My Year In Books: 2023

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In 2023 I read 102 books with a total of 31,406 pages. This is significantly less than any year since I started tracking this in 2017 (the previous low was 198), which I think can be at least partially attributed to the “Read What You Own” challenge that I took part in at the beginning of the year. Books generally languish in the TBR pile because I’m less excited about reading them, and lack of excitement translated to lack of momentum.

I gave six books five stars, three of which were not rereads.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe #0.1)

It was al-Jahiz who, through mysticism and machines, bore a hole to the Kaf, the other-realm of the djinn. His purpose for doing so—curiosity, mischief, or malice—remained unknown. He later disappeared, taking his incredible machines with him. Some said even now he traveled the many worlds, sowing chaos wherever he went.

This is possibly the thing I felt the most guilt about never previously getting around to. A short story about a dapper lesbian detective investigating the murder of a djinn in alt-history 1912 Cairo yet somehow I never found the half an hour necessary to read it? Well, I finally did, and it did not disappoint. (I think my brain was worried that it would be grim and depressing, which it was not.)

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik (The Scholomance #3)

I was angry at them for everything they’d done to build it, and I also couldn’t stand to just turn my back and let it all come tumbling down. It wouldn’t have fixed anything they’d done. It would only have made an even worse waste of it all.

I’ve already written a somewhat spoilery post about this series, and this final entry absolutely nails the landing. It does, however, do this by not giving the reader everything they’ve been conditioned to want, so it may disappoint some people who are not me.

Deep Roots by Ruthanna Emrys (The Innsmouth Legacy #2)

This world wasn’t the one I wanted, but it was one I could work with. For however long we could keep it whole.

This series is one of my favourite types of Mythos work: while (mostly) not contradicting Lovecraft’s canon it recontextualizes the pervasive xenophobia and fear of miscegenation as the monstrous racism that it is, not a rational and reasonable response to the Other. (Plus we get a gay Jewish FBI agent, as a little treat.)