It’s been another quiet year, although my head is down and I’m near the end of a long journey of writing my first fantasy trilogy. I completed the first novel (with some world building tweaks to be added), the second is in the hands of beta readers for feedback, and I’m in the middle of rewriting the final tome. If all goes well, this will be polished and released this year. More on that when I finish.

Without the last week of 2022 off, I wouldn't have made it this year. I sped through several novels as a terrific clip for me. I hadn’t planned to be so far behind this year, but it took me 6 months to complete The Wheel of Time, reading 15 novels from beginning to end (I skipped the prequel that was written long after I’d been reading the series as it was originally published, abandoning it at Path of Daggers. I have a series overview in a later book to collect some thoughts I had of the series as I progressed through it. The series could’ve been 2 books shorter and it would not have affected the overall storyline in any significant way. Regardless, here are some highlights!

Nonfiction:

I read less non-fiction this year, but my favorite read this year was Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. It captured many issues (primarily through anecdotes with some studies) with the ‘always on’ digital lifestyle. I took a few habits to heart, particularly regarding social media and networking sites. If you’re anxious about life that stems from an always on life, I recommend this book.

David Sedaris’ Calypso was hysterically funnyl (bonus if you listen to the audiobook version, read by the author).

Fiction:

I read a lot of fantasy last year, which includes a reread of The Lord of the Rings, prompted by a few reasons; first, it is the gold standard in world building and the shoulders of which all other fantasy writers stand upon. Second, I was deeply soured by Amazon’s Rings of Power. And third, it had been at least a decade since I’d read it, so I returned to Middle-Earth. I also read another book in Malazan Book of the Fallen. After Gardens of the Moon, I was left bewildered, although I enjoyed some incredible prose Erikson evoked. I also had a few rereads, mostly to recharge my creative batteries after either a long writing stint or fantasy reading slog.

Although Dan O’Malley’s sequel to The Rook, Stiletto, wasn’t as interesting as the first novel, his third installment of the series, Blitz was amazing, fun, and witty at the right points. Kudos also to the narrator of the audiobook, Moira Quirk—a fantastic listen and read.

While I’m working my way through Iain M. Banks’ Culture series, I’m haunted by the last two I read, which have struck some world building and emotional chords for me. Look to Windward and Matter are well worth the read. I only have two more novels to go before I reach the end of his series of loosely connected novels, but he hits a few high bars with these two novels.

On the Indie side of things, the high mark was Cold as Hell (Black Badge #1) by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle. It is a new series grown out of a fantastic novella, Dead Acre, which I’ve written about a couple of years ago. Again, I recommend the audiobook, narrated by Red Dead Redemption’s Roger Clark, who brings the story to another level.

Another I enjoyed was a fun science fiction police procedural by JN Chaney and Scott Moon called Galactic Shield. It leaned less into the procedural and more into a squad than I expected, but that didn’t detract from the story.

As always, I enjoyed something about the books I’ve read. Nonfiction always uncovers some facet that appeals, and fiction takes me on a new journey.

Here are my goals for 2023 (referring to last year’s goals):

Read 84 books in 2023. I read 82 books in 2022, but it was a near sprint at the end helped with the last week off. I slowed down significantly in the first half of the year reading The Wheel of Time and I never quite caught up in the second half until the last days. I can read more this year, mixing a lot of the things I’d like to read with some fantasy tomes on my radar.

Continue to read through the Culture series. I read Look to Windward and Matter, two books I mentioned above. I enjoyed them and I’m in the final two novels of this long series. I’ve enjoyed most of the books to varying degrees, but nothing I disliked. Consider Phlebas is a weak start, but still an engrossing read. I’m down to the final two. I recommend this series if you’re looking for science fiction and space opera that feels lived in as opposed to skinned over (sci-fi as core elements vs. sci-fi as setting).

Read at least 20 Indie books. Again, I missed this mark by a wide mile. I’ll be more intentional this year. I want to find and read more indie books. I’ll report on my progress monthly here on my blog.

Read more fantasy series. I did complete The Wheel of Time. The series is a tremendous success, with some failings endemic to such a long series (more on another thorough analysis post). I’d like to continue and finish Tad Williams’ Last King of Osten Ard series. I’m halfway, having read the bridge prequel, The Heart of What Was Lost and The Witchwood Crown, so I’ll finish with Empire of Grass and Into the Narrowdark. I’ll also continue with Malazan Book of the Fallen. These are dense novels and worth giving time to. And if possible, dip into a few other fantasy worlds.

Read some classics. I’ve had an itch over the holidays to go back and read some Shakespeare and Hemingway. Why not make it a goal to read all of Shakespeare’s plays and Heminway’s works?

That’s all I have and here’s the rest of what I’ve read in 2022. I’m in the midst of rewriting the last novel of my fantasy trilogy, which should be ready by this summer. If you’re interested in the journey, let me know. Tell me what you’re reading by commenting on this blog or just by hitting reply.