Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
2023 was a wonderful reading year for me. Kudos to Berthold Gambrel for recommending two of them to me. You know my taste in books so well. Or maybe we simply have very similar tastes in books.
Here are my favourite stories of this past year.
Links to my reviews have also been included as all of my answers this time also happened to belong to the genres and even the specific titles I discuss on this blog.
Isn’t it funny how that works sometimes?
Most years I would include at least a few other sorts of books I haven’t previously discussed here, but none of them struck me as favourites this time around. They weren’t bad reads or anything, just not top of the shelf ones.
There’s always next year, though.
1. The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz (My review)
Why I Loved It: The storyline had such a hopeful take on what the future could be like.
2. Autumn Moon by J.T. McCallum (My review)
Why I Loved It: The last sentence of it clinched everything together beautifully. Yes, I know this is vague, but I’m trying to avoid spoilers.
3. Memoirs of a Snowflake by Joe Vasicek (My review)
Why I Loved It: I mean, the protagonist was a sentient snowflake. That sort of creativity and risk-taking are both huge pluses in my opinion!
4. Hellf on the Shelf by Rumer Haven (My review)
Why I Loved It: It captures Elf on the Shelf culture perfectly!
5. War Bunny by Christopher St. John (My review)
Why I Loved It: I adore rabbits and books featuring them as characters even more.
6. Only the Living Feel Remorse – A Ghost Story by Ash Dena (My review)
Why I Loved It: Most ghost stories don’t scare me at all, but this one did. The protagonist was such a complex, deeply flawed, and memorable individual.
I haven’t read any of these but Memoir of a Snowflake sounds intriguing!
It was so good!
Hope you find many good ones in 2024 as well! Thanks for dropping by my post!
You’re welcome. Thank you for returning the favour.
Happy New Year, Lydia! Hellf on the Shelf looks so fun 🙂
Thanks. It was awesome.
A hopeful take on what the future could be like? I shall look for The Cybernetic Tea Shop!
I hope you love it. 🙂
Happy new year! War Bunny sounds good, I need to find an animal POV for challenges next year.
Thank you. It was such a good read! Hope you like it if you read it.
Hellf on the Shelf sounds like fun. I’m glad you loved all of these this year. Happy 2024.
Thank you. Happy 2024 to you as well.
These are all new-to-me! The Cybernetic Tea Shop looks right up my alley. Will be checking it out. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome. Enjoy.
I so enjoy seeing everyone’s favorites. Helf on the Shelf looks interesting.
It was awesome!
And, yeah, I’m enjoying seeing everyone’s favourites, too.
A sentient snowflake?! I love the idea! I’ve seen the whole Elf on a Shelf thing on social media, but I’ve never really looked into it, I might check out Hellf on a Shelf just to try to understand it.
Thank you. May you enjoy them if you read them.
Ooh, The Cybernetic Tea Shop sounds good! I’ll have to look into that. Memoirs of a Snowflake sounds like a fascinating idea, too.
I hope you like them!
I don’t think I’ve seen these on Goodreads or other lists, but that Elf book cover is cute. I see lots of parents talking about Elf on the Shelf during Christmas and wondering WHY they ever started it with their kids. 😉 Thanks so much for visiting my website today. I’m glad you found some great 2023 reads and hope you enjoy just as many in 2024!
You’re welcome.
Yeah, I don’t quite get the Elf on the Shelf thing either. But to each their own. 😉
Interesting list you’ve got here, lots of new to me titles!
Thank you.
These are great! I really liked the Cybernetic Tea Shop, too. Happy reading in 2024!
Here’s my TTT post this week.
Thank you!
I haven’t read any of these but I can see there would be two that appeal to me – the Snowflake one and the Hellf on a Shelf.
Cool!
Memoir of a Snowflake looks very creative — I’ve been reading Hans Christian Andersen stories lately and I think he’d approve.
For sure. 🙂
Looks like a lot of wonderful books. ONLY THE LIVING FEEL REMORSE sounds very intriguing as does AUTUMN MOON. I hope 2024 is just as good of a reading year for you! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
You’re welcome. And thanks.
I haven’t read any of these but Only the Living Feel Remorse – A Ghost Story sounds good! Great list and thanks for visiting my TTT!
You’re welcome. Yeah, that was a great one.
I haven’t read any of these but Memoirs of a Snowflake sounds like one I need to read. I hope that 2024 is good to you!!
Thank you. You, too!
Looks like a great reading year! I’m intrigued by Autumn Moon.
Cool!
An interesting looking list.
I hope you have a great week!
Thank you. You, too.
You always have a nice mix of books I haven’t heard of, LOL! Hellf on the Shelf sounds good, as did the one about the snowflake. Have a great week!
Aww, thanks. What a nice compliment.
Have a great week yourself.
I’ve never heard of any of these, but so glad you liked them. Thanks for stopping by my blog this week. Wishing you many happy reads for 2024!
You’re welcome. Happy New Year!
I love your list, so many interesting and quirky-sounding books. And the cover of The Cybernetic Tea Shop is fantastic.
Thank you. Yeah, it’s gorgeous.
This is a very interesting list. I especially like the idea of a sentient snowflake. And I just now got an ebook copy of War Bunny by Christopher St. John.
TracyK at Bitter Tea and Mystery
Awesome! Hope you like it.
I’m glad you had a great reading year. I’m not familiar with any of these authors but all the books you listed are intriguing. Thanks for the recommendations and happy reading in 2024!
You’re welcome. Happy New Year!
You may not think it’s a lot, but your comment about Autumn Moon is enough to make me want to read it. I love those kinds of endings. Where just that one sentence is everything. I did go and read your review, and it still sounds good. Adding it to my wish list. I also really like the sound of Only the Living Feel Remorse. Thank you for sharing these! They are all new to me.
Oh, that’s awesome. I hope you like those two books if or when you read them.
Interesting selections–all new to me! I assume (says the librarian) that you’ve read Watership Down if you love bunnies?
Yes, and I loved it! But thanks for the recommendation. 🙂
Looks like some great reads on here! I hope you have the same in 2024!
Thank you. 🙂
Memoir of a Snowflake looks so interesting!
It was wonderful.
Glad it was a good reading year! Hopeful takes on the future are always nice.
Thank you, Greg!
Hellf on the Shelf sounds fun and cute, i love that tradition
It was adorable. 🙂
I love the title The Cybernetic Tea Shop, which makes me want to read it😁
May you enjoy it if you do.
Nice list! Hellf on the Shelf sounds like a must read. Thankfully, my girls are older now. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by my blog.
You’re welcome. I hope you like Hellf on the Shelf if you read it.
The Cybernetics Tea Shop sounds absolutely fascinating! I’ll have to check it out!
May you enjoy it!
I have not read any of these, and my local library does not carry any of them. ugh!!!
I always love your lists.
Thank you, Rebecca. What a nice compliment.
I hope your library will someday carry the books I talk about!
I am not familiar with the books on your list, but they all sound promising, especially the ghost story. Happy 2024!
Thank you. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed my recommendations. 🙂 “Only The Living Feel Remorse” sounds interesting; I’ll check it out.
I think you’d like it a lot!
I’m definitely curious about the book that scared someone who doesn’t scare easily! I like a good ghost story as long as it isn’t too terrifying. I’m a bit of a wimp 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Heh, thanks. It was such a good read, but definitely not for the faint of heart.
The Cybernetic Tea Shop looks/sounds so good! I hope you have a wonderful reading year in 2024, Lydia 🙂
Thank you. You, too!
I love the title the Cybernetic Teashop and will have to go out and look for that one. Happy reading in 2024.
May you enjoy it. 🙂
Ooo I haven’t heard of any of these!
🙂
The Cybernetic Tea Shop sounds interesting!
It was awesome.
The Cybernetic Tea shop sounds like such an interesting story!
I sure liked it!
Some interesting books here that I may add to my list to read shortly. Thanks for sharing them.
That’s awesome. And you’re welcome.
I haven’t read any of these myself. I’m glad you loved them 😉
Thank you.
I’m not familiar with any of these! War Bunny catches my eye… Glad you found all these stories to love in 2023!
It was so good! And thanks.
The Cybernetic Tea Shop has such an intriguing title!
Agreed. 🙂
The Cybernetic Tea Shop sounds delightful. Usually books based in the future are so depressing!
Yes, they sure are. The hopeful ones are refreshing.
I simply have to add Only the Living Feel Remorse to my tbr! The question is, will I be able to wait until Halloween to get my hands on it?
Yay! I hope you love it.
Nice! Am intrigued by #1
Cool!
I haven’t even heard of any of these!
I try to think outside the box when I can. 🙂
Happy New Year, Lydia! You always have such fascinating books on your lists, especially since there’s so many that I’ve never heard of. I love your focus on indie books, and the diversity of genres that you read. Although I’m probably not going to ever read the ghost story that scared you since I try to stay away from books that scare me.
Aww, thank you. You made my day with this comment.
And, yeah, I think that ghost story would be too scary for you. 🙂
These are all new to me but I am especially interested in the snowflake and the Elf. I do complain about Elf on the Shelf, but my daughter still loves her elf so much that I will continue to bring Penelope out to help Eleanor hang on to that magic of Christmas for as long as she wants to. I see all kinds of crazy over the top elf kits and such. I don’t do that, I find things around the house for Penelope to get into and I love watching Eleanor’s joy when she discovers what Penelope has been up to each night.
What a sweet story. Thank you for sharing.
All of these are new to me but I’m glad to hear they were all such excellent reads.
Thank you.
Definitely have not heard of any of these outside your blog, what a fun post. (the title “Hellf on the Shelf” makes me cackle — if I ever take the plunge on a Kindle Unlimited trial, that’ll be first on my list to check out.)
😀
I haven’t heard of any of these but they all sound interesting in their own ways. Had to admit that the Hellf on the Shelf made me giggle. The sentient snowflake?! What a concept! Happy 2024 and thanks for stopping by my TTT post!
You’re welcome. Happy 2024 to you as well.
These are all new to me, but it sounds like you enjoyed a nice mix of books last year. I hope 2024 is a great reading year, as well!
Thank you, Dedra!
I love your “why I loved it” comments! I’ll definitely be checking out some of these titles! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Carol!