Day: January 2, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Reads from 2023

/ Kristi / 14 Comments

It’s time for another Top Ten list from That Artsy Reader Girl. The topic today is a look back at our favorite books from the past year. Since I already pick out my favorite book at the end of each month of reading, it wasn’t too hard to narrow the books from the year down to 10. I also made sure there was only 1 book from any series, so I had to add runners-up from some months. Here they are, listed in the order in which I read them throughout the year.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I never planned to read these books, and I liked it a lot more than I expected to. See my full review here.

2. The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
I specifically enjoyed the audiobook, which is narrated by the authors. Though I also flipped through the ebook to see the pictures they reference now and then. See my full review here.

3. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Another audiobook, I anticipated a plodding read through a depressing winter, but it ended up being one of my favorites in the series.  See my full review here.

4. Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson
This series has surprised me by being quite engaging. This book is one of my favorites so far. See my full review here.

5. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
Third audiobook on the list, and while I enjoyed all of this series, I especially appreciated this one, where Ramona bonds with her father. See my full review here.

6. The Woman from Lydia by Angela Elwell Hunt
Probably one of my favorite Biblical fiction books ever. I’m really looking forward to future books in this new series! See my full review here.

7. Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou
I have been recommending this book to everyone! I loved it, and I’m not even an art lover! See my full review here.

8. Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa
This one surprised me by being a stand-out suspense/thriller novel with a Christian worldview. See my full review here.

9. Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch
I can’t say enough about this series, for which this is the final book, or the series that it follows up!  The possibility that this is the end of this story world makes me immensely sad. See my full review here.

10. The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix
Not only did this teach me about a man whose name I’ve heard but whom I knew nothing about, it gives backstory and explanation about Hitler’s rise to power in a way that isn’t dry or boring. See my full review here.

Have you read any of these? What were some of your favorite reads this year?

December in Review

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

I read 12 books last month, a respectable end to the year’s reading. Though the total page count was the lowest of the 2nd half of the year, reflecting quite a few shorter books in there. I hit my Goodreads goal of 130 books early in the month, but I had no idea until I checked the site later. That made me sad, since I like seeing the announcement that I reached my goal, but for whatever reason, I didn’t get that. So I added 5 books to the goal and kept going. Again, no announcement. So I set it for 140 books, which I ended up hitting with the very last book I read this month. Still no pop-up for me, so I gave up. I was out of time anyway. But then the next day, I went to the Goodreads app, and it randomly popped up to tell me I’d reached my goal. So yay, now I have a picture to share!

Here are the books I read in December:

mcgee-9
jeeves-6
shiloh
ramona-8
porcelain
alls-fair
lemoncello-gn
caffeine
39-8
LOTR3
faithful-spy
tcw-28

‘Twas the Fight before Christmas by Bill Myers (5 / 5)
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (2 / 5)
Ramona’s World by Beverly Cleary (3.5 / 5)
The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy (3 / 5)
All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon (4 / 5)
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, the Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein (5 / 5)
A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong (2.5 / 5)
The Emperor’s Code by Gordon Korman (4.5 / 5)
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (4 / 5)
The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix (5 / 5)
The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell by Lilian Jackson Braun (2.5 / 5)

This list includes 3 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from December was The Faithful Spy. I started 0 series, continued 4 series, and finished 2 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.