2023 Recap and 2024 Reading Goals

I had thought my goals for 2023 were attainable but I had no idea just how tired 2022 had made me and how much rest I would need. To be fair, the only thing I didn't make was number of books read (79 out of 100 according to my list) but I did read 30 new authors and 21,071 pages which is not too shabby. Obviously, book reviews went out the window really quickly with all the school I was doing. Being realistic, this is not the year that it's going to happen either.

That's right, it's 2024 which means a presidential election so work will be insane. The interesting thing for my reading is that this is the year that the youngest graduates high school. Once June hits, I'm no longer reading anything except what I choose to read for myself. I'm not quite sure what that will mean for my reading other than probably a lot of fluff for a bit while I let my brain take a break. I will miss the boosts to my pages read from textbooks though and I'll have to do more hunting for my new authors since I won't just have many of them given to me from school reading.

With all this in mind, I'm going to try for 75 books, 15,000 pages, and 15 new authors. It at least seems possible but we'll just have to see how the year goes and how much mush my brain becomes.

With that, here's my read list for 2023:

1. Blood in Her Veins by Faith Hunter - anthology (542p/542p/390,455p)

2. The Backbone of the World by Stephan Graham Jones - interesting (54p/596p/390,509p)*

3. Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire - haunting (146p/742p/390,655p)

4. Stag by Karen Russell - who cares? (40p/782p/390,695p)*

5. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts - entertaining (352p/1,134p/391,047p)*

6. Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts - entertaining (339p/1,473p/391,386p)

7. Blood Magick by Nora Roberts  - entertaining (321p/1,794p/391,707p)

8. Tricked by Kevin Hearne - better (352p/2,146p/392,059p)

9. A Righteous Man by Tochi Onyebuchi - ok (30p/2,176p/392,089p) *

10.  Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater - fabulous (321p/2,497p/392,410p)*

11. Dogsbody by Diana Wynn Jones - interesting (254p/2,751p/392,664p)*

12. Bloody Summer by Carmen Maria Machado - ok (28p/2,779p/392,692p)*

13. Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire - Alice! (340p/3,119p/393,032p)

14. The Garden by Tomi Adyemi - lovely (44p/3,163p/393,076p)*

15. Unbreakable by Mira Grant - haunting (114p/3,277p/393,190p)

16. The American YAWP Vol. 1 by Joseph L. Locke - informative (440p/3,717p/393,630p)*

17. United States Government: Democracy in Action by Richard C Remy, Ph.D. - ok (898p/4,615p/394,528p)

18. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett - fabulous (412p/5,027p/394,940p)

19. Persephone by Lev Grossman - good (31p/5,058p/394,971p)

20. Biology 2e by OpenStax College - informative (1,427p/6,485p/396,398p)*

21. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich - meh (338p/6,823p/396,736p) *

22. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin - fabulous (320p/7,143p/397,056p)

23. The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow - fabulous (30p/7,173p/397,086p)*

24. Organizational Behavior by OpenStax - informative (692p/7,865p/397,778p)

25. Crystal Web by Yasmine Galenorn - fluffy (222p/8,087p/398,000p)

26. Witch’s Web by Yasmine Galenorn - fluffy (221p/8,308p/398,221p)

27. Cursed Web by Yasmine Galenorn - seriously?! (228p/8,536p/398,449p)

28. What the Dead Know by Nghi Vo - good (31p/8,567p/398,480p)*

29. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - ok (374p/8,941p/398,854p)*

30. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - fun! (296p/9,237p/399,150p)*

31. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - ok (374p/9,611p/399,524p)

32. How Much Harm? by Seanan McGuire - fun (20p/9,631p/399,544p)

33. Whalefall by Seanan McGuire - interesting (20p/9,651p/399,564p)

34. Content/Consent by Seanan McGruire - thought provoking (20p/9,671p/399,584p)

35. At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost - ok (342p/10,013p/399,926p)

36. Destined for the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - ok (385p/10,398p/400,311p)

37. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - better (357p/10,755p/400,668p)

38. One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost - fun (358p/11,113p/401,026p)

39. Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - fun (372p/11,485p/401,398p)

40. A Grave Girl’s Getaway by Jeaniene Frost - fun (91p/11,576p/401,489p/401,886p)

41. The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - meh (397p/ 11,973p/402,283p)

42. Both Feet in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - ok (334p/12,307p/402,617p)

43. Undercover by Tamsyn Muir - interesting (57p/12,364p/402,674p)

44. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost - Ok (373p/12,737p/403,047p)

45. Eternal Kiss of Darkness - fine (361p/13,098p/403,408p)

46. American Indian Stories, Legends, and Writings by Zitkala-Sa - educational (324p/13,422p/403,732p)*

47. Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews - Kate’s back! (146p/13,568p/403,878p)

48. The Candles are Burning by Veronica G. Henry - spooky (37p/13,605p/403,915p)*

49. Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews - fabulous (225p/13,830p/404,140p)

50. Wench by Maxine Kaplan - fun (400p/14,230p/404,540p)*

51. My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir - beautiful (199p/14,429p/404,739p)*

52. Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison - Kistin?! (438p/14,867p/405,177p)

53. Out of the Mirror, Darkness by Garth Nix - interesting (38p/14,905p/405,215p)

54. Of Claws and Fangs by Faith Hunter - Jane! (333p/15,238p/405,548p)

55. How It Unfolds by James S.A. Corey - interesting (38p/15,276p/405,586p)*

56. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - entertaining (384p/15,660p/405,970p)*

57. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros - interesting (132p/13,792p/406,102p)*

58. Sleep No More by Seanan McGuire - amazing! (368p/16,1680/406,470p)

59. Fury Rising by Yasmine Galenorn - interesting (331p/16,491p/406,801p)

60. Void by Veronica Roth - ok (50p/16,541p/406,851p)

61. Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse - ok (35p/16,576p/406,886p)*

62. Fury’s Magic by Yasmine Galenorn - ok (288p/16,684p/407,174p)

63. Veveteen vs.The Multiverse - gaining steam  (312p/17,176p/407,486p)

64. The Long Game by Ann Leckie - interesting (31p/17,207p/407,517p)*

65. MASTAlphabet: Madonna A to Z by Mark Blankenship & Sarah D. Bunting - meh (89p/17,296p/407,606p)*

66. Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach by Nnedi Okafor - fascinating (45p/17,341p/407,651p)

67. The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire - fantastic (368p/17,709p/408,019p)

68. Fury Awakened by Yasmine Galenorn - ok (322p/18,031p/408,341p)

69. Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi - interesting (28p/18,059p/408,369)

70. To Be a Slave by Julius Lester - heartbreaking (160p/18,219p/408,529p)

71. 2043…a Merman I Should Turn to Be by Nisi Shawl - interesting (31p/18,250p/408,560p)*

72. Fury Calling by Yasmine Galenorn - ok (277p/18,527p/408,837p)

73. Chicks Digs Time Lords by various - entertaining (186p/18,7113p/409,023p)

74. Forensic Science for High School by Toby Barbara - informative (570p/19,283p/409,593p)*

75. Fury’s Mantle by Yasmine Galenorn - ok (285p/19,568p/409,878p)

76. For Hearing People Only by Matthew S. Moore & Linda Levitan (did not finish, too repetitive)*

77. The Once and Future King by T.H. White - ok (654p/20,222p/510,532p)

78. A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki - perspective (561p/20,783p/411,093p)*

79. Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred Land in the American West by Lauren Redniss - infuriating (288p/21,071p/411,381p)*