2022 has come to an end and before I set my new reading goal for 2023 I’d like to take a moment to just look at the books I read this year.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel - Jessica Brody
I mean, I read the majority of this book ages ago, but in order to actually click ‘complete’ on Goodreads I had to read the last two chapters. I love this book and I recommend it to anyone who’s struggling with plot or can’t get through their draft. It’s been a life changer for me.
Atomic Habits - James Clear
I’m not generally big on non-fiction, but I’m a sucker for self-improvement and this book was on my wish list for a while. I read this just after New Years and implemented some of the techniques into my routine. Part of me wants to re-read this to get even more out of it. Easy to read non-fiction, with research that is both intriguing and, somehow, entertaining to read.
Relic (The Relic Trilogy #1) - Bronwyn Eley
Also one of those that I decided to pick up and finish. Intriguing plot with a super sad end for a certain character at the end that really upset me. Interesting world and magic system.
Kejsarn av Portugallien - Selma Lagerlöf
A Swedish classic I had to read for my studies. It was slow, but has a very interesting approach to mental health and family relationships.
Wolves of Duty (Excellence Wolves #1) - Charlotte Murphy
An indie read by a friend and fellow member of the Writer Community over on Instagram, Charlotte Murphy. This was so different from my usual fantasy reads and not your everyday shapeshifter/wolf story. This is a Carribean inspired fantasy with hidden villains, hard set traditions, intriguing legends and folklore, topped with enemies to lovers. A page turner with a real “what happens next”-ending.
The Duke and I + 2nd Epilogue (Bridgertons #1)- Julia Quinn
After a Bridgerton Season Two binge, I had to pick up the books, cause I was left with a real romance hangover. A fun read, but I must say the TV series delivered something that the books didn’t. A quick read that I inhaled on the flight back from a holiday even though I’m not much of a romance person.
I said I wasn’t a romance fan, but Anthony and Kate were so captivating in Season Two of Bridgerton that I had to keep going.
After this one I kinda lost interest in the romance. This took me longer to read and I kinda hit a book slump during it, so I decided to leave the Bridgerton’s behind for a while.
The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) - Brandon Sanderson
I decided not to start any new series this year (as you can see from the list above, this has not worked well), but I picked this one up as a potential comp title for Project Codex. I also started looking at Sanderson’s lectures on YouTube and I wanted to know what Sanderson refers to in his works. I loved this book!
Naondel (The Red Abbey Chronicles #2) - Maria Turtschaninoff
I did manage to keep going on a series I started before the pandemic. This is a Finnish Swedish YA fantasy that is absolutely captivating. It’s described as a feminist fantasy and largely follows a female cast.
Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time #1) - Robert Jordan
You know when you keep getting recommended something and you genuinely want to read it and keep saying “that book is on my TBR”, but you never get around to reading it. Well, Lizzie (my pod partner) didn’t give me a choice. She lent me the book, and so I was kinda forced to read it. It took me a good while to get into it, but towards the end I blazed through it. A classic fantasy with a strong Lord of the Rings influence that all fantasy fans have to read at some point.
King of Scars (King of Scars #1) - Leigh Bardugo
I reached a book slump when I tried to read this the first time. Nothing wrong with the book (it was fantastic), but I had too much on my plate at the time. In line with my goal to not start new series, I picked this up again and devoured it.
Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2) - Leigh Bardugo
…and picked up book two and devoured that one too.
Gods and Monsters (Serpent & Dove #3) - Shelby Mahurin
I read the first two books in this trilogy back in 2020. It was hard to get back into this trilogy because I’d forgotten so much of what happened in the other books. I’d forgotten about the plot and which characters were which, but with a bit of scrolling on the fandom wiki I got back into it.
10 Steps to Hero: How to Craft a Kickass Protagonist - Sacha Black
I started reading this in preparation for NaNoWriMo. It made such a big impact on my plotting for Project Codex. You can read the full review here.
The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes - Carolyne Larrington
Got this book for my name’s day and started reading almost straight away. It was a very nice introduction to the Norse myths and legends and ties in with a lot of modern adaptations and even mentions Tolkien a few times. It’s given me a lot of inspiration and ideas so I might return to this one.
The Anatomy of Prose: 12 Steps to Sensational Sentences - Sacha Black
I started reading this while editing Visions of Ravens, but I didn’t finish. I’d like to though, ‘cause there’s a lot of advice in there that you can actually take action on that I think make a big difference.
Wonderbook - Jeff VandeMeer
I also started reading this in preparation for NaNoWriMo, and although inspiring, it’s very dense and I just had too much on my mind at the time to finish it.
My goal for 2023 is fifteen books, and yes, I will continue on the challenge to finish series I've started reading and hopefully make a dent in my shelf!