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Originally Posted by Dazrin

What were the best books you read this year?

Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes. This begins a four-book series following five college students in a college program for training superheroes. Unlike their classmates, they have lived without being in control of their powers, but thanks to a new process, they have gained control. I finished the 4th book today, and in the meantime, I had little interest in other books. Each book follows them through a full year of college. Unlike the TV show Gen V, it's slower paced, focuses more on training than on fighting villains, and focuses more on character development.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. This is a horror novel I read in October. It is about a babysitter for a child who is drawing eerie, disturbing pictures, which are included in the book and help propel the story along.

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett. One of the last books of his Discworld series, this one focuses on development of a railroad system. It's interesting to see the development of technology in a fantasy world with dwarf, troll, and goblin characters involved.

What excellent books do you recommend that were published in 2023?

Earthside by Dennis E. Taylor. This is a sequel to his 2019 book Outland, which I happened to read earlier in 2023. It follows college students who survived an explosion of the volcano in Yellowstone National Park by escaping to a parallel Earth, where they have started to build a new civilization.

Heir of Uncertain Magic (Whimbrel House Book 2) by Charlie N. Holmberg. This is a sequel to her earlier book Keeper of Enchanted Rooms. It follows a man who inherited a magical house and the woman who has been helping him manage it. It takes place in a 19th century version of America in which magic is commonplace. It's interesting to see how they use magic to do things we might do with technology, and Holmberg usually comes up with interesting magical systems.

How did your anticipated 2023 books hold up this year?

I don't really line up a bunch of new books for the coming year.

And, what books are you looking forward to in 2024?

I have plans to read the next book in Charlie N. Holmberg's Whimbrel House series and the next book in Sarina Dorie's Vega Bloodmire series, which both just came out in February. I also have plenty of older books I plan to get around to reading.