Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there is a new topic, and you compile ten books that fit the theme. You can find more information here.
Since I would have done a roundup of my favourite books of the year anyway, I need very little excuse to do this Top Ten Tuesday! I love the chance to look back at what I've read and shout about the best ones once more before I get sidetracked by my 2024 reading... so here we go!
First, it has to be These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs. An outstanding debut and an excellent story that I have spent many hours thinking about. I am already tempted to reread it... it deserves the Best Book of 2023 Award from me.
Next it had to be one from my Robin Hobb binge and I chose Fool's Fate because it has one of my favourite endings (so bittersweet!!) and it's probably the one I've thought of most since finishing it.
Sea of Souls by N.C. Scrimgeour comes in third, because it managed to hook me after my Robin Hobb hangover, and for that I am eternally grateful. It's also just beautifully written, has an exciting plot, and excellent characters!
Fourth is A Pale Light in the Black by K.B. Wagers which I read at the perfect time! I was looking for something fun and lighthearted, and this sci-fi adventure was exactly what I needed! Also A+ for character building.
Coming in the top 5, it's the only non-fiction on this list: The Lost Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole. It blew my mind, made me want to wander the entire west coast of Britain, and disappear into the wild.
I know I already have one by Hobb, but Assassin's Fate has to be up here because as a concluding volume to all 16 Elderling books it is an absolute masterpiece! It made me feel many things and broke my heart and brought me great satisfaction at the same time.
Seventh in the lineup is Painted Devils by Margaret Owen. This would have been higher up on the list if I hadn't gotten so frustrated with Vanya at times! I also didn't realise it was going to have a sequel (thought it was a duology) and so that ending left me shocked!
Next is probably the most fun book I read in 2023: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. This was my first Scalzi book, and it probably won't be my last. I laughed out loud, and enjoyed the action sequences and wit very much.
Ninth is Dragonfall by L.R. Lam which was on my most anticipated list of releases for the year, and which is absolutely devoured. I loved it at the time, but it didn't stick with me as long as some of my other reads, so it has to be content with a lower spot on the list.
And finally, another fun read, it's Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman! This was swashbuckling adventure, with a great setting and fun crew, that made me interested in vampires again!
Have you read any of these? What were your top reads of 2023?
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