This year, I read 35 books, which is not quite as many as I wanted. 16 of those were graphic novels. 19 were traditional books. 19 were by women or non-binary folks, which is pretty good! I read three non-binary authors (primarily comics), and one book by a trans person. I read four non-fiction books, and a fair amount of sci-fi and fantasy.
The running theme for books I liked the most this year was intimacy. The books where we got to be up close to the characters in a meaningful way was the best for me. I think I’m a little burned out on big old epic fantasy stuff, and I find myself craving things that are more intimate and scope.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers was not quite the swashbuckling space adventure I was expecting, but instead was an intimate portrait of a found family in a series of vignettes. The stakes are not saving the universe, or anything of the like, but instead tunneling through space to make a galactic roadway essentially. While I was slightly disappointed initially, this is a book that I have thought back to a fair amount since reading, which is always a nice feeling when something grows in your estimation.
A book that I knew I liked immediately was The Fisherman, by John Langan. While touching the cosmic horror, this book is more about intimacy, a portrait of grief and loss across a swath of times, as well as how that continues to be a motivator for different characters. The voice is the key for this one, especially our narrator from the outset who reminded me of those old Usenet stories I used to read as a teenager. It’s a specific older voice, that’s still sort of funny. I liked it, and recommended it to a fair few folks.
I took a few recommendations this year, and the best was No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod, a saga about a family in Cape Breton but again, heartbreaking close to the characters and all of the good and ill that befalls them. Kate Beaton referenced Alistair MacLeod a fair amount in talking about Ducks last year, and I can understand why..
Of all the comics I read, the ones I liked the most were Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou vol 1 and 2. I used to be a big Dresden Codak reader, and she referenced them as a big inspiration on her work, and notoriously they were not available in English until 2023.These are comfy, cozy, breezy, but also thoughtful works. They’re elegiac almost, and make me want to wander rural countrysides. Essentially, a nice robot woman runs a cafe. That’s it. Some people visit her, she makes them coffee. But they’re just so nice!
The other two worth mentioning are great writing: David Grann’s The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder and Kelly Link’s White Cat, Black Dog both spring to mind. Just solid writing that sticks with you, potent images. The Wager is a wild historical novel that you barely believe is real, but it 100% happened and there are thousands of documents to prove it. White Cat, Black Dog was a good read in New Zealand, and effectively was the last thing I read in 2023 that I finished. I did abandon a fair few books in 2023, which is entirely okay.
The full list of everything I read:
Novels:
- Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
- Into the Drowning Deep, by Seanan MacGuire
- The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Beck Chambers
- The Fast and the Furriest, by Sophie Ryan (the worst thing I read all year)
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab
- Mercury Pictures Presents, by Anthony Marra
- Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time, by Sheila Liming
- Living with a Wild God, by Barbara Ehrenreich
- The Wager, by David Grann
- The Fisherman, by John Langan
- Ascension by Nicholas Binge
- Patricia Wants to Cuddle, by Samantha Allen
- Manhunt, by Gretchen Felker-Martin
- Hell Bent, by Leigh Bardugo
- Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann
- The Magician’s Daughter, by H.G. Parry
- No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod
- Carpe Jugulum, by Terry Pratchett
- White Cat, Black Dog, by Kelly Link
Graphic Novels:
- Reign of X, Vols 11 – 14
- Inferno, by Jonathan Hickman
- Double Walker, by Michael Conrad
- Usagi Yojimbo, Vol 1. By Stan Skai
- Whiteout: Compendium, by Greg Rucka
- The Goon: Library Edition, by Eric Powell
- Real Hero Shit, by Kendra Wells
- Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Vol 1 and 2, by Hitoshi Ashinano.
- Do A Power Bomb, by Daniel Warren Johnson (perhaps the other great graphic novel I read)
- Cat Diary, by Junji Ito
- Mall Goth, by Kate Leth
- The Mysteries by Bill Watterson
That’s it! I’d like to read more this year, especially more things that wow me. My GoodReads to-read list overflows.
Word Choice 