My Favorite Books of 2023
I read 34 books in 2023. A couple less than 2022. I would have liked to have read more, but I do have other hobbies and distractions that take up time, and other stuff that impacts my focus on reading, but I'll just have to remind myself it's more about the quality than the quantity. Doesn't stop me from buying more than I can ever read though heh heh. I read some great books as well as some disappointing ones last year. My one goal was to read more sci-fi and I think I did that. At least a couple more than in 2022, so I count it as the goal was accomplished.
Unfortunately, the spreadsheet I was using to track my reading for last year got really messed up this time and didn't record several months in the charts. There's one last thing I might be able to try to fix it, but I'll do it after the fact. So, I can't really get into the stats except for maybe one on Goodreads. My average rating was 3.9, which is good. I do tend to be generous with my ratings though perhaps.
Starting with my favorites first, here's my list and a little of my thoughts about them.
The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson - I read a lot of Sanderson last year and this was a great, yet bittersweet send off to Mistborn Era 2.
The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey - Fun read and I loved the bond between Kethry and Tarma.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick - I enjoy Dick's writing and I enjoy Blade Runner, which is an adaptation of this book. I think both are equally great in different ways.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - Fairytales are my cup of tea, so it was the perfect read for me. Hoid's narration was also the icing on the cake.
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan - I loved the Trials of Apollo series, but this one was my favorite of the bunch even though it crushed me.
Redshirts by John Scalzi - Loved it and it might have been my favorite read all year. It's a humorous satire of Star Trek yes, but it was also meaningful in ways I wasn't expecting. A reminder to myself to read more Scalzi because I've enjoyed everything he's written that I've read so far.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - I finally read it and it was charming and cute.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson - Yep, three Sanderson books made my favorites. It was beautiful and imaginative.
Now for some honorable mentions
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle - A twist on a Lovecraftian tale that I feel is worth a look.
Babel by R.F. Kuang - Fascinating, intriguing topics, and a clever magic system. I just thought the last third or so was played up for shock value.
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne - A worthy and solid sequel, I just liked the first one a little more.
The Library At Mount Char by Scott Hawkins - I'd say this one almost made my favorites list. It's very memorable and the most bizarre thing I've ever read. I was surprised I liked it.
Now for the worst, least favorites, and DNFs
Bellwether by Connie Willis - Was so disappointed and bored. I really should have put it down rather than forcing myself to read it.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - I liked a short story by this author, so I thought I'd like this one and I really didn't. Unlikeable characters and I just tuned out. Shouldn't have forced myself to finish it.
The Blood Jaguar by Michael H. Payne - Just an animal fantasy with awful awful writing.
The Frugal Wizard's Handbook to Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson - Sorry that Sanderson also made it on my worst list. It was very bland.
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong - I have an awful story about this one. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It took four months to receive my copy, and when I did read it I found out it was misprinted with 30 missing pages towards the end. It didn't really matter to me because I didn't like the book anyway. Too much of it was off-putting and sexist.
I DNF'd two books. One was The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft. I was disappointed by that one because I loved The Books of Babel. I just couldn't get into it nor care about the characters. The other one was a semi-historical fiction called Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. More sexism, crude humor, incohesive plot. Just nope nope nope.
Several great books with several disappointments made for a mixed year of reading for me. As for my goals for 2024, I really only have one and that is to get around to reading Words of Radiance at some point. A couple unofficial goals (meaning it's no big deal if I don't complete them): read a romance book (because it's not a genre I really read and would be a bit outside my comfort zone), and to read a LitRPG book since I've never read one before and I'm curious if I'll like it. I think that's about it. Hopefully I can read more books in 2024.
I'm going to be posting the book survey right after this post to save time and because I already pre-wrote it. Horray!
Unfortunately, the spreadsheet I was using to track my reading for last year got really messed up this time and didn't record several months in the charts. There's one last thing I might be able to try to fix it, but I'll do it after the fact. So, I can't really get into the stats except for maybe one on Goodreads. My average rating was 3.9, which is good. I do tend to be generous with my ratings though perhaps.
Starting with my favorites first, here's my list and a little of my thoughts about them.
The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson - I read a lot of Sanderson last year and this was a great, yet bittersweet send off to Mistborn Era 2.
The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey - Fun read and I loved the bond between Kethry and Tarma.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick - I enjoy Dick's writing and I enjoy Blade Runner, which is an adaptation of this book. I think both are equally great in different ways.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - Fairytales are my cup of tea, so it was the perfect read for me. Hoid's narration was also the icing on the cake.
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan - I loved the Trials of Apollo series, but this one was my favorite of the bunch even though it crushed me.
Redshirts by John Scalzi - Loved it and it might have been my favorite read all year. It's a humorous satire of Star Trek yes, but it was also meaningful in ways I wasn't expecting. A reminder to myself to read more Scalzi because I've enjoyed everything he's written that I've read so far.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - I finally read it and it was charming and cute.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson - Yep, three Sanderson books made my favorites. It was beautiful and imaginative.
Now for some honorable mentions
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle - A twist on a Lovecraftian tale that I feel is worth a look.
Babel by R.F. Kuang - Fascinating, intriguing topics, and a clever magic system. I just thought the last third or so was played up for shock value.
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne - A worthy and solid sequel, I just liked the first one a little more.
The Library At Mount Char by Scott Hawkins - I'd say this one almost made my favorites list. It's very memorable and the most bizarre thing I've ever read. I was surprised I liked it.
Now for the worst, least favorites, and DNFs
Bellwether by Connie Willis - Was so disappointed and bored. I really should have put it down rather than forcing myself to read it.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - I liked a short story by this author, so I thought I'd like this one and I really didn't. Unlikeable characters and I just tuned out. Shouldn't have forced myself to finish it.
The Blood Jaguar by Michael H. Payne - Just an animal fantasy with awful awful writing.
The Frugal Wizard's Handbook to Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson - Sorry that Sanderson also made it on my worst list. It was very bland.
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong - I have an awful story about this one. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It took four months to receive my copy, and when I did read it I found out it was misprinted with 30 missing pages towards the end. It didn't really matter to me because I didn't like the book anyway. Too much of it was off-putting and sexist.
I DNF'd two books. One was The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft. I was disappointed by that one because I loved The Books of Babel. I just couldn't get into it nor care about the characters. The other one was a semi-historical fiction called Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. More sexism, crude humor, incohesive plot. Just nope nope nope.
Several great books with several disappointments made for a mixed year of reading for me. As for my goals for 2024, I really only have one and that is to get around to reading Words of Radiance at some point. A couple unofficial goals (meaning it's no big deal if I don't complete them): read a romance book (because it's not a genre I really read and would be a bit outside my comfort zone), and to read a LitRPG book since I've never read one before and I'm curious if I'll like it. I think that's about it. Hopefully I can read more books in 2024.
I'm going to be posting the book survey right after this post to save time and because I already pre-wrote it. Horray!