February was the absolute worst month yet again, but this year pushed to reach even deeper lows. I hated it. It’s very hard to do anything when depressing or anxiety provoking things just happen one after the other. So to get myself back into the posting habit, I’m going to talk about my favorite fiction books of 2023. As usual, check the content notes or warnings on the author’s pages if you want to know if something is present or not. And if they aren’t your type, just scroll on by! In fiction last year, I read almost exclusively fantasy as my preferred genre. I think I needed more of an escape than I thought. I also read a lot more on my Kindle or Libby than previous years. There’s a lot of different books that I couldn’t find in print on it, so it’s been working out.
The Coven Of Ruin by T.K. Tucker- This was a book that I had read concepts and excerpts from online and I was very pleased when it held up to its reputation. It tells the fairly brutal story of a witch captured to fight in essentially the magical version of gladiator fights and Ares, the representation of the god of war, who saves her for reasons of his own. Definitely hit a lot of my boxes- strong female main character, drama, the “take on the world for you” vibes, and a storyline that was interesting and not rushed along just to publish faster. I would recommend it if you like the old school fantasy vibe. I think you can find it as a physical version, but I read it on my Kindle app. How gorgeous is the cover, by the way?
Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross. This book!! This book had me in it’s grip the whole time, mostly because it was teased in all the other books in the series so that by the time it was actually out and written, I was a probably a little feral to know the story told in it. It’s about the youngest in a group of sisters who are magical, each with their own talent. Clara, the main heroine in this particular book has been in love with a guy for years, but he is refusing his own feelings for her. It’s a slower burn than the other books in the series, but I think that was effective in keeping me on the edge of my seat. This whole series- Stay a Spell, makes me feel so comfy and warm. I love the family dynamics and feel of the whole thing. There is magic and other supernatural creatures in the series. I would recommend starting from the beginning to get the full picture, but oh my gosh, this book is worth the wait.
Deus Ex Mechanic by Ryann Fletcher. This next book is Firefly, essentially, but with a more complicated stories and LGBQTIA representation. If you aren’t up for that, you will not like it, as the main characters are queer. I loved the pacing, the character descriptions, and the world building. It definitely read like space cowboys, except this one won’t get cancelled by Fox. I did end up buying the whole series, but haven’t read them all yet. I was exceptionally delighted by this one though! I read this on my Kindle.
After reading the first two in the Underground Series by Elm Jed, I preordered this one and then promptly made sure I took the time to truly savor it. It’s about the supernatural mobs, in particular the Werewolf Mob. I cannot say enough good things about Elm Jed. I follow them on socials and they are great to listen to and to draw inspiration from. They are a veteran as well and I appreciate how much they talk about mental health and how writing has helped them through some hard times. This book definitely has military PTSD symptoms described and discussed in detail so that is something to be aware of. The family relationships in this book are amazing and I will pretty much read anything written by Elm Jed. The books are spicy, but not super duper spicy, more in the romantic sense.
Spellbound by F. T. Lukens- This was a book from a new author and the writing style is very similar to T. Kingfisher. I picked it on a whim because the magic system sounded super interesting and then was immediately drawn in and charmed with the characters. It does have LGTBQTIA representation incorporated into the storyline and world, which I appreciated. It’s not spicy at all, but is romantic in parts. The story involves a non-magical young adult who is trying to find a way to still be involved with magic, as his grandmother was magical. Along the way, he encounters some interesting people and finds himself in all sorts of situations with a new frenemy along the way. I listened to this on Audiobook through Libby and it was super fun to listen to. The narrator was excellent!
Sweep With Me by Ilona Andrews-The Innkeeper series is a little bit weird, but also relaxing, so I do enjoy it. It’s become one of my regular audiobook series rotation. They are shorter novels, or novellas, so they do take less time to listen to and they move fast, so I always want to know the next thing happening in the story. So the general premise of this series is that the main character is an intergalactic Innkeeper who runs an inn for aliens and other beings that need to be on Earth for some reason. Her inn is sentient and forms a connection with her to create most of what she needs, physical space wise. The Inn functions as a neutral zone for meetings as well and she gets into some very interesting diplomatic situations. I would recommend this as a fun, cozy series. No spice, just romance.
T. Kingfisher is one of my newest favorite authors. Bryony and Roses made me giggle and snort laugh several times in the first chapter, so I knew it was going to be good. Strong female characters are my jam and as an extra bonus, Bryony is super sarcastic as well. This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and it’s a very interesting take on it. Sometimes retellings can fall very flat, but this one had extra elements that made it unexpected. I enjoyed it immensely. I listened to this one on audiobook too and really appreciated the narrator’s gift for character narrative.
I did have a couple of books that I didn’t like, or didn’t finish, but it was mostly for poor editing, or incompatible writing and reading styles. If I didn’t like it, it doesn’t generally get to take up space in my brain so I don’t even remember some of them! I’ve gotten better about allowing myself to DNF if I just can’t handle it. I think sometimes that is a hazard of reading on Kindle. Sometimes authors on there are not the most diverse in terms of storyline and not the cleanest in terms of editing.
Overall, I had an excellent reading year in 2023. For my Goodreads challenge, I had set a goal for 100 books and ended up finishing with 108 books read for the whole year. For 2024, I dropped that number to 80 books, mainly because I wanted to read quality over quantity and have been a little more discerning in what I read. I find I spend more time absorbing the book and less time skipping ahead.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the books I liked! Happy Reading!