2023 Reading Wrap-Up
You read that right—This year I’m doing a reading wrap-up. Here’s all the books I read and reviewed in 2023!
I’m pretty happy with the amount of books I managed to read and review this year! So many were indie books, too, which was my goal. All in all, I read and reviewed 25 books up to the time of writing this post. Whenever I review books, in addition to this blog, I usually post them to Goodreads and Amazon, as well as sharing the link to the review on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, and sometimes Instagram (if I remember). Earlier on in the summer, I also started a TikTok video series highlighting indie books I’ve read, but I had some problems with posting some of the reviews I’d recorded and they take a long time to do, so I haven’t posted there in quite a while. In 2024 I plan to get back to it.
The thing is, sharing a review is usually a transitory affair. It gets posted, it gets some attention, and then it’s gone—swallowed up in the great movements of the social platforms. And I feel like so many of these books deserve your attention as readers, that it would be a disservice to you and to the books to just fire and forget.
So here in this post I present to you a digest of the books I’ve read this year. Check them out below. You can click the images to go to the original reviews.
Children of Dune
by Frank Herbert
Children of Dune is the third installment in Frank Herbert’s epic saga, and it’s at this point that the series starts to get really weird. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the book. The intricate political machinations were fascinating, though perhaps not quite as iconic as in the first book. If you’ve only read the first book in the series, then you’re doing yourself a disservice, especially if you enjoyed it like I did. The ending to Children of Dune absolutely blew my mind with how weird it got, and I really dug the almost superhero-like elements. The whole saga so far has been a wild ride and I am looking forward to picking the series back up again.
The Shield Road
by Dewi Hargreaves
This indie fantasy short-story collection was an absolute blast. I loved the way all the stories connected together. It was really fantastic and gripped my attention throughout. Dewi’s writing is evocative and immersive, carrying a beautiful sense of gravitas, and there’s a depth to the worldbuilding which defies its length. Strong Witcher-vibes in this one. Pick it up!
Legends & Lattes
by Travis Baldree
Outstanding coffee-centred cosy fantasy. If there’s one feel-good story to read during your winter break, make sure it’s this one! Put your feet up, grab a hot drink and a pastry, and snuggle down with the sheer vibes. Incredible book with lovable characters, good company and low stakes.
A Brief History of Black Holes
by Dr Becky Smethurst
This one’s for space nerds like me, eager to learn more about the history behind the discovery of the most extreme objects in the universe. Dr Becky presents this fascinating history in an easily digestible way with plenty of humour and pop-culture references.
Around the Dark Dial
by J.D. Sanderson
Another really excellent collection of short stories, Around the Dark Dial is inspired by 50s sci-fi radio dramas and things like the Twilight Zone. Within you will find hard-hitting emotional pieces and an evolving otherworldly first-contact story, among the other great one-shots. The writing is top notch, and the stories are highly imaginative. I really recommend picking this one up!
The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
One hundred and twenty five years, and this classic early first-contact alien invasion story still holds up extraordinarily well. There are stylistic differences that might make it a trickier read these days, but I really enjoyed it all the same. This was my first foray into reading H.G. wells, even though I’ve seen plenty of adaptations, and it was a great place to start. If you’ve never taken the time to read the book, I would urge you to give it a go.
Witch in the Lighthouse
by Azalea Forrest
Another fantastic cosy fantasy with Ghibli-esque vibes. I found Witch in the Lighthouse to be an absolute delight. Young witch, Maggie, moves to a new town which is hostile to witches due to bad past experiences, and takes up residence in the old lighthouse. If you’re a fan of Kiki’s Delivery Service in particular, I’d really recommend picking this up.
Last Flight of the Necros Night
by Eldritch Black & E.G. Seven
I’m sad to say this one didn’t work for me. It’s a sci-fi cosmic horror novelette, but I came away feeling like it should have been a lot longer. There were some really imaginative ideas here, and the malevolent entity in particular was interesting, but I didn’t feel like there was enough time given to developing the characters.
The Master of the World
by Jules Verne
This book was a mistake LMAO. I got so annoyed at it. It’s awful. I ended up feeling more sympathy for the antagonist than anyone else. Leaps in logic wider than the Grand Canyon, and none of the science holds up in the slightest. If you’re going to read Jules Verne, read one of his more famous works (not that 20,000 Leagues holds up particularly well today either).
Luminiferous
by J. Dianne Dotson
Closing out the Questrison Saga with a huge bang, Luminiferous is a triumphant, action-packed finale that tugs on the heartstrings and surprises with excellent twists and turns. The prose is beautiful and evocative, and the characters fantastic. I really enjoyed my time with this saga, and for me, Luminiferous was the best of them.
Why You Can’t Catch a Rocket to Mars
by Lyndon N. Smith
A somewhat interesting, if flawed, set of reflections on the state of modern science research. I particularly enjoyed the in-depth sections about convolutional neural networks, machine vision, and future developments in AI to aid in scientific research. However my enjoyment of the rest was hampered by some bigoted viewpoints, naivete, and weird pseudoscience towards the end. The hand-drawn illustrations were excellent, however, and there are a lot of worthwhile observations present when you take out the problematic bits. So, your mileage may vary on this one.
A Princess of Mars
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The first in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series sees Captain John Carter bizarrely turn into a psychotic serial killer when he’s accidentally transported to Mars. At least, that’s what I got out of it. It’s a fun (read: unintentionally hilarious) romp that absolutely does not hold up today. My word, he kills so many people for no discernible reason, and he’s treated like a hero. What the actual fuck was going on with this book? I preferred the much-maligned Disney adaptation.
Ancillary Justice
by Ann Leckie
This one was interesting. I can see what the author was going for, and for the most part it was enjoyable, but a lot of aspects fell flat for me. It also got extremely weird and confusing by the end—maybe I’m just stupid. This is all balanced out by the masterful worldbuilding, political machinations, and a very strong start. It’s not one of my favourite reads of the year, unfortunately.
The Oath & Blood Price: Part One
by Peter-Shaun Tyrell
I had an absolute blast with this book. A thoroughly immersive experience with a great cast of complex characters, from the utterly reprehensible to the wonderfully sympathetic. There’s compelling intrigue and exciting action with what I can only describe as excellent fight choreography. The descriptions are evocative and distinct, setting both tone and scene effortlessly. For a book with such a relatively slow opening, the pacing is right on-point; it really draws you in. Highly recommended!
Status Quo
by Drew Wagar
I thoroughly enjoyed this action-packed space opera series starter from Drew. It’s a rewrite of some older fan-fiction of his, and it holds up pretty well. As always with Drew’s work, the characters are absolutely outstanding. If you’re looking for a space opera inspired by classic sci-fi space trading and combat videogames like Elite, then this is definitely for you.
Duckett & Dyer: Dicks for Hire
by G.M. Nair
Absolutely hilarious time-travelling, dimension-hopping detective adventure featuring odd-couple Michael Duckett and Stephanie Dyer. The plot is bonkers in the best way, and all the jokes landed for me. On the humour point, there’s a great mix of dumb and clever, as well as plenty of pop culture references. If you’re into sci-fi comedies (and why wouldn’t you be?) then please pick this one up, I implore you! One of my favourite reads this year.
The Final Empire
by Brandon Sanderson
My first Brando Sando! What fantastic book, and a strong introduction for the first Mistborn trilogy. I loved all the characters, and the worldbuilding and magic systems are top tier great. Despite being such a massive tome, it’s pretty nippy with its pacing—nothing dragged or slumped for me—and both Kelsier and Vin are given a great deal of depth. I can see why this series is so beloved!
Doomdark’s Revenge
by Drew Wagar
I really enjoyed Doomdark’s Revenge. It’s one of those books that’s not ashamed of what it is, and in fact leans fully into it. It’s a great fun read, and I would definitely recommend it especially to those who hold fond memories the of the ZX Spectrum strategy game of the same name, but also for anyone looking for an old-school quest fantasy.
Ringworld
by Larry Niven
This one was a bit of a mixed bag, and I have to say I don’t feel like I’ve been having much luck with classic sci-fi books this year. While the concept of the titular ringworld was fascinating, and some aspects of cultural worldbuilding for the alien species featured in the book were really good, the main human characters were dreadful and I didn’t like Niven’s writing. This subgenre of classic sci-fi was exemplified in Rendezvous with Rama. I’m glad I read Ringworld, but I won’t be continuing the Known Space series.
Humanity Lost
by Meghan Douglass
Wow! I did not expect such a short book to have such a lasting impact on me. A sci-fi horror, Humanity Lost, disturbed and horrified me in all the right ways. I was still thinking about the lasting implications in the story long after I’d finished reading. The impossible choices, the moral consequences, the actions of the main antagonist… It all made my skin crawl. Bravo! If you like horror, this one is definitely for you.
Dust & Lightning
by Rebecca Crunden
Dust & Lightning has recently been announced as a semi-finalist for the first ever Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championships (SFINCS—otherwise known as BABYBO after spinning off from the SPFBO contest), and let me tell you, it is thoroughly well-deserved. This novella was an absolute blast to read. I loved everything about it. Great pacing, great characters, excellent setting, brilliant story. Don’t sleep on this one!
A Suggestion in Space
by Alan R. Paine
A deeply contemplative hard sci-fi space adventure which takes a deep dive into the human condition after a catastrophe befalls the crew of the Kalevala, separating them from the rest of the humanity in time and space. If you like Ursula K. Le Guin, or generally thought-provoking sci-fi that has a classic feel, definitely give this one a go.
Hegira: Contravention
by Drew Wagar
Here it is: the best book I read this year! I am not exaggerating with that. Drew’s first entry into this new saga is a triumph of character work, worldbuilding, political scheming and action. Hegira is a continuation of the excellent Shadeward Saga, placing the former series in its wider galactic context. And Contravention represents the very best of Drew’s work to-date. I could not recommend this enough and I am excited to see how the rest of the saga progresses.
Daros
by Dave Dobson
This book was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The plot took me to places I didn’t expect, and the setting was excellent, with characters caught up in the midst of an interstellar invasion. All in all, I would really recommend Daros to anyone who wants a space opera that’s a bit light-hearted, with good humour, a sassy sentient spaceship, but retains some epic high stakes.
The Shadow Galaxy
by J. Dianne Dotson
This was a really fantastic short story collection full of wonder, whimsy, unsettling horror, poetry, interesting mountain folk tales and so much more. It was a fast read, too. There’s something in here for everyone. Highly recommended.
CURRENTLY READING
Books I’m reading but haven’t had time to finish by the end of the year. Watch out for their reviews to appear on the blog in 2024.
A Bitter Drink
by Azalea Forrest
I’m only about 20% of the way through this at the time of writing, but I already love Rowan the absolute toxic mess of a plant-man! Brilliant characters, really interesting world-building, and a great easy-to-read style. I’m very much looking forward to where this takes me. It’ll probably be my first review of 2024.
The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
My dad read The Hobbit to me as a child and I loved it. It’s surprising how the story has stuck with me all these years; you could say it’s something a defining childhood memory. I managed to pick up a copy of my own just this year in a used bookstore for the princely sum of £1.00, and it’s been great fun reading it to my own children. We’re only a couple of chapters from the end as at the time of writing.
