Happy New Year, Readers! I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve. Since there is zero chance I will finish a book tonight, I decided to write up my review of 2023.

Personally, 2023 was a year of massive changes in my life. Some were good, and some were bad, but I firmly believe you must take the bad to appreciate the good. The most significant change was that I separated from my husband of 14 years in August. We're working through the divorce process amicably, but it's a hard change regardless of how civil we are towards each other. While the ending of my marriage and the familial relationships associated with it is sad, I'm becoming a better version of myself as a result. In these last few months, I've become more confident and more independent, and there's been a huge positive change in my mental health. There have also been some who have stepped up and been fantastic support systems in my life when I needed it most. Another significant change is that I got a kitten who is trying to test my patience.

I know many people would rather not read the personal stuff on a blog. I'll keep it short, but the changes made in 2023 will lead me (and this blog) into exciting things in 2024. This blog got really neglected in 2023, and I'm sorry for that. In 2024, I plan to get back to posting more. I don't know that I'll be able to do a review for every book like I used to, but I'll at least try to post more in general. 2024 is also the 10th anniversary of this blog. The official start date was in May. It's crazy to me that I've been doing this for so long. I assumed I'd get bored of it after a few months.

In addition to more posts, I plan to have my first book published sometime this year. I've been working on it for more years than I care to admit, but it finally feels like time. I'll be self-publishing it because I'm a control freak and don't want to deal with big publishing houses. I'll update everyone on that journey and post links to buy when it's released. Unrelated, Tress and I are working on something exciting that we think many of you will enjoy. We're still in the development process of it, though, so more details will come on what it is.

So, that's it for the personal recap. Now, on to the reason why we're all here - books.

I set a Goodreads Goal of 30 books. I ended up finishing with 50 books read. I was able to get a few of the teirs completed. Some of these books seem like I read them a lifetime ago, and I wish I hadn't burned through my Free Spaces so quickly. I say that every year, though. Something new for me this year was I finally got into audiobooks. They've been amazing while I've been working. I didn't think I'd like them - but I'm hooked. Yes, I'm counting them towards my goals. No, I'm not going to have debates on whether or not it counts towards reading. If you like audiobooks - count them. If you don't, don't listen to or count them.

My favorite audible book was, by far, the Wandering Inn by Pirateaba. It led me into a new-to-me genre and was an excellent fit for #9, as the entire world is set around gaming levels. It's super interesting, and I highly recommend it. I'm about halfway through book 2 already. My least favorite book, in general, was Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky.

This was definitely a year of reading series for me. I got into a lot of interesting ones. Some I still need to finish. A lot of good material for the 2024 Challenge, which can be found here.

So, without further ado, here is my final update for the 2023 Reading Challenge.

Books Read that didn't fit in the challenge:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A Soul of Ash and Blood

Level 1: Book of the Month Club - 11/12

1 Read a book recommended to you on social media or by a friend - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

2 Read a book under 300 pages - The Convent's Secret by C.J. Archer

3 Read a book with a female main character - Serpent's Kiss by Melissa De La Cruz

4 Read a book by an author whose name is Samantha, Sam, or a variant - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

5 Read a book that was written by an author from your home state. -The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin

6 Read a book you meant to read for last year's challenge. -The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe

7 Read a book with a basic shape on the cover (examples: Circle, Square, Heart, star, Diamond) - The Cheater's Game by C.J. Archer

8 Read a book you got from Project Gutenberg, a library, or another nonprofit source.

9 Read a book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up (fiction or nonfiction) - The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba

10 Read a book that starts with the first letter of your name - The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

11 Read the next book in a series you haven't read in a while - The Hunted by Jeff Wheeler

12 Free Space! Pick any book - The Ink Master's Silence by C.J. Archer

Level 2: Casual Reader Club- 9/12

13 Read a book by Mary Faulkner (or one of her aliases - https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/mary-faulkner/) or https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Most-Explosively-Prolific-Writers-of-All-Time?fbclid=IwAR3TElJGQtHUw3tTCQsi0qJ2aXfk1k2udEn0Y9BPY_ebippZusMujse3p2M

14 Read a book of short stories or a novella - Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon

15 Read a book that involves a lot of traveling - The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout

16 Read a book published in 1998 (25 years ago)

17 Read a book with a yellow cover. - Hexed by Kevin Hearne

18 Reread a book you have recommended to someone else. -Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

19 Read a book by Dean Koontz

20 Read a book with a one-word title – Alice by Christina Henry

21 Read book 1 in a trilogy - Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

22 Read book 2 in a trilogy - Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

23 Read book 3 in a trilogy - Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

24 Free Space! Pick any book - Savage Lands by Stacey Marie Brown

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club- 12/12

25 Read a book that takes place somewhere you'd like to live- Changeless by Gail Carriger

26 Read a book recommended by https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/- From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

27 Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends - The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

28 Read a book with a neon-colored cover- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

29 Read a book that has under 1,000 reviews or ratings on a website or app - The Camden Spiritualist by Emily Organ

30 Read a middle-grade book (8-12 age range) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

31 Read a book with the word "Time" in the title - Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness

32 Read a book about a famous criminal(s) - Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

33 Read a movie novelization book (movie to book, instead of book to movie) - Hocus Pocus & The Sequel by A.W. Jantha

34 Read a fiction or nonfiction book that motivates you to be a better version of yourself- The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

35 Read a self-published book - Wild Lands by Stacey Marie Brown

36 Free Space! Pick any book - Bad Lands by Stacey Marie Brown

Level 4: Speed Reader Club - 8/12

37 Read a book that is over 600 pages- Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

38 Read a book from ListChallenge's Rory Gilmore Challenge https://www.listchallenges.com/rory-gilmore-reading-challenge - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

39 A book by an author named David/Dave - Trailer Park Trickster by David R. Slayton

40 Read a "Dark Academia" novel - A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

41 Read a book with a title that starts with the letter V

42 A book set in Asia or an Asian-inspired culture

43 Read a book with a cat on the cover. - The House Witch by Delemhach

44 Read a Folklore book or book based on Folklore- Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

45 Read a book where the main character is a dancer.

46 Read a book by a new author.

47 Read a book that involves a conspiracy - The First Prophet by Kay Hooper

48 Free Space! Pick any book - Blood Lands by Stacey Marie Brown