I read 51 books in 2023, which was a slight increase from the 47 books I read in 2022. While my total is just slightly higher, I actually read much more in 2023 than I did in 2022. 10 of the 51 books were read three times apiece. If I were to count my duplicate readings of those 10 books, then my total books read instead would be 71 books. Additionally, the 10 books that I read three times over are very long books of 600 to 900 pages each.
January: 16 books
Suzie by John Benton
Sherri by John Benton
Lori by John Benton
Marji by John Benton
Marji and the Kidnap Plot by John Benton
Nancy Drew Diaries #24 Captain Stone's Revenge
Marji and the Gangland Wars by John Benton
Julie by John Benton
Lefty by John Benton
Vicki by John Benton
Jackie by John Benton
Terri by John Benton
Nikki by John Benton
Connie by John Benton
Valarie by John Benton
Sheila by John Benton
February: 6 books
Stephanie by John Benton
Candi by John Benton
Hardy Boys Adventures #25 The Smuggler's Legacy
Sandi by John Benton
Augie by John Benton
Kari by John Benton
March: 13 books
Tracy by John Benton
Paco by John Benton
Kristi by John Benton
Lorene by John Benton
Rocky by John Benton
Renee by John Benton
Lisa by John Benton
Sally Lockhart, The Ruby in the Smoke, by Philip Pullman
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Keeper of the Lost Cities #2 Exile
Keeper of the Lost Cities #3 Everblaze
Keeper of the Lost Cities #4 Neverseen
Keeper of the Lost Cities #5 Lodestar
April: 5 books
Keeper of the Lost Cities #6 Nightfall
Keeper of the Lost Cities #7 Flashback
Keeper of the Lost Cities #8 Legacy
Keeper of the Lost Cities #8.5 Unlocked
Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 Stellarlune
I read through all of the Keeper of the Lost Cities books again immediately after finishing my first reading. My second reading was from late April to early June.
June: 2 books
The Chinese Riddle by Nina Brown Baker
The Ranee's Ruby by Nina Brown Baker
In early August, I began reading through the Keeper of the Lost Cities series for the third time. My third reading concluded in early November.
November: 6 books
Keeper of the Lost Cities Graphic Novel Part 1
The Thickety: A Path Begins, by J. A. White
The Thickety #2 The Whispering Trees by J. A. White
The Thickety #3 Well of Witches by J. A. White
The Thickety #4 The Last Spell by J. A. White
Seniors #1 Too Much Too Soon by Eileen Goudge
December: 3 books
Seniors #2 Smart Enough to Know by Eileen Goudge
Seniors #3 Winner All the Way by Eileen Goudge
Percy Jackson #1 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I am currently fighting the urge to read through the Keeper of the Lost Cities books for the fourth time. I ought to be able to hold off for at least a few weeks, since I'm reading the Percy Jackson books.
I first read the Percy Jackson series 14 years ago and read through the original five titles at least a second time a few years after that. A Percy Jackson series is currently airing on Disney+, and I had forgotten most everything about the books. I watched the first three episodes, then I decided that I would enjoy the rest of the series much better if I reread the first Percy Jackson book. After I finished rereading the first book, I decided to continue through the set.
I have been tracking the books I've read each year since 2014. I was thinking about this a few weeks ago and realized that each year's reading tells a story.
The story of 2023 is my obsession over the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. It's impacted me profoundly. This sort of thing doesn't happen often. When it does, I never forget my initial exposure.
March 13, 2023:
I first read the Percy Jackson series 14 years ago and read through the original five titles at least a second time a few years after that. A Percy Jackson series is currently airing on Disney+, and I had forgotten most everything about the books. I watched the first three episodes, then I decided that I would enjoy the rest of the series much better if I reread the first Percy Jackson book. After I finished rereading the first book, I decided to continue through the set.
I have been tracking the books I've read each year since 2014. I was thinking about this a few weeks ago and realized that each year's reading tells a story.
The story of 2023 is my obsession over the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. It's impacted me profoundly. This sort of thing doesn't happen often. When it does, I never forget my initial exposure.
March 13, 2023:
I am perusing Simon & Schuster's website, with my results limited to children's books aimed at the same age as the Nancy Drew series. What is this stuff? Why would I want to read these books? I am so out of touch.
I do judge books by their covers and by their titles. I won't try the Dork Diaries series. I do tend to gravitate towards books with titles not completely dissimilar to classic series books. I also gravitate towards the more nicely painted covers.
The Keeper of the Lost Cities series looks like it could be a possibility. I am about to check out the sample on Amazon.
My goal that evening was to sample some other Simon & Schuster books in order to compare their quality to S&S's Nancy Drew output. I didn't expect to get sucked into an obsession that has now lasted nearly 10 months and shows no sign of lessening.
I wonder about what I miss out on because I never have that initial exposure. I'm glad that the one Keeper book stood out when I glanced over S&S's offerings on the night of March 13. Otherwise, I never would have tried the series and would have missed out on something that I love dearly.
The Keeper fandom has grown slowly but steadily over the 11 years since the first book was published. It was supposed to be just a trilogy but has expanded as its popularity has grown. The fandom has grown primarily by word-of-mouth, and I am doing my part by recommending the books.
If you have enjoyed middle-grade fantasy like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Fablehaven, or similar books, then you should give the first Keeper book a try. The worst thing that can happen is that you won't like the book. But even if that happens, then you will be sure that you won't miss out on something that you might have liked.
While I didn't read a massive number of books like I did around five years ago, my reading experience in 2023 was the most satisfying it's been in years. This is because I found a special series of books that I greatly enjoy.
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