“I believe in fiction and the power of stories because that way we speak in tongues. We are not silenced. All of us, when in deep trauma, find we hesitate, we stammer; there are long pauses in our speech. The thing is stuck. We get our language back through the language of others. We can turn to the poem. We can open the book. Somebody has been there for us and deep-dived the words.” ― Jeanette Winterson, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
“Libraries are places where the damaged go to find friends” ― Tamora Pierce
“I never feel lonely if I’ve got a book – they’re like old friends. Even if you’re not reading them over and over again, you know they are there. And they’re part of your history. They sort of tell a story about your journey through life.” Emilia Fox
“It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming of themselves like grass.’-Eudora Welty
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!
Hi there! Whew. I don’t know about you, but the end of the year has been a whirlwind. I finished my 100 Book Reading Challenge this year and it took a little longer than I thought it would. I think I read more “quality” over “quantity” this year and that made it harder to just mow through fluffy books. Last year I was just downing silly books because it was all I could concentrate on.
This year I deliberately tried to spread out to different types of books, genres, and topics. I read traditional style with physical books, audio books, and with the Kindle App. I also tried to read a variety of different age ranges. I’m working on stocking my office with more books for my kid readers.
I didn’t force myself to finish books I didn’t like for one reason or another. I’m proud of myself for that, but I did forget to keep track of them in some way, so I had to go back quickly and try to remember which ones those were.
Viking in Love by Doug Cenko: This is the cutest little book ever about conquering your fears to look for true love. I adore it and gifted it as part of a 12 Books of Christmas present for K1’s kids. I received word that they also loved it. Stig proves that you can challenge yourself to work through your fears and still be yourself.
My Brain is a Racecar by Nell Harris: I have this book in my office and I love it for explaining ADHD to younger kids. The author was inspired by her own journey with ADHD and offers ideas and skills for other kids to help them give their race care brain a break. I especially enjoyed it because I recognized some of the things she says her brain does and actively do some of the rest techniques mentioned. I liked that it normalized neurodivergent brains in a fun way.
A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond: This book tells the story of Tiffany and her Autistic son Aiden and their day using only their AAC (Augmented and Assistive Communication) devices and apps to communicate. It’s a beautiful book that I think should be in all the libraries and read to all the kids. Tiffany has such a lovely way with the storytelling (You can check her out on Facebook as Fidgets and Fries too) and the love that’s evident in the book between them both is just wonderful. I love books like this that normalize all sorts of communication and families. This book was gifted to a few friends and also is in my office.
Middle Grade– Most of the Middle Grade books, I read because I was looking at them for the office and also because it was fun to see a new style and grade level of book.
Speak Up by Rebecca Burgess: The main character in this graphic novel, with the help of her friend, transforms into an internet pop star sensation on the weekends and is a shy student during the school day. She is Autistic and loves music and writing her own songs. Dressing up in costumes makes her feel invincible and able to get her feelings out. Eventually she has to learn not only the value of friendship, but the value and strengths in speaking up for herself. I really liked it. It was a super easy read and was pretty fast paced. I liked how there was conflict but also showed the resolution. I would definitely recommend this for middle readers.
Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry: Calliope June is the main character who is a middle school attempting to hide her Tourette’s Syndrome because she’s gotten teased about it before. The book goes into detail about symptoms she experiences and emotions relating to them. This one is a little heavier I’d say, with appropriate themes, but you’d probably want to talk about it with your kids when reading it or after reading it. Themes included friendship, first love, bullying, moving, and different family dynamics.
Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos: What a beautiful graphic novel! The colors are stunning as you can see by the cover, but then they also used black and white to evoke emotions without having to use words. The story is about Isla, a Cuban immigrant girl who came to the alone US as part of a refugee program in the 1960’s. This program was real and the graphic novel tells a fictional story of Operation Pedro Pan that was based on real experiences. I thought this was super immersive and it was a good read.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher: This book was probably my favorite Middle Grade book I read last year. I discovered T. Kingfisher only in the last couple of years and it’s a Nome de plume for Ursula Veron. I loved this book! For such a short books, I lost track of the times I was cackling on the couch loudly enough to scare both the Husband and Piggy. It is about a girl with an unusual magic that only works on bread and a struggle for her city.
If you have kiddos in any of these age ranges, I would highly recommend all these books. You will not regret it! I have several more that I didn’t get to read last year that will make it on my list this year, I’m sure. Now, go find a fuzzy friend, a warm beverage of choice and get reading with your kids!
“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.”― Mark Twain
“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.”- Henry Ward Beecher
“But the man in the robe is talking. His voice is like the rustling of old parchments in a library, late at night, when the people have gone home and the books begin to read themselves.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman Omnibus, Vol. 2
“There were books on all sorts of topics, from exciting things of vital importance to things that nobody had a reason to care about, but in a library the topics keep taking turns being important or interesting. Each patron in a library is looking for something different, and so the book you hardly notice is the book someone else is breathless to find, and the book that always makes you smile is busy making someone else sick.” ― Lemony Snicket, Poison for Breakfast
“Books are difficult to tidy. Hard to chuck out. They resist.” ― Ian McEwan, Lessons
“A good book is like a guest. They stay with you for a while, and when they leave, you are still smiling, and thinking they left a little too soon. You will always remember their pleasant company; things they said that moved you and maybe changed your perspective You plan to invite them again so you can spend quality time together and when you invite them in, you are full of anticipation about the new discoveries you will make when you are together.” ― Suzy Davies
“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”-John Burroughs
“I have books I like very much, but I don’t think there are any books that everyone should read. I prefer a world in which some people read this, and others read that.”-Tara Westover
“Books have the same enemies as people: fire, humidity, animals, weather, and their own content.”-Paul Valery
“I still buy actual books. The smell, having it in your hands – there’s really no substitute.”-Nathan Fillion
“Books are funny little portable pieces of thought.”-Susan Sontag
“When you are reading about a book, you focus on the main character, of course. When you have something in common with them and connect with them, you remember the lessons they learned, and then you can apply them to your life. So you can live the best life you can.”-Marley Dias
“Don’t allow anything to dent your reading pleasure. Don’t let anyone tell you that what you like isn’t proper, that what brings comfort and ease to your soul isn’t good enough.”-Cathy Rentzenbrink, Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books
“The only piece of home Ofelia had been able to take with her were some of her books. She closed her fingers firmly around the one on her lap, caressing the cover. When she opened the book, the white pages were so bright against the shadows that filled the forest and the words they offered granted shelter and comfort. The letters were like footprints in the snow, a wide white landscape untouched by pain, unharmed by memories too dark to keep, too sweet to let go of.”-Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun
“Books can be possessive, can’t they? You’re walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what’s inside will change your life, but sometimes you don’t even have to read it. Sometimes it’s a comfort just to have a book around. Many of these books haven’t even had their spines cracked. ‘Why do you buy books you don’t even read?’ our daughter asks us. That’s like asking someone who lives alone why they bought a cat. For company, of course.” – Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
“Classic′ – a book which people praise and don’t read.”-Mark Twain
“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”– George R.R. Martin
“Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.”– Cassandra Clare
Here are some quotes from books I’ve enjoyed recently. A lot of them are fantasy. Actually, I think all but First Frost is and even that one has magic of a sort. I’m pretty predictable when it seems to reading: romance, dragons, humor, puns, or fairy tales.
“We are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately lose – just as a poor hand can win – but we must all play the cards the fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”― Brigid Kemmerer, A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Retelling of Beauty and the Beast made into a fantasy series. Some urban fantasy.)
Reluctantly, I pulled out my necklace and showed it to them. Samuel frowned. The little figure was stylized; I suppose he couldn’t tell what it was at first.” A dog?” asked Zee, staring at my necklace. “A lamb,” I said defensively, tucking it safely back under my shirt. “Because one of Christ’s names is ‘The Lamb of God.'” Samuel’s shoulders shook slightly. “I can see it now, Mercy holding a roomful of vampire at bay with her glowing sheep.” I gave his shoulder a hard push, aware of the heat climbing to my cheeks, but it didn’t help. He sang in a soft taunting voice, “Mercy had a little lamb…”― Patricia Briggs, Moon Called (Fantasy)
“A happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It’s where the real story begins.”― Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost (Mostly normal, but her books are all gorgeous, lush, and thought provoking stories.)
“Fear is a tool, like anything else. The trick is learning to use it without it turning on you.”― Matt Wallace, Idle Ingredients (Urban Fantasy)
“To dream of something more is the greatest gift one owns. Without them, there is nothing to strive for. No reason to continue breathing. We might as well become the rock and stone beneath our feet.”― Bec McMaster, Heart of Fire (Steampunk Romance)
“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.”- Frederick Douglass
“We must, I believe, start teaching our children the sanity of nonviolence much earlier.”- Alice Walker
“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”- Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.”-Eleanor Roosevelt
“In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.”-Albert Einstein
“Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.”-Helen Keller
“Freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.”-Coretta Scott King
“Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”- Dr. Seuss
“All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination.”- Carl Jung
“I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And I hope you’ll let me be in your story.” ― Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
“Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong.”-Terry Pratchett
“The more we’re governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are, why we are, where we come from, and what might be possible. Or, what’s impossible? What’s a fantasy?”- Alan Rickman
“I took classes taught by an elderly woman who wrote children’s stories. She was polite about the science fiction and fantasy that I kept handing in, but she finally asked in exasperation, ‘Can’t you write anything normal?’”- Octavia E. Butler
