2023 in Reading

— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —

What can I say? 2023 flew by. As always, I made some discoveries (noise cancelling headphones, Chat GPT, spicy mayo), grew up a little, regressed a little, established some good habits and didn’t shake some bad ones. Read some books in between. Let’s get to it:

Classic and Lovely: O Caledonia
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: A History of Fear
The Main Character did WHAT: Waif
Plot Twist Party: The Pale Blue Eye IYKYK
Stranger Than Fiction: The Wager
Fuck Yeah Feminism: Maggie’s Grave
Biggest Disappointment: Exiles
Best Discovery: Preston & Child
Biggest Mindfuck: Penpal
Most Satisfying Reread: TIE - The Fisherman + Night Film
Tried Too Hard: Hidden Pictures
Quintessentially Kelly: Winterset Hollow - horror for lifelong readers
No Regrets: Hex

NEW CATEGORY OF RECOGNITION: Most Memorable

Sometimes books really stick and others fly out of my head the instant I finish them. I never know until months later, or at the end of the year when I’m looking at everything as a whole. Memorable doesn’t mean technically the best, or technically a favorite. Here are the stickiest from 2023:

• Company of Liars - maybe because this book is so long, and I spent so much time with the characters, but I think about it constantly… especially the ending.

• The Last Days of Jack Sparks - there are a couple of really insane, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it full circle moments in this story that I’m still not over.

• No One Gets Out Alive - this book includes several mindblowing sequences, and I found it to be incredibly unpredictable, which I think is why I keep coming back to it… the “reveal” of the Big Bad OMG *shudders*

TOP 5: 

5) Wounds by Nathan Ballingrud is in here mainly due to The Butcher’s Table, which blew me away. Very excited to venture into this author’s other stuff early next year.

4) Stolen Tongues by Felix Blacktongue truly scared me (so rare these days but I keep chasing the feeling). Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but it is an absolute banger of a book and a must-read for horror fans.

3) Krampus by Brom is basically perfect. From premise to plotting to setting to execution to subverting and including the very best tropes, it’s just really fucking fun.

2) Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon - from my review: “This is by far one of the best books I've ever read. Most well-written, most enjoyable, most entertaining, most impressive, most well-plotted... it really tops the lists for all of those categories. It'll be in my best of the year list, and also my forever favorites.” And here we are.

1) A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs takes the top spot! For imagery and themes and trust me when I say this book has style. 

Listen, It’s an angsty, topsy-turvy time. Very heavy. Crushing, sometimes. I really love fresh starts, and I want to believe 2024 will bring good things. But truly the only certain thing is that books will keep providing escape, and I’m grateful for that.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2022 in Reading

— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —

I am barely alive.

Classic and Lovely: The Bear and the Nightingale
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: Dark Matter
The Main Character did WHAT: We Sold Our Souls
Plot Twist Party: The Chestnut Man
Stranger Than Fiction: Dark Histories: Season Four
Fuck Yeah Feminism: A Certain Hunger
Biggest Disappointment: Dead Silence (it wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t as good as I was hoping)
Best Discovery: Six Stories
Biggest Mindfuck: Cunning Folk
Most Satisfying Reread: Harriet the Spy
Tried Too Hard: Wild Fell
Quintessentially Kelly: Danse Macabre
No Regrets: Nothing But Blackened Teeth

TOP 5:

5) Slewfoot by Brom. The year I discovered Brom! I inhaled this fun, creative, vivid story and immediately bought a book of his art. Couldn’t be more thrilled to say I received the hardcover for Christmas.

4) The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buehlman is swinging in at fourth because I was totally caught off guard by it. I had no idea what to expect and it left me breathless. This book beautifully explores deeply human themes (addiction, love, sacrifice, loss) in weird and imaginative ways. Highly recommend.

3) Boy Parts by Eliza Clark absolutely slayed. A lesson in perfect pacing, plotting and editing. Just a vibe all around. Obsession, art, and an unreliable narrator? *Chef’s kiss* This author is one to watch…

2) Bone White by Ronald Malfi made me really happy. I just adore horror like this - full of the tropes I love utilized in bone-chilling ways. From my review: “Wintery supernatural small town horror is such a huge turn-on for me and this one checks all the boxes.”

1) Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman OMG one author has 2 books in my top 5? Obviously he’s some sort of superhuman who deserves it. This book is so, so, so big on Reddit as it should be. I finished it in the first week of 2022 and I knew immediately it would take the top spot on this list. I’m circling a re-read TBH. This book is everything. It makes everything okay.

I read a lot less this year than… well, maybe ever. I made a professional change that sucked up all of my energy and I… lost my way. It happens, and I forgive myself. I’ve learned a lot. I don’t know what 2023 will bring, but I need it to be better. It will be. As for reading, I’d like to branch out of my usual genres, read more nonfiction, and read more books I loved as a kid. Re-reading Harriet the Spy was really invigorating and enjoyable and kicked my mood up a notch. I can happily trust Little Kelly’s taste. So, more of that to come.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2021 in Reading

— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —

Well, here we are. 2021: the year I discovered booktok, BBQ ranch dressing and Below Deck. On to the books:

Classic and Lovely: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: The Book of Accidents
The Main Character did WHAT: American Psycho
Plot Twist Party: The Survivors
Stranger Than Fiction: The Cold Vanish
Fuck Yeah Feminism: Matrix for real soothed my soul
Biggest Disappointment: Empire of the Vampire
Best Discovery: A Dead Djinn in Cairo
Biggest Mindfuck: The Death of Jane Lawrence
Most Satisfying Reread: The City of Brass
Tried Too Hard: Plain Bad Heroines
Quintessentially Kelly: Dark Histories
No Regrets: Pet Semetary

TOP 5:

5) All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage is in fifth place because it’s not something I’d typically read, but I picked it up in anticipation of the adaptation (which was barf). And it REALLY surprised me in a good way. It’s human and sad and thrilling.

4) The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones… oof. The year I discovered SGJ. I immediately bought this so my husband could enjoy it as well. You’re not hardcore unless you live hardcore and read this incredible piece of rock and roll horror with a bite and a sting.

3) The North Water by Ian McGuire could’ve won the Quintessentially Kelly award, because it’s so up my fucked up little alley: cold weather, man vs beast, man vs man. Loved it, loved the TV show.

2) Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby is a great, thought-provoking book that I had to include because I was so electrified, and so in awe. From my review: “It is written with deep understanding, sensitivity and respect for circumstances and context and for multifaceted characters who simmer with contradiction and hypocrisy, even sometimes with self-awareness. And with the capacity for growth.”

1) The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. WHAT ON EARTH, more horror like this please. My heart was in my fucking throat. There’s something about the combo of … darkly disturbing and hilarious that gets me every time. Team Olivia.

READING CHALLENGE:

Nope, didn’t do it. I’m gonna go easy on myself, but I’ve got big plans for 2022.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, or whatever the hell we’re saying this time.

2020 in Reading

— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —

2020, you piece of shit.

Yeah. Reading habits were slightly fucked for awhile there. Thank goodness these are the Kelly Choice Awards and can’t be skewed by pandemics or pussy presidents. On to the books:

Classic and Lovely: Catherine House
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: A Cosmology of Monsters
The Main Character did WHAT: Fleishman is in Trouble
Plot Twist Party: The Shadows
Stranger Than Fiction: Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
Fuck Yeah Feminism: Mexican Gothic
Biggest Disappointment: Cibola Burns (The Expanse #4) … maybe done with this series for good
Best Discovery: Horrorstör
Biggest Mindfuck: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (honestly I still feel shook by this bleak true story)
Most Satisfying Reread: Abarat
Tried Too Hard: Imaginary Friend
Quintessentially Kelly: Monster, She Wrote
No Regrets: The Stand

TOP 5:

5) My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell is in fifth place not just because it tackles an important subject, but because it tackles that subject with bravery, an awareness of its own complexity and a beautiful quest painting realistic individuals. I am in awe and will return to the passages in this book often.

4) Wolf Hall by Elizabeth Mantel wings in at fourth because the writing absolutely blew me away. I know I’m late to the party but this party rocks. The entire trilogy changed what I know about storytelling.

3) The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer takes third. These books are so special to me - so unique, so thrilling, so full of odd emotions that pushed and pulled at me long after I finished. As I said in my reviews, there are layers of meaning here beyond my reach and I can’t wait to study further.

2) My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris comes in at second because every aspect - the words, the narrative, the subject matter and the art - spoke to me during a super anxious time and I wanted to share the love. Everyone should read this. It’s mindblowing.

1) Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is first because I knew it would be the moment I finished it. This astonishing and gorgeous book is a triumph of a philosophical maze that successfully explores the idea of context, among other wonderful things.

READING CHALLENGE:

Did I complete my 2020 Reading Challenge? Hahahahahaha. I knew I wouldn’t. But I’m so glad I tried because I actually made a lot of progress on series I’ve started and not finished. I feel productive all the same. And it got me in a good mindset about series that I think I’ll carry with me moving forward. I won’t document my progress here anymore but I have a handwritten list that I’ll keep marking off with satisfaction. It’s impossible to ever feel “caught up” on books but this challenge was really useful as an approach.

I COMPLETED: 6 series. Some I started this year because they were buzzy and of interest, others were series that I had started years ago (as in, when I was a child?) and wanted to revisit.

I CAUGHT UP ON: 0 series lol. I tried to catch up on the Wayward Children series but I didn’t get the most recent one from the library in time.

I TRIED AND GAVE UP ON: 1 series. The Expanse books are awesome until they aren’t. I may be done.

Next year’s challenge is going to focus on nonfiction.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2019 in Reading

— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —

2019 was a year of big changes for me: I quit my toxic job to travel for its second half. Super excited to see what 2020 brings! On to the books:

Classic and Lovely: Lolita
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: Rosemary’s Baby
The Main Character did WHAT: Come Closer
Plot Twist Party: The Lost Man
Stranger Than Fiction: Bad Blood
Fuck Yeah Feminism: The Priory of the Orange Tree
Biggest Disappointment: Educated
Best Discovery: A Walk in the Woods
Biggest Mindfuck: Vita Nostra
Most Satisfying Reread: The Shining
Tried Too Hard: The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Quintessentially Kelly: The Run of His Life
No Regrets: The Name of the Rose

[I’m not going to do a Top 5 this year due to crippling indecision.]

READING CHALLENGE:

This year, I decided to create and implement two reading challenges. The first: 1 re-read per month. I'm really interested in revisiting old favorites - many of them books I read as a child or a young person - and this was meant to get me out from under the pressure to consume everything new and shiny.

1) The Westing Game | 5 STARS

2) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland | 4 STARS

3) What Was She Thinking? [Notes on a Scandal] | 5 STARS

4) Dracula | 5 STARS

5) The Fellowship of the Ring | 5 STARS

6) The Two Towers | 5 STARS

7) The Return of the King | 5 STARS

8) The Shining | 5 STARS

9) Watchmen | 5 STARS

10) Time Stops for No Mouse | 5 STARS

11) The Last Kingdom | 5 STARS

12) The Sands of Time | 5 STARS

The second challenge: 1 you haven't read that yet?! per month. There are some books out there (classics, bestselllers, Want to Read lingerers) that I just haven't forced myself to read, for whatever reason. This challenge was meant to make it happen. I had so much fun developing my lists/plans for both of these, but I kept them under wraps so I could tinker/change my mind. 

1) In Cold Blood | 5 STARS

2) The Virgin Suicides | 5 STARS

3) Jurassic Park | 4 STARS

4) Ghost Story | 4 STARS

5) Interview with the Vampire | 3 STARS

6) Fight Club | 5 STARS

7) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | 4 STARS

8) Lolita | 5 STARS

9) The Name of the Rose | 5 STARS

10) 1984 | 4 STARS

11) Ready Player One | 5 STARS

12) The Bell Jar | 5 STARS

Next year’s challenge is going to focus on NONFICTION and FINISHING SERIES! Yay.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2018 in Reading

— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —

Well, 2018 was one of the hardest years of my life professionally and one of the fullest years of my life personally. I suppose that's neither here nor there. On to the books:

Classic and Lovely: The Haunting of Hill House
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: Let the Right One In
The Main Character did WHAT: The Poppy War
Plot Twist Party: The Woman in the Window
Stranger Than Fiction: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Fuck Yeah Feminism: Circe
Biggest Disappointment: Tangerine
Best Discovery: Every Heart a Doorway
Biggest Mindfuck: Behind Her Eyes
Most Satisfying Reread: The Hobbit
Tried Too Hard: We Were Liars
Quintessentially Kelly: Ghostland
No Regrets: Annihilation

TOP 5:

5) Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay in fifth place for being dreamy, creamy, luscious and rich. Like a milk chocolate truffle with brandy inside. Sweet and warm and tingly on your tongue. 

4) Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh takes fourth place due to the size of its balls, and for being sharp and bold and grotesque. As I said in my review, it's a joyful slap in the face. 

3) You by Caroline Kepnes swings in at third for adorably (and successfully!) tackling toxic, entitled masculinity. I fell in love with Joe's voice and just ... damn! The audacity! I loved every word. 

2) Night Film by Marisha Pessl will probably get a reread every year. It's that compelling. It's definitely the moody, emo kid in the art class that is this list, but I don't care. Take me down that rabbit hole, baby. 

1) The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee floats into first for being fucking incredible. To quote my review, "the writing was so thoroughly badass; that specific type of badass I would use to describe an orchestra, or flan, or the word 'cornucopia.'" This book commands your allegiance and demands your respect. In a good way. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!