Phew, 2022 finally ended, only three years too late. I managed to read 100 books even though Goodreads tried to play me by listing a book as read twice. I found out around Christmas so I still had a couple of days to read two books instead of one. But I’d never be able to finish 400 pages of Children of Chaos and read another book. Especially since I wasn’t doing well and reading fiction was already a stretch. Instead, I ended the year by reading two writing books.
Children of Chaos is still a ‘current read’ which means I’ll finish it in 2023 and will likely be my top read of the year. Unless The End of Time, the final book in The Cruel Gods trilogy, releases and I finish it before the year ends. Trudie has been teasing bits of what she’s planning to write and I can’t wait!
The results for this year’s Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Awards have been revealed, and I read three books for the final round. If you want to hear my opinions on these and other finalists, check back here in the coming months as I join the book tours for the finalists.
My top books
The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies is my top read of the year. I loved it so, so much. Kayl and Quen are lovely characters, Chime is an amazing world, and Trudie has a wonderful writing voice. I’m still working through Children of Chaos, so who knows, she might be my top read for two years in a row. Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle is a very close comp to The Thirteenth Hour. Amazing characters, amazing and deep worldbuilding, and super smooth writing. One thing that I really appreciated about McCorkle’s writing is that even though the themes and topics discussed are super dark, the language itself doesn’t get too heavy. Check content warnings before you start this one.
The Stardust Thief is everything I’d want in a fantasy book. Interesting characters, a vivid world, magic. It’s so enchanting, I was sad when it ended. I can’t wait to read the next one.
From Little Tokyo resonated with me on a personal level (the experience of being a biracial person and never being enough of either) and is one of the two contemporary novels on this list, Dial A for Auntie by Jesse Q. Sutanto is the second. I listened to the audio of this and laughed out loud on several occasions. I appreciated the Indonesian heritage and the little inside jokes the author included (Indonesian mangos are definitely the best). Netflix is currently working on an adaption and I can’t wait!
Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson was one of the three books I had to read for the final round of BBNYA. I left a comment on my score form that this was the best BBNYA entry I’ve read in the three years of judging so far. If you like this one, you should definitely check out The Reanimator’s Heart by Kara Jorgensen. It’s such a lovely fantasy story with great rep (both books have incredible rep), a cute romance, and interesting world. I’m looking forward to read more of Jorgensen’s books!
Tropical Punch by S.C. Jensen is one of the quarter-finalists for SPSFC and the one I voted for. It’s such a fun, smooth, intriguing story. Bubbles is a fun character to read about, and her petsmart is the best sidekick a private investigator can have. Aside from his gambling addiction maybe. Another reason why I want to include it here is because it has great disability rep, one thing I deeply appreciate.
Full reviews can be found in the list below.
Books read so far
Fiction
Good Neighbors by Stephanie Burgis
The Thirteenth Hours by Trudie Skies
Thorn of the Night Blossoms by JC Kang
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
The Nine by C.G. Harris
Octavia Bloom and the Missing Key by Estelle Grace Tudor
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn
Princess Ever After by Connie Glynn
Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen
Odriel’s Heir by Hayley Reese Chow
From Little Tokyo, With Love by Sarah Kuhn
K-pop Confidential by Stephan Lee
Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
The KC Warlock Weekly: Accused by M.N. Jolley
The World Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian
Of Charms, Ghosts, and Grievances by Aliette de Bodard
The Knave of Secrets by Alex Livingston
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz
Artifical Condition by Martha Wells
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
Intergalactic Bastard by Dave Walsh
These Violent Nights by Rebecca Crunden
Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews (Beta read)
Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao
The Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Emmanuelle de Maupassant
Oil and Dust by Jami Farleigh
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (eArc)
Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson
The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette de Bodard
The Iron Crown by L.L. MacRae
Tropical Punch by S.C. Jensen
The Reanimator’s Heart by Kara Jorgensen
Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans
Driftwood by Marie Brennan
A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell by Luke Tarzian
With Fire in their Blood by Kat Delacorte
K-pop Revolution by Stephan Lee
Hex Life edited by Christopher Golden
The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Diablo 3: Heroes Rise, Darkness Falls by Micky Neilson
Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson
The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis
Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan
The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August
Strange Cargo by Patrick Samphire
Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley
Ironcalds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Spark by Sarah Beth Durst
Touchstones by Stephanie Burgis
The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart</em by Stephanie Burgis
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
Eternity’s Wheel by Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, and Mallory Reaves
Manga/Graphic Novels
To Your Eternity Vol 1 by Yoshitoky Oima
Space Brothers Vol 1 by Chuya Koyama
Save Yourself! Bones Leopard
Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman
Dragon Age by David Gaider
Nimona by N.D. Stevenson
Non-fiction
The Big-Picture Revision Checklist by Alex Kourvo
Productivity for Writers by Kristina Adams
Hook Them or Lose them by D. Leitao
Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day
Art Matters by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell
Dear Writer, You need to Quit by Becca Syme
How to Become a Mermaid by Elyrria Swann
The Ten Day Outline by Lewis Jorstad
Mayo Clinic Guide to Fibromyalgia by Andy Abril
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
The Ten Day Edit by Lewis Jorstad
The Anatomy of a Best Seller by Sacha Black
Wishcraft by Sakura Fox
