This year, I’ve read 54 books: 39 new books and 15 rereads. I’ve discovered 23 new authors – some I’ll probably revisit, and others I won’t. I’ve completed 2 series, started more, and entirely failed at my self-imposed goal to reduce the number of unread books on my shelves. However, it’s been a positive reading year – after starting in a reading slump, it’s pleasing to be back in the habit of reading regularly. I’ve also branched out more into new genres like romance, inspired by one of my books of the year. Reading isn’t about the numbers, but I’m irrationally pleased to have managed more than a book a week overall.
Here’s a roundup of the highlights, roughly divided by genre.
Dark Academia
It’s been a great year for dark academia – particularly the kind with strong hints of fantasy or the supernatural. Two highlights for me were Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, sequel to Ninth House, and The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew, the author’s debut and featuring an own-voices Deaf protagonist. I was also impressed by A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid – having not enjoyed the author’s debut, I was wary of trying this despite its excellent premise, but it proved a strong, atmospheric read. The Golden Enclaves perhaps no longer counts as dark academia, but it’s an excellent conclusion to the Scholomance trilogy which improves with every book – definitely a series worth trying for dark academia fans who don’t mind a stream of consciousness narrative.
Horror
Having enjoyed so much supernatural fantasy, it seemed only natural to dip my toes into horror, and I was delighted that House of Hollow lived up to the hype. Paradise-1, on the other hand, was a wildcard pick – completely different to my usual read by being plot rather than characer driven, but a surprisingly entertaining and enjoyable read. Alix E Harrow has been gradually creeping into my favourite authors list, and cemented her place there with the gorgeous gothic fantasy Starling House, probably my book of the year. A fascinating take on the haunted house genre, it’s also an intriguing look at the American South by someone who grew up there.
Science Fiction
Some Desperate Glory is astounding as a debut novel – bold in scope and requiring immense trust from the reader that the payoff is worth it (which it is). I read very little science fiction this year, but fortunately the little I did read was immensely enjoyable.
Fantasy
Cosy fantasy is the in-genre this year, and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is the pick of that genre for me. Over in YA fantasy, The Rithmatist was my only Sanderson novel this year but delivered the expected excellence, and is a rare example of a younger YA fantasy book in a genre skewing increasingly towards older readers. The Never-Tilting World was an enjoyable YA quest fantasy that ticked many popular trope boxes. For those who enjoy mythology, The Drowned Woods was another excellent quest fantasy with a Welsh mythology sideline and plenty of delightful characters.
Romance
2023 was the year this genre went from something I occasionally ventured into to something I read with regularity, sparked by The Dead Romantics – an excellent contemporary romance with light hints of the supernatural. I still struggle with the over-the-top nature of many rom-coms, and the unnecessary third-act-breakup that seems irrationally popular, but I’m excited to continue my romance adventures in 2024.
So there we have it: a lucky 13 books across genres to wrap up 2023. Wishing you all a very happy new year filled with joy and, of course, many great reads.
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