We’re entering into January, so it’s time to look back at my reading from 2023.  I read 120 books this year, which is a nice increase on recent years.  I’ve been trying to do more reading, less phone time, so maybe that’s why!  Here’s a look at the details…

1) Best of…
I’ve been splitting my “Best of” books for the past several years, so that I can highlight the ones that were best in very specific ways.

1A) Best Premise: After Anne by Logan Steiner – I loved the idea of a novel retelling the life of my favorite author, L. M. Montgomery.  And then some parts were excellent and some parts seemed like–very strange choices.  I’m fairly sure Steiner and I have read all the same source material (particularly Montgomery’s journals and Rubio’s excellent biography, The Gift of Wings) but we reached some very different conclusions!  I ended up feeling mixed on the book, but I did love that premise.

1B) Best World Building: Indexing by Seanan McGuire – A dark urban fantasy, I loved the exploration of fairy tales and how they impact the world, particularly recognizing how dark and deadly they can actually be!  A very cool magic system and concepts over-laid on (almost) the real world.

1C) Best Romance: A toss-up here, between Book Lovers by Emily Henry and Landline by Rainbow Rowell.  In both cases I enjoyed the romantic couples defying romantic cliches.  The heroine in Book Lovers knows the cliches well and recognizes where she fits in – she’s the big city, high-powered girlfriend who gets dumped for the simple small-town girl – and I loved that twist.  In Landline we see a couple a decade into their relationship who have real challenges but also really love each other, and I liked that a lot.  So many things shouldn’t have worked with the two of them, but I loved it anyway.

1D) Best Character: Eliza Hamilton in My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie – It might be a little unfair since Eliza was a real person, but the book brought her to life beautifully, and really portrayed how amazing a force she was – as more than Alexander Hamilton’s wife.  Although, surprisingly, Eliza and Alexander could also be contenders for best romantic couple!

Continue reading “2023 Reading Round-Up” →

The start of a new year means it’s time to look back at the past year of reading.  I read 96 books this year, a drop from the days before I had a toddler, but not bad, considering!  And if you factor in picture books, I’m sure the number is at least double…!  Here’s a look at the details.

1) Best of…
I’ve been splitting my “Best of” books for the past several years, so that I can highlight the ones that were best in very specific ways.

1A) Best Premise: The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North – Hope is the main character of this one, and no one remembers her.  Within a minute of seeing her, everyone forgets.  Basically like the Silence in Doctor Who, for my geek readers!  Fascinating to see how this plays out and how she lives her life.  The book turned into something of a heist/thriller, but I was mostly fascinated by the idea.

1B) Best World Building: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers – I loved this peaceful, philosophical book set in a future utopia where everyone looks out for each other and for nature. Robots achieved sentience a couple centuries before the book opens and, instead of conquering humanity, basically said “good luck, guys, we’re leaving” and disappeared into the wilds. This is the story of the first robot who comes back, and the tea monk looking for purpose who meets it.  Honorable mention also goes to Finder by Suzanne Palmer, for a very weird and interesting sci fi story set mostly on a web of asteroids and space stations.

1C) Best Romance: I loved Grace and Stephen in Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher.  I also loved…pretty much every romantic couple in Kingfisher’s books that I read this year.  I give the edge to Grace and Stephen though because I love that Grace is a perfumer who can’t quite remember what he looks like after they first meet, but vividly remembers how he smells (like gingerbread!)  Kingfisher’s thing in romances seems to be powerful men who are very, very conscious about things like consent and not intimidating the women they’re attracted to, and I am so there for that.

1D) Best Characters: I’m giving this one to Kingfisher too, for her cast of misfits in The Clockwork Boys and its sequel, Wonder Engine.  Slate the cranky forger, Caliban the angsty paladin, Brenner the assassin, and the Learned Edmund are all just wonderful.  Another good romance as well, which winds up with “well, I suppose, if only for the handkerchiefs” and it’s perfect. Continue reading “2022 Reading Round-Up” →

Though it sometimes feels like we never quite left 2020, it is somehow the beginning of 2022, making it time to look back at the best, the worst and the sometimes weird of my 2021 reading. I read 115 books this year, down from the high numbers I did a few years ago but comparable to recent years – and considering I also had a baby in March, we’ll call that good!

1) Best of…
I’ve been splitting my “Best of” books for the past several years, so that I can highlight the ones that were best in very specific ways.

1A) Best Premise: Invictus by Ryan Graudin – Do premises get better than time traveling thieves who are jumping through time to steal artifacts history records as lost? Amazing idea.

1B) Best World Building: Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers – I thoroughly enjoy this series, and this book in particular created a fascinating world – though literally not a world, as it’s set almost entirely on a fleet of spaceships.  It’s almost all world building, since it’s mostly people going about their lives, and it was so interesting to see how their lives work and society is structured in a culture aboard a space fleet.

1C) Best Romance: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – Lovely, lyrical book with an excellent romance despite it moving fast (not usually my thing).  The second book in the duology trended very dark for my taste, but the first one, and its romance, were a delight.  And the second one was good – just dark!

1D) Best Characters: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune – If I was going to do a single Best of 2021 book, this would be the one.  Absolutely, amazingly good, a beautiful found-family story that’s touching and funny and says important things too.  And the characters really made the book.  I read this in October and I feel like every book I’ve read since I’ve had to forgive for not being The House in the Cerulean Sea.  So, so good. Continue reading “2021 Reading Round-Up” →