Sunday, December 31, 2023

First Sentences 2023

Opening sentences are our first step inside a story. Some hook us right away while others ease us in. I started keeping track of first sentences years ago. I enjoy looking back on these opening lines and seeing what memories they stir up. 

Below you will find the first sentences of books I read in 2023.

*

Kell wore a very peculiar coat. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab


You know your day is going swimmingly when you've been projectile vomited on and someone stole your Greek yogurt from the staff room refrigerator. ~ Exes & O's by Amy Lea


Mom? ~ Guts by Raina Telgemeier


The doors are new: Automatic open. ~ The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams


i spent a lot of time
searching ~ Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams


I am a copy editor. ~ Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dryer


Robbie lived just long enough to regret the seventh beer.  Speaker of the Lost by Clara Coulson


The man's voice cracked on the other side of the partition. ~ Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano


My morning swim doesn't usually involve corpses. ~ The Deep End by Julie Mulhern


"For the love of all that is holy, Veronica, the object is to maim or kill, not tickle," Stoker informed me, clipping the  words sharply as he handed me a knife. ~ A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn


Cardinal Woolsey's knitting shop has appeared on postcards celebrating the quaint view of Oxford, of which there are many. ~ The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren


RICHEH'S ALL SOLD OUT! ~ Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 10 by Kamome Shirahama


The sky above the Mississippi River stretched out like a song. ~ How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith


"Woman's asking for you, Mrs. Holloway." ~ The Secret of Bow Lane by Jennifer Ashley


Patricia was crying. ~ Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune


BWAAAH! ~ Spy x Family, Vol. 9 by Tatsuyo Endo


Don't worry--I'm dressed! ~ Uncle From Another World, Vol. 6 by Hotondoshineiru


There's an ebony steed that races across the heavens . . . ~ Magus of the Library, Vol. 1 by Izumi Mitsu


This is where I was going to put a simple Mary Oliver quote but instead I decided to replace it with the idea I had for the cover of this book because I'm pretty sure it'll never get accepted and I don't want it to go to waste. ~ Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson


Standing on the edge of a crowded road, I looked down onto the rolling fields and abandoned farms of the Tula Valley and got my first glimpse of the Shadow Fold. ~ Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo


Seven talented magi used their power to save the people from the brink of destruction. ~ Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 by Izumi Mitsu


The boy and the girl had once dreamed of ships, long ago, before they'd ever seen the True Sea. ~ Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo


The monster's name was Izumrud, the great worm, and there were those who claimed he had made the tunnels that ran beneath Ravka. ~ Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo


Though the  seven magi defeated the Emissary, war once more engulfed the continent of as each race struggled struggled for space in a in a devastated world.Magus of the Library, Vol. 3 by Izumi Mitsu


Libraries . . . Amassers of memories  . . . galleries dedicated to history's thread . . . and to monuments to all life across time.Magus of the Library, Vol. 4 by Izumi Mitsu


Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache. ~ Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


Retvenko leaned against the bar and tucked his nose into his dirty shot glass. ~ Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo


It started with a necklace. ~ Well Played by Jen DeLuca


There is a locket in my heart
that holds all of the questions
that do cartwheels in my mind
 and gurgle up to the top of my brain
like root beer fizz. ~ The Moon Within by Aida Salazar


"My mother always says it's common as pig tracks to go around with a run in your stocking," Helen says, eyeing Billie's ripped hosiery critically. ~ Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
 

Blurry, fractured memories swam through Sophie's mind, but she couldn't piece them together.  ~ Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger


Vera Wong Zhuzhu, age sixty, is a pig but she really should have been born a rooster. ~ Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto


Sophie's hand shook as she lifted the tiny green bottle. ~ Exile by Shannon Messenger


Thank you for everything you have given meMom, Can I Do My Laundry at Your House?: Poems from Your Adult Child by Olivia Roberts


It's a strange thing living with the sensation that the world might at any moment fall down around your ears. ~ Playing It Safe by Ashley Weaver


its possible
to want something you've never knownFlutter, Kick by Anna V.Q. Ross


The mirror slipped from Sophie's hands, landing on the petal-covered carpet with the softest thud. ~ Everblaze by Shannon Messenger


At an abandoned château on the wooded outskirts of Paris, a dark séance was about to take place. ~ The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner


When the shoe dropped into her lap the foot was still in it. ~ Falling by T.J. Newman


Sophie stumbled backward, scrambling closer to her friends as a cage of neon yellow flames erupted all around them. ~ Neverseen by Shannon Messenger 


I shivered in the parking lot of Darla's café. ~ Witch Upon a Star by Angela M. Sanders


Delilah Bard had a way of finding trouble. ~ A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab


"Everleigh." ~ A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari


Keep far away from Orion Lake. ~ The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik


The day was just exactly the sort Edwina Davenport most loved. ~ Murder at a London Finishing School by Jessica Ellicot


Sometimes spying on low-level royals can be so boring. ~ Flunked by Jen Calonita


This is what they want. ~ Lodestar by Shannon Messenger


Even in death the boys were trouble. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead


Before the lawsuits and protests, before the ground-penetrating radar and DNA testing, before we were stalked and before the citizens of Jackson County tried to have me arrested, before we ever stuck a shovel in the red dirt of North Florida to exhume bodies, I stood in the women's restroom as the news media gathered in the large room outside and began setting up their cameras and checking their microphones and waiting for me to step before them and tell them what I had learned about the dead boys.We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys by Erin Kimmerle


Shadow is not at all happy with me. ~ Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather 


Sophie stared at the gleaming trail that wound down. ~ Nightfall by Shannon Messenger 


Beth knew she couldn't leave for work until she dealt with the dead body on the beach. ~ Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon


"All Hallows' Eve--Salem's most celebrated night of the year," Charlene Morris said to Jack Strathmore, seated next to her on the love seat in the privacy of her personal suite. Mrs. Morris and the Witch by Traci Wilton


I dream sometimes of a house I've never seen. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow


The night I watch Athena Liu die, we're celebrating her TV deal with Netflix. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang


The involuntary morning mantra that had been running through my head every day for the past four months began as its usual time, nine thirty AM. ~ Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew


Paperwork, Algaliarept thought in resignation as he as he blew upon the ledger book to dry the ink faster. ~ Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond by Kim Harrison


November had arrived in Cambridge, bringing with it crisp, cool air, the emergence of mufflers and wool coats from closets, and--new to me, as an ex-pat American--Guy Fawkes Day. ~ The Fatal Folio by Elizabeth Penney


This time we win. ~ Flashback by Shannon Messenger


The house was everything she'd thought it would be. ~ Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter


The world was embroiled in the Great War of the Races. ~ Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 by Mitsu Izumi


Ninety-five years have passed in uneasy truth since the Great War of the Races. ~ Magus of the Library, Vol. 6 by Mitsu Izumi


CHIIIRP ~ Spy x Family, Vol. 10 by Tatsuya Endo


The king stood in a pool of blue light, unmoored. ~ Station Eleven by Emily St. James Mandel


It's been about ten months since uncle woke up.Uncle From Another World, Vol. 7 by Hotondoshineiru


Time  to eat!Uncle From Another World, Vol. 8 by Hotondoshineiru


Why is "Reader, I married him" one of the most famous lines in literature? ~ Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier


We need a new way to talk about teenage girls, because the way people do it now isn't fair to girls or helpful to their parents.  ~ Untangled by Lisa Damour


I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. ~ All Systems Red by Martha Wells


Since I have no family of my own, I am yearly asked by friends and colleagues to their homes for the Christmas holidays. ~ The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson


Getting married was murder. ~ Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb


The alley  was dark and stank of piss and vomit. ~ Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb


My name is . . . Kenny Loui.Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga, Vol. 1 by Loui, Kenny


Hey Saku-Senpai. ~ The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again, Today, Vol. 1 by Hitsuzi Yamada


© 2023, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Books Read 2023

[Books Read In 2023]

January
Schwab, V.E. - A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) (2016) - Fantasy
Lea, Amy - Exes and O's (Influencers #2) (2023) - Romance
Telgemeier, Raina - Guts (Smile #3) (2019) - Graphic Memoir/Middle Grade
Adams, Sara Nisha - The Reading List (2019) - Fiction
Williams, Renaada - Find Her. Keep Her. (2022) - Poetry
Dreyer, Benjamin - Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style (2019) - Nonfiction

February
Coulson, Clara - Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation) (2017) - Fantasy
Cosimano, Elle - Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy
Mulhern, Julie - The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) (Year Published) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy/Historical

March
Raybourn, Deanna - A Perilous Undertaking  (Veronica Speedwell #2) (2017) - Mystery/Suspense/Historical
Warren, Nancy - The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) (2018) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy/Paranormal
Shirahama, Kamome (translated by Stephen Kohler) - Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 10 (2022) - Fantasy/YA/Manga
Ashley, Jennifer - The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) (2022) - Mystery/Suspense/Historical/Cozy
Klune, T.J. - Under the Whispering Door (2021) - Fantasy

April
Endo, Tatsuya - Spy x Family, Vol. 9 (2022) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Manga
Hotondoshineiru (translated by Christina Rose) - Uncle From Another World, Vol. 6 (2021) - Fantasy/Manga
Izumi, Mitsu (translated by Hiroto Hamada) - Magus of the Library, Vol. 1  (2018) - Fantasy/Manga
Lawson, Jenny - Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things (2015) - Nonfiction/Memoir
Bardugo, Leigh - Shadow and Bone (#1) (2012) - Fantasy/YA
Izumi, Mitsu (translated by Hiroto Hamada) - Magus of the Library, Vol. 2  (2018) - Fantasy/Manga
Bardugo, Leigh - Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) (2013) - Fantasy/YA
Bardugo, Leigh - Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #3) (2014) - Fantasy/YA
Izumi, Mitsu (translated by Hiroto Hamada) - Magus of the Library, Vol. 3  (2019) - Fantasy/Manga
Izumi, Mitsu (translated by Hiroto Hamada) - Magus of the Library, Vol. 4  (2020) - Fantasy/Manga
Bardugo, Leigh - Six of Crows (#1) (2015) - Fantasy/YA

May
Bardugo, Leigh - Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) (2016) - Fantasy/YA
DeLuca, Jen - Well Played (Well Met #2) (2020) - Romance
Salazar,Aida - The Moon Within (2019) - Fiction/Middle Grade
Raybourn, Deanna - Killers of a Certain Age (2022) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Messenger, Shannon - Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) (2012) - Fantasy/Middle Grade

June
Sutanto, Jesse Q. - Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy
Messenger, Shannon - Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) (2013) - Fantasy/Middle Grade
Weaver, Ashley - Playing It Safe (Electra McDonnell #3) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Historical
Ross, Anna V.Q. - Flutter, Kick (2022) - Poetry
Messenger, Shannon - Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) (2014) - Fantasy/Middle Grade
Penner, Sarah - The London Séance Society (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Historical
Newman, T.J. - Falling (2021) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

July
Messenger, Shannon - Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) (2015) - Fantasy/Middle Grade
Sanders, Angela M. - Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy/Paranormal 

August
Schwab, V.E. - A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) (2016) - Fantasy 
Khavari, Kate - A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy/Historical
Novik, Naomi - The Last Graduate  (Scholomance #2) (2021) - Fantasy/YA
Ellicott, Jessica - Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy/Historical
Calonita, Jen - Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) (2015) - Fantasy/Middle Grade

September
Messenger, Shannon - Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) (2017) - Fantasy/Middle Grade
Whitehead, Colson - The Nickel Boys (2019) - Fiction/Historical
Kimmerle, Erin - We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys (2022) - Nonfiction/Historical
Thorne, Sally - The Hating Game (2016) - Romance
Fawcett, Heather - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (#1) (2023) - Fantasy

October
Messenger, Shannon - Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) (2017) - Fantasy/Middle Grade
Simon, Nina - Mother-Daughter Murder Night (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Wilton, Traci - Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) (2008) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy
Harrow, Alix E. - Starling House (2023) - Thriller/Horror
Kuang, R.F. - Yellowface (2023) - Fiction
Yew, Samara - Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) (2023) - Mystery/Cozy

November
Penney, Elizabeth - The Fatal Folio  (Cambridge Bookshop #3) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy
Messenger, Shannon - Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities #7) (2018) - Fantasy/Middle Grade
Carpenter, Callie - Death by Demo (Renovations Mystery #1) (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Cozy
Izumi, Mitsu (translated by Hiroto Hamada) - Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 (2021) - Fantasy/Manga
Izumi, Mitsu (translated by Hiroto Hamada) - Magus of the Library, Vol. 6 (2022) - Fantasy/Manga

December
Endo, Tatsuya - Spy x Family, Vol. 10 (2022) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Manga
Mandel, Emily St. John - Station Eleven (2014) - Fiction/Science Fiction
Hotondoshineiru (translated by Christina Rose) - Uncle From Another World, Vol. 7 (2022) - Fantasy/Manga
Hotondoshineiru (translated by Christina Rose) - Uncle From Another World, Vol. 8 (2022) - Fantasy/Manga
Chevalier, Tracy (edited by) - Reader I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre (2016) - Fiction/Short Stories
Damour, Lisa - Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood (2016)  - Nonfiction/Psychology/Self-Help
Wells, Martha - All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) (2017) - Science Fiction
Swanson, Peter - The Christmas Guest (2023) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Holiday
Robb, J.D. - Immortal in Death (#3) (1996) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Robb, J.D. - Rapture in Death (#4) (1996) - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Loui, Kenny, illustrated by Yamawe - Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga, Vol. 1 (2023) - Nonfiction/Graphic Novel
Yamada, Hitsuji - The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again, Today Vol. 1  (2019) - Manga/Fiction



© 2023, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

A Year in Review: 2023 / Current Reads / Recent Purchases & Bookish Loot

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.  



Happy New Year! Or nearly so as I write this. We have plans to ring in the new year with friends, but first I wanted to check in and say hello. We had a nice Christmas, although we all felt the absence of my father-in-law. We were fortunate to have my mom, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law here for the holiday. There were lots of hugs shared.

It was an especially rough week at work, and I ended up taking a much needed mental health day this past Friday. Hopefully the long weekend will rejuvenate me somewhat. 

Two thousand twenty three has been quite the year with its ups and downs in life, reading and in blogging. I had high aspirations for my blogging and in catching up on reviews, but it wasn't meant to be. I suffered through a couple of major reading slumps, and yet I still managed to read quite a bit in the end and am happy with how things turned out. I read many great books, reading more from my TBR and blacklist than I anticipated. 

Thank you for your visits and comments this past year. It means so much to me. I am glad to be a part of this community and to be able to connect with you--whether through my blog or yours. I have enjoyed visiting with you and look forward to seeing what this coming year will bring us, both in books and in life. 

Some Fun Meaningless 2023 Reading Statistics:


Number Of Books Read: 75

Genres Read:
(Some of what I read falls under more than one genre. Here, I count them under the genre I most identified with the book. Also of note, my categorization of each book by sub-genre using broad definitions).

Mysteries/Suspense/Thrillers - 22
        Cozies (contemporary setting) - 8 (3 of  which had paranormal elements)
        Historical - 7
        Suspense/Thriller - 6
        Gothic - 1 
Fantasy - 20 (including 7 middle grade Fantasy novels)
Manga - 13
Fantasy - 11
Mystery/Thriller - 2
Nonfiction - 7
Memoir - 3 (2 of which were graphic novels)
History - 2 
Grammar - 1
Psychology/Child Development - 1
Fiction - 4
Poetry - 4 (1 novel in verse)
Romance - 3
Science Fiction - 2
DNF - 1 (not included in count)

Of the books I read, 4 were audiobook, 35 were e-books, and 36 were in print (hardcover or trade).

The longest book I read was Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities #7) by Shannon Messenger (848 pages) and the shortest was Mom, Can I Do My Laundry at Your House?: Poems from Your Adult Child by Olivia Roberts (64 pages).

A fun chart from Storygraph of the overall moods of the books I read in 2023 (moods not determined by me): 

I will be sharing my all around top ten favorite books read in 2023 Tuesday and hope you will stop in and see what they are! 

How did your reading 2023 year in reading turn out? 


2023 Goals

Let's take a look at how I did on the goals I set for myself in 2023: 

Declutter my bookshelves and organize my bookshelves ~ I went through all of my shelves as well as my daughter's. I sorted our books, reorganized my shelves, and donated several boxes of books to the local library this past year (the library staff were especially grateful for the children's books!). 

Read at least one nonfiction/fiction pairing ~ I read The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead and Erin Kimmerle's We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys in September, both centered around the Dozier School for Boys. Both were exceptional reads.  

Continue catching up on my series reading project ~ A never-ending project considering how many series I am in the middle of and all the news ones I start. I do not mind though. I do love a good series!

Read a classic novel that has been on my to read list for longer than I can remember ~ This did not happen. I completely forgot this was one of my goals. 

Read at least three books my daughter recommends to me ~ I read seven of the Keeper of the Lost Cities books by Shannon Messenger, which is one of my daughter's favorite series. I have enjoyed it too. Admittedly, she was reluctant for me to read the series at first, but she came around. I also read Guts by Raina Telgemeier on request of my daughter, which I loved.

Complete my reading challenges for the year ~ I think I did fairly well with my 2023 reading challenges. Check out my results here

Read what I want, whether that be TBR books, review books, borrowed books or what have you ~ It was hard not to meet this goal considering it covered just about every book I read this year. 

Did you set any goals for this past year? How did you do?


The Witch With No Name (The Hollows #13) by Kim Harrison (in the middle of)
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff (just started)
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (beginning soon)

New to my shelves:
I treated myself to some books after recovering from COVID: 
Assistant to the Villain (#1) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travel Baldree

Post-Holiday purchase:
Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells

Mouse made out this Christmas, finding several books under the tree: 
The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1 by Nagabe
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy, Vol. 1 by Natsuki Hokami
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 11 by Kamome Shirahama
Creepy Cat, Vol. 2 by Cotton Valent
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
Alone by Megan E. Feeman
Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure (Dork Diaries #15) by Rachel Renee Russell
Forever Twelve (The Evers #1) by Stacy McAnulty
The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett
Nic Blake and Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy  (#1) by Angie Thomas
The History Club: Duel Across Time, Vol. 1 by Bret Baier
Astrology for Teens by Anne Bullock

No books made it under the Christmas tree for me this year, but I did receive a new e-reader! 

I received a couple bookstore gift cards and took advantage and bought several books on sale with one:
Don't Look Now: and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier
Just One Evil Act (Inspector Lynley #18) by Elizabeth George
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie
All the Things We Don't Talk About by Amy Feltman
The Golden Spider (Elemental Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Anne Renwick (free)
The History Bees (#1) by Maja Lunde
The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan by Beth Merlin & Danielle Modafferi
The Village Healer's Book of Cures by Jennifer Sherman Roberts
A Three Book Problem (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #7) by Vicki Delaney
Compulsory (Murderbot Diaries #0.5) by Martha Wells
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
The Spy Coast (The Martini Club #1) by Tess Gerritsen
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (#1) by Megan Bannen
The Only Purple House in Town (Fix-It Witches #4) by Ann Aguirre
Home (Murderbot Diaries, #4.5) by Martha Wells
Holiday in Death (#7) by J.D. Robb
The Complete Mary Wiles Chronicles by Erin Bedford
Splinter by Jasper Hyde

One of my coworkers surprised me late last week with a very bookish gift: five journals with bookish quotes on the covers, five matching pens, and a book-themed book bag. 

What new books made it onto your shelf recently? Did you receive any bookish books this holiday season?

Gracie and I wish you a Happy 2024!

Nina and I hope you read many great books in the New Year!

I hope you have a great week ! Let me know what you have been reading!

© 2024, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

My 2023 Reading Challenge Wrap Up


I have a confession to make. While I started off on the right foot with my 2023 challenges, I lost my focus early on. It is fortunate I tend to choose challenges and set goals that fit my regular reading patterns or else I might not have done so well with all of them. I am proud to say I did even better than I expected, especially in terms of reading books from my TBR shelves and wish list. 


With an overflowing TBR pile I hoped to whittle down a little more this year, I signed up for the Mount TBR Challenge hosted by My Reader's Block. I kept my goal on the lower side to allow myself room for those shiny new books I have trouble resisting as well. My goal: Pike's Peak (read 12 books I already own - prior to 2022)Final 2023 Count: 27 (Mount Blanc)

 Books Read:
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger
Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Falling by T.J. Newman
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Immortal in Death (#3) by J.D. Robb
Rapture in Death (#4) by J.D. Robb
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton



Much like the Mount TBR Challenge, I decided to tackle The Backlist Reader Challenge hosted by The Bookwyrm's Hoard to get through some of my older TBR and wish list books.  My goal: Read 10 books from my wish list/TBR pile that have been there since 2021. Final 2023 Count: 33

Books Read:
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger
Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Falling by T.J. Newman
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Immortal in Death (#3) by J.D. Robb
Rapture in Death (#4) by J.D. Robb
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab
Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

 

I seem to read more nonfiction when I take part in the Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted by Book'd Out and, wanting to make at least a small dent in my nonfiction TBR stack, I jumped at the chance to take part this year. My goal: Nonfiction Nipper (at least 3 books). Final 2023 Count: 7 (Nonfiction Nibbler)

Books Read
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier
We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys by Erin Kimmerle
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga, Vol. 1 by Kenny Loui and Yamawe



In an effort to get back into reading historical fiction this year, I took on the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by The Intrepid Reader. I love that this particular challenge is fairly broad in scope--any genre works as long as it qualifies as historical. My goal: Victorian Level (at least 5 books). Final 2023 Count: 10 (Renaissance Reader)

Books Read
The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (#1) by Heather Fawcett
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
Playing It Safe (Electra McDonnell #3) by Ashley Weaver
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead



The Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted by Bloggin' 'bout Books sounded too good to resist being that I enjoy books with bookish themes! My goal: Toe in the Door (read between 1-10 books with a bookish theme). I feel like I cheated with this one because I read six volumes of a manga series, but if ever there was a manga series focused on books (including the care and repairing of them), this one would be it. Final 2023 Count: 11 (Picking and Perusing)

Books Read
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Exes & O's by Amy Lea
Magus of the Library, Vol. 1 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)
Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)
Magus of the Library, Vol. 3 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)
Magus of the Library, Vol. 4 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)
Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)
Magus of the Library, Vol. 6 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)
The Fatal Folio (Cambridge Bookshop #3) by Elizabeth Penney
Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) by Angela Sanders
Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) by Samara Yew




I cannot seem to get enough of cozy mysteries these days, and so joined the Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. My goal: Snoop (10 Cozies of my choice). Final 2023 Count: 13

Books Read:
The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Death by Demo (Renovations Mystery #1) by Callie Carpenter
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano
Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
The Fatal Folio (Cambridge Bookshop #3) by Elizabeth Penney
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) by Angela Sanders
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto 
The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) by Nancy Warren
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton
Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) by Samara Yew



One of my personal goals this year was to read more poetry than I managed to read the year before, and I decided to join up with the Poetry Reading Challenge hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit again for a little extra motivation. My goal: 3 poetry books and a poem a day from A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane McMorland Hunter. Well, I did not follow through with reading a poem a day from Hunter's anthology, but I did better with the other half of my goal. Final 2023 Count: 4 poetry collections

Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
Flutter, Kick by Anna V.Q. Ross



I figured COYER Challenge hosted by Because ReadingMom With A Reading Problem, and Once Upon a Chapter would be an easy reading challenge to take on, especially the first Chapter: It's a Cold Summer (January through April), in which anything goes. I never officially signed up for Chapters 2 and 3 despite my intention to. I did not set a numeric goal for this challenge. I just wanted to have fun with it. 

Books Read (Chapter 1)
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Exes & O's by Amy Lea
Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier
Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) by Nancy Warren
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol, 10 by Kamome Shirahama (translated by Stephen Kohler)
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune



This past summer, I took part in the Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Sue of Book By BookThe challenge was to read one, two or however many books I chose that were over 400 pages long between May 25th and September 4th. I did not set a numeric goal. Final 2023 Count: 5

Books Read
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger (544 pages)
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger (592 pages)
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger (609 pages)
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger (672 pages)
A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab (513 pages)


And there you have it! I managed to complete all the challenges I signed up for (at least officially), even surpassing my goals for most of them. At least in terms of reading the books, even if not managing to post all the reviews. For me, that's a win. 


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