Wait – It’s 2024?? (aka: Here’s My 2023 Bookish Recap)
Hello friends! Apparently we are already three weeks in to 2024. I’m not really sure how that happened but here we are! New year means it’s time to dust off the ol’ blog again, and get back into it. I always mean to be more consistent with my blogging, but fail every time. Oh well! I hope you still enjoy me popping in from time to time.
ANYWAY!! Since we’re into 2024 now, I better recap my 2023 reading year right? Let’s get into it!
The Basic Stats
You know how Spotify gives you a Spotify Wrapped to summarize your listening? Well I took those templates and made them bookish! So it’s a Bookify Wrapped! The categories we have here are:
- My most read author: Seanan McGuire with 14 books read!! I had my peak Seanan reading month in March when I read 6 of her books. That was when I was marathon reading the Incryptid series haha. I also read from 3 different series of hers!
- My pages read: 49,600! That’s an average of 135.9 pages per day, though honestly my reading is not very consistent haha. It comes in bursts. And my reading peaked in September with 8,906 pages!
- My top genres: These are mostly unsurprising, with the exception of horror! Though to be fair, my genres were HEAVILY dominated by SFF and romance. I actually only read two horror books haha.
My Top Ten Books
A few of my friends over on Bookstagram like to host a countdown at the end of the year for their top reads of the year. I decided to participate this year, so I have some lovely photos of my top ten reads!
- The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe (read my review here!)
- Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto (read my review here!)
- Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire
- The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
- One Dark Window (and Two Twisted Crowns) by Rachel Gillig
- Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydís Moon
- Square3 by Mira Grant
- Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney
- Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
- A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
If you want to check these out on Instagram, you can find me at @mackenziespocket!
Favorite New-To-Me Authors
Another part of my Bookify Wrapped was a graphic showing my favorite new-to-me authors! I picked a top 5, and they are:
- Kylie Lee Baker: I read The Scarlet Alchemist this year and LOVED IT!!! As you can see from the previous section it was my number 4 read of the year. I definitely want to read her previous duology now.
- Rachel Gillig: At the very end of 2023 I read both One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns (a duology) and boyyyyyyyyyy let me tell you, they were bangers. I’m very excited for whatever she writes next. The vibes were immaculate.
- Freydís Moon: I read two of their novellas, Heart Haunt Havoc and Wolf Willow Witch. These are the two horror books I read haha. But the books are also fantasy and also romance! We love a genre mashup. The books were SO well done, and they author has a handful of other novellas out so I will be checking those out.
- T. Kingfisher: I had been meaning to read her for ages, and I finally got around to it! I read Paladin’s Grace which was a really lovely book. I would call it cozy fantasy romance, though the plot is a little bit dark haha. It just still gave those cozy vibes! I am definitely going to continue this series, and check out her other books. I especially want to try her horror books, as I feel those won’t be too scary for me.
- Melissa Blair: When I heard about A Broken Blade – an NA fantasy about fae and written by an indigenous author?? – I basically bought it immediately. A friend and I buddy read it, and then immediately both purchased and buddy read the sequel haha. I really got sucked into the world. The third book in the series comes out soon, and I can’t wait!! And I am very excited for future books from Blair and to see how she grows as an author.
Other Highlights
Shockingly I do more than read books! I know, I know. That’s a total surprise right? Hahahha. Anyway, here are some of my other media favorites/highlights!
Movie Highlights:
- Dungeons & Dragons: Among Thieves
- Everything Everywhere All At Once
- Nimona
- Sunshine
- Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
TV Highlights:
- Wednesday
- The Bad Batch
- The Mandalorian
- Our Flag Means Death
- SPY X FAMILY
Video Game Highlights:
- Teamfight Tactics
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Death’s Door
- Ember Knights
- Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
Other Highlights:
- Pretty murals
- Astarion (a character from the video game Baldur’s Gate 3)
- My friends!!!
- Books and bookstores and libraries
- Playing Dungeons & Dragons with my friends
- BOBA!!!!!!
- My friends getting married!
How was your 2023, reading-wise and otherwise? Any new favorite books or other pieces of media? What was your favorite activity you did or experience you had?
I looooved seeing your Bookify Wrapped!! And seeing you marathon the Incryptid books was very fun, hehe. I’ll see if I can try that series this year, perhaps. Once I’ve given Toby another go, anyway. 😉
I’m so glad we all had each other to gush about the Devoured Worlds books. I’m excited to have a spoiler-tag-filled THP party when book three is out, hahaha.
I’m intrigued by all your fave new-to-you authors too, as they would all be new to me as well, and your praise has made me very intrigued!
Also, ahh, 2023, the Year of Astarion. 😌 My 2023 was pretty fantastic on the reading front! I read sooo much more than in previous recent years and it felt so nice to love reading again. 🥹
I’m still holding out for a Toby marathon from you hahaha. I think you might try T. Kingfisher – maybe we could buddy one of her horror books together, as I’ve heard they’re not super horror-y! And I’m so glad you’re back to reading <3
Well, I’ll have you know I added all the available audiobooks to my Libro.fm wishlist, hehe. It’s only like six or so of the books though, alas. But I’m really considering taking out a membership there, as that’s now possible for me to do in the UK, which is cool! But I’m getting super into the Rockton series I just started on audio, so I’ll hang tight for the moment. But do not fear, I definitely want to get back to Toby very soon!!
Oh, a buddy read would be fun! (Also, speaking of, I will start The Jasmine Throne… maybe not tonight, but definitely this weekend :P)
Happy belated new year! T Kingfisher seems to have really grown in popularity last year – I’ve seen so many folks name her as one of their favourite new-to-me authors of 2023 (myself included, haha).
yes, i agree!! it’s cool to see her get so popular
Ohh that’s some good year stats ! ☺️
I have also been obsessing through TOTK.. aand im back there again as I restarted the game ahah
hehe thank you!! oh man i need to go back, i actually didnt even finish the game even with all the time i put in hahahaha
Ahaha i can believe it! Every time I play I seem to discover something new
I loved reading this, Mackenzie!! I hope you have an absolutely AMAZING 2024!!
thank you so much nicole!!! <3
I love your graphics! It’s always fun to see the kinds of things people like to pick out as their highlights, I like the idea of looking back on top new-to-me authors