Just posted my Best of 2023 thing and decided to see whether anyone at the 8th was also a book nerd. I have not read Red Rising but have heard good things. I have read The Wheel of Time about four times and adore it but wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. I wrote lots of words (we’re talking arguably worse than Tenny) about my favorite things of this year: https://www.tarvolon.com/2023/12/21/tar-vols-2023-recommended-reading-list-holiday-edition/
1. Holy shit. 2. How much more did you read this year that wasn't published in 2023? 3. I gotta get my own website.
My long fiction spreadsheet is sitting around 75, and my short fiction one is a tick over 400. So the majority of the short fiction was from 2023, novels were more of a mix. I go through 1-2 books per week, and try to read a short story over lunch most days.
Impressive. Will read in detail later. I'm more of a horror reader, but also enjoy science fiction. Infinity Gate is on my list, just haven't got to it yet.
I am a bit of a baby about horror, but I did read The Haunting of Hill House and The Changeling this year and enjoyed them both a lot. I feel like LaValle doesn’t go as hard for the gore and body horror, which makes me more comfortable going for his stuff—I loved Lone Women. “The Mub” is also weirdish and horrorish. Also very short and free online.
I have read very little horror over the years. I read Stephen Kings IT before the somewhat recent movie premiered. The book was great, but horror isn't for me. Well, the book was great until it got super pervy anyway.
I've entered a season that has turned into a comedic parody song that goes something like this: If it weren't for reference books, I'd read no books at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me.
Only one bookish gift was exchanged in the Tar Volon household today because my family leaves my book acquisition to myself. But if any of y’all have daughters in the 4-8 age range, highly recommend the Hamster Princess series by Ursula Vernon. Huge hit for the oldest kid, and the fairy tale subversions are generally fun for an adult reader too. The kid definitely didn’t get the “To Serve Man” joke in the first one, but I sure did.
I’m about 9 hours in to The Brothers Karamazov on audio book. No chance in hell I’d ever get through it reading it myself, but the audio book in the car for work trips has been excellent. Finished Animal Farm in a single day a couple weeks back.
Yeah, I had read Animal Farm a while back as well. But I knew I had 5+ hours in the car and saw it was a 4 hour read and figured why not?
Just finished The Will of the Many by James Islington Really good example of the magic academy trope, and a very good start to a new trilogy Now I have to decide if I want to read his previous trilogy or go with something else. I have been slacking a lot on my to be read pile. Tar Volon what do you think? I think it’s down to Green Bone Trilogy, Licanius Trilogy, or Red Rising saga.
