emily’s Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2023

20,284

pages read

books read

emily

Shortest Book

pages

Longest Book

613

pages

Average book length in 2023

312

pages

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Most Shelved

13,400,078

people also shelved

Least Shelved

3,663

people also shelved

emily’s average rating for 2023

3.7

Highest Rated on Goodreads

4.55 average

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

emily’s first review of the year

liked it

A fairy tale of the most wicked kind, The Bear and the Nightingale does not fail to grab its reader by the throat and drag them into its cold, unforgiving world full of magic and darkness, equal parts heart-warming and bone-chilling. (Seriously, you'll need a blanket while reading this. Maybe sit near a fireplace, or get a warm drink. Winter lives in the cracks of this story, you have been warned.)

This book is something of an enigma to me, becaus A fairy tale of the most wicked kind, The Bear and the Nightingale does not fail to grab its reader by the throat and drag them into its cold, unforgiving world full of magic and darkness, equal parts heart-warming and bone-chilling. (Seriously, you'll need a blanket while reading this. Maybe sit near a fireplace, or get a warm drink. Winter lives in the cracks of this story, you have been warned.)

This book is something of an enigma to me, because I can't quite figure out how I fit into its story (or, to word it differently: I'm not quite sure how I feel about all of it quite yet. But maybe this is one of those things that solves itself with time).

The strong parts of The Bear and the Nightingale, in my opinion, are the ones infused with the old, yet almost tangible, magic of Russian folklore - its mischievous creatures quite literally coming alive in the span of the story. They were an absolute delight to get acquainted with, right along with the girl-turned-not-quite-woman at the center of everything, of course:

Vasya, our protagonist, who is seated at the edge between two worlds - being one of the few people who can see and communicate with the spirits around her - was the reason why I kept returning to The Bear and the Nightingale. She is a bright, steady thing in a world that is slowly consumed by madness. Whenever Vasya is met by a challenge during this story, she refuses to bend, to break, to be anyone other than herself. And I think, in this rather bleak existence we are all (more or less) caught up in, characters like her are more important than ever. They serve as a reminder to stick up for what we believe in, to be kind, and, above all: to be brave.

Unfortunately, I was not quite able to love the rest of this book with full force. There were parts that dragged for me, parts where I wanted to excuse myself from the story and pick up my own life without finding out what sits at the end of this book. I can't really say what I disliked, precisely - just that I wish I had been more engaged throughout this whole thing, I guess. I wanted to exist in both worlds, just like Vasya did, but I found myself craving more of the magic and less of... well, everything else. The plot was a weary thing, occasionally, heavy and unmoving, like a snow-covered mountain that needed to be conquered.

But I cannot fully say that the journey was not worth it - and, after all, there was rarely a person who complained about the view from the top.

Rating: ★★★½ ...more

EMILY’S 2023 BOOKS

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

it was amazing

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

really liked it

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

it was amazing

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

it was amazing

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

it was amazing

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

it was amazing

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

it was amazing

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

emily’s last review of the year

really liked it

characters that are designed to be mindless killing machines ★★★

characters that are designed to be mindless killing machines but in reality they are very soft inside and would do anything to protect the people they care about even if it means having to commit various acts of violence just to keep them safe ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

2023 READING
CHALLENGE

emily read 65 out of 50 books.

130%

What did you read this year?