Year-End Book Wrapup 2023

Once again, my goal this year was to read 75 books and complete the Read Harder Challenge.  I finished 88 books and completed the RHC; you can check out which book I read for each category and see links to reviews in last year's post.

One of the challenges was, like last year, to "repeat a challenge from any of the previous years.” Both this year and last I went back to 2015, since I wasn’t doing this challenge in 2015.   This year I read a microhistory; last year I read a self-help book.

However, a lot of the other books I read (excluding the ones I read for the challenge this year, since I don’t double dip) also covered challenges in 2015. Here’s a list:

A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people) - Forward
A book published before 1850 - Northanger Abbey
A book that was originally published in another language 
- The Aosawa Murders
A romance novel - Very Sincerely Yours
A book that someone else has recommended to you - Mercury Pictures Presents
A book by a person whose gender is different from your own - Madly, Deeply
A YA novel - 6 Times We Almost Kissed….
A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25 - Never Kiss Your Roommate 
A book published this year -  Friday I’m in Love
A book by or about someone that identifies as LGBTQ - It’s Not Like It’s a Secret
A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure - A Pocket Full of Rye 
A book that takes place in Asia - Earthlings
A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65 - Endless Night
A book that is a retelling of a classic story - The Love Match
A sci-fi novel - Cold People
A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind  - Boys Weekend

So I have six remaining categories from 2015 that I’ve never done, which I can work my way through in the next couple of years.

Top five books of the year:

1. Against White Feminism

This was the most personally transformative book I read this year, about divesting feminism not from white people, but from white supremacy. A challenging and worthwhile read.

2. Boys Weekend

Another entry from later in the year, but just delightful, satirical, clever. I’m not usually a huge graphic novel fan, but I loved all the easter eggs in this one.

3. I Have Some Questions for You  

Rebecca Makkai is absolutely great. I think after I finished this I immediately went back to reread The Great Believers.

4. Life Ceremony  

I love Japanese literature, and actually this book and the next both fall in that category. This one (by the author of the incredible Convenience Store Woman)  is probably not for everyone, since it gets a bit gruesome, but I love her writing.  I’m not usually a short story fan at all, but I adored this.

5. The Decagon House Murders

I read quite a few Japanese murder mysteries this year, and this homage to And Then There Were None was my favorite.

Honorable mentions: Big Swiss, Open Throat, 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), The Anthropocene Reviewed, The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era, My Brother's Husband, Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist


Bottom three books:



1. You Can Go Your Own Way



I finished this because it was a YA and it was quick but man, I got so angry at this book. Barely a plot, and the summary was a huge lie.

2. Cold People



I only finished this for the sake of being a ToB completist.  It had potential but absolutely no ending whatsoever, and the worldbuilding doesn’t quite cohere. 

3. The Other Black Girl



Read for the RHC last year and it sounded great, but was disappointing.  I felt like it ultimately failed to come together.
 
2024 plans: 

For 2024 my goal will once again be 75 books, and the Read Harder Challenge. I will track my Read Harder Challenge books here throughout the year and use the tag 2024 rhc.   


Some initial thoughts: My friend loaned me Legends & Lattes so the first category is a gimme. I like the author event category although that could be a challenge. I don’t know how to determine “a book that went under the radar in 2023” (what counts as “the radar”) but I’ll give that one some thought.  

 For “previous year’s challenges” I think Blackouts by Justin Torres would count for “A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade” and it’s also in the Tournament of Books, so that's my plan there.  The others need some more thought! The full list of categories:

Total: 2/24


[_] Read a cozy fantasy book.
[_] Read a YA book by a trans author.
[_] Read a middle grade horror novel.
[_] Read a history book by a BIPOC author.
[_] Read a sci-fi novella.
[_] Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
[_] Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
[_] Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
[_] Read a book recommended by a librarian.
[_] Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
[_] Read a picture book published in the last five years.
[_] Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author.
[_] Read a comic that has been banned.
[_] Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
[_] Read a YA nonfiction book.
[_] Read a book based solely on the title.
[_] Read a book about media literacy.
[_] Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
[X] Read a romance with neurodivergent characters: Yes & I Love You
[_] Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
[_] Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
[_] Read a manga or manhwa.
[_] Read a “howdunit” or “whydunit” mystery
[X] Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! Blackouts (National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade)