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Best of 2023 Book Awards
Doing things a little differently this time around! Instead of a best of list, I'm gonna separate it out by genre a bit.
Best Speculative Fiction:
Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Adult SF, Dystopian, BIPOC rep, WLW rep)
This is an incisive and compelling dystopian novel about a future where the incarcerated are forced to compete in life or death matches for entertainment, with the hope of winning their freedom dangling as bait to encourage them to keep fighting. The horror of this novel is in how closely it cleaves to reality. I always hesitate to recommend fictional treatments of real life issues as a form of activism, so I'll just say this: the author handles the subject matter extremely deftly, and you should also pick up a nonfiction book or two about the prison-industrial complex. And donate to a bail fund.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez (Adult Fantasy, MLM rep)
I have never read another book like this. I love it when novels push the boundaries of what can be done with the medium, and this one absolutely delivers. The prose is lush and immersive, and both the use of multiple POVs and the unusual, story within a story structure of the narrative are used to great effect. This is not just a novel to read but a work of craft worth studying.
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Adult SF, Queer)
I've seen criticism of this novel calling it too unsubtle, but in the current political climate, I'll be honest, I think subtlety is overrated. The power of this novel comes from the POV character, a heavily indoctrinated fascist child soldier who spends the novel breaking out of her ideology. It's a messy journey and it's a surprisingly difficult read, but I thought it was very compelling, with interesting worldbuilding and tight plotting. I also enjoyed that this is an inescapably queer book without a central romance plot line.
The Will of the Many by James Islington (Adult Fantasy)
When I started reading this, I was put off by the school element, but the book makes full use of it. In some ways it reminds me of The Traitor Baru Cormorant, another book about the victim of an imperial regime trying to fight the system from the inside. The Roman-inspired world is really interesting, and the central mystery keeps you turning the page. I think ancient Rome can be played out, but Islington really makes it fresh again. Very much looking forward to the second one.
The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison (Adult Fantasy, Trans rep)
An unexpected delight! I'm not a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but this queer take on Holmes in an angel-inhabited London, featuring an Angel as the detective and a trans Watson as his partner, was wonderful. Addison excels at creating worlds that feel real, and she succeeds here, producing a London that feels tangible and using Watson and his angelic friend's friendship as the foundation of the story to great effect.
Best Romance:
Historical:
Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall (Adult Historical Romance, Queer, NB/NB)
This is the second in a series of comedic histroms by Alexis Hall, featuring Peggy, the best friend of Valentine's extremely reluctant bride, and the opera singer who she falls in love with. This is Hall at his best: incredibly funny, unexpectedly heartfelt, and unapologetically queer. This book doesn't shy away from the realities of the time period, but it doesn't wallow in them, either. I think a lot of histroms either fully gloss over all the problems of the Regency era or get bogged down in them, but Hall knows how to balance everything perfectly. I also love that this book features two nonbinary people who approach their gender in different ways and who love and support and validate each other.
The Secret Life of Country Gentlemen by K. J. Charles (Adult Historical Romance, MLM rep)
Another histrom that knows how to use the ugly realities of the time period! This is a charming romance, with a realistic approach to the class difference. It balances the swoony romance bits with the actual social commentary really well.
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall (Adult Historical & Fantasy Romance, WLW rep)
The chemistry between the leads in this book is sizzling, especially when you consider that narrator is so wholly uninterested in them. This is a take on magical Regency I've never seen before, and I thought the humor of the narrator was balanced really well by the darker elements of the plot.
Speculative:
Those Who Break Chains by Maria Ying (Adult Paranormal Romance, WLW rep, Trans rep, Poly rep, BIPOC rep)
This is a 3 book (+ 2 novella) series about the Hua family, who are a notorious line of magic users who have secretly been tasked with confining and destroying a terrible being from another dimension by the demons they are famous for commanding. The worldbuilding is really good, the sex is very creative, and the writing is excellent, but most of all I commend the authors for creating a world where every single woman is fucked up, gay, and ready to solve all her problems with violence, sex, or violent sex. This is the toxic WLW romance we all deserve and love.
Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydis Moon (Adult Speculative Romance, MLM rep, Trans rep, BIPOC rep)
Exorcist meets bruja as they try to banish said bruja's ex-husband in this T4T romance chock full of evocative religious imagery. I feel like there was so much packed into this novella, and yet it was paced perfectly, with just enough breathing room for the romance to feel earned.
Contemporary:
The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta (Adult Contemporary Romance, BIPOC rep)
This is my surprise pick for this list. I didn't know a lot about this book and didn't really have high expectations, because I find romances about celebrities really hard to relate to, but this was extremely compelling. Everything about it worked for me -- our flawed, closed up protagonist struggling against herself and society, the romance, the nuanced approach to being a South Asian woman in Britain -- everything.
Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg (Adult Contemporary Romance, WLW rep)
Listen, this isn't a perfect book, but it is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling featuring a hot butch Darcy. Did I think the book's final conflict was kind of stupid, because it relied on the protagonist being blamed for something that was objectively not her fault? Sure. But am I in love with hot butch Darcy? Yes.
This very narrowly beat out Love At First Set on this list, which is another WLW contemporary romance. I think that one has a much stronger interpersonal conflict between the love interests, if this one doesn't work for you.
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun (Adult Contemporary Romance, WLW Rep)
The holiday romance of my dreams. Two women spend one perfect day together. They part ways. They then have to spend Christmas together at a cabin full of poorly adjusted rich people, because one of them is fake dating the other's brother for money. This is a dream of a romcom, with absurd moments and real, heartfelt drama. The fact that this wasn't on every holiday romance table at bookstores this season is a tragedy.
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall (Adult Contemporary Romance, MLM Rep)
I feel silly putting so many Alexis Hall romances on this list, but the fact remains that he's one of my favorite romance authors and one of the few authors whose work is an immediate purchase for me. This novel has a very silly premise, but Hall manages to take a ridiculous premise and a fairly low stakes drama and wring an insane amount of emotional impact out of them. You think you're not going to get extremely invested in a local chain of home good stores? You're wrong. You absolutely will.
Best Sequel/Companion:
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat (Dark Rise, #1) (YA Fantasy, MLM Rep)
This is probably my number one of the year, because I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I read it. This is such a tense, nerve-wracking sequel, where Pacat uses the revelations of the first book to draw out the tension, slapping you in the face with dramatic irony. The chemistry between James and Will is insane and frankly there are plenty of adult romances that pale in comparison. The first thing I did when I got home today was grab my physical copy and put it on the bedside table for a reread.
The Faithless by C.L. Clark (Magic of the Lost, #2) (Adult Fantasy, WLW Rep)
I was fully expecting to DNF this and instead it sucked me in. I still think Luca/Torraine is one of the worst ships to ever exist, but despite that, the political wrangling in this book absorbed me completely, and the last quarter or so is insane in the best possible way.
A Restless Truth & A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (The Last Binding, #2-3) (Adult Historical & Fantasy Romance, WLW rep, MLM rep)
Amazing, I did get caught up on this series before 2024! Two great romances, and the overarching plot hang together really well and ties the books together nicely. I really enjoyed both couples, and I especially thought that Hawthorn and Alan in book 3 perfectly reflected the ideological conflict that underpinned the actual plot of the book. In my opinion, this is a must-read for fantasy romance fans.
Honorable Mention:
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (Adult Contemporary Fiction, East Asian rep)
I wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't by R. F. Kuang, and it doesn't really fit into any of the categories above, but it is a book I really enjoyed. It's another one that was accused of being unsubtle, but to be honest, I think that this novel wouldn't have worked if it wasn't as over-the-top as it was. It's a wild ride, but being trapped in the mind of a racist white lady has never been so entertaining.
Best Speculative Fiction:
Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Adult SF, Dystopian, BIPOC rep, WLW rep)
This is an incisive and compelling dystopian novel about a future where the incarcerated are forced to compete in life or death matches for entertainment, with the hope of winning their freedom dangling as bait to encourage them to keep fighting. The horror of this novel is in how closely it cleaves to reality. I always hesitate to recommend fictional treatments of real life issues as a form of activism, so I'll just say this: the author handles the subject matter extremely deftly, and you should also pick up a nonfiction book or two about the prison-industrial complex. And donate to a bail fund.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez (Adult Fantasy, MLM rep)
I have never read another book like this. I love it when novels push the boundaries of what can be done with the medium, and this one absolutely delivers. The prose is lush and immersive, and both the use of multiple POVs and the unusual, story within a story structure of the narrative are used to great effect. This is not just a novel to read but a work of craft worth studying.
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Adult SF, Queer)
I've seen criticism of this novel calling it too unsubtle, but in the current political climate, I'll be honest, I think subtlety is overrated. The power of this novel comes from the POV character, a heavily indoctrinated fascist child soldier who spends the novel breaking out of her ideology. It's a messy journey and it's a surprisingly difficult read, but I thought it was very compelling, with interesting worldbuilding and tight plotting. I also enjoyed that this is an inescapably queer book without a central romance plot line.
The Will of the Many by James Islington (Adult Fantasy)
When I started reading this, I was put off by the school element, but the book makes full use of it. In some ways it reminds me of The Traitor Baru Cormorant, another book about the victim of an imperial regime trying to fight the system from the inside. The Roman-inspired world is really interesting, and the central mystery keeps you turning the page. I think ancient Rome can be played out, but Islington really makes it fresh again. Very much looking forward to the second one.
The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison (Adult Fantasy, Trans rep)
An unexpected delight! I'm not a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but this queer take on Holmes in an angel-inhabited London, featuring an Angel as the detective and a trans Watson as his partner, was wonderful. Addison excels at creating worlds that feel real, and she succeeds here, producing a London that feels tangible and using Watson and his angelic friend's friendship as the foundation of the story to great effect.
Best Romance:
Historical:
Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall (Adult Historical Romance, Queer, NB/NB)
This is the second in a series of comedic histroms by Alexis Hall, featuring Peggy, the best friend of Valentine's extremely reluctant bride, and the opera singer who she falls in love with. This is Hall at his best: incredibly funny, unexpectedly heartfelt, and unapologetically queer. This book doesn't shy away from the realities of the time period, but it doesn't wallow in them, either. I think a lot of histroms either fully gloss over all the problems of the Regency era or get bogged down in them, but Hall knows how to balance everything perfectly. I also love that this book features two nonbinary people who approach their gender in different ways and who love and support and validate each other.
The Secret Life of Country Gentlemen by K. J. Charles (Adult Historical Romance, MLM rep)
Another histrom that knows how to use the ugly realities of the time period! This is a charming romance, with a realistic approach to the class difference. It balances the swoony romance bits with the actual social commentary really well.
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall (Adult Historical & Fantasy Romance, WLW rep)
The chemistry between the leads in this book is sizzling, especially when you consider that narrator is so wholly uninterested in them. This is a take on magical Regency I've never seen before, and I thought the humor of the narrator was balanced really well by the darker elements of the plot.
Speculative:
Those Who Break Chains by Maria Ying (Adult Paranormal Romance, WLW rep, Trans rep, Poly rep, BIPOC rep)
This is a 3 book (+ 2 novella) series about the Hua family, who are a notorious line of magic users who have secretly been tasked with confining and destroying a terrible being from another dimension by the demons they are famous for commanding. The worldbuilding is really good, the sex is very creative, and the writing is excellent, but most of all I commend the authors for creating a world where every single woman is fucked up, gay, and ready to solve all her problems with violence, sex, or violent sex. This is the toxic WLW romance we all deserve and love.
Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydis Moon (Adult Speculative Romance, MLM rep, Trans rep, BIPOC rep)
Exorcist meets bruja as they try to banish said bruja's ex-husband in this T4T romance chock full of evocative religious imagery. I feel like there was so much packed into this novella, and yet it was paced perfectly, with just enough breathing room for the romance to feel earned.
Contemporary:
The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta (Adult Contemporary Romance, BIPOC rep)
This is my surprise pick for this list. I didn't know a lot about this book and didn't really have high expectations, because I find romances about celebrities really hard to relate to, but this was extremely compelling. Everything about it worked for me -- our flawed, closed up protagonist struggling against herself and society, the romance, the nuanced approach to being a South Asian woman in Britain -- everything.
Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg (Adult Contemporary Romance, WLW rep)
Listen, this isn't a perfect book, but it is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling featuring a hot butch Darcy. Did I think the book's final conflict was kind of stupid, because it relied on the protagonist being blamed for something that was objectively not her fault? Sure. But am I in love with hot butch Darcy? Yes.
This very narrowly beat out Love At First Set on this list, which is another WLW contemporary romance. I think that one has a much stronger interpersonal conflict between the love interests, if this one doesn't work for you.
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun (Adult Contemporary Romance, WLW Rep)
The holiday romance of my dreams. Two women spend one perfect day together. They part ways. They then have to spend Christmas together at a cabin full of poorly adjusted rich people, because one of them is fake dating the other's brother for money. This is a dream of a romcom, with absurd moments and real, heartfelt drama. The fact that this wasn't on every holiday romance table at bookstores this season is a tragedy.
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall (Adult Contemporary Romance, MLM Rep)
I feel silly putting so many Alexis Hall romances on this list, but the fact remains that he's one of my favorite romance authors and one of the few authors whose work is an immediate purchase for me. This novel has a very silly premise, but Hall manages to take a ridiculous premise and a fairly low stakes drama and wring an insane amount of emotional impact out of them. You think you're not going to get extremely invested in a local chain of home good stores? You're wrong. You absolutely will.
Best Sequel/Companion:
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat (Dark Rise, #1) (YA Fantasy, MLM Rep)
This is probably my number one of the year, because I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I read it. This is such a tense, nerve-wracking sequel, where Pacat uses the revelations of the first book to draw out the tension, slapping you in the face with dramatic irony. The chemistry between James and Will is insane and frankly there are plenty of adult romances that pale in comparison. The first thing I did when I got home today was grab my physical copy and put it on the bedside table for a reread.
The Faithless by C.L. Clark (Magic of the Lost, #2) (Adult Fantasy, WLW Rep)
I was fully expecting to DNF this and instead it sucked me in. I still think Luca/Torraine is one of the worst ships to ever exist, but despite that, the political wrangling in this book absorbed me completely, and the last quarter or so is insane in the best possible way.
A Restless Truth & A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (The Last Binding, #2-3) (Adult Historical & Fantasy Romance, WLW rep, MLM rep)
Amazing, I did get caught up on this series before 2024! Two great romances, and the overarching plot hang together really well and ties the books together nicely. I really enjoyed both couples, and I especially thought that Hawthorn and Alan in book 3 perfectly reflected the ideological conflict that underpinned the actual plot of the book. In my opinion, this is a must-read for fantasy romance fans.
Honorable Mention:
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (Adult Contemporary Fiction, East Asian rep)
I wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't by R. F. Kuang, and it doesn't really fit into any of the categories above, but it is a book I really enjoyed. It's another one that was accused of being unsubtle, but to be honest, I think that this novel wouldn't have worked if it wasn't as over-the-top as it was. It's a wild ride, but being trapped in the mind of a racist white lady has never been so entertaining.