2023 Reading Wrap-Up

I met my goal of reading 23 books in 2023!

Favorite Books of the Year:

1 and 2. Fables (2003-2015, ongoing) - comics/graphic novels

Bill Willingham (American, 1956- )

I've always loved fairy tales! This reminds me a lot of the show Once Upon a Time. It's a fun new fairy tale with many characters we're familiar with told anew, along with many new characters as well. I have not officially ranked this because I haven't finished the series - I'm only about a third of the way through. I probably won't rank it even when I am finished just because of how long it is and the comic medium is pretty new to me. I counted this as 2 books, but probably could have counted it as more. I read a novel, a prose short story, a graphic novel, and 98 comics for this series so far.

The other top favorites of the year all got the same rating from me:

3. The 5th Wave (2013) - 8/10

by Rick Yancey (American, 1962- )

Great book! I read this aloud to my partner and we theorized throughout the whole story.

4. The Lightening Tree (2014) - Kingkiller novella - 8/10

by Patrick Rothfuss (American, 1973- )

A fun look into what the everyday life of Bast is like.

5. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902) & A Kidnapped Santa Claus (1904)

by L Frank Baum (American, 1856-1919) - 8/10

I loved the lore of Santa in these books!

Mindful Readers Book Club

6. January - The Martian (2011)

by Andy Weir (American, 1972- )

I enjoyed this book, but it got a bit repetitive. I read Project Hail Mary by the same author later in the year and I enjoyed the latter one more.

7. February - Where the Crawdads Sing (2018)

by Delia Owens (American, 1949- )

Though this didn't make it to my top list, this was 

an unexpectedly great book. It's not my typical 

sort of read, but I really enjoyed it.

8. March - Bridge to Terabithia (1977)

by Katherine Paterson (American, 1932- )

Meh.

9. April - Death on the Nile (1937)

by Agatha Christie (English, 1890-1976)

I had high hopes, but was disappointed. 

I enjoy Agatha Christie, but I didn't really enjoy this story as much as others I've read.

(21.) May - Children of Men (1992)

by PD James (English, 1920-2014)

One of my least favorite books of the year.

June and July - skipped

(3.) August - The 5th Wave (2013)

by Rick Yancey (American, 1962- )

One of my favorites of the year.

10. October - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2011)

by Ransom Riggs (American, 1979- )

Good, but not particularly memorable - even with all the monsters.

September, November, December - skipped

Author Challenges

Mercedes Lackey (American, 1950- )

11.     -By the Sword (1991) - Stand Alone, Kerowyn's Tale

12.     -Winds of Fate (1991) - Mage Winds Trilogy #1

13.     -Winds of Change (1992) - Mage Winds Trilogy #2

14.     -Winds of Fury (1993) - Mage Winds Trilogy #3

I love the Valdemar universe, but these books were a bit disappointing. In the first one, I had a really hard time liking the enchanted sword Need. In the trilogy, I hated the attitude of Elspeth throughout. Disappointing. I've started the next trilogy and I'm loving it again!

Patrick Rothfuss (American, 1973- )

15.      -The Name of the Wind (2007) - Kingkiller Chronicle #1

16.      -The Wise Man's Fear (2011) - Kingkiller Chronicle #2

           -The Doors of Stone (TBD) - Kingkiller Chronicle #3

           -"How Old Holly Came to Be" (2013) - Kingkiller short story

(4.)     -The Lightening Tree (2014) - Kingkiller novella

(23.)   -The Slow Regard of Silent Things (2014) - Kingkiller novella

I love this world, but the author backed himself into a corner with the main character/narrator telling his stories in 3 days, which each would be a book. I'm not sure if the third book will be able to cover all that's left of the story. Interestingly, one of the novellas made it into my favorites, and the other novella into the bottom of the barrel.

Bill Willingham (American, 1956- )

(1 and 2.)    -Fables (2003-2015, ongoing) - comics/graphic novels

Just had to link it again. I hope to continue this series over the summer.

Other Books

(22.) TBR Shelf - The Night Circus (2011)

by Erin Morgenstern (American, 1978- )

One of my least favorite books of the year.

17. Play - A Doll's House (1879)

by Henrik Ibsen (Norwegian, 1828-1906)

Meh.

18. TBR Shelf - Associated Shades Quartet

    -A House-Boat on the Styx (1895)

    -The Pursuit of the House-Boat (1897)

    -The Enchanted Type-Writer (1899)

    -Mr. Munchausen (1901)

by John Kendrick Bangs (American, 1862-1922)

It's a fun concept - having different historical and fictional characters interacting with each other - but it gets worse the further in the series you go.

(5.) Christmas Story - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902)

(5.) Christmas Story - A Kidnapped Santa Claus (1904)

both by L Frank Baum (American, 1856-1919)

One of my favorites of the year.

19. Road Trip Read - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

by Douglas Adams (English, 1952-2001)

Humorous, but there isn't much of a plot.

20. Work Book Club - Project Hail Mary (2021)

by Andy Weir (American, 1972- )

This got a bit sciency and over my head at times, but I enjoyed it a lot! I liked this better than The Martian by the same author, which I read earlier in the year.

Bottom of the Barrel

21. May - Children of Men (1992) - 4.9/10

by PD James (English, 1920-2014)

Didn't connect with the characters; unresolved ending.

22. TBR Shelf - The Night Circus (2011) - 4.1/10

by Erin Morgenstern (American, 1978- )

Non-chronological - way too confusing. Illogical ending, even for the world the book is set. Long and detailed rants of other reasons why I didn't like the book in the blog post linked above.

23. The Slow Regard of Silent Things (2014) - Kingkiller novella - 3.6/10

by Patrick Rothfuss (American, 1973- )

Interesting look into Auri's mind if you're into the Kingkiller Chronicles, but there's no plot or point at all. Not really worth the read.

Summation

I hope to continue Valdemar and Fables, as well as start Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe next year! I have so many series I'm in the middle of and so many more I want to read - there's never enough time!

Happy New Year!