I finished a whopping 10 books in December thanks to a last minute surge at the end of the month. Honestly, this may be the year that having a plan for my reading actually helps me read more instead of de-motivating me. I was so excited for my January TBR that I ended up starting it at the end of December, so I think as long as I give myself some leeway, I think this could work for me.
*Links open the book’s page in Goodreads*
- Smash It! by Francina Simone, 368 pages, published: 2020, genre: YA contemporary. A young woman, influenced by Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes, decides to change her life. She tries out for the school musical, says yes to a date, moves on from an old crush, makes new friends, and more. Lots of angst, sex positive, body positive. Some problematic dialogue. Rating: 3 stars.
- Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel, 311 pages, published: 2020, genre: psychological thriller. This was a wild ride that I did not expect to finish so quickly. It took me a minute to get into it because the characters all creeped me out. I didn’t know much about the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case, but I kept picturing her as I read from the perspective of the main character. I liked how gritty the descriptions of Rose Gold’s adult life were. It makes perfect sense that people would just expect her to snap to a normal life, but it was impossible for her. Very dark. Deeply uncomfortable read for so many reasons. Rating: 3 stars. The author’s next release dealt with a cult and I can’t figure out if I want to go back inside her mind or not.
- All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby, 341 pages, published: 2023, genre: crime noir. The first black sheriff in a small Virginia town, Titus Crown, ends up with a serial killer on his hands when secrets refuse to stay buried. I loved how towards the end we get a chapter that just has perspectives of people who have been impacted, because I feel like that’s something we don’t get very often in crime fiction (it literally covers every character in town who has been directly impacted). Rating: 5 stars. I will definitely be picking up Cosby’s backlist.
- The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence, 384 pages, published: 2020, genre: fantasy. A young girl, Yaz, of the Ictha clan, is a little different from the rest of her clan. She feels she is weak and will be offered as a sacrifice to the Gods. The plunge that was supposed to take her to her death will unveil a well of secrets. There are myths, stories, secrets: all buried under the ice. This read a little slow at times, and you can see some of the threads that are going to be pulled later, but ultimately this was an enjoyable read with good twists. Rating: 4 stars.
- The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton, 416 pages, published: 2022, genre: middle grade fantasy. Ella Durand gets to go to the Arcanum Institute to train as a Marveller, the first Conjurer to get to do so. It is not smooth sailing as prejudice and a larger plot come into play. This is Harry Potter for a new generation and it handles issues of racism and classism with subtlety and care. Rating: 4 stars.
- The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, 368 pages, published: 2023, genre: romance. In New York City, Clementine (Lemon) is grieving the loss of her aunt who once told her about a magical apartment that could slip 7 years into the future and the past. She doesn’t believe it until it happens to her. Her life was going to plan…and then she meets a man from the past who changes everything. This is a cool take on the movie The Lake House. I picked this up because I loved The Dead Romantics by the same author, but this didn’t quite hit me the way that her first book did. Rating: 3 stars.
- Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, 320 pages, published: 2016, genre: sci-fi. Told in a mixed-media format. I listened to it mostly as an audiobook and it had a great full cast. It tells the story of a scientist named Rose who discovers a giant hand when she is a little girl. It features a mysterious and powerful man and an alien descendant who sounds like Billy Crystal. It’s fun and there’s lots of intrigue. This was a re-read. Initial rating when I read it in 2020:5 stars. 2023 rating: still 5 stars.
- Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel, 336 pages, published: 2017, genre: sci-fi. We continue with the mixed-media format following Rose, Kara, Vincent, and our favorite shadow man. Things get much more geo-politically complicated in this one. Lots more people die. It takes place almost 10 years after the events of the first book. Plans that began then are starting to have a big impact on the story. Rating: 5 stars.
- Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel, 336 pages, published: 2018, genre: sci-fi. What an ending! Lots of heartache. Less science in this one and more politics, but it still read like fact. I think Neuvel has a good grasp of human emotion and intuition. It’s not hard to imagine it all going down exactly this way if it were to occur in real life. Rating: 4 stars. **SERIES COMPLETE**
- Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount, 224 pages, published: 2017, genre: non-fiction. There’s not a lot to say about this one. It has a really pretty art style and is a collection of facts about books, authors, stories, bookstores, and libraries. It’s the kind of book that you can pick up over and over again because the facts won’t stay with you, but are enjoyable to read. This would make a great coffee table book for a book lover. Rating: 4 stars.
Total books: 10
Total pages: 3,404
Average rating: 4
This was my best reading month of 2023 and I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish even during the hectic holidays. I truly think that reading keeps me a little more grounded in times of stress (way more so than vegging out with TV or YouTube) and I’m grateful that I was raised to be a reader.
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