀December❀To be continued ...

My year 2023 in books

What. A. Great. Book. Year!! If 2022 was my introduction to literature as an official student in EngLit, 2023 is my first full year of attempting to plan ahead and manage school and personal reading together. And I am quite happy of the result, and only wish to push it further for 2024.

I can see my book taste changing as I read more. It is such an interesting, and sometimes challenging, experience to try to reconcile old favourites with evolving interests. As an eternal reader of middle grade and YA fantasy, I lately found myself drawn more and more towards adult fantasy, cross-cultural works and queer stories. I see the trends and tropes of my two usual age ranges more and some of them are starting to bother me, so I'm on the lookout for something different. I found some incredible gems this way!
I also see that I tend to reread a lot less. I am in the mood to keep on discovering new books and stories. I'm not setting my faves aside, but I want to keep reaching for new stuff, and that is my goal for 2024.