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Top 13 Books Read In 2023

Usually, I would post this at the very end of December. I don’t really keep detailed statistics on the books that I read as I see many Booktubers do. After a year of spent reading steadily, I reached my goal of reading 63 books. I gave a total of 13 books 5 out of 5 stars. The books might not be the most popular or highly rated. They are books that touched me at some level, that I found compelling, interesting, poignant, or fun to read.

Here is the list in the order that I read them:

1. Woman at Sea by Catherine Poulain
2. Ghosts in a Photograph by Myrna Kostash
3. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
4. Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
5. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
6. In Search of a Better World by Payam Akhavan
7. Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
8. Dreaming Home by Lucian Childs
9. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
10. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
11. The Rebellious Tide by Eddy Boudel Tan
12. Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back: Stories of Nishnaabeg Re-Creation, Resurgence, and a New Emergence by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
13. Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

I read 24 books by Canadian authors, and 32 books by BIPOC authors.

The longest book was Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

The shortest book was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

It is only a couple of days until December when I will be posting this video. It is the end of the year. Time to reflect on this year, and start looking forward to 2024. I met my reading goals this year, and I found myself growing and changing as a reader as I get older, and I find more ways to make reading challenging in ways that help me understand the world better, as well as for reading to be rewarding in my personal and career goals. Happy reading whether it is for work, school, or leisure!

Dasher – Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts

Dancer – Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler

Prancer – I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

Vixen – The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Comet – Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Cupid – Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Donner – The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Blitzen – Tomorrow in Shanghai by May-Lee Chai

Rudolph – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Bonus – The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill

Let’s go Team Snowflake!!!

November Reading Plans – Nonfiction November TBR

I am posting this at Midnight on Halloween as the calendar page is turned to November. As the end of the year approaches, I find myself looking forward to reading books I have meant to read that have lingered on my shelves for a while, as well as books that are more recent additions.

The online event, Nonfiction November begins, and I can say that I have already started reading them, so here’s hoping I will actually finish a few books as the busy holiday season is about to begin.

Here are the books I have picked to read, and there will be more added to the list as my attention will most likely wonder.

1. Opinions by Roxane Gay
2. Klee Wyck by Emily Carr
3. Superfan by Jen Sookfong Lee
4. Truth Telling by Michelle Good
5. Bedroom Rapper by Rollie Pemberton

It is October and I am here for the cooler weather, and more haunting atmosphere in these parts.

Here is a list of books that I would like to read in October. I will see how many I get to by the end of the month. There are sure to be more books I would like to read.

• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• The Gunslinger by Stephen King
• Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
• The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
• The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
• Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Only One Left by Riley Sager
• On Such A Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
• Lore by Alexandra Bracken

The 2023 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Awards will take place on Saturday, September 16 in Medicine Hat from 4 to 6 pm.

Her Honour Salma Lakhani will be speaking, along with the recipients of the awards – Mieko Ouchi, Michelle Thrush, and Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby.

Mieko Ouchi is an award-winning writer for the stage and screen. Her play The Red Priest premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary in 2003 and became a Governor General Award nominee.

“I am so excited to head down to Medicine Hat, to connect with the Lieutenant Governor, and award recipients,” Ouchi says. “With life in theatre and T.V. it is great to have the opportunity to create my own work, to write own plays and to write own T.V.”

Ouchi’s most recent play was Burning Mom, which had a theatrical production in April to May 2023 at the Royal Manitoba Theatre in Winnipeg.

It is a play about her mother Dorothy Ouchi who decides to make the journey to Burning Man a year after the death her father.

Along with each artist receiving $30,000 they also will have artist residency at the Leighton Centre, which is part of the Banff Centre.

“The award is impactful,” Ouchi says. “The financial prize lets me have time to take off work, and I write really well in writing retreats.”

Ouchi will be working on a new project during the retreat which involves an alternative history of Canada, and a young Queen Elizabeth.

Michelle Thrush is a Nehiyaw performing artist known for her work in television, film, and theatre stage. She is currently the artistic director of the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society, and is the founder of Southern Alberta Indigenous Youth Awards.

Her CV includes Arctic Air, Moccasin Flats, North of 60, Northern Exposure and Blackstone.

Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis are Calgary-based animators. Their recent short animation, The Flying Sailor is the latest of their works to be nominated for an Oscar in 2022. The animation was produced through the National Film Board, as were their previous works.

“The award is an exciting moment for us,” Forbis says on the phone. “We have travelled around the world, and the recognition is always more meaningful to be recognized by our own province.

The weekend for the award recipients begins on Friday, September 15 with a luncheon at the Medalta ceramic factory. At the award night on Saturday will be music, a jingle dancer, and each Distinguished Artist Award recipient will choose another artist to support with $3,000

On a Saturday September evening, take a trip to La Serenissima. It is the Fall fundraiser for the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre’s ‘La Serenissima’: Harry Kiyooka 2023 Memorial Fundraiser

It is a night to honour one of the centre co-founders Harry Kiyooka.

Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe founded the art centre which has largest outdoor sculpture park located on a 20-acre botanical garden that is a rehabilitated wetland at the edge of Calgary’s limits.

“It is super exciting to learn from a prolific artist, and the lasting legacy that he has created with co-founded Katie Ohe,” says Alice Lam, board member for the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre.

Harry Kiyooka has influenced many artists over the years as an artist and arts educator.

The highlight of the evening will be works from his Venetian series, along with displays of his books and sketches.

When planning the event, Alice says, “It is a delicate process to go through to curate for the event specifically and to see how different eras had an impact on what he produced. It is cool to look at something and imagine his impact on artists young and old.”

“I am floored by the response from the community,” she says.

Along with art, there will also be music, food from Lina’s Italian Market, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

A live auction will take place, as well as an open studio tour with resident artists showing their pieces.

It will be night for art lovers and art collectors.

The fundraiser will be on Saturday, September 16 from 5 pm to 8 pm.

The Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre is located at 244034 Horizon View Rd, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The Wild Mandrake
by Jason Jobin
Dundurn Press

Not That Kind of Place
By Michael Melgaard
House of Anansi

The Abduction of Seven Forgers
By Sean Dixon
Freehand Books

Like Every Form of Love
By Padma Viswanathan
Random House Canada

It is September. That means it is time for my September TBR. This is not everything I want to read. It is to guide my reading as I have many more titles I can include. I could read one or two from this list, or I could end up not reading any of the books. It helps to build my excitement by setting down plans to read and the fun is to see where the reading takes me in the creative life that I have.

Thanks for dropping by.

Here are the titles for this month:

• Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
• Bunny by Mona Awad
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
• Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back: Stories of Nishnaabeg Re-creation, Resurgence and a New Emergence by Leanne Betasamosake
• Writers & Lovers by Lily King
• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
• Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
• On Such A Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee

August 1, 2023

Falling Back in Love With Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls

By Kai Cheng Thom

Random House of Canada

August 8, 2023

East Side Story: Growing Up at the PNE

By Nick Marino

Arsenal Pulp Press

August 15, 2023

South

By Babak Lakghomi

Dundurn Press

August 22, 2023

Back in the Land of the Living

By Eve Crocker

House of Anansi

The magical readathon starts July 29 for all the eager scholars.

I have chosen Herbologist as my career path. There are three letter grades one can achieve: O for Ordinary, Q for Qualified, and D for Distinguished.

At this time, my requirements are to achieve Q in Alchemy and Q in Restoration.

Here are the books I have selected for Alchemy. I only have to read the first two,

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, to fulfill the prompt of the first book in a series for the Ordinary Grade

And Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee, to fulfill the prompt of a continuation of a series, for the Qualified Grade.

I can be ambitious and read Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson, to fulfill the prompt of the last book in a series, to achieve the Distinguished Grade.

For more information on the Readathon check out Book Roast on YouTube for the latest videos.

Posted: Thursday, July 27, 2023