I read 125 books this year, which was the exact Goodreads goal I had. I am in the middle of two chonkers right now, so I can't see myself finishing them before the end of the year. This year I DNF'd a lot more than I usually have, which resulted in not finishing as many books as normal, but also an overall higher rating average since the majority that I did finish were 3 stars and above. The only l star books that I finished were early releases from NetGalley, which, if I didn't have to review them, would probably have been DNF's as well.
I had 11 five-star books in 2023, and here are my top 5.
1. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
For the second year in a row, M.L. Wang has written my favorite book of the year. This is another indie published fantasy book, that is about the only female ever admitted to the High Magistry learning the truth about her country. It was familiar in themes, but the way Wang wrote this was heartbreakingly good. While I don't normally enjoy dark academia books, this didn't feel traditionally like that. It had a really unique magic system that was math based. It opened with a bang, with a group of people fleeing for safety from the Blight, which literally ripped them apart, and the pacing continued from there. M.L. Wang will be an auto-read author for me as both her books have become favorites of mine. She is such a brilliant writer and I was very pleasantly surprised when I first picked her up, since my previous indie reads had not been this high quality or this addicting to read.
2. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
This book definitely surprised me. I though Sanderson couldn't write actual romance, but this was really well done. I could definitely see the inspiration and I thought the magic system was pretty unique as well. There were actually two magic systems depending on which persons point of view we were in. It rotates between a reality where stacking rocks can bring forth spirits if it is done in a meditative state, and to a reality where everything is darker, where monsters roam and can be fought by paintings come to life. It did read like an anime, which I happened to love. This was my favorite book from The Year of Sanderson.
3. Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
This was one of my priority backlist books to read this year. Published in 2020, I have not heard anyone talk about this book. And they should be. The world that Durst created was so vivid in my mind while reading. I could easily place myself in the races with Raia. I loved the characters and while it was full of "strong female leads" it never felt cliché became they actually had challenges to overcome, both physically and morally. I really like when authors show characters struggling and having to overcome a seemingly impossible task. I highly recommend this standalone as well as this author, because her writing is fantastic.
4. The Shining by Stephen King
The Shining is one of my favorite horror movies as I think the suspense was done masterfully. Having never read the book, nor read anything by King before (I know I'm way behind), I decided to start here. Like most movies, the book was better. I loved being able to have a look inside the characters minds. King also expanded on how the hotel manifested itself in the minds of everyone there. I liked how Wendy actually felt like a strong character rather than a weak woman like the movie portrayed her to be. I also really loved how Danny was a major focus and we got to see what was happening inside his head. The ending was far better and I do wish Kubrick kept this ending. After reading this, I've decided to work my way through all of King's backlog in order of publication date.
5. The Night Eaters, Vol. 1: She Eats the Night by Marjorie M. Liu
Illustrated by Sana Takeda
If you don't already know who Marjorie Liu is, she is the creator of the Monstress series, which is one of my all-time favorites. She is joined again by the same illustrator, Sana Takeda, and the pair of them have made another masterpiece. This graphic novel series is dark, as expected, but also more hopeful in a way. It's about two twins who own a restaurant and return home to help their mom clean up a house where a murder takes place. Things get crazy from there. I loved everything about this first volume. The second one was also fantastic, I just liked this a tad bit more. The art, the story, the surprises. Everything was done so well. I can't wait to read more from the pair.
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