I only lived twenty lives in 2023. I was mauled by a bear, fought demons, craved magic, and unraveled conspiracies. I visited holy cities, a lost island, dangerous back alleys, deserts, ancient catacombs and abandoned cathedrals, and distant galaxies. I was hero. I was a villain.
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.
The man who never reads lives only one."
- George R.R. Martin
I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge at 30. Sadly, I fell short, and I am striving to do better in 2024. (Hangs head in shame.) I set this year's goal at a measly 25 books. We'll see if I can meet or beat it.
Any books are better than none. Below are the titles I enjoyed the most.
Click on the covers for more info.
Favorite read of the year goes to (drum roll)…
I don’t know why it took me so long to get to this award-winning/bestselling western novel. Jiles writes with a beautiful, concise poetic style that I’ll study for my own writing. I love the simple setup – a retired captain and widower wanders north Texas, reading the news to paying townsfolk. (Was this really a thing? How wonderful.) Captain Kidd is a master at delivering news to suit his audiences, but his life is solitary. When he agrees to deliver a young orphan girl, recently “rescued” from the Kiowa, to estranged living relatives 400 miles away, he begins a journey across Texas that will change his life.
(The film adaptation was also great, albeit slightly different. I recommend both.)
The second-place trophy goes to…
A refreshing breakaway from the traditional European fantasy settings, Black Sun is “inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas,” to quote the cover copy. Roanhorse is one of the new greats of SFF. Her debut, the post-apocalyptic novel, Trail of Lightning, was fantastic, but Black Sun, the first in the Between Earth and Sky series, is epic fantasy at its best. She gives us Xiala, a badass ship captain, and Serapio, a seemingly gentle young man with teeth stained red, whose blindfold and black cloak hide the terrible burden he carries. Serapio is one of those rare characters that you'll never forget.
If you love epic fantasy, reward yourself and read this one.
Third place:
Jade City is the first book in the Green Bone Saga. I didn't know what to expect, but it wasn’t this -- contemporary high fantasy about a criminal family, jade-fueled magic, and martial arts. Fonda Lee describes the setting as an "Asian-inspired fantasy metropolis" filled with Asian history and culture, martial arts, and a complex family saga.
Green Bones are honorable, legendary fighters who openly wear magical jade that grants them superpowers, and they serve as the leaders and enforcers of the criminal syndicates. When tension between the Kaul family and their greatest rivals come to a boil, a gang war erupts on the streets. Winner takes all.
Honorable mentions:
Low Town – Daniel Polansky ****
I would describe this crime noir fantasy as Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes with magic.
Thrawn – Timothy Zahn ****
My kid got me into this one. Of course, I’d heard of Thrawn, the Empire's master tactician, but I wanted to see the blue-skinned Star Wars baddie in action. I wasn’t disappointed with this origin story.
Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendatta Ride from Hell – Tom Clavin****
The interesting and complex history-of-events leading up to the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral and its aftermath.
Predator: If it Bleeds – Bryan Thomas Schmidt and others ****
After watching Predator: Prey on Hulu, I wanted to read something from the franchise, so I listened to this anthology while I worked on laying a brick patio in my backyard, and I was delighted by the mix of stories about these formidable aliens, spanning different time periods.
The Roman Candle – E. Chris Ambrose ****
A thriller in the Bone Guard series, revolving around the art of Caravaggio.
The Lost Island – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child ****
Gideon Crew is dying, so when this brilliant master thief takes a job to steal the Book of Kells, it leads him on an adventure to solve an ancient mystery.
In addition to discovering new authors, I reread several titles:
Angels & Demons – Dan Brown *****
Dan Brown makes you keep turning pages. This is the first book in the Robert Langdon series, unlike the film series, and it’s a fast-paced thriller filled with art and history.
The Revenant – Michael Punke *****
This novel is based on the famous 1823 true story of Hugh Glass, who was mauled by a bear and subsequently robbed and left for dead by his crew of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.
The Warded Man – Peter V. Brett
Set in a high fantasy world after a demon apocalypse the townsfolk hide behind magical wards before the demons rise at night, or they die. What they need is a hero.
That's it for now. Thanks for sticking with me.
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