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)*

1:100 Blood in Her Veins by Faith Hunter

A collection of 19 stories from the Jane Yellowrock series including two never before-published novellas.

If you like the Jane Yellowrock series, this is definitely a good read. I've read some of the stories before but there were enough new ones to keep me entertained and fill in some backstory. It was also nice to get some stories that focused on Molly and her family, including some where Jane was not present or not a major part.

Pages read: 542p/542p ytd/390,455p lifetime (from when I started counting in 2012)

2022 Recap and 2023 Goals

 Well, the elections this year were even crazier than usual and personal stuff also stacked up against me so mental health was not so great and reading time was hard to come by so not all goals were met. I did manage the 15 new authors and the with the help of several short stories I got 72 out of the 75 books that I was hoping for, and 18,895 pages. (As always, the "books" are a collection of books, textbooks, short stories, novellas, and children's books but since there are so many things that end up not counting and my average page count per "book" is over 200 pages, and it's my game, I think this holds up.) 

There are no major elections this year at all although I will be taking 10 units at college for the spring semester but since I will hopefully be graduating after that with my two associates' degrees so that should free up some time to do other things, like read more for fun again. *fingers crossed*

With that in mind, I'm going for 100 books this year with 20 new authors and 20,000 pages. I'm also going to try to start posting my reviews again but we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, here's the list of books that I read for 2022:

1. Long Way From Home by Seanan McGuire - trouble brewing (20p/20p/370,948p)

2. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman - eloquent (228p/248p/371,176p)

3. Noor by Nnedi Okorafor - fabulous (214p/462p/371,390p)

4. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire - Forgetful (150p/612p/371,540p)

5. Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation by John Lewis - fabulous (220p/832p/371,760p)

6. Starlight Web by Yasmine Galenorn - interesting (262p/1,094p/372,022p)

7. A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstrong - meh (283p/1,377p/372,305p)

8. Sacrifice Your Tears by Seanan McGuire - Lovely (36p/1,413p/372,341p)

9. A Separate Peace by John Knowles - thought-provoking (208p/1,621p/372,549p)

10. Spiderman-Man Miles Morales: Wings of Fury by Brittney Morris - ok (263p/1,884p/372,812p)*

11. Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune - fantastic (376p/2,260p/373,188p)

12. The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum - ok (338p/2,598p/373,526p)*

13. Midnight Web by Yasmine Galenorn - fun (286p/2,884p/373,812p)

14. Conjure Web by Yasmine Galenorn - fun (262p/3,146p/374,074)

15. Harvest Web by Yasmine Galenorn - fun (232p/3,378p/374,306p)

16. Shadow Web by Yasmine Galenorn - fun (234p/3,612p/374,540p)

17. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - intense (444p/4,056p/ 374,984)*

18. Volatile Bonds by Jaye Wells - entertaining (327p/4,383p/375,311)

19. Middlegame by Seanan McGuire - I’m not sure what I just read but I think I liked it (528p/4,911p/375,839p)

20. Spelunking Through Hell by Seanan McGuire - Go Alice! (352p/5,263p/376,191p)

21. Ghost Lights by Seanan McGuire - patreon (20p/5,283p/376,211p)

22. Those Three Girls from Rush’s End by Seanan McGuire - patreon (20p/5,303p/376,231p)

23. Third for Magic by Stefon Mears - patreon (20p/5,323p/376,251p)

24. Huck Finn by Mark Twain - again (225p/5,548p/376,476p)

25. Blood Lite by various - mostly  just ugh (359p/5,907p/376,835p)

26. Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett - fabulous (375p/6,282p/377,210p)

27. Hex Appeal by various - entertaining (356p/6,638p/377,566p)

28. American Vision published by Glencoe - textbook (1138p/7,776p/378,704p)

29. The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol - tragic (57p/7,833p/378,761p)

30. Small Business Management by Cengage - Ok (598p/8,431p/379,359p)*

31. Shadow Rites by Faith Hunter - entertaining (348p/8,779p/379,707p)

32. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict - interesting (272p/9,051p/379,979p)*

33. Cold Reign by Faith Hunter - entertaining (350p/9,401p/380,329p)

34. Snowstorms & Sleigh Bells by Kelley Armstrong - sweet (116p/9,517p/380,445p)

35. Empty Street Cup by Stefon Mears - patreon (20p/9,537p/380,465p)

36. Dark Queen by Faith Hunter - entertaining (414p/9,951p/380,879p)

37. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson - fn (456p/10,407p/381,335p)*

38. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - interesting (289p/10,696p/381,624p)*

39. Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter - entertaining (380p/11,076p/382,004p)

40. Naked City by various entertaining (539p/11,615p/382,543p)*

41. Weaver’s Web by Yasmine Galernon - fun (221p/11,836p/382,764p)

42. Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs - Mercy!!! (389p/12,225p/383,153p)

43. Exploring Psychology in Modules by David G. Myers - textbook (832p/13,057p/383,985p)*

44. True Dead by Faith Hunter - entertaining (359p/13,416p/384,344p)

45. Square^3 by Mira Grant - kaiju (144p/13,560p/384,488p)

46. Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire - roller coaster ride with my heart (384p/13,944p/384,872p)

47. Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews - fun (393p/14,337p/385,265p)

48. Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews - fun (392p/14,729p/385,657p)

49. Fundamentals of Human Resource Management by Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright - textbook (570p/15,299p/386,227p)*

50. Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews - fun (370p/15,559p/386,597p)

51. Saga Vol 10 by Brian K Vaughn & Fiona Staples - goddamnit! (160p/15,829p/386,757p)

52. Final Heir by Faith Hunter - finale (448p/16,277p/387,205p)

53. A Turn of the Tide by Kelley Armstrong - sweet (250p/16,527p/387,455p)

54. Trouble with the Cursed by Kim Harrison - Rachel! (464p/16,991p/387,919p)

55. Introduction to Leadership: Concepts & Practice by Peter G. Northouse - textbook (432p/17,423p/388,351p)*

56. Heroic Hearts by various - fun (368p/17,791p/388,719p) *

57. In Mercy, Rain by Seanan McGuire - lovely (36p/17,827p/388,755p)

58. My Antonia by Willa Cataher - lovely (182p/18,009p/388,937p)*

59. Hammered by Kevin Hearne - epicly stupid (312p/18,321p/389,249p)

60. Skeleton Song by Seanan McGuire - beautiful (25p/18,346p/389,274p)

61. Ghosts & Garlands by Kelley Armstrong - sweet (98p/18,444p/389,372p)

62. Sacajewea by Joseph Bruchac - interesting (212p/18,656p/389,584p)*

63. Wildlife by Jeff Vandermeer - the ravine! (57p/18,703p/389,641p)

64. Elfquest: Stargazer’s Hunt vol 2 by Wendy and Richard Pini - perfect (104p/18,807p/389,745p)

65. The Tiger That Came to the Mountain by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia - intense (28p/18,845p/389,773p)*

66. Into the Sea by Seana McGuire (20p/18,865p/389,793p)

67. Upon Your Honor by Seanan McGuire (20p/18,885p/389,813p)

68. With Sweet Peace by Seanan McGuire (20p/18,905p/389,833p)

69. Like a Dream by Seanan McGuire (20p/18,925p/389,853p)

70. Give Sorrow Words by Seanan McGuire (20p/18,945p/389,873p)

71. Empty Street Corner by Stefon Mears (20p/18,965p/389,893p)

72. Time for Magic by Stefon Mears (20p/18,985p/389,913p)