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Books Read in 2023
* indicates re-reads. π = enjoyed a lot ππ = loved
Presented in reverse order. Links go to my review / notes.
Read in June π

Lotusland
by
(art, garden)
2023-06-02
Read in May

The Belle of Belgrave Square
by
(romance, historical)
2023-05-28

The Siren of Sussex
by
(romance, historical)
Indian-British rep
2023-05-27

Talk Sweetly to Me*
by
(romance, historical)
Chinese-Am bi author, Black rep, novella
2023-05-21

The Lost Art of Handwriting
by
(non-fiction, design)
2023-05-07
Read in April

The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright *
by
(romance, historical)
novella
2023-04-27

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches ππ
by
(fantasy, romance)
British-Indian author + rep
2023-04-11
Read in March

The Suffragette Scandal* ππ
by
(romance, historical)
Chinese-Am bi author, self-pub
2023-03-21
Read in February
Read in January
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Did Not Finish
- Crowded Vol. 1
by Christopher Sebela
(comic, action)
main character was eminently dislikeable - A Life With Alexandra David-NΓ©el: Book I
by FrΓ©dΓ©ric Campoy + Mathieu Blanchot
(comic, adventure)
didn’t like the setup - Solomon’s Crown
by Natasha Siegel
(alternate history)
author’s note really turned me off - Only Bad Options
by Jennifer Estep
(fantasy, romance)
DNF 2% — wasn’t digging the POV, more magic-y than expected - The Life & Love of the Forest
by Lewis Blackwell
(coffee table book)
uneven writing, poor photo curation - Starfighter Command
by Grace Goodwin
(romance, sci-fi)
DNF 48% — not enough of a throughline - The Right to Sex
by Amia Srinivasan
(essays, commentary)
boring - The Creative Act
by Rick Rubin
(non-fiction, creativity)
way too woo-woo - Married by Scandal
by Tessonja Odette
(romance, fantasy)
wasn’t for me — narrator was too intense and dramatic - The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction
by Alan Jacobs
(non-fiction, essay)
I think I already agree with the premise - How to Read Now
by Elaine Castillo
(essays, commentary)
DNF 21% — just not that into essays - Magician
by K.L. Noone
(fantasy)
boring first chapter - Heart, Haunt, Havoc
by FreydΓs Moon
(horror, romance)
put it down and never went back π€·ββοΈ - The Bright and Breaking Sea
by Chloe Neill
(fantasy, alt history)
DNF 24% – felt slow even though plot was advancing - The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
by KJ Charles
(romance, historical)
didn’t even finish the first chapter — greatly disliked the POV character - The Rebel and the Rake
by Emily Sullivan
(romance, historical)
DNF 7% — infodump from both POV and their meetcute was boring - Something Wilder
by Christina Lauren
(romance, adventure)
DNF 50% – don’t like how the characters reacted after A Bad Dramatic Thing, and the misunderstanding between the leads was frustrating - No. 5 Vol. 1
by Taiyo Matsumoto
(manga, sci-fi)
wasn’t feeling it, though the art was intriguing - Join the Future
by Zack Kaplan + Piotr Kowalski
(graphic novel, sci-fi)
anti-socialist, pro-individualist - Ten Steps to Nanette
by Hannah Gadsby
(memoir, humor)
sounded too intense, didn’t find the intro funny - Freethinkers
by Susan Jacoby
(non-fiction, history)
too slow, have tried starting this book too many times - Witchlight
by Jessi Zabarsky
(graphic novel, fantasy)
didn’t like the characters - Priestdaddy
by Patricia Lockwood
(memoir)
DNF 3% — wasn’t funny - Breath of Life
by Jocelynn Drake
(romance, fantasy)
DNF 28% — MC was annoying, pace too frenetic - Ring Shout
by P. Djèlà Clark
(horror)
DNF 7% — too gross! - Radiant Sin
by Katee Robert
(romance, paranormal)
DNF 52% — not much happening despite continual warnings about danger - Accelerating Universe
by Nicola Claire
(sci-fi, romance)
DNF 7% – didn’t like the MC or conflict - Devi’s Distraction
by Ruby Dixon
(romance, sci-fi)
DNF 8% – alien attitudes rubbed me the wrong way - The Assassin’s Salvation
by Ruby Lionsdrake
(romance, sci-fi)
DNF 69% – I felt uncomfortable about the age and experience gap between the leads - Hot Blooded
by Heather Guerre
(romance, paranormal)
DNF 38% – the hero was throwing up some red flags on creepy behavior - So I Accidentally became an Alien Outlaw’s Mate
by Sophia Sebell
(romance, sci-fi)
DNF 20% – needed editing, hero reminded me of Arnold but not in a good way π - How Far the Light Reaches
by Sabrina Imbler
(essays)
just not a big essay person, might try again - The Unbalancing
by R.B. Lemberg
(fantasy)
DNF 8% – main character had an annoying outlook - Wed to the Alien Gladiator
by January Bell
(romance, sci-fi)
DNF 58%, wasn’t holding my attention - Getting to Center
by marlee grace
(self-help)
didn’t like the writing style, wasn’t saying much of anything - Electric Heart
by Anna Carven
(romance, sci-fi)
hero was kind of a jerk - A Restless Truth
by Freya Marske
(romance, fantasy)
didn’t grab me, didn’t like the MC - The Red Scholar’s Wake
by Aliette de Bodard
(sci-fi, romance)
disliked the power differential between the MCs, wasn’t feeling it - The High Commander’s Mate
by Ella Blair
(romance, sci-fi)
needed more editing - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
by Gabrielle Zevin
(fiction)
too literary, too drama - Sisters of the Vast Black
by Linda Rather
(sci-fi)
looked like it was going to be kind of a closed character study that sounded boring - The Spare Man
by Mary Robinette Kowal
(sci-fi, mystery)
too much alcohol, weirdly mixed modern and old language, the heroine was big into throwing around her money and name
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This Article was mentioned on tracydurnell.com
This Article was mentioned on tracydurnell.com
This Article was mentioned on tracydurnell.com