{"id":2365,"date":"2023-12-24T20:33:56","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T20:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/?page_id=2365"},"modified":"2023-12-30T10:42:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-30T10:42:12","slug":"2023-reviews","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/2023-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For 2023, following the pattern of the last few years, I am not dividing books into separate category lists, but each review line will have a tag or two indicating what kind of book it is, whether listened to as audiobook rather than read as kindle\/paperback, and whether the book was encountered as part of a book club or similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Like 2021 and 2022, but unlike previous years, I have listed these oldest to most recent rather than most recent at the top).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Extinction<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Science fiction (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tremors Through Time<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Timeslip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Paladin&#8217;s Grace<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Anthem <\/strong>(1*) &#8230; Thriller (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Master of Djinn <\/strong>(5*) &#8230; Fantasy (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Meanda <\/strong>(3*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Before Adam<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Black God&#8217;s Drums<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Watchmaker of Filigree Street <\/strong>(4*) &#8230; Fantasy (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Fifth Head of Cerberus<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Infinity: A Bridger&#8217;s Origin<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>My Turn to Make the Tea<\/strong> (2*) &#8230; Historical fiction (Grasmere club)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kindred <\/strong>(5*) &#8230; Geeky<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Urth of the New Sun<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Comfort me with Apples<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>My Name is Lucy Barton<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Contemporary (Grasmere club) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Mechanics of Magic<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Star Guard <\/strong>(4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Daughter of Redwinter<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Fantasy (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Riddley Walker<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Star Rangers<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dead Water<\/strong> (1*) &#8230; Crime (Sam Read) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wild Fell<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Geeky (Grasmere Club)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diaspora <\/strong>(1*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)&nbsp;(Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Memory Called Empire <\/strong>(5*) &#8230; Science fiction (Grasmere club)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Red Scholar&#8217;s Wake<\/strong> (4*)&#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Forgotten Realms<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Geeky<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Babel-17<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Edwin <\/strong>(4*) &#8230; Historical fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sorcerer to the Crown <\/strong>(5*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Daughter of Redwinter<\/strong> (5*)  &#8230; Fantasy (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pilgerman <\/strong>(3*) &#8230; Historical fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida<\/strong> (1*) &#8230; Fantasy (Grasmere Club) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Star Flight<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Theory of Bastards<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Time for the Stars<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ledge<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Fantasy (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Descendant Machine<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rendezvous with Rama<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cloud Cuckoo Land<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Come Looking For Me<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ordinary Monsters<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical Fantasy (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Year of the Unicorn<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Fantasy (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Time Patrol<\/strong> (2*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Celestial <\/strong>(4*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upgrade <\/strong>(3*) &#8230; Action \/adventure (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Demon Copperhead<\/strong> (2*) &#8230; Contemporary (Grasmere club) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Some Desperate Glory<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Science fiction (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Illuminations<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Speculative<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Before the Coffee Gets Cold <\/strong>(3*) &#8230; Fantasy (Grasmere club)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ninefox Gambit<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hail Mary<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Eyre Affair<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Lay of the Lost Minstrel <\/strong>(4*) &#8230; Historical fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Kaiju Preservation Society<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Redshirts<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Kingdoms<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lost in Time<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Science fiction (Sam Read)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Quinqunx of Time<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Brief History of Living Forever<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Sam Read)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Catseye<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Raven&#8217;s Nest<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Biography (Grasmere club) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Night of Masks<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Against the Fall of Night<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For the First Time, Again<\/strong> (2*) &#8230; Science fiction (Sam Read) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Eyre Affair<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>War with the Newts<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Excalibur<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Zero Stone<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Wager<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical non-fiction (TTRPBC) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The City and the Stars<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Uncharted Stars<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Forward the Foundation<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Time&#8217;s Eye<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Symphony of Echoes<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Julia (1984)<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Last Kingdom<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Book of Form and Emptiness<\/strong> (3*) &#8230; Speculative (Grasmere Club) (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foundation<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>King Dunmail&#8217;s&nbsp;Crown<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Historical fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foundation and Empire <\/strong>(4*)&#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Second Foundation<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Science fiction <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Ten Thousand Doors of January<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Fantasy) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tripoint<\/strong>  (4*) &#8230; Science fiction (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Christmas Carol<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Historical fiction (Grasmere Club)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Other Dickens&#8217; Christmas Books<\/strong> (3*) (Grasmere Club) &#8230; Historical fiction (Did not finish)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Paladin&#8217;s Strength<\/strong> (4*) &#8230; Fantasy (Audio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Notorious Sorcerer<\/strong> (5*) &#8230; Fantasy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Sindbad Voyage <\/strong>(5*) &#8230; Biography<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Witch World <\/strong>(5*) &#8230; Fantasy (TTRPBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Skylark of Space<\/strong> (4*)&#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skylark Three<\/strong> (4*)&#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skylark of Valeron<\/strong> (4*)&#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skylark DuQuesne<\/strong> (4*)&#8230; Science fiction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For 2023, following the pattern of the last few years, I am not dividing books into separate category lists, but each review line will have a tag or two indicating what kind of book it is, whether listened to as audiobook rather than read as kindle\/paperback, and whether the book was encountered as part of &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/2023-reviews\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">2023 Reviews<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2365","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2365"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376,"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2365\/revisions\/2376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/richardabbott.datascenesdev.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}