Checking in for 2023

Hello book friends, it’s been a couple of months since my last post… working in retail means the December period is always rough, and other personal things going on meant I had very little headspace for reading, let alone talking about books! I am aiming to be more present from now, though probably still dialled back from what I’ve done in the past. If you’re still here, thank you for sticking around! And to fellow bloggers, I’m hoping to do some more blog-hopping soon because my brain fog has also meant I haven’t been catching up with other people’s posts, and I very much miss them!

I have a few reviews planned for the next couple weeks of last year’s final reads – notably I got to read A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon and am very excited to talk about it – and have slowly been picking back up on my reading, so things should be a bit more normal here at the Book Nook soon. And, of course, it’s never too early to start planning what I want to read and talk about for this year’s Wyrd & Wonder! In 2022 I joined a few reading challenges to help me read more backlog books, and I did get to a few during the year, but my reading was still overwhelmingly new releases because of how many ARCs and proofs I picked up. This means I have so many books on my shelves that have now spent months and years untouched, even ones that I’d excitedly preordered and intended to dive into immediately, and so I have committed to not requesting any new books from publishers this year.

I’m sure I’ll still buy new books, because some things are too shiny to resist, but it does mean there may be an increase in backlist books reviewed and talked about on this blog. It also means I’ve decluttered my shelves a bit to make things less overwhelming, so do keep an eye out for any giveaways I may do soon!

A brief look at my reading in 2022

It may almost be the end of January, but as this is my first post for the new year, I think I can be allowed to reminisce… I somehow got through 112 books last year, which was probably aided quite a bit by audiobooks.

My most read genre was fantasy (no surprises there), the longest book I read was Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James at 626 pages and the shortest was Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel at 144. My most read author was Ben Aaronovitch as I plowed my way through the Rivers of London audiobooks (cannot recommend them enough!), and I can already tell that this year’s author is going to be James S.A. Corey as I rush my way through The Expanse series. I DNF’d 8 books for various reasons, and that’s probably the most I’ve done in a year because time grows ever shorter and my TBR list ever longer!

My Top 10

Not going to lie, as I look back at all the books I read last year, I’d already forgotten some, which is why I’d like to slow down my reading to take things in better, but there were definitely some stand outs! So, in order by author surname – I am a bookseller after all – here are my favourites of 2022:

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey – after loving the tv show based on this series I dove into book one and found it just as gripping.

Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans – one of the few books I impulsively bought and then started immediately in 2022, this was a rollercoaster of a story!

Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray – my introduction to the world of Star Wars novels, this did not disappoint, especially in audio format!

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James – I loved Black Leopard, Red Wolf so much that it pushed me to start writing reviews and was the first one I ever talked about on this blog. Its long anticipated sequel took me a while to get into, but once it got going it was magnificent!

Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell – I had a book hangover for weeks after finishing this one, which is always a good sign.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland – another one that gave me a book hangover. I think I just really like angsty romance with political subplots that force stubborn characters into very specific situations… also took me a little while to get into, but once I did I was racing through it.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon – I technically finished reading this on New Year’s Day, but since it took up most of my December I’m counting it for last year… review to come soon, but I will say that this book absolutely consumed me.

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth – a delightful teen fiction story that took me utterly by surprise. It’s full of heart, humour, and wonderful characters.

Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson – I kept meaning to review this one because it’s the most fun I’ve had with a murder mystery for a while. A bit like ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Glass Onion’. It had me paying attention to literally every word to make sure I didn’t miss a clue!

The Wilderness Cure by Mo Wilde – I read a decent amount of non-fiction last year, but this was my favourite by far. So beautifully put together, and a great inspiration.