Books I Meant to Read in 2023 (And Still Want To)

I think we can all agree that 2023 didn’t exactly go to plan. It started off perfectly fine, as far as years go, but went off the rail somewhere along the way, and we didn’t quite do all the many well-intentioned things we’d intended. You know, like reading all the books.

Okay, sure, we probably read some of the books, but if your TBR looks like mine, some just doesn’t always cut it! Inevitably, the books that we don’t finish carry forward to the new year with us. Like vengeful ghosts, haunting our every moment. Hiding in the darkness moaning reeeaaaaad uuuuusssss. Which I still want to do. Obviously.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is books I meant to read in 2023 but didn’t get to. Which is . . . *glances at giant TBR* . . . pffft, one or two? But just because I haven’t read these books (yet!) doesn’t mean they don’t deserve some love.

Because they do. All the love. Especially given their patience. And the fact that they haven’t become sentient just to seek revenge (which I obviously appreciate, but also . . . how freaking cool would that?! You know, before you’re revenged on).

So here are ten books that I had every intention of reading last year and just didn’t quite get to (but which I will read in 2024 . . . probably).

As the Sparrow Flies

Annulis is a dying world. Nothing can stop the doom all say is coming. Some simply accept it, embracing the end. Others hold to a better future—a way of escape from the dark days ahead.

Sarah and her people sojourn the land, searching for a city none have seen but believe exists as an escape from these troubling times. Elliott follows an army with a mandate calling for the purging of all that would hinder a glorious global rebirth.

Both are nearing an ancient city set on its own destruction. Both will be tried behind its walls in ways unimaginable. And both will have to live with the consequences . . .

Sword and flame. Hope and faith. All must follow their own path to the end . . . as the sparrow flies.

I love the idea of a dystopian fantasy and dying magical worlds. But also ancient cities/civilizations. I was lucky enough to snag an eARC of this, but I believe book two is also coming out this year, which just means more story to love! I’m not entirely sure what to expect out of this one, but it certainly has me curious!

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Big Demon Energy

She’s just a demon, standing in front of a vampire, trying not to punch him.

Aviva Fleischer has a secret life.

To all appearances she’s a paragon of the magic community. She’s from a respected family and has become a top supernatural operative policing crimes committed by magic humans. In fact, Aviva is about to be promoted to head up her own unit, all by the age of thirty. Exactly as planned.

But should anyone ever learn that she’s a half-demon—an infernal—her entire life will go scorched earth. In her world, vampires are celebrated like rock stars, but demons, their kissing cousins, are reviled and hunted. Talk about a double standard.

Then a rash of bizarre murders break out and the Powers That Be opt to make her co-leader of a special new squad. One that mixes humans with their vampire counterparts—investigators who hunt down rogue vamps and demons.

Co-leader? Seriously? That major wrench in her leadership plans is bad enough, but even worse? She’s being partnered with Ezra Cardoso, jet set vamp and playboy extraordinaire. Aviva should know—he broke her heart six years ago.

Ezra is also the only one other than her mom who she’s trusted with her secret. Will he betray her to get ahead? Try it: she’s got a wooden stake with his name on it.

Okay, can we just appreciate that title for a minute? It makes me cackle every time, mostly because I am obviously a child masquerading as a capable adult. Or, you know, just an adult. So yes, fine, maybe this book found its way onto my TBR because that’s an awesome title. And even though urban fantasy is hit or miss for me, I read the first page or two in this and thought it would be a real trip to read. Plus, Aviva promises to be every bit as sarcastic and cynical as I am, which will be a treat.

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Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh

A historically malevolent haunted house threatens to end a line of paranormal guardians. Will the family’s latest addition tip the scales in their favor or hurtle them toward their demise?

Garrett Mueller proposes to his girlfriend, Marie Renault. She rejects him, distressing him until he learns why. Her family watches over a haunted house, where every several years a Breach opens to the world of the dead. Everyone related by blood or oath must return, or the Breach widens, endangering the family and world at large.

To marry Marie, he must also bind himself to that house.

The Renaults estimate a week until the Breach opens, offering Garrett a short trial period. Despite the risks, he will try it for the woman he loves. The Renaults are professionals when it comes to the supernatural, and they’ve always prevailed.

Only, as the week progresses, the family discovers this Breach is shaping up to be one of historically dangerous proportions. Risks mount higher as secrets leak out, threatening to divide the family. And even if Garrett changes his mind, it might be too late to leave.

Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh combines atmospheric haunted house horror with dark family drama, topped with a layer of unsettling worldbuilding. Readers who like smart characters taking on smart foes, deep delves into the supernatural, and twisty psychological narratives will feel right at home. This novel is part of the Virulent Nightmare Origins series and can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in any order.

Listen. As far as horror titles go, this one is just *chef’s kiss*. I’m hoping the book lives up to that immediate promise. I’ve been on a horror kick. I’m not saying that I read a ton of horror, because I don’t and never have. However, I am reading more of it, especially the sort that gives you goosebumps and forces you to turn the lights on. Especially if it involves haunted houses or woods. That being said, I am all sorts of curious about this book and all the lovely secrets it contains (because it definitely sounds like there’s a few of them!).

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Bee Bakshi and the Gingerbread Sisters

Inspired by Hansel and Gretel, this spooky ghost story and touching debut investigates the gingerbread houses that we trap ourselves in when we don’t learn to love ourselves as we are, perfect for fans of Ghost Squad and The Girl and the Ghost . Bee wanted to spend the summer reading Betsy Chillers books and exploring the new spooky theme park with her best friend. Instead, she’s spending the summer trapped at Storm Lake with her too loud, too thrifty, and too Indian family. Luckily, Bee finds a place to escape her embarrassment—a magical house across the lake that transforms her into the cool girl she always wanted to be. Maybe cottage life isn’t so bad after all! But strange dreams are haunting Bee, and there’s a chill in her bones she just can’t shake. Bee follows her hunch—and the scent of gingerbread—to Lucas, the dorky boy next door. He thinks there are ghosts in the forest, but new friend Alina tells her what Bee has feared all There’s a witch at Storm Lake. And she’s coming for Bee.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dig the title of this. It doesn’t quite roll off your tongue, but it does take you on quite the linguistic trip. I love the idea of taking classic fairy tales and making them spooky. (Not that two children being stolen for the purpose of cannibalism and then baking their captor alive isn’t spooky enough, of course.) The cover on this one is adorable and charming, which obviously caught my eye right away. But the story sounds super interesting and like a neat twist on an old classic.

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The Spells We Cast

Nigel Barrett has spent his whole life preparing for the Culling, a spell-casting competition that determines which of the world’s teenage magicians will be stripped of their powers to preserve magical balance. But nothing could have prepared him to face Ori Olson, a broody rival whose caustic wit cloaks a painful past. From the moment Nigel and Ori meet, sparks fly. Their powers are stronger, more thrilling, the closer they get—not that they can risk getting attached. Because as the field narrows and the Culling grows more dangerous, Nigel and Ori realize there’s more at stake than just their powers. The greatest threat to magic, their future, and all of humanity might be the connection growing between them. . . .

I actually preordered this one before release. I read through almost all of Jason June’s backlist last year. While I enjoyed some of them more than others, this one really caught my attention with its combination of cowboys and magic. Not an entirely unique premise, but one I’m especially fond of! Then, when you add a layer of cozy queer romance (which Jason June does so well), of course you’ll forgive me for automatically needing this book! I had intended to read this by now, and I really need to get to it soon, because I have a friend who’s waiting to borrow it and I told him I need to read it before he can whisk it away to places unknown. So I should probably . . . you know . . . do that.

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Wren Martin Ruins It All

Now that Wren Martin is student council president (on a technicality, but hey, it counts) he’s going to fix Rapture High. His first order of business: abolish the school’s annual Valentine’s Day Dance, a drain on the school’s resources and general social nightmare—especially when you’re asexual.

His greatest opponent: Leo Reyes, vice president and all-around annoyingly perfect student, who has a solution to Wren’s budget problem. A sponsorship from Buddy, the anonymous “not a dating” app sweeping the nation. Now instead of a dance-less senior year, Wren is in charge of the biggest dance Rapture High has ever seen. He’s even secretly signed up for the app. For research, of course.

But when Wren develops capital F-Feelings for his anonymous match, things spiral out of control. Wren decided a long time ago that dating while asexual wasn’t worth the hassle. With the Dance rapidly approaching, he isn’t sure what will kill him first: the dance, his relationship drama, or the growing realization that Leo’s perfect life might not be so perfect after all.

In an unforgettably quippy and endearingly chaotic voice, narrator Wren Martin explores the complexities of falling in love while asexual.

This is another book whose cover is altogether too charming to pass up. I can’t say exactly what it is I love about it, but rest assured, I could stare at the cover for days. It’s just so pretty. Last year, I had the thought that I should read more Ace books. True, they tend to be few and far between, but they are out there, and I want to read them. (Which, if you know any good ones that I may not have read, please let me know in the comments!) So when I learned about Wren Martin, I of course preordered it and I’m really looking forward to picking it up!

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Dark Moon, Shallow Sea

Raef wants revenge on the knights who killed his goddess, the moon. Her death darkened the night sky, stopped the tides, and left the shades of the dead without a path to the underworld.

Seeking revenge, Raef breaks into the knights’ temple and opens a box, expecting to find gold and jewels among the bones. Instead, he finds a living man, Kinos, sleeping inside.

Raef steals Kinos.

As they run from the knights and grow closer, Raef thinks he’s found a friend, love, and perhaps a secret that may lead to his goddess’s return. If they can’t solve the mystery of Kinos’s imprisonment, the moon will never rise again and the world will drown in ghosts.

David R. Slayton is an incredible writer, whose work I’ve enjoyed in the past, so preordering this one was a no-brainer. The cover is stunning, the plot promises action and ghosts and secrets, and obviously I trust Slayton to tell a good story. Plus, I’ve been a sucker for queer romances lately! I’ve heard such amazing things about this book, and I’m not quite sure why I didn’t get to it last year, but it’s one I want to read early on this year.

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Butcher & Blackbird

Every serial killer needs a friend.
Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

This one made its way onto this list through no fault of my own. Apparently, it’s super freaking popular, and the waitlist for it on Libby was soooo long and I’m still about a month or two out from getting it. I have since rectified this problem by simply ordering it for my library, considering its popularity, but still . . . it’ll be another few weeks before it’s in, processed, and ready for checkout. I don’t really need to explain to you why I want to read this one, right? I mean . . . it’s right there in the first two sentences of the blurb. How could anyone say no to that premise?!

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Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect

When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty: the debut writer (me!)
the forensic science writer
the blockbuster writer
the legal thriller writer
the literary writer
the psychological suspense writer

But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

Of course, we should also know how to commit one.

How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?

I realize it doesn’t have particularly high ratings on Goodreads (and I have no idea why), but I really enjoyed the first book in this series. While it was a little slow at times, I really loved the way the author explored the idea of killing and the different levels of guilt that people carry around with them. So obviously I am incredibly looking forward to picking up this book! I just . . . need to get my hands on it first, which is proving more difficult than I had expected right now.

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The Book That Wouldn’t Burn

A boy has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.

A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.

The world has never even noticed them. That’s about to change.

Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.

We got this at my library late into the year, and one of my coworkers checked it out first (which is only fair, as she had requested it — even though I’d already had it on the order list!). Which means I only just got my hands on it at the beginning of this year. So really, not having read this last year isn’t so much my fault as a breakdown of the supply chain. xD That’s definitely what I’m going with!

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