Hey there, book lovers!
Holy shite, the end is finally nigh. Like everybody else, I still feel like it’s 2020. Ugh.
It’s been a rough and tough year. Toward the end, I was ready to start making some waves, some changes. That is still in motion, and it’s scary and exciting and really testing my anxiety as well as my ability to believe in myself, but it’s been worth it.
This year was filled with goals of reading more Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but I came up two books shy of the goal, I feel good about it. Dune is a doozy though, so I’m not mad about it. For my Goodreads goal I managed 51 out of 75 books and that’s okay too! I don’t feel bad about these goals or pressured, but I do like to keep hopes high. LOL. I am pretty proud about what I’ve read. I’ve completed a few series and got to read some 2022 releases that I was excited about. Unlike last year, this wasn’t a bad year for reading.
Without furtherado, take a scroll and see which books made the top ten. Maybe you’ve read a couple of these this year. Or, maybe you’ll add a couple to you 2023 TBR.
10. Neon Gods
Author: Katee Roberts
Mythos + dirty smut = 🥵
While it wasn’t supreme storytelling, the scenes were vivid, penetrating, and spicy. This made a mark this year.
9. Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
This hit my hopeless romantic spot, which isn’t easy. That special place that makes my heart swell with excitement and thrills and worldly intrigue. The extra gossipy goodness was just a delicious bonus.
8. The Final Girl Support Group
Author: Grady Hendrix
It’s as if he wrote this for me. I would never really say that about an author, but damn! I certainly kept thinking it as I read this one. The twists and turns as well as dark humor that revisits the 80s-90s horror slasher era is well known for final girls. Hendrix is one of my favorite horror authors.
7. Nocturnal
Author: Wilder Poetry
Stunning poetry paired with moving and breathtaking sketch and watercolor artwork. I was left speechless while I let this one carry me away. An absolute gem and favorite.
6. White Oleander
Author: Jane Fitch
A story that, even now, is relevant to girlhood, womanhood, motherhood, and finding an identity. This drew a picture of a dangerous world where beauty is confusing and confounding and can be used as a weapon, even though it may be unintended. This was a coming-of-age book that rocked me.
5. Lore
Author: Alexandra Bracken
This was a dive into mythos that was confounding and emotional. The writing was exceptional and engaging. This was an incredible read of battle, betrayal, heartache, and healing all within a deadly game with the gods.
4. Kingdom of the Wicked/Kingdom of the Cursed
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Dark, tantalizing spiciness with a taste for making bullheaded decisions over and over. This is a fun series so far. Witchiness, curses, and the seven sins. This is some delicious dark fantasy.
3. The Folk of Air
Author: Holly Black
This was phenom through and through. Outstandingly rich and beautiful. HB has yet to disappoint. The tricks and riddles keep coming with this battle for a kingdom and for hearts. Nothing is ever what it seems.
2. Dark and Shallow Lies
Author: Ginny Miles Sain
This was on my must-read, new release of 2022 and it did not disappoint. Mysterious and mystical, I was enthralled with the spooky and the psychic as the story followed the disappearance of a girl. The way it unpacked was incredible and kept me wanting more. It helped that this book contained so many of my favorite themes and tropes like forbidden romance, mystical haunting, and strangers to lovers. That and it took place in the bayou of Louisiana.
1. Hades x Persephone
Author: Scarlet St. Clair
I blazed through A Touch of Darkness, A Touch of Ruin, and A Touch of Malice with so much greed I could hardly believe it. Hades and Persephone are one of the most well-known mythos couples with such dynamic chemistry. This was where the old world met the modern and the clash was intense and deadly. SSC gave so much depth to her world build and characters. I was in awe. More so, the spicy romance made me sweat. I stopped breathing a few times. It was immaculate. LOL.
What was your favorite book(s) this year!?
See you guys in 2023!
More to come soon…
-K.
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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!
The Scarlet Reader 
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