This is not a proper end-of-year stats post. I just don’t have the mental energy to do all the tallying up (and never did get a good system in place for keeping track throughout the year). If I feel like doing so later, I might come up with a few counts, total books read being the top priority to figure out. I never did manage to do so for 2023 . . . But! Here are the books that stood out in my reading last year, much as it suffered some changes.
Midnight’s Sun by Garry Kilworth– fictional story of wolves on the tundra. Loved this one for all the detail and imagined animals’ perspective. Plus a good story of a young wolf struggling to come into his own, deal with rivals, and encounters with strange (to their eyes) humans. It can be harsh and gritty, but also compelling.
Remembering Leopards and Remembering African Wild Dogs compiled by Wildlife Photographers United– amazing, beautiful photography of wild animals, with some facts on their physiology and way of life, how they are threatened, and what is being done to help them. Proceeds support their conservation and protection.
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson– While the main character in this book does some questionable things (she’s a kid, after all) and has an unpleasant, resentful attitude for much of it, I really liked this story for featuring roller skating! And depicting realistically how difficult and rewarding roller derby can be (as I imagine, having never played the sport myself).
The Man Who Couldn’t Stop by David Adam- audiobook version. Fascinating and very detailed look at what it’s like to live with OCD. Causes, symptoms, what kind of treatments actually help (for this individual in particular). Definitely a book I want to revisit.
The Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer– also an audiobook. About the illicit dealing in and smuggling of falcon eggs. And how some men who worked with groups that studied falcon nests to protect them, ended up stealing from those very same nests to sell this endangered species. Wow.
My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 by Gengoroh Tagame– graphic novel. A Japanese family is visited by the man who had been married to the husband’s brother (now deceased). Not only was the bereaved couple gay (still socially frowned upon in Japan) but also the surviving husband was Canadian. So his visit introduces all kinds of awkwardness, plus the young girl in the family is full of questions. She is completely accepting, though, and you learn through these two volumes (too short!) how very kind and gentle the Canadian man was. I wanted another sequel, to see how this family continues to grow and learn from each other.
Captains of the City Streets by Esther Averill– the last I read of this author’s cat series, and my favorite of the lot. About two roaming street cats, good companions, who are looking for a new place to live. They meet a group of pet house cats (well-known characters from earlier in the series) and start to feel like they’d enjoy being part of the group, but have to change a bit of their ways to get accepted.
Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri– graphic novel. How a fierce little girl tiger befriends the monster who lives under her bed. It regularly fends off the nightmares for her. When a nightmare shows up that’s too big and scary for her monster to handle, tiger has to find a way to work alongside monster to overcome it. Loved the ending of this one.
Dear Tabby by Caroline Crimi– picture book. Cute little book about an alley cat who gives advice to other animals (all house pets). But when it’s cold and he gets hungry, who in turn will help him? Another one with a clever and heartwarming solution.
(If I do a total count soon, I may just come back and edit this page to add that).
One Response
If I didn’t number my books in each review as I went along, there’s no way I’d keep track of the year either. I used to spend hours making charts and graphs, now I don’t even make an end of the year post anymore.