My 2023 Year in Reading at GoodReads
17 Fiction. 26 NonFiction.
12 Female Authors. 31 Male.
27 Library Digital. 11 Audiobooks.
48 books. 13,795 pages. 20 Fiction. 28 NonFiction.
13 Female Authors. 35 Male. 14 Print. 34 Digital.
32 books. 8,582 pages. 16 Fiction. 16 NonFiction.
16 Female Authors. 16 Male. 7 Print. 25 Digital.
33 books. 8,029 pages. 14 Fiction. 19 NonFiction.
16 Female Authors. 17 Male. 14 Print. 19 Digital.
46 books/14,455 pages. 17 Fiction. 29 NonFiction.
20 Female Authors. 26 Male. 22 Print. 24 Digital.
52 books/12,504 pages. 20 Fiction. 32 NonFiction.
30 Print. 22 Digital. 21 Female Authors. 31 Male.
47 books/15,472 pages. 18 Fiction. 29 NonFiction.
19 Print. 28 Digital. 16 Female. 31 Male.
50 books/18,944 pages. 22 Fiction/28 NonFiction.
18 Print/32 Digital. 15 Female/35 Male.
44 books/14,765 pages. 25 Fiction/19 NonFiction.
30 Print/14 Digital. 10 Female/34 Male.
39 books/14,316 pages. 18 Fiction/21 NonFiction.
20 Print/19 Digital. 14 Female/25 Male.
This year I read 43 books, just five less than last year (when I read many more short books to more fully bounce back into numbers). But 43 is 10 more books than I was reading back in 21 and 20! And most crazy is just how many more NEW (aka Frontlist) books I read this year compared to most years.
I never kept track before, since it was never this blatently obvious, but when I was collecting my data I noticed this trend towards recently published / new books. 21 out of 43 (almost half) of the books I read in 2023 WERE RELEASED IN 2023. Add in the 8 I read that were published in 2022 and now 2/3rds of the books I read in 2023 were published in the last two years... wow.
Guess as I've gotten deeper and deeper into publishing news, marketing, social, and advertising... I'm more susceptible to jumping into newer books as they're publishing - curious to see what the fuss is about... and it's paying off. I loved so much of what I read this year.
Despite again almost reading 10 more NonFiction books than Fiction, it's the Fiction I recall most fondly and have a harder time forgetting. While I certainly enjoying learning about Matthew Perry, behind the camera stories of Bourdain, east coast sharks trends, the recent history of the internet, fraternity-centered modern crime rings, the history and controversies of The Oscars, an oral history of emo, and what it's like to go blind and be a doctor that's dying, the best nonfiction was closer to therapy... Good Inside (the best parenting book I've read) and I Think You Should Talk to Someone (a therapy book wrapped in memoir).
Fiction (perhaps as it's the most different from my day-job work) was the standout - as I loved most every novel I read in 2023. A reminder that I should pick it up more (especially in print - as I read the least EVER print fiction this year, just because I rely so much on the library and love my Kindle Oasis experience). I read one Kevin Wilson novel, then went and almost immediately read two more.
I listened to more audiobooks than ever (four more than last year) in lieu of podcasts on my walking commute or over long family drives in the front seat while everyone else slept... while switching back to the Kindle version in bed at night. I highly recommend this hybrid model! I credit it completely with getting me through the LBJ book and it was really fun to do with Tegan and Sara's memoir (since they splice in old audio archives during their stories - so well done!).
Also again like last year, I read twice as many male writers as female writers - not intentionally! And it's helpful to look back on this now, as I wasn't always aware I was doing that, since my favorites from the year were more books by women writers - also again!
If any book ever catches your interest, I hope you follow through in finding a way to acquire and read it - check out my reviews (I write a review for every book I read) and let me know what you’re reading these days.
So in 2024 I'm pledging to pick up more fiction, more women authors, and more print (and maybe more older books?)... if just to reverse some continuing trends from the last two years. Thus, send me your recommendations. And without further ado, here are mine...
My top 3 reads from 2023:
Now is Not the Time to Panic
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
romaincrisis
blakekathryn
izzy806
titsay
vaporwave
prguitarman
theartofmadeline
tangentwithtanner
andulkaphoto
ellievsbear
