Darth Heather's 2023 Reads

Best Wishes to all for 2023 - may we get some of what we want and most of what we need.

Thank you and a Very Merry New Year to you as well!!!

Happy reading in 2023, Heather, 🙂.

January Reads:
Last Suppers by Mindy Mikulencak
304 pages
Passport 'fruit on cover', ATW#5

An Imaginative Experience by Mary Wesley
242 pages
ATW#3

Crusoe's Daughter by Jane Gardam
266 pages
Passport 'sewing', ATW#4

Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
816 pages
Old Friend, Board Game 'editions', ATW#6

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
223 pages
Passport 'mountain', ATW#7

Bilgewater by Jane Gardam
281 pages
Board Game 'teen', ATW#1

Tapping The Dream Tree by Charles deLint
554 pages
Board Game 'Canada', ATW#9

The Life She Was Given
304 pages
ATW#8

Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury
208 pages
ATW#2

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes McCoy
348 pages
ATW#10

Daughter of the Empire by Raymond Feist
431 pages

Jan Totals
3977 pages
11 books

Happy Reading, Heather!

February Reads:

The Flight of the Falcon by Daphne duMaurier
282 pages
New Friend, ATW#6

Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb
400 pgs
Passport 'initials', ATW#8

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
335 pages
Board game 'asian author', ATW#1

Girls of Ennismore by Patricia Falvey
368 pages
ATW#9

The Tea Olive Bird Watching Society by Augusta Trobaugh
218 pages
Board Game 'feud', Passport 'bird', ATW#4

The Incredible Journey of Plants by Stefano Mancuso
176 pages
Passport 'scientist', ATW#7

Madam Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart
360 pages
Board Game 'Shakespeare related', ATW#5

Redshirts by John Scalzi
288 pages
Passport 'red cover', ATW#10

Daughter of Providence by Julie Drew
320 pages
ATW#3

Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade
314 pages
ATW#1

The Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell
350 pages

Feb totals:
11 books
3411 pgs

March reads:
Wolf's Hour by Robert McCammon
New Friend, Board Game 'war', ATW#8
589 pgs

The Hunter from the Woods by Robert McCammon
232 pages
Passport 'mines', ATW#2

A Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
385 pages
Passport 'island', ATW#9

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer
401 pages
Board Game 'mansion', ATW#7

A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
464 pages
ATW#6

Shtum by Jem Lester
344 pages
ATW#3

Maori A Novel by Alan Dean Foster
613 pgs
Board Game 'fortune', Passport 'NZ', ATW#10

Wild by Cheryl Strayed
311 pages
Passport 'ocean', ATW#1

Book Doctor by Esther Cohen
264 pgs
ATW#5

Rock Your Retirement by Roger Whitney
235 pages

The Glass Dragon by Irene Radford
342 pages
ATW#4

March totals:
11 books
4180 pages

April Reads:
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
516 pages
New Friend, ATW#4

Network Effect by Martha Wells
348 pages
ATW#8

Henna House by Nomi Eve
426 pages
Passport 'Middle East', ATW#6

We That Are Left by Clare Clark
401 pages
Board game 'time', ATW#2

The Longest Road by Jeanne Williams
405 pages
Board Game 'street', Passport 'moves', ATW#9

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
246 pages
Board Game 'period of time', Passport 'coffee', ATW#7

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
276 pages
Board Game 'jail', ATW#5

The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott
311 pages
Passport 'ocean', ATW#10

The Best Day of Someone Else's Life by Kerry Reichs
466 pages
ATW#3

The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
388 pages
ATW#1

April totals
10 books
3783 pages

This month was kind of a dud. Network Effect was excellent; it is a great expansion of the Murderbot character and pulls together everything that was set up in the preceding novellas. Other than that, the rest of these were mostly 'meh'. The Best Day of Someone Else's Life did a pretty good job of distracting me while I waited during my mom's surgery; I wanted something kind of light and not very demanding, and it worked for that, but I expect I will have forgotten the story before long.

May Reads:
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
994 pages
New Friend, ATW#5

Death in Zanzibar by MM Kaye
287 pages
Board Game 'Z', Passport 'island', ATW#4

Kilmeny of the Orchard by LM Montgomery
120 pages
Board Game 'page count', Passport 'village', ATW#1

Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman
82 pages
ATW#9

Wyrde and Wayward by Charlotte English
269 pages
ATW#2

Wyrde and Wicked by Charlotte English
208 pages
ATW#3

The Grey Horse by RA MacAvoy
208 pages
Passport 'farm', ATW#8

Lady by Thomas Tryon
384 pages
ATW #10

Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald
304 pages
Board Game 'builder', ATW#7

The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
298 pages
ATW#6

May totals:
10 books
3154 pages

June Reads:
A Winter's Love by Madeline L'Engle
260 pages
New Friend, Passport 'white cover', ATW#8

The Duke & The Lady by Jessie Clever
301 pages
Board Game 'royal', ATW#4

Welcome To The School By The Sea by Jenny Colgan
292 pages
ATW#1

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette deBodard
106 pages
Passport 'leopard', ATW#3

Shattersoul by Kyle Kirrin
304 pages
Board Game 'initials', Passport 'fight', ATW#6

The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper
400 pages
Board Game 'historian', ATW#10

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
784 pages
ATW#5

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
740 pages
ATW#9

Summer People by Marge Piercy
555 pages
ATW#2

June Totals
9 books
3742 pages

July Reads:
Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym
100 pages (DNF)
New Friend

Americanah by C Adichie
100 pages (DNF)
Passport 'nationality', ATW#4

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
299 pages
Board game 'captured', ATW#1

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
312 pages
ATW #6

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
308 pages
ATW#8

The Summer of Us by Holly Chamberlin
433 pages
ATW#3

World's Fair by EL Doctorow
304 pages
Board game 'checkerboard', Passport 'festival', ATW#5

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
401 pages
Board game 'civilization', Passport 'page numbers', ATW#2

Poseidon's Arrow by Clive Cussler
339 pages
Passport 'SouthAmerica', ATW#10

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
444 pages
ATW#7

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
364 pages
ATW#9

July totals:
10 books
3404 pages

This month's reads were all over the place in ratings. I had two DNF - I just couldn't get into either one of them at all. OTOH I read the first trilogy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and found it to be terrific. I know there are more books to the series, but I haven't pursued them yet.

My favorite of this month The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty was a perfect swashbuckling fun summer read. I will be looking forward to the sequel.

August Reads:
Forever by Jude Devereaux
359 pages
New Friend, Passport 'supernatural', ATW#8

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
532 pages
Board Game 'cat on cover', ATW#1

The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman
584 pages
Passport 'alcohol', ATW#4

Wyrde and Wondrous by Charlotte English
254 pages
Board Game 'author initials', ATW#9

Death In Kenya by MM Kaye
204 pages
Passport 'Africa', ATW#6

River of Silver by SA Chakraborty
267 pages
Board Game 'king', ATW#2

Fuzz by Mary Roach
296 pages
ATW#3

Crone Unleashed by Lydia Hawke
245 pages
ATW#10, Passport 'dies'

The Duke and the Siren by Jessie Clever
289 pages
ATW#5

Unsouled by Will Wight
not finished yet
ATW#7

August reads:
9 books
3030 pages

September reads:
The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen McCullough
466 pages
New Friend, ATW#8

Maurice by EM Forster
252 pages
Passport 'school', ATW#3

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
320 pgs
Passport 'Armenia', ATW#9

The Dower House Mystery by Patricia Wentworth
267 pages
Bird 'widow', ATW#2

Wizard's Tower by Greg Allanther
392 pages
ATW#4

Wizard's Tower 2 by Greg Allanther
415 pages
ATW#1

Wizard's Tower 3 by Greg Allanther
402 pages
ATW #5

Disappearances by Howard Mosher
255 pages
Bird 'hunting', Passport 'grandfather', ATW#6

The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye
101 pages
ATW#7

The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman
732 pages
ATW#10

September totals:
10 books
3602 pages

October Reads:
World's End by Upton Sinclair
515 pages
Old Friend, Bird 'author initials', Passport 'fishing', ATW#6

Baal by Robert McCammon
313 pages
Passport 'initials', ATW#3

You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
328 pages
ATW#1

Islands of Rage and Hope by John Ringo
287 pages
Passport 'island', ATW#10

Library of the Dead by T Huchu
303 pages
ATW#5

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
319 pages
Bird 'friends', ATW#2

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
288 pages
ATW#4

Cardinal Black by Robert McCammon
465 pages
Bird 'black title', Passport 'black cover', ATW#7

The Evil Secret Society of Cats by Pandania
112 pgs
Horizons 'graphic novel'

The King of Shadows by Robert McCammon
474 pages

The Mole People: Life in the tunnels beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth
281 pages

The Green Man's Quarry by Juliet McKenna
349 pages
ATW#8

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
292 pages

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
305 pages

October Totals:
14 books
4631 pages

November Reads:

The Little Country by Charles deLint
629 pages
New Friend, Passport 'reincarnated', ATW#4

Spider's Web by Agatha Christie
240 pages
Passport 'dies', ATW#2

Early Autumn by Louis Bromfield
300 pages
ATW#1

Light Through the Vines by Fiona Valpy
216 pages
Bird 'France', ATW#5

The Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman
374 pages
ATW#6

Mrs Miniver by Jan Struther
245 pages
Passport 'England', ATW#8

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
314 pages
Bird 'tattooed', Passport 'sisters;, ATW#9

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
338 pages
Passport 'babysitter'

The Stranger Times by CK McDonnell
297 pages
Bird 'red cover', ATW#7

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
552 pages
Passport 'snow'

Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble
341 pages
ATW#3

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
337 pages
ATW#10

How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky
291 pages
Peters Picks

November Totals
13 books
4474 pages

December Reads:

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
55 pages (DNF)
New Friend, Passport 'clock'

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
389 pages
Passport 'Dangerous', ATW#3

Wild By Nature by Sarah Marquis
245 pages
ATW#9

Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher
289 pages
ATW#4

This Charming Man by CK McDonnell
498 pages
Bird 'trickster, British", Passport 'PM", ATW#5

Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley
349 pages
Bird 'treachery', Passport 'myth', ATW#10

Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah
382 pages
ATW#7

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
305 pages
ATW#8

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia
340 pages
Passport 'tiger', ATW#6

Teatime for the Firefly by Shona Patel
387 pages
Passport 'India', ATW#1

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kinsolver
567 pages
Passport 'poor', ATW#2

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
412 pages

The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb
303 pages

The Year of Pleasures by Elisabeth Berg
279 pages

December Totals:
14 books
4800 pages

I think this is a record for me! I got out of the habit of watching tv when I was focused on homework assignments, and now that I'm done school I haven't really gone back to tv and have been filling my time with books instead.

Year End Total: 46,188 pages (a gain over last year's total of 39,115) I miss the way that Shelfari tracked that for me...

Top reads of 2023:
Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley
- she's a favorite author and this one is very enjoyable. Set during christmas at a country home in Wales, with her usual type of slightly-supernatural twist.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
- I have heard a lot about this author, and decided to just dive in someplace. This is the start of a trilogy, and I enjoyed all three books. Sort of urban fantasy where young people with magical aptitude have to go to a special school to train their skills.

The Stranger Times by CK McDonnell
- this is hilarious and the second one was as well.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S Chakraborty
- a swashbuckling good read set in the same universe as the Daevabad trilogy.

Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell
- I didn't want this one to end, and hope there will be a sequel.

Game of Crones by Lydia Hawke
- I started the Crone Wars series in 2022, and continued in 2023 with the remaining publications. There is supposed to be another one coming out this year. This story has a lot of feelings from fun to sad.

The Incredible Journey of Plants by Stefano Mancuso
- of all the non-fiction I read this year, this one stands out for being very well written and entertaining and informative. I will look for other works by this author.

2023 reflection -according to my library here, I rated a lot of 3-star reads that aren't particularly memorable, but this final year of my degree program was intense and time consuming so I mostly stuck with books that weren't very mentally demanding. It looks like my list of higher-rated reads were mostly urban fantasy, and its nice to see that there is a lot of good work being done in that genre.

In the coming year I have plans to work my way through a list I call "Peter's Picks", which are books sent to me by my brother. He ships me a box of books every year, and I haven't been getting through them as fast as he sends so they are piling up. Mostly non-fiction, either natural science or social science, they are usually not easy reads, but I should now have the brain space to tackle that pile.