My 2023 in BOOKS!

ageeksaga 2023 bookx

The year isn’t quite over yet, but my list of books that I could actually finish reading before 2023 wraps up is DEFINITELY complete 😉 While Light Bringer by Pierce Brown absolutely won the top spot, the ones pictured above were my favorite reads/re-reads of 2023!

I was able to knock out *40* books this year – here’s the full list, with three stars marking my 12 faves and one star denoting the reads that I enjoyed but that didn’t quite make it into the top 12…

New Orleans Carnival Krewes by Rosary O’Neill
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
Martin Eden by Jack London
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown***
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
The Waste Lands by Stephen King
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree***
Our Hawaii by Charmian London*
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington***
Dark Age by Pierce Brown***
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson***
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins*
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins*
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown***
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins*
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook by Brandon Sanderson
The Battle Drum by Saara el-Arifi***
Seven Devils by Elizabeth May & L.R. Lam***
Sons of Ares vol. 1 by Pierce Brown
Sons of Ares vol. 2 by Pierce Brown
Sons of Ares vol. 3 by Pierce Brown
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins*
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown (yes, again, no shame lol)
Gentle Writing Advice by Chuck Wendig
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson***
Seven Mercies by Elizabeth May and L.R. Lam***
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon*
Wizard and Glass by Stephen King*
The Sunlit King by Brandon Sanderson*
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree***
Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King*
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
I’m Glad by Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy***
Wool by Hugh Howey*
Spare by Prince Harry*
Song of Susannah by Stephen King
Shift by Hugh Howey*
The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Note: I did in fact keep a list of the books I read in 2022 and shared my top 12 (of the 37 that I read) on social media, but as the end of last year was a crazy whirlwind (ha, as if this year has been/is going to be any different) I didn’t think to post that list here on my blog. So here’s last year’s list, ya know, for posterity’s sake and all 😉

ageeksaga 2022 books

Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe
Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft***
Creatures of Want and Ruin by Molly Tanzer
The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft***
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson*
Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin*
Lonely Planet Maui Guidebook
The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft***
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin*
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin*
Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin*
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi*
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton*
The Lost World by Michael Crichton*
Congo by Michael Crichton*
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi*
Sword & Citadel by Gene Wolfe
The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi*
Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast***
Malice by Heather Walter
Cold Falling White by G.S. Prendergast***
The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi***
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott*
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink*
The Naming by Alison Croggon
Red Rising by Pierce Brown***
Golden Son by Pierce Brown***
Morning Star by Pierce Brown***
Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo
Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin***
Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid***
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Jack London: An American Live by Earle Labor*
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King*

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 89: 90s & Noughties Cringe Factor on “Never Been Kissed”

cringe factor never been kissed

Episode 89 of The Geek Saga Podcast is our third 90s & Noughties Cringe Factor discussion about 1999’s Never Been Kissed, starring Drew Barrymore!

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Hosts Tara and Manny from the Geek Saga Podcast series Hot D Takes are back for the next episode in our Cringe Factor podcast series, in which we watch, dissect, and discuss the most popular “teen movies” of the 90s and early 2000s! Our third episode is a diatribe that features the 10 Things We Hate About Never Been Kissed…as well as the “These’re All That” things that we actually, err, “liked” (?) about this movie, and our final 90s & Noughties Cringe Factor rating of it on a scale of 1 to 10 Zach Morrises!

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 89: 90s & Noughties Cringe Factor Discussion of “Never Been Kissed”

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 88: House of the Dragon Panel at Dragon Con 2023

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Episode 88 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the House of the Dragon panel at Dragon Con 2023.

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Moderated by myself and featuring Violette L. Meier, Rebecca Fant, and Seth Lockhart, this panel focused on the first season of HBO’s House of the Dragon.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 88: House of the Dragon at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 87: The Princess & The Queen Panel at Dragon Con 2023

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Episode 87 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the Princess and the Queen panel at Dragon Con 2023.

GEEK SAGA PODCAST ON SPOTIFY

Moderated by Rebecca Fant and featuring myself, High Fantasy track director Jennifer Liang, and Nami Sparrow, this panel focused on the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra in HBO’s House of the Dragon.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 87: Princess & the Queen at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 86: Madness of the King Panel at Dragon Con 2023

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Episode 86 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the Madness of the King panel at Dragon Con 2023.

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Moderated by myself and featuring Brian D. Anderson, Ryan Cahill, Dakota Krout, and K.N. Lee, this panel discussed how, as society’s understanding of mental health and neurodivergence has evolved, so have the depictions of mental health and neurodivergencies in high fantasy.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 86: Madness of the King at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 85: Shadow & Bone Panel at Dragon Con 2023

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Episode 85 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the Shadow & Bone Season 2 panel at Dragon Con 2023.

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Moderated by myself with assistance from my fellow Sagas & Sass cohost Nami, and also featuring Kevin Davis, this panel was all about season 2 of Netflix’s Shadow & Bone, based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 85: Shadow & Bone at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 84: Loner vs. Community Panel at Dragon Con 2023

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Episode 84 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the Loner vs. Community panel at Dragon Con 2023.

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Moderated by myself and featuring Jay Boyce, JF Brink, Gail Z. Martin, Frank Morin, and William Joseph Roberts, this panel focused on why most post-apocalypse stories are about loners and the factors that can drive loners to become pillars of societies they aren’t really a part of.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 84: Loner vs. Community at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 83: Tress of the Emerald Sea Panel at Dragon Con 2023

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Episode 83 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the Tress of the Emerald Sea panel at Dragon Con 2023.

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Moderated by Christina Goodman and featuring myself, John G. Hartness, Frank Morin, and Kevin Davis, this panel focused on Brandon Sanderson’s novel Tress of the Emerald Sea and its place in the Cosmere as a whole.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 83: Tress of the Emerald Sea at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 82: Drinkin’ Con 2023 – The Hangover

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Episode 82 of The Geek Saga Podcast originally aired as a live webcast, “Drinkin’ Con 2023: The Hangover” on September 16th, 2023.

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Join myself and some other Dragon Con-loving friends as we discuss what we did, what we missed, what we loved and what we didn’t, at Dragon Con 2023!

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 82: Drinkin’ Con 2023 – The Hangover

Click below to watch in webcast form!

geek saga podcast drinkin con 2023 the hangover

The Geek Saga Podcast Episode 81: Please Adapt This Panel at Dragon Con 2023

the geek saga podcast

Episode 81 of The Geek Saga Podcast features live audio from the Please Adapt This panel at Dragon Con 2023.

GEEK SAGA PODCAST ON SPOTIFY

Moderated by myself and featuring Milton J. Davis, JM Paquette, Andrea Stewart, and Tao Wong, this panel focused on the books we want to see made into shows or movies and what we think keeps certain stories from being adapted for these mediums.

(While some minor sound editing was done to make the original recording somewhat easier on the ears, please keep in mind that this was recorded live and therefore the sound quality is uneven at best.)

Geek Saga Podcast Episode 81: Please Adapt This at Dragon Con 2023

Please consider checking out the Geek Saga Entertainment Patreon and supporting us for early access to our episodes & some other great perks!