Happy Solstice! Here are all the books I finished in 2023. I started many more, but I don’t make it a point to finish every book I start.
I didn’t have a high number as my goal for books read this year because I thought I would be starting grad school in August, so I definitely surpassed it. (Now I am starting school in January!)
1. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors of all time. I read Going Postal and Monstrous Regiment as a kid. I loved the characters in Equal Rites, but didn’t love the ending. It was absolutely still worth reading. They can’t all be hits!
2. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
I cannot say enough good, admiring things about Diane Duane. She was my favorite author growing up and now, in my thirties, I am re-reading her Young Wizards series and making an effort to finish the whole thing– it’s about ten books. Her sense of wonder about the world is unparalleled, and the series doesn’t treat adulthood as a loss of that wonder, which I appreciate.
(Her tumblr presence is also stellar.)
3. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
4. Your Art Will Save Your Life by Beth Pickens
This book was not great. It was marketed as a book about creativity, but it was extremely focused on surviving and coping with the Trump presidency. Even the sections that strayed into other topics did not feel super practical.
5. The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson
I love YA and I love magical realism so I had to try out some Shaun David Hutchinson. The characters and the magical realism elements were great, but it definitely didn’t need to be as long as it was. In its defense, I did keep reading to the end just to find out what was going to happen. If you don’t mind Hamlet-esque waffling, this could be a great read for you!
6. Transgender History by Susan Stryker
This book was superbly engaging and definitely worth taking notes on.
The main issue that I had with it is that it didn’t focus very much on the AIDS epidemic. I understand that queer authors might not want to make their work hinge on that continuing tragedy, but it almost felt like the subject was skipped.
7. Variations on Your Body by Avery Alder
This very short book might have changed the way I see the world. It bills itself as a “pervasive gaming” experience, which is like playing pretend for people who have a hard time without structure. Highly recommend.
Cons: I don’t really like birds.
8. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
9. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
Bonus: TBR!
- Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez.
- Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
- The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix.
- All Out (Collection).
- How to be Eaten by Maria Adelmann.
- Fledgling by Octavia Butler.
- Our Shadows Have Claws (Collection).
- Transmogrify (Collection).
Write Mind 