Book Meme 2023
Jan. 3rd, 2024 10:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bearshortyIn 2023 I read 52 books, which I'm happy with. Many of those were children's books but they were books I wanted to read and they count! I also did a bunch of really long books so I think it balances out. I tended to read less in the last few months for some reason, mostly because I was reading longer books. I'm very happy with the books I read this year - many were on my list and some were surprises, which is just how I like it.
Book List 2023
1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 337pp (Jan 2) [translated from Swedish]. (started in 2022).
2. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, 110pp (Jan 4).
3. Dragonbreath: The Frozen Menace by Ursula Vernon, 201pp (Jan 9) [Dragonbreath 11].
4.Golden Age and Other Stories by Naomi Novik, 124pp (Jan 12).
5.Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, c.304pp (Jan 22).
6.Matilda by Roald Dahl, 240pp (Jan 28).
7.The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, 488pp (Jan 29).[World of Five Gods]
8. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad, 345pp (Feb 7).
9.Leg to Stand On by Oliver Sacks, 207pp (Feb 7).
10.The Years by Annie Ernaux, c. 240pp (Feb 16).
11.What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch, 154pp (Feb 21) [Rivers of London novella].
12. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, 388pp (Mar 5) [Booker Prize].
13.Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold, 448pp (Mar 15) [Hugo book] [World of Five Gods].
14.Spare by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, 407pp (Mar 23).
15.The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch, 118pp (Mar 28) [Rivers of London novella]
16.Exhalation by Ted Chiang, 340pp (Apr 2).
17.BFG by Roald Dahl, 208pp (Apr 10).
18.The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary, 381pp (Apr 20).
19.The Big Time by Fritz Leiber, 118pp (Apr 21).[Hugo book]
20.The Twits by Roald Dahl, 76pp (May 3).
21.My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman, 365pp (May 7) [translated from Swedish].
22.Good Inside by Becky Kennedy, 298pp (May 12).
23.Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dalh, 47pp (May 17).
24.She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, 411pp (May 25).
25.The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel, 273pp (June 2).
26.Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, 98pp (Jun 4) [translated from Swedish].
27.Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald, 186pp (Jun 5).
28. The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier, 391pp (Jun 13) [translated from French].
29.Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, 369pp (Jun 15).
30.Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, 448pp (Jul 2) [Hugo book].
31.Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, 355pp (Jul 6).
32.Insomniac City: New York, Oliver and Me by Bill Hayes, 290pp (Jul 9).
33.The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch, 292pp (Jul 22) [Rivers of London 6].
34.Teckla by Steven Brust, 153pp (Jul 25) [Taltos series 3]
35.Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, 102pp (Jul 27) [translated from Swedish].
36. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, 138pp (Aug 2).
37.Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith, 183pp (Aug 9).
38.Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, 105pp (Aug 14).
39.Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, 182pp (Aug 19).
40.A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark, 43pp (Aug 29).
41.The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough, 781pp (Sept 5) [Masters of Rome 1].
42. All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley, 178pp (Sept 20).
43. A Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold, 419pp (Sept 26). [World of Five Gods]
44. Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, 233pp (Sept 27).
45. Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski, 525pp (Oct 11) [Witcher Book 3 of 5] [translated from Polish to Russian, read in Russian].
46.Jews Don't Count by David Baddiel, 133pp (Oct 13).
47. Making it So: a memoir by Patrick Stewart, 443pp (Oct 25).
48.Translation State by Anne Leckie, 421pp (Nov 1)
49.Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon), 240pp (Nov 8) [Hugo book].
50.The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, 500pp (Nov 28) [Hugo book].
51.System Collapse by Martha Wells, 243pp (Dec 6) [Murderbot 7]
52.Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets, 1070pp (Dec 23) [in Russian].
Book Meme 2023
The first book you read in 2023:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The last book you finished in 2023:
Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets
The first book you will finish (or did finish!) in 2024:
The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith - I read a third of it in 2023 and hoping to finish it this week.
How many books read in 2023?
52, not counting a bunch of small children's books like 14 books in the Bad Guys series and other various little things.
Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
42 fiction/10 non-fiction
Male/Female authors?
20 male authors/20 female authors
Most books read by one author this year?
I read 4 books by Roald Dahl this year, 3 by Frederik Backman, 3 by Bujold, 3 by Aaronovitch, 2 by Vernon and 2 by DiCamillo.
Favorite books read?
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold in fiction and All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley in non-fiction.
Best books you read in 2022?
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka - this won a Booker Prize and for a very good reason. Really well done.
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith - so creative!
Least favorite?
The Big Time by Fritz Leiber - It was weird as a lot of early sci-fi is.
Most disappointing book/Book you wished you loved more than you did?
Exhalation by Ted Chiang and The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary were both disappointing. I read better things from both of them. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson has the weirdest ending that just soured the potential of the book.
I also wanted to like "She Who Became the Sun" by Shelley Parker-Chan more but the second half lost new.
Best series you discovered in 2023?
World of Five Gods! I loved the first book to pieces, really enjoyed the second one, while the third one was ok. But I definitely want to read more and will move to novellas this year.
Masters of Rome is in second place as they are really well done historical fiction.
Other new series for me this year: Masters of Rome, She Who Became the Sun, Judy Moody books,
Not new: Dragonbreath, Temeraire, Witcher, Rivers of London, Dragaera, Dead Djinn of Cairo, Pippi books, Imperial Radch and Murderbot.
Favorite new author you discovered this year?
Dahl I guess since I missed reading his stuff as a kid so I'm catching up now as my kid is of an age to read him. Also Shehan Karunatilaka
Other new authors
Rachel Carson, Suleika Jaouad, Prince Harry (or rather his ghostwriter), Fritz Leiber, Becky Kennedy, Shelley Parker-Chan, Megan McDonald, Herve Le Tellier, Allie Brosh, Robert Charles Wilson, Shelby Van Pelt, Bill Hayes, Zach Weinersmith, Emily Tesh, Kate DiCamillo, Patrick Bringley, David Baddiel, Patrick Stewart, Neal Stephenson, and Anna Starobinets.
Oldest book read?
Both Cannery Row and Pippi Longstocking were originally published in 1945.
Newest?
System Collapse by Martha Wells which came out in mid November.
Longest book title?
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me
Shortest title?
BFG
How many re-reads?
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - I know I read it as a kid but I didn't remember much.
Any in translation?
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - translated from Swedish to English
The Years by Annie Ernaux - translated from French to English
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - translated from Swedish to English
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - translated from Swedish to English
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier - translated from French to English
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman - translated from Swedish to English
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski [Witcher Book 3] - translated from Polish to Russian
I also read books in Russian this year:
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski and Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets
How many of this year's books were from the library?
I borrowed 10 physical books from the library and 24 on ebook loan. I tend to get most of my reading from the library.
Book that most changed my perspective:
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me was a great book to rediscover art and what it can mean. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida made me feel very lucky I didn't grow up with civil war.
Favorite character:
Cazaril from the Curse of Chalion
I also really liked Marra and her attitude in "Nettle & Bone"
Most memorable character:
The Octopus from "Remarkably Bright Creatures" - he is a grumpy old octopus who befriends an old lady who cleans the aquarium and likes to escape and cause mischief and we get narration from his perspective.
Favorite scene:
I don't think I can pick one.
Favorite quote:
I never really pick out specific quotes when I read.
Most inspirational in terms of own writing?
Nothing really stands out.
How many you'd actually read again? A book that you never want to read again:
I will probably reread Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Soul one day since I really enjoyed them.
I never want to read "Big Time" again or "Exhaltation".
Book you recommended most to others in 2023?
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley - I just loved it and I mentioned it to a bunch of people who liked art. Also "Dragonbreath" - I gave the first book of the series as presents to a few kids. And I recommended "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida" by Shehan Karunatilaka to my Dad, who then read it and it was one of his top books of the year. And most of the kid books like Dahl or DiCamillo books, I recommended to Tanya first by getting them in the library for her, and then read it myself at her insistence.
The book series you read the most volumes of in 2023:
World of Five Gods with three novels and Rivers of London with 2 novellas and 1 novel.
The genre you read the most in 2023:
Fantasy: 14
children books: 11
Sci-fi: 7
contemporary: 7
Non-fiction memoir/biography: 7
general non-fiction: 3
romance: 1
classics : 1
historical fiction: 1
Fantasy really won over this year especially since many of children's books are also fantasy. I'm reading a bunch of fantasy series, which is upping the count. A lot of children's books since I'm reading what Tanya is reading a lot and many of those are books I didn't have as a kid, so I'm catching up. And a lot more of contemporary than I think I read. Memoir/biography remains my favorite non-fiction topic.
Your favorite "classic" you read in 2023:
I only really read one adult classic which was Cannery Row unless one counts Silent Spring. Cannery Row wins here.
Most surprising (in a good way) book of the year?
I didn't expect to love the Curse of Chalion so much and it was just perfect for me. And I was surprised just how much my girls love "Bea Wolf."
The hardest book you read in 2023 (topic or writing style):
There was a short story in Exhalation with the most inane prose that I had to resist throwing away. But seriously it was "Jews Don't Count" because that hit emotionally and it is hard to think about.
The funniest book you read in 2023:
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl - I like that kind of humor of rewriting familiar fairy tales.
The saddest book you read in 2023:
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is pretty depressing on where our environmental neglect is going and species lost.
The shortest book you read in 2023:
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark with 43 pages.
The longest book that you read in 2023
Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets with 1,070 pages followed by The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough with 781 pages
Best book that was outside your comfort zone/a new genre for you?
I don't think I read any book outside my comfort zone or new genre. Maybe The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka since I never read an author from Sri Lanka before.
Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2023?
The Curse of Chalion. I just wanted to keep reading it.
Most beautifully written book in 2023?
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley - his language really stood out to me, just the ease of it.
Book you most anticipated in 2023?
System Collapse by Martha Wells
Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023?
I don't really look at covers much since I mostly read Kindle books.
Book that had the greatest impact on you this year?
All books have an impact. I can't pick just one. All the Beauty in the World inspired for me to find the time to go back to the Met.
Book you can't believe you waited till 2023 to finally read?
The World of Five Gods books - they are perfect for me. The First Man in Rome - I was gifted these almost 20 years ago and finally got to them and enjoyed the first book in the series. Roald Dahl books - they came out in my childhood but I was in a different country so I never read them before.
Book that had a scene that left you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it?
The start of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida book - it was unusual and clever and I knew my Dad will also like the book.
Looking Ahead:
One book you didn't read this year that will be your #1 priority in 2024? New book you are most anticipating for 2024?
I started "The Running Grave" at the end of 2023 and want to finish it first. I read pretty much all books I wanted to in 2023.
In 2024, I'm most anticipating reading Bujold fantasy novellas. Most books I want to read have already been published. I want to read more in Rivers of London, more Brust, more Backman and Sacks. The next Roman book and the next Witcher book. The book that won last year's Booker and 5 Hugo winning books. And my Dad got me a Russian mystery book for New Year.
Book List 2023
1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 337pp (Jan 2) [translated from Swedish]. (started in 2022).
2. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, 110pp (Jan 4).
3. Dragonbreath: The Frozen Menace by Ursula Vernon, 201pp (Jan 9) [Dragonbreath 11].
4.Golden Age and Other Stories by Naomi Novik, 124pp (Jan 12).
5.Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, c.304pp (Jan 22).
6.Matilda by Roald Dahl, 240pp (Jan 28).
7.The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, 488pp (Jan 29).[World of Five Gods]
8. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad, 345pp (Feb 7).
9.Leg to Stand On by Oliver Sacks, 207pp (Feb 7).
10.The Years by Annie Ernaux, c. 240pp (Feb 16).
11.What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch, 154pp (Feb 21) [Rivers of London novella].
12. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, 388pp (Mar 5) [Booker Prize].
13.Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold, 448pp (Mar 15) [Hugo book] [World of Five Gods].
14.Spare by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, 407pp (Mar 23).
15.The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch, 118pp (Mar 28) [Rivers of London novella]
16.Exhalation by Ted Chiang, 340pp (Apr 2).
17.BFG by Roald Dahl, 208pp (Apr 10).
18.The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary, 381pp (Apr 20).
19.The Big Time by Fritz Leiber, 118pp (Apr 21).[Hugo book]
20.The Twits by Roald Dahl, 76pp (May 3).
21.My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman, 365pp (May 7) [translated from Swedish].
22.Good Inside by Becky Kennedy, 298pp (May 12).
23.Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dalh, 47pp (May 17).
24.She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, 411pp (May 25).
25.The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel, 273pp (June 2).
26.Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, 98pp (Jun 4) [translated from Swedish].
27.Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald, 186pp (Jun 5).
28. The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier, 391pp (Jun 13) [translated from French].
29.Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, 369pp (Jun 15).
30.Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, 448pp (Jul 2) [Hugo book].
31.Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, 355pp (Jul 6).
32.Insomniac City: New York, Oliver and Me by Bill Hayes, 290pp (Jul 9).
33.The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch, 292pp (Jul 22) [Rivers of London 6].
34.Teckla by Steven Brust, 153pp (Jul 25) [Taltos series 3]
35.Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, 102pp (Jul 27) [translated from Swedish].
36. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, 138pp (Aug 2).
37.Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith, 183pp (Aug 9).
38.Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, 105pp (Aug 14).
39.Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, 182pp (Aug 19).
40.A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark, 43pp (Aug 29).
41.The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough, 781pp (Sept 5) [Masters of Rome 1].
42. All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley, 178pp (Sept 20).
43. A Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold, 419pp (Sept 26). [World of Five Gods]
44. Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, 233pp (Sept 27).
45. Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski, 525pp (Oct 11) [Witcher Book 3 of 5] [translated from Polish to Russian, read in Russian].
46.Jews Don't Count by David Baddiel, 133pp (Oct 13).
47. Making it So: a memoir by Patrick Stewart, 443pp (Oct 25).
48.Translation State by Anne Leckie, 421pp (Nov 1)
49.Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon), 240pp (Nov 8) [Hugo book].
50.The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, 500pp (Nov 28) [Hugo book].
51.System Collapse by Martha Wells, 243pp (Dec 6) [Murderbot 7]
52.Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets, 1070pp (Dec 23) [in Russian].
Book Meme 2023
The first book you read in 2023:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The last book you finished in 2023:
Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets
The first book you will finish (or did finish!) in 2024:
The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith - I read a third of it in 2023 and hoping to finish it this week.
How many books read in 2023?
52, not counting a bunch of small children's books like 14 books in the Bad Guys series and other various little things.
Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
42 fiction/10 non-fiction
Male/Female authors?
20 male authors/20 female authors
Most books read by one author this year?
I read 4 books by Roald Dahl this year, 3 by Frederik Backman, 3 by Bujold, 3 by Aaronovitch, 2 by Vernon and 2 by DiCamillo.
Favorite books read?
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold in fiction and All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley in non-fiction.
Best books you read in 2022?
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka - this won a Booker Prize and for a very good reason. Really well done.
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith - so creative!
Least favorite?
The Big Time by Fritz Leiber - It was weird as a lot of early sci-fi is.
Most disappointing book/Book you wished you loved more than you did?
Exhalation by Ted Chiang and The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary were both disappointing. I read better things from both of them. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson has the weirdest ending that just soured the potential of the book.
I also wanted to like "She Who Became the Sun" by Shelley Parker-Chan more but the second half lost new.
Best series you discovered in 2023?
World of Five Gods! I loved the first book to pieces, really enjoyed the second one, while the third one was ok. But I definitely want to read more and will move to novellas this year.
Masters of Rome is in second place as they are really well done historical fiction.
Other new series for me this year: Masters of Rome, She Who Became the Sun, Judy Moody books,
Not new: Dragonbreath, Temeraire, Witcher, Rivers of London, Dragaera, Dead Djinn of Cairo, Pippi books, Imperial Radch and Murderbot.
Favorite new author you discovered this year?
Dahl I guess since I missed reading his stuff as a kid so I'm catching up now as my kid is of an age to read him. Also Shehan Karunatilaka
Other new authors
Rachel Carson, Suleika Jaouad, Prince Harry (or rather his ghostwriter), Fritz Leiber, Becky Kennedy, Shelley Parker-Chan, Megan McDonald, Herve Le Tellier, Allie Brosh, Robert Charles Wilson, Shelby Van Pelt, Bill Hayes, Zach Weinersmith, Emily Tesh, Kate DiCamillo, Patrick Bringley, David Baddiel, Patrick Stewart, Neal Stephenson, and Anna Starobinets.
Oldest book read?
Both Cannery Row and Pippi Longstocking were originally published in 1945.
Newest?
System Collapse by Martha Wells which came out in mid November.
Longest book title?
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me
Shortest title?
BFG
How many re-reads?
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - I know I read it as a kid but I didn't remember much.
Any in translation?
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - translated from Swedish to English
The Years by Annie Ernaux - translated from French to English
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - translated from Swedish to English
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - translated from Swedish to English
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier - translated from French to English
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman - translated from Swedish to English
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski [Witcher Book 3] - translated from Polish to Russian
I also read books in Russian this year:
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski and Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets
How many of this year's books were from the library?
I borrowed 10 physical books from the library and 24 on ebook loan. I tend to get most of my reading from the library.
Book that most changed my perspective:
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me was a great book to rediscover art and what it can mean. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida made me feel very lucky I didn't grow up with civil war.
Favorite character:
Cazaril from the Curse of Chalion
I also really liked Marra and her attitude in "Nettle & Bone"
Most memorable character:
The Octopus from "Remarkably Bright Creatures" - he is a grumpy old octopus who befriends an old lady who cleans the aquarium and likes to escape and cause mischief and we get narration from his perspective.
Favorite scene:
I don't think I can pick one.
Favorite quote:
I never really pick out specific quotes when I read.
Most inspirational in terms of own writing?
Nothing really stands out.
How many you'd actually read again? A book that you never want to read again:
I will probably reread Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Soul one day since I really enjoyed them.
I never want to read "Big Time" again or "Exhaltation".
Book you recommended most to others in 2023?
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley - I just loved it and I mentioned it to a bunch of people who liked art. Also "Dragonbreath" - I gave the first book of the series as presents to a few kids. And I recommended "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida" by Shehan Karunatilaka to my Dad, who then read it and it was one of his top books of the year. And most of the kid books like Dahl or DiCamillo books, I recommended to Tanya first by getting them in the library for her, and then read it myself at her insistence.
The book series you read the most volumes of in 2023:
World of Five Gods with three novels and Rivers of London with 2 novellas and 1 novel.
The genre you read the most in 2023:
Fantasy: 14
children books: 11
Sci-fi: 7
contemporary: 7
Non-fiction memoir/biography: 7
general non-fiction: 3
romance: 1
classics : 1
historical fiction: 1
Fantasy really won over this year especially since many of children's books are also fantasy. I'm reading a bunch of fantasy series, which is upping the count. A lot of children's books since I'm reading what Tanya is reading a lot and many of those are books I didn't have as a kid, so I'm catching up. And a lot more of contemporary than I think I read. Memoir/biography remains my favorite non-fiction topic.
Your favorite "classic" you read in 2023:
I only really read one adult classic which was Cannery Row unless one counts Silent Spring. Cannery Row wins here.
Most surprising (in a good way) book of the year?
I didn't expect to love the Curse of Chalion so much and it was just perfect for me. And I was surprised just how much my girls love "Bea Wolf."
The hardest book you read in 2023 (topic or writing style):
There was a short story in Exhalation with the most inane prose that I had to resist throwing away. But seriously it was "Jews Don't Count" because that hit emotionally and it is hard to think about.
The funniest book you read in 2023:
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl - I like that kind of humor of rewriting familiar fairy tales.
The saddest book you read in 2023:
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is pretty depressing on where our environmental neglect is going and species lost.
The shortest book you read in 2023:
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark with 43 pages.
The longest book that you read in 2023
Лисьи Броды [Fox Fords] by Anna Starobinets with 1,070 pages followed by The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough with 781 pages
Best book that was outside your comfort zone/a new genre for you?
I don't think I read any book outside my comfort zone or new genre. Maybe The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka since I never read an author from Sri Lanka before.
Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2023?
The Curse of Chalion. I just wanted to keep reading it.
Most beautifully written book in 2023?
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley - his language really stood out to me, just the ease of it.
Book you most anticipated in 2023?
System Collapse by Martha Wells
Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023?
I don't really look at covers much since I mostly read Kindle books.
Book that had the greatest impact on you this year?
All books have an impact. I can't pick just one. All the Beauty in the World inspired for me to find the time to go back to the Met.
Book you can't believe you waited till 2023 to finally read?
The World of Five Gods books - they are perfect for me. The First Man in Rome - I was gifted these almost 20 years ago and finally got to them and enjoyed the first book in the series. Roald Dahl books - they came out in my childhood but I was in a different country so I never read them before.
Book that had a scene that left you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it?
The start of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida book - it was unusual and clever and I knew my Dad will also like the book.
Looking Ahead:
One book you didn't read this year that will be your #1 priority in 2024? New book you are most anticipating for 2024?
I started "The Running Grave" at the end of 2023 and want to finish it first. I read pretty much all books I wanted to in 2023.
In 2024, I'm most anticipating reading Bujold fantasy novellas. Most books I want to read have already been published. I want to read more in Rivers of London, more Brust, more Backman and Sacks. The next Roman book and the next Witcher book. The book that won last year's Booker and 5 Hugo winning books. And my Dad got me a Russian mystery book for New Year.