What an epic year, man. I cannot wait to read more Hobb this year. I have some bangers on deck this year, and a few from this list, so I'm thrilled. Fantastic video. Love the passion 😊
I always enjoy your list videos because they show the breadth of what you’ve read. I like seeing booktubers holding their copy of the books they read and showing it to us. It’s great to see the books on your shelf but I’d also like to see each one up close as you talk about them.
Beastly list!! Totally agree on Sun Eater and with Demon in White in particular reaching just insane heights of sci-fantasy perfection. Gimme more of them just relaxing on an island!! Also the Dark Forest is indeed incredible and thought provoking to an absurd extent. I remember loving Hyperion too when I read it 12 years ago! Can’t wait to try all these others soon!
I’m not sure anything would ever unseat Lonesome Dove as my personal favorite… but your ranking of a Robin Hobb book above LD might just be the final push I needed to give her books another go. Not even a week into the new year and my tbr list is absolutely wrecked. 😂 Awesome list and what an amazing reading year you had!
Fool's Fate is my favourite book ever. Really glad you enjoyed it 😁 I can't wait to read the Dandelion Dynasty because it sounds amazing. Unfortunately, I really could not get into Jade City, but I will try it again.
Thank you so much, Crystal! It really is a phenomenal book! I hope you love Dandelion Dynasty...definitely let me know when you start because I would love to hear your thoughts! I think Jade City is definitely hit or miss with people, but if you're motivated to give it another shot, definitely do so because if you find yourself enjoying it, it is absolutely worth the ride!
The level of excitement and passion in this video is just off the charts, I am so happy for you that you had such an incredible reading year!! So eager to hear your thoughts on Jade Legacy, that is still one of my favourites finales I have ever read. I have Hyperion and Sun Eater lined up and ready to go sometime in the first half of this year, so I can't waitttt to find out how I'll feel about them! And HECK YES for Dandelion and Tawny Man, those are truly masterpieces! I am already yearning for a reread of those series. Thanks for sharing, Alex, I loved hearing your thoughts on all of these!! Here's to another amazing year in 2023 🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! I’m SO excited for Jade legacy and hope to get to it this month. I’m also so excited for you to read Sun Eater and Hyperion! Let me know when you start those so I can hear your thoughts!! Yes! Dandelion and Tawny Man are ridiculously Gold and both of them are stories I’ll be thinking about for a long long time! Thank you so much for watching and I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
"The book taking the golden crown..." Did you mean the Rooster Crown? Great list Alex. Obviously, your #1 makes me happy but some real bangers on there. Can't wait to read Swan Song and Lonesome Dove early this year, this got me pumped. My #1 from this year is the brother of yours, Assassin's Fate. Really looking forward to your thoughts on the final Fitz trilogy, as sad as it may be that it brings the RotE to an end.
Damn what a huge missed opportunity hahaha I'm so excited for you to read Swan Song and Lonesome Dove...honestly I think you're going to be totally blown away by both of them just based on what I've seen you read and enjoy the last few months! I can't wait to read Fitz and the Fool and would not be surprised if Assassin's Fate is very high on this list in 2023! Hope you have an awesome reading year next year man!
Awesome list! The Dark Forest and Demon in White are also my favourites from their respective series. I love western films so I will read Lonesome Dove one day!
Ditto everything you said about Robin Hobb and Fool's Fate. Not many stories can bring me to tears, but this story did just that. Currently reading the Live Ship series after several month's hiatus from Hobb. Great year in books Tall Guy!
What a year! 😀🤘🏻 Thanks for the reminder: I’ve got Lonesome Dove on my shelf and need to get to it, I haven’t got any Ruocchio and need to get some, and Queen Hobb! ♥️😍♥️ Woo!
Great to see Fool's Fate so high! I'm currently reading Ship of Magic and loving it so much. I can't wait to see the journey that the remainder of the series takes me on!
So excited to hear you're loving Ship of Magic! I think as I've distanced myself from LST, Ship of Magic has slowly risen to my possible favorite of the three, but all three books in that trilogy are just ridiculously good! Hope you enjoy the ride!
Great list, Alex! I have last 100 pages left in Fool's Fate and it's just brilliant. If I had read it in December, it would have been my top 1 as well.
Dark Forest only number 6? Damn, that is harsh. I have not read any other titles on the list, but I plan on reading The Dandelion series by Ken Liu simply because he translated books 1 and 3 of The Remembrance of Earth's Past. Really thought you would have placed it higher, but thanks for the recommendations, nonetheless.
This list has some heavy hitters! Swan Song and Hyperion are some of my all-time favorites. Since I began book one for both Sun Eater and Realm of Elderlings, I can't wait to dive further into the series within the next month.
Thanks, Anthony! Love to hear that you have Swan Song and Hyperion on your all-time faves! Both are amazing books! Oh that's so exciting to hear that you started Sun Eater and Realm of the Elderlings...you are in for an awesome journey with both of those and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!
What a fantastic list! Your videos throughout the year have played a large part in my picking up Realm of the Elderlings in the beginning of 2023, and I'm happy I did as I'm currently going through Royal Assassin. Pretty much everything in this list is now on my TBR and I'll get to it sooner or later. I hope to see more videos on the channel as I've come to check daily for them. Your passion for books is infectious. Keep it going!
Not at all surprised to see a Hobb book in your top spot. 😃I'm still sad that I'm not enjoying them as much but happy for you that they continue not to disappoint. And yay, Jade War made it in too! I can't wait to see what you make of the finale. Completely agree about how phenomenal the characters are.
Sorry to hear that you aren't enjoying Hobb as much as you would like but I'm happy to hear you're giving them a shot! I absolutely LOVED Jade War and I am so excited for Jade legacy! Hope to start reading it soon!
An interesting list. Have to see if I can't put one or two into my reading list in 2023. Myself, I have divided my books of 2022 into three categories, as I find it to make my life much, much easier. Thus, I have three top fives: Fantasy - 42,5 books by 22 authors 1. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay 2. Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham 3. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson 4. The White-Luck Warrior by R. Scott Bakker 5. Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher by Walter Moers Sci-fi - 31 books by 15 authors. 1. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 2. Hyperion by Dan Simmons 3. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 5. Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey Other - 45 books by 30 authors 1. Lasisilmä by Johanna Sinisalo 2. Hägring 38 by Kjell Westö 3. Wie der Soldat das Grammafon repariert by Saša Stanišić 4. Is by Ulla-Lena Lundberg 5. Im Westen nichts Neues by Erich Maria Remarque
This is an awesome list! All Quiet on the Western Front is one of my favorites, along with 451 and TBC...very excited to read Flowers for Algernon, GGK, WLW, and Children of Time! Thanks so much for watching!
Bro!! Incredible list my friend! Showing once again you are a man of impeccable taste haha! I'm not ready for Fools fate, I'm terrified to read it lol! It's been a pleasure to read some of these books with you, I hope you have a great 2023 bro!
Hahaha thanks so much, man! I'm SOOO ready for you to read Fool's Fate because you absolutely are not ready for it hahaha I've had a blast reading some of these with you too man and I hope you have an awesome 2023 as well!
This is a great list, and I’ve read several of them. Thanks for putting it together. Lonesome Dove is also one of my favorite books, I’ve read three of four times so far. That being said I’ll have to check out Robin Hobb now. I just started The Wheel of Time books so that’s going to take some time. And I’m halfway through Swan Song, it’s so good but a very heavy read.
Thank you so much! Wow that is fantastic! So wonderful to hear how much you adore Lonesome Dove! Yeah Swan Song is a bleak and heavy read for sure...I do believe it's very much worth it though! Have fun with the Wheel of Time!
Damn man. Five books I gave five stars to, one I gave four, and three I plan to read this year and have very high hopes for. If only I liked the Passenger 🫠 You had an absolutely stellar reading year, can't wait to see Ass Fate as your book of 2023 🤪
Thank you so much man! Hahhaha I would not be remotely shocked at all if Ass Fate ends up as my number one in 2023...but I do have some major potential contenders lined up as well lol
Glad you enjoyed Robert McCammon. I've read everything the guys read. He's done an Alien sci-fi novel called The Border that you might be interested in.
Yes, I completely agree! Such an incredible conclusion! I love the Grace of Kings and so happy to hear how much you loved it! Hope you enjoy Empire of Silence when you get to it! Thanks for watching!
You had a great reading year, Alex :) So many great books. I am so happy to see Fool's fate as your number 1 , I am yet to get to it but I am in love with the Realm of the Elderlings series in general. I have added some of the books you have mentioned in this list to my wishlist and will buy them soon!
Thank you so much! You are going to LOVE Fool's Fate if you are enjoying ROTE so far! Thank you so much for the kind words and for watching! Wishing you a fantastic reading year in 2023!
Interesting list. Definitely planning to read Swan Song this year after loving Boy's Life last year. And can't wait to get to Demon in White this year. I just finished Empire of Silence and loved it. The first several chapters felt a bit generic, but it quickly elevated to an amazing new level that had me on the edge of my seat the rest of the way. You've maybe sold me on at least trying Wall of Storms at some point, but Grace of Kings disappointed me last year. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, which resulted in an often dry narrative that really hurt an otherwise good story.
Love to hear it! If you really enjoyed Empire of Silence, you are in for a WILD ride with the rest of the books! Can't wait to see what you think of Howling Dark! I definitely recommend giving Wall of Storms a shot...the narrative style shifts quite a bit from Grace of Kings and the overall story goes in an entirely new direction! If you don't enjoy WoS, then the series probably isn't for you (and that's okay!), but I definitely would recommend giving it a shot!
I was too impatient so I skipped to the end to see what your top 3 were. Going back now, but man you had an amazing year. 😂 I agree, Fool’s Fate is probably my favorite of ROTE that I have read- such an emotional read. Putting Lonesome Dove second hurt my soul a little, but if anyone was going to beat it, I’m glad it Hobb.
Hahaha fair enough man! Fool's Fate is an amazing book! I love Lonesome Dove so much, but Fool's Fate for me just hit different hahaha love seeing how alike our tastes are though! Makes me very excited to pick up a number of books that you've enjoyed that I haven't gotten to yet!
My 2022 Pick: 1. The Wall of Storms 2. Words of Radiance 3. Children of Time 4. Jade Legacy 5. Empire of the Vampire I recently finished Demon in White and it was phenomenal! Good new year start! So excited to dive more into the realm of elderlings but im struggling with the Farseer trilogy. Cant wait to read the next trilogies i know it’s gonna be a blast!
Awesome list!! I can't wait to read Jade Legacy! Hopefully I'll be reading it soon! Sorry to hear you are struggling with Farseer, but I would definitely recommend giving Liveships a shot afterwards because you might find the narrative style and story much more enjoyable as I know a number of people who do! Hope you have an awesome year of reading in 2023!
Have you tried the Terror by Dan Simmons? In my opinion it's his absolute best book and one of my all time faves. Lonesome Dove is maybe my favourite book of all time, I've read it more times than I can count.
The Terror is a big aim for me for 2023! I've read 5 Simmons books now, but haven't read that one...I have a feeling it will be RIGHT up my alley and I can't wait to read it! Lonesome Dove is absolutely phenomenal and I'm so happy to hear how much you also love it!
My Top 10 would be: *Fantasy* Changes / Jim Butcher - I could've put any Dresden Files book from Dead Beat (Book 7) onwards on here but Changes met the hype for me. Price of Spring / Daniel Abraham - Seeing the conclusion to everyone's arcs over the course of 4 books spanning 40 years... its amazing. The Crippled God / Steven Erikson - I think this might be my favourite ending to a Fantasy series. The Unholy Consult / R Scott Bakker - Easily the darkest book I've ever read. It haunts me. *Historical-Fantasy* Lions of Al-Rassan / Guy Gavriel Kay - I enjoyed Tigana but Lions made me a GGK fan. *Historical-Fiction* Gates of Fire / Steven Pressfield - This standalone for me is on par with Warlord Chronicles, that's how strong it is. The Last Kingdom / Bernard Cornwell - Uhtred of Bebbenberg, what a character. I appreciate that Cornwell's not afraid to make him very unlikeable at times. *Sci-Fi* Book of the New Sun / Gene Wolfe - Am I technically cheating with this one? Yes. Do I care? No 😆 Some of the best use of an unreliable narrator (for multiple reasons) I've read. I Am Legend / Richard Matheson - I read this in one sitting, that's rare for me. Ogres / Adrian Tchaikovsky - A dystopia told from the 2nd person.
What an awesome list! There are a number of books on here I really want to get to soon - BOTNS, Lions, Changes, Aspect Emperor, and a number of which I totally love - Last Kingdom, I Am Legend! Hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
Great list and video. Nice to see two familiar favorites. Both books have had times of being on some of my top 10s. Hyperion is great, but some of the stories are superior to others in the book. I also agree that Dark Forest is the best of the ROEP trilogy...though Deaths End, for me is the most enjoyable. Seeing the times u dip into scifi, we have similar tastes...compelling me to recommend you read The Speaker For the Dead (if you haven't read it yet...and after reading Enders Game). It's a book I think has, for you, the potential, to be your favorite read of all time :)
I completely agree with you! I have a lot of Sci-Fi planned for 2023 and I'm very excited to start reading more of it because I also think we have a lot of similar taste! I will be reading Ender's Game for the first time ever this month because it won my Patron pick for January and if I enjoy it, I will most certainly be checking out The Speaker for the Dead from your recommendation alone! That is some huge hype and makes me want to read it very badly hahaha
I will make a bet right now that Assassin's Fate will be your number one of 2023, or whatever year you read it in. I'd put money on it. Some good picks here. I am hoping to get to the Dandelion Dynasty this year, which I bought based on your mutual enjoyment of that and Robin Hobb's work.
I am not willing to take that bet because I would not be remotely surprised if that's the case hahaha very excited (and nervous) for Fitz and the Fool trilogy! Oh nice! I'm excited to hear you want to try out Dandelion Dynasty...let me know when you do as I would be very interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much for watching!
Here's my picks 1. Dolores Claiborne by Stephen king 2. The great peace by mena suvari her memoir 3. Billy summers by Stephen king 4. Not my father son by Alan Cumming his first memoir 5. They never learn by Layne Fargo 6. The cactus by Sarah Haywood 7. The heart principle by helen Huang 8. The charm offensive by allison Cochrane 9. Iron widow 10. A king of battle and blood by scarlett st claire
Hello 👋 Happy New Year 🥳 to you, I will look forward to all ur videos 2023! I hope u find more amazing books in this year too! Happy 2023 reading to you!! 🥳📽🎉🌿❄️
My «Personal Enjoyment Reads» List for 2022: 12-«By Force Alone» by Lavie Tidhar (Loved the Grimdark Prologue with Uther and Merlin, but it would have been better either longer or with a sequel delving more into “Guy Ritchie Gangster” Arthur’s Camelot, second half was way too rushed! Also Lancelot’s main plot is straight out of Mel Brooks: Very funny (Jewish Ninjas fighting N@zi Vampires in the 5-6th Century!), but a bit off from the Grimdark opening, would have great seperate stories. Predator-reference had me ROFL though. Inspired by Jimmy Nutts' categories: Clear winner of "Scariest Character of 2022 I read": Merlin) 11-«The Hood» by Lavie Tidhar (Much more evenly balanced: «Breaking Bad» Rebecca of York/Robin Hood meets «Heart of Darkness»/«Apocalypse Now») 10-«The Broken Sword» by Poul Anderson (A S&S Classic: Anderson effortlessly changes between huge laughs, epic fight and deep tragedy. Vikings meets Myth(s)) 9-«Beowulf» (JRR Tolkien’s interpretation: A Literary Classic for a reason + excellent commentary from the Professor Himself!) 8-«Storm of Swords» by Matthew Harffy (The «Bernicia Chronicles» is my «palett cleanser» book series: While this is essentially Anglo-Saxon «Taken», the characters have grown on me and loved the «Ship Wrecker»-«sidequest») 7-«Snakewood» by Adrian Selby (While the structure of the story is not the most welcoming, there is great action, diplomacy and heartfelt laughs and tragedy. Gant, Kailen and The Prince are on my shortlist for "Favorite Characters of the Year", while Mirisham wins my "Most Morally Complex Character of the Year" Award!) 6-«Legend» by David Gemmell (While a bit generic in World Building, I definitely got great action and a incredible positive surprise in the immense humanity in Gemmell’s writing, even to what could easily have been stock side characters and antagonists, so Orrin wins "Biggest Character Surprise of the Year"!) 5-«Hunger of the Gods» by John Gwynne (Good expansion of the World presented in the first book and Guthvar is a delightful pov-antagonist I love to hate: Favorite Dirtbag Character of the Year!) 4-«Banner Saga: Gift of Hadrborg»/«Tales from the Caravan» (especially the short stories «Haugr’s Grin» & «Too Much Rope») (GoH: Vikings+Gang Wars+A dash of Indiana Jones: Neat!/TotC: Great action, great tragedy! Eirik (the Undercover Viking Cop) from "GoH" is a "Favorite Character of the Year"-contender, while Mogr from "Too Much Rope" has to be my "Favorite Tragic Main Character of the Year") 3-«The Severing Son» by Vaughn Roycroft (Great Culture Building, Loved the characters, especially the leaders: The dynamic between the adopted brothers Captain Urias and Lord Thadmeir of great trust even in (often) disagreement, the dastardly Desdrusan and cunning Keisella, so many contenders for "Favorite Character Categories", but Sael has to be the winner of "Sassiest Old Lady of the Year"-category! Also, wins my "Favorite Ongoing Series": Heck, what a great debut!) 2-«Finn and Hengist» (JRR Tolkien’s interpretation) (While incredibly short, it contains rivalries, dilemmas and tragedies worthy of a full Greek Drama or Norse Saga! Great scholarly work by the Professor, on a part of history/myth unfairly often overlooked! Hengist is contender for "Favorite Morally Complex Character" and Hildeburh solidly wins "Favorite Tragic Side Character"!) 1-«Sarantine Mosaic: Sailing to Sarantium» by Gay Gavriel Kay (The Prose, The Characters, The Setting, The World Building: GGK is one of the best writers of today! The Prologue and the Epilogue is both top notch and could have served as excellent short stories in themselves! Favorite characters over all this year for me: Emperor Valerius II and Empress Alixana)
My favorite of 2022 was... Fools errand (the last book I've read in rote so i know i have tons of heartbreak ahead of me). That book as you may recall broke me
I read Lonesome Dove this year as well, it was a fine read. It was good...maybe 3.5/5 stars...but definitely a little let down after seeing all the high ratings from some booktubers I follow. Wasn't really that big of a fan of the characters...for sure all the pathetic males falling over themselves for the few females in the story was cringe worthy. The only way this story even works is if you like the characters since the story itself is pretty slow and definitely relies on the characters and their interactions. Great list though, keep up the solid videos.
Totally fair! It definitely isn't a story that works for everyone because no story is. I usually really connect with flawed and complex characters and I felt that the characters in LD had plenty of that in spades. That plus McMurtry's writing made it an unforgettable read for me! Sorry it didn't work out for you but I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
Just here to enter into the echo chamber and say this is an epic list which makes me want to quit my job and read fantasy for the next twelve months instead of doing literally anything else
What an epic year, man. I cannot wait to read more Hobb this year. I have some bangers on deck this year, and a few from this list, so I'm thrilled. Fantastic video. Love the passion 😊
Thank you so much dude! I am so excited for you to read more Hobb this year! You're in for an absolute treat! Thanks for watching bro!
What a fantastic year! You crushed it!!! 80 books! And you read some incredible ones!
Thank you so much, Dino!
Awesome list my friend! Some of my all-time favorites along with what I hope to be future favorites. Obviously couldn’t be happier about your #1!
Thank you so much, Scot! Yeah Hobb completely won 2022 for me and I couldn't be happier about that hahaha
I always enjoy your list videos because they show the breadth of what you’ve read. I like seeing booktubers holding their copy of the books they read and showing it to us. It’s great to see the books on your shelf but I’d also like to see each one up close as you talk about them.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for watching!
What an incredible list! So many of these are on my TBR for this year. 🥰
So exciting! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on them, Jordan!
So many good books! Hope 2023 is an equally great reading year for you.
Thank you so much, Paromita! Hope you have a great reading year in 2023 as well!
Beastly list!! Totally agree on Sun Eater and with Demon in White in particular reaching just insane heights of sci-fantasy perfection. Gimme more of them just relaxing on an island!!
Also the Dark Forest is indeed incredible and thought provoking to an absurd extent. I remember loving Hyperion too when I read it 12 years ago!
Can’t wait to try all these others soon!
Thank you so much man! Love hearing how much you love Sun Eater and Remembrance of Earth's Past! Hope you have an awesome year of reading in 2023!
I’m not sure anything would ever unseat Lonesome Dove as my personal favorite… but your ranking of a Robin Hobb book above LD might just be the final push I needed to give her books another go. Not even a week into the new year and my tbr list is absolutely wrecked. 😂
Awesome list and what an amazing reading year you had!
Hahaha glad I help with the wrecking lol thank you so much and I hope you have a wonderful reading year in 2023!
Fool's Fate is my favourite book ever. Really glad you enjoyed it 😁 I can't wait to read the Dandelion Dynasty because it sounds amazing. Unfortunately, I really could not get into Jade City, but I will try it again.
Thank you so much, Crystal! It really is a phenomenal book! I hope you love Dandelion Dynasty...definitely let me know when you start because I would love to hear your thoughts! I think Jade City is definitely hit or miss with people, but if you're motivated to give it another shot, definitely do so because if you find yourself enjoying it, it is absolutely worth the ride!
Thank you, didn’t think I could add more to my TBR but here we are, adding 😂
Hahaha this was my plan all along lol
Great video! The passion when talking about Fool's Fate makes me wanna scrap my current TBR and get some Hobb in my life asap!
Yesssss!! I love to hear it, Marc! Let me know if you do as I would love to hear your thoughts!
The level of excitement and passion in this video is just off the charts, I am so happy for you that you had such an incredible reading year!!
So eager to hear your thoughts on Jade Legacy, that is still one of my favourites finales I have ever read.
I have Hyperion and Sun Eater lined up and ready to go sometime in the first half of this year, so I can't waitttt to find out how I'll feel about them!
And HECK YES for Dandelion and Tawny Man, those are truly masterpieces! I am already yearning for a reread of those series.
Thanks for sharing, Alex, I loved hearing your thoughts on all of these!! Here's to another amazing year in 2023 🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! I’m SO excited for Jade legacy and hope to get to it this month. I’m also so excited for you to read Sun Eater and Hyperion! Let me know when you start those so I can hear your thoughts!! Yes! Dandelion and Tawny Man are ridiculously Gold and both of them are stories I’ll be thinking about for a long long time! Thank you so much for watching and I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
As a fellow tall guy who loves reading I really enjoyed this video! Subbed!
Love to hear it! Thanks so much, Trevor!
I read Hyperion 4 or 5 years ago and i still think of the priests tale on a regular basis. I totally agree with you
Yes! That story is one I am always thinking back on...such a wild and unforgettable ride!
Agree- priest's tale and scholar's tale will stay with me for ages.
"The book taking the golden crown..." Did you mean the Rooster Crown?
Great list Alex. Obviously, your #1 makes me happy but some real bangers on there. Can't wait to read Swan Song and Lonesome Dove early this year, this got me pumped. My #1 from this year is the brother of yours, Assassin's Fate. Really looking forward to your thoughts on the final Fitz trilogy, as sad as it may be that it brings the RotE to an end.
Damn what a huge missed opportunity hahaha I'm so excited for you to read Swan Song and Lonesome Dove...honestly I think you're going to be totally blown away by both of them just based on what I've seen you read and enjoy the last few months! I can't wait to read Fitz and the Fool and would not be surprised if Assassin's Fate is very high on this list in 2023! Hope you have an awesome reading year next year man!
Awesome list! The Dark Forest and Demon in White are also my favourites from their respective series. I love western films so I will read Lonesome Dove one day!
They're both SO good man! I think you will love Lonesome Dove when you get to it in the future!
Ditto everything you said about Robin Hobb and Fool's Fate. Not many stories can bring me to tears, but this story did just that. Currently reading the Live Ship series after several month's hiatus from Hobb. Great year in books Tall Guy!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I absolutely LOVE the Liveship Traders and I hope you enjoy them as well! Thanks for watching!
Yaay... Queen Hobb reigns over all!!! That's a great list of books. Hope 2023 list gets even better!
Yesss she really won 2022 for me all around hahaha thank you so much and I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
What a year! 😀🤘🏻 Thanks for the reminder: I’ve got Lonesome Dove on my shelf and need to get to it, I haven’t got any Ruocchio and need to get some, and Queen Hobb! ♥️😍♥️ Woo!
You are going to love Lonesome Dove, Matt! I also can't wait for you to get to Ruocchio! Thanks so much for watching, man!
Great to see Fool's Fate so high! I'm currently reading Ship of Magic and loving it so much. I can't wait to see the journey that the remainder of the series takes me on!
So excited to hear you're loving Ship of Magic! I think as I've distanced myself from LST, Ship of Magic has slowly risen to my possible favorite of the three, but all three books in that trilogy are just ridiculously good! Hope you enjoy the ride!
Great list Alex! I’m so happy to see Green Bone and Hyperion on this list.
Thank you so much, Chas! I loved both of those books and I am so excited to read Jade Legacy!
Great list, Alex! I have last 100 pages left in Fool's Fate and it's just brilliant. If I had read it in December, it would have been my top 1 as well.
Thank you so much, Anitha! Yesssss Fool's Fate is SO GOOD!!
Dark Forest only number 6? Damn, that is harsh. I have not read any other titles on the list, but I plan on reading The Dandelion series by Ken Liu simply because he translated books 1 and 3 of The Remembrance of Earth's Past.
Really thought you would have placed it higher, but thanks for the recommendations, nonetheless.
Great list. Fool's Fate is amazing. I've got Dandelion Dynasty and Lonesome Dove at the top of my '23 TBR. Super pumped!
So excited to hear it! Let me know when you pick both of those up as I would love to hear your thoughts!
This list has some heavy hitters! Swan Song and Hyperion are some of my all-time favorites.
Since I began book one for both Sun Eater and Realm of Elderlings, I can't wait to dive further into the series within the next month.
Thanks, Anthony! Love to hear that you have Swan Song and Hyperion on your all-time faves! Both are amazing books! Oh that's so exciting to hear that you started Sun Eater and Realm of the Elderlings...you are in for an awesome journey with both of those and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!
I hope to read the realm of the elderlings this year and am looking forward to it
Awesome! Excited to hear your thoughts!
What a fantastic list! Your videos throughout the year have played a large part in my picking up Realm of the Elderlings in the beginning of 2023, and I'm happy I did as I'm currently going through Royal Assassin. Pretty much everything in this list is now on my TBR and I'll get to it sooner or later. I hope to see more videos on the channel as I've come to check daily for them. Your passion for books is infectious. Keep it going!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Georgi! I have some awesome and exciting content planned for 2023 that I can't wait to share with you!
Alex, you read rings around me. So happy you had a fine reading year. Many of these titles lurk on my future TBR. Happy New Year, Sir.
Thank you so much, Curt! Wishing you a great reading year in 2023!
Really enjoyed hearing your passion when speaking about these books! I look forward to checking them out! 📚💯
Thank you so much for the kind words! I really appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
Not at all surprised to see a Hobb book in your top spot. 😃I'm still sad that I'm not enjoying them as much but happy for you that they continue not to disappoint. And yay, Jade War made it in too! I can't wait to see what you make of the finale. Completely agree about how phenomenal the characters are.
Sorry to hear that you aren't enjoying Hobb as much as you would like but I'm happy to hear you're giving them a shot! I absolutely LOVED Jade War and I am so excited for Jade legacy! Hope to start reading it soon!
Great list, Alex! Your top 3 is on my TBR for this year.
Thank you so much, Jane! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on all of them!
Great list - plenty to add to my TBR here 😂
Lonesome Dove was my number 1 this year 🎉
Thank you so much!! Happy to hear you loved Lonesome Dove as well!
An interesting list. Have to see if I can't put one or two into my reading list in 2023.
Myself, I have divided my books of 2022 into three categories, as I find it to make my life much, much easier. Thus, I have three top fives:
Fantasy - 42,5 books by 22 authors
1. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
2. Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham
3. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
4. The White-Luck Warrior by R. Scott Bakker
5. Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher by Walter Moers
Sci-fi - 31 books by 15 authors.
1. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
2. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
3. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
5. Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey
Other - 45 books by 30 authors
1. Lasisilmä by Johanna Sinisalo
2. Hägring 38 by Kjell Westö
3. Wie der Soldat das Grammafon repariert by Saša Stanišić
4. Is by Ulla-Lena Lundberg
5. Im Westen nichts Neues by Erich Maria Remarque
This is an awesome list! All Quiet on the Western Front is one of my favorites, along with 451 and TBC...very excited to read Flowers for Algernon, GGK, WLW, and Children of Time! Thanks so much for watching!
Bro!! Incredible list my friend! Showing once again you are a man of impeccable taste haha!
I'm not ready for Fools fate, I'm terrified to read it lol!
It's been a pleasure to read some of these books with you, I hope you have a great 2023 bro!
Hahaha thanks so much, man! I'm SOOO ready for you to read Fool's Fate because you absolutely are not ready for it hahaha
I've had a blast reading some of these with you too man and I hope you have an awesome 2023 as well!
This is a great list, and I’ve read several of them. Thanks for putting it together. Lonesome Dove is also one of my favorite books, I’ve read three of four times so far. That being said I’ll have to check out Robin Hobb now. I just started The Wheel of Time books so that’s going to take some time. And I’m halfway through Swan Song, it’s so good but a very heavy read.
Thank you so much! Wow that is fantastic! So wonderful to hear how much you adore Lonesome Dove! Yeah Swan Song is a bleak and heavy read for sure...I do believe it's very much worth it though! Have fun with the Wheel of Time!
Damn man. Five books I gave five stars to, one I gave four, and three I plan to read this year and have very high hopes for. If only I liked the Passenger 🫠
You had an absolutely stellar reading year, can't wait to see Ass Fate as your book of 2023 🤪
Thank you so much man! Hahhaha I would not be remotely shocked at all if Ass Fate ends up as my number one in 2023...but I do have some major potential contenders lined up as well lol
The Lonesome Dove Baptist Church -- which inspired McMurtry to write the novel -- is located in my home town.
That is so awesome!
Glad you enjoyed Robert McCammon. I've read everything the guys read. He's done an Alien sci-fi novel called The Border that you might be interested in.
Oh I own that actually! Definitely want to get to that one soon!
@@TallGuyReads just be warned. It's nowhere near as good as Swan Song. His best books are the Matthew Corbett series but that's historical fiction
Fool's Fate was also my favorite book of the year! It just hit so hard after all the build-up. The last line
Yes, I completely agree! Such an incredible conclusion! I love the Grace of Kings and so happy to hear how much you loved it! Hope you enjoy Empire of Silence when you get to it! Thanks for watching!
You had a great reading year, Alex :) So many great books. I am so happy to see Fool's fate as your number 1 , I am yet to get to it but I am in love with the Realm of the Elderlings series in general. I have added some of the books you have mentioned in this list to my wishlist and will buy them soon!
Thank you so much! You are going to LOVE Fool's Fate if you are enjoying ROTE so far! Thank you so much for the kind words and for watching! Wishing you a fantastic reading year in 2023!
Interesting list. Definitely planning to read Swan Song this year after loving Boy's Life last year. And can't wait to get to Demon in White this year. I just finished Empire of Silence and loved it. The first several chapters felt a bit generic, but it quickly elevated to an amazing new level that had me on the edge of my seat the rest of the way.
You've maybe sold me on at least trying Wall of Storms at some point, but Grace of Kings disappointed me last year. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, which resulted in an often dry narrative that really hurt an otherwise good story.
Love to hear it! If you really enjoyed Empire of Silence, you are in for a WILD ride with the rest of the books! Can't wait to see what you think of Howling Dark!
I definitely recommend giving Wall of Storms a shot...the narrative style shifts quite a bit from Grace of Kings and the overall story goes in an entirely new direction! If you don't enjoy WoS, then the series probably isn't for you (and that's okay!), but I definitely would recommend giving it a shot!
I was too impatient so I skipped to the end to see what your top 3 were. Going back now, but man you had an amazing year. 😂 I agree, Fool’s Fate is probably my favorite of ROTE that I have read- such an emotional read. Putting Lonesome Dove second hurt my soul a little, but if anyone was going to beat it, I’m glad it Hobb.
Hahaha fair enough man! Fool's Fate is an amazing book! I love Lonesome Dove so much, but Fool's Fate for me just hit different hahaha love seeing how alike our tastes are though! Makes me very excited to pick up a number of books that you've enjoyed that I haven't gotten to yet!
I'm on Fools Assassin right now and sooo good.
I'm SO excited for that trilogy! I hope you love it!
My 2022 Pick:
1. The Wall of Storms
2. Words of Radiance
3. Children of Time
4. Jade Legacy
5. Empire of the Vampire
I recently finished Demon in White and it was phenomenal! Good new year start! So excited to dive more into the realm of elderlings but im struggling with the Farseer trilogy. Cant wait to read the next trilogies i know it’s gonna be a blast!
Awesome list!! I can't wait to read Jade Legacy! Hopefully I'll be reading it soon! Sorry to hear you are struggling with Farseer, but I would definitely recommend giving Liveships a shot afterwards because you might find the narrative style and story much more enjoyable as I know a number of people who do! Hope you have an awesome year of reading in 2023!
Have you tried the Terror by Dan Simmons? In my opinion it's his absolute best book and one of my all time faves.
Lonesome Dove is maybe my favourite book of all time, I've read it more times than I can count.
The Terror is a big aim for me for 2023! I've read 5 Simmons books now, but haven't read that one...I have a feeling it will be RIGHT up my alley and I can't wait to read it! Lonesome Dove is absolutely phenomenal and I'm so happy to hear how much you also love it!
Great list, though I have only read ONE book on there: Hyperion!
Hyperion is such a great book, Allen!
My Top 10 would be:
*Fantasy*
Changes / Jim Butcher
- I could've put any Dresden Files book from Dead Beat (Book 7) onwards on here but Changes met the hype for me.
Price of Spring / Daniel Abraham
- Seeing the conclusion to everyone's arcs over the course of 4 books spanning 40 years... its amazing.
The Crippled God / Steven Erikson
- I think this might be my favourite ending to a Fantasy series.
The Unholy Consult / R Scott Bakker
- Easily the darkest book I've ever read. It haunts me.
*Historical-Fantasy*
Lions of Al-Rassan / Guy Gavriel Kay
- I enjoyed Tigana but Lions made me a GGK fan.
*Historical-Fiction*
Gates of Fire / Steven Pressfield
- This standalone for me is on par with Warlord Chronicles, that's how strong it is.
The Last Kingdom / Bernard Cornwell
- Uhtred of Bebbenberg, what a character. I appreciate that Cornwell's not afraid to make him very unlikeable at times.
*Sci-Fi*
Book of the New Sun / Gene Wolfe
- Am I technically cheating with this one? Yes. Do I care? No 😆 Some of the best use of an unreliable narrator (for multiple reasons) I've read.
I Am Legend / Richard Matheson
- I read this in one sitting, that's rare for me.
Ogres / Adrian Tchaikovsky
- A dystopia told from the 2nd person.
What an awesome list! There are a number of books on here I really want to get to soon - BOTNS, Lions, Changes, Aspect Emperor, and a number of which I totally love - Last Kingdom, I Am Legend! Hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
Great list and video. Nice to see two familiar favorites. Both books have had times of being on some of my top 10s. Hyperion is great, but some of the stories are superior to others in the book. I also agree that Dark Forest is the best of the ROEP trilogy...though Deaths End, for me is the most enjoyable. Seeing the times u dip into scifi, we have similar tastes...compelling me to recommend you read The Speaker For the Dead (if you haven't read it yet...and after reading Enders Game). It's a book I think has, for you, the potential, to be your favorite read of all time :)
I completely agree with you! I have a lot of Sci-Fi planned for 2023 and I'm very excited to start reading more of it because I also think we have a lot of similar taste! I will be reading Ender's Game for the first time ever this month because it won my Patron pick for January and if I enjoy it, I will most certainly be checking out The Speaker for the Dead from your recommendation alone! That is some huge hype and makes me want to read it very badly hahaha
I will make a bet right now that Assassin's Fate will be your number one of 2023, or whatever year you read it in. I'd put money on it.
Some good picks here. I am hoping to get to the Dandelion Dynasty this year, which I bought based on your mutual enjoyment of that and Robin Hobb's work.
I am not willing to take that bet because I would not be remotely surprised if that's the case hahaha very excited (and nervous) for Fitz and the Fool trilogy! Oh nice! I'm excited to hear you want to try out Dandelion Dynasty...let me know when you do as I would be very interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much for watching!
Here's my picks
1. Dolores Claiborne by Stephen king
2. The great peace by mena suvari her memoir
3. Billy summers by Stephen king
4. Not my father son by Alan Cumming his first memoir
5. They never learn by Layne Fargo
6. The cactus by Sarah Haywood
7. The heart principle by helen Huang
8. The charm offensive by allison Cochrane
9. Iron widow
10. A king of battle and blood by scarlett st claire
Awesome list! Dolores Claiborne is such a fantastic King book!
Hello 👋 Happy New Year 🥳 to you, I will look forward to all ur videos 2023! I hope u find more amazing books in this year too! Happy 2023 reading to you!! 🥳📽🎉🌿❄️
Thank you so much, Safina! Hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
This was great, amazing books
Thank you so much!
My «Personal Enjoyment Reads» List for 2022:
12-«By Force Alone» by Lavie Tidhar
(Loved the Grimdark Prologue with Uther and Merlin, but it would have been better either longer or with a sequel delving more into “Guy Ritchie Gangster” Arthur’s Camelot, second half was way too rushed! Also Lancelot’s main plot is straight out of Mel Brooks: Very funny (Jewish Ninjas fighting N@zi Vampires in the 5-6th Century!), but a bit off from the Grimdark opening, would have great seperate stories. Predator-reference had me ROFL though. Inspired by Jimmy Nutts' categories: Clear winner of "Scariest Character of 2022 I read": Merlin)
11-«The Hood» by Lavie Tidhar
(Much more evenly balanced: «Breaking Bad» Rebecca of York/Robin Hood meets «Heart of Darkness»/«Apocalypse Now»)
10-«The Broken Sword» by Poul Anderson (A S&S Classic: Anderson effortlessly changes between huge laughs, epic fight and deep tragedy. Vikings meets Myth(s))
9-«Beowulf» (JRR Tolkien’s interpretation: A Literary Classic for a reason + excellent commentary from the Professor Himself!)
8-«Storm of Swords» by Matthew Harffy (The «Bernicia Chronicles» is my «palett cleanser» book series: While this is essentially Anglo-Saxon «Taken», the characters have grown on me and loved the «Ship Wrecker»-«sidequest»)
7-«Snakewood» by Adrian Selby (While the structure of the story is not the most welcoming, there is great action, diplomacy and heartfelt laughs and tragedy. Gant, Kailen and The Prince are on my shortlist for "Favorite Characters of the Year", while Mirisham wins my "Most Morally Complex Character of the Year" Award!)
6-«Legend» by David Gemmell
(While a bit generic in World Building, I definitely got great action and a incredible positive surprise in the immense humanity in Gemmell’s writing, even to what could easily have been stock side characters and antagonists, so Orrin wins "Biggest Character Surprise of the Year"!)
5-«Hunger of the Gods» by John Gwynne (Good expansion of the World presented in the first book and Guthvar is a delightful pov-antagonist I love to hate: Favorite Dirtbag Character of the Year!)
4-«Banner Saga: Gift of Hadrborg»/«Tales from the Caravan» (especially the short stories «Haugr’s Grin» & «Too Much Rope») (GoH: Vikings+Gang Wars+A dash of Indiana Jones: Neat!/TotC: Great action, great tragedy! Eirik (the Undercover Viking Cop) from "GoH" is a "Favorite Character of the Year"-contender, while Mogr from "Too Much Rope" has to be my "Favorite Tragic Main Character of the Year")
3-«The Severing Son» by Vaughn Roycroft (Great Culture Building, Loved the characters, especially the leaders: The dynamic between the adopted brothers Captain Urias and Lord Thadmeir of great trust even in (often) disagreement, the dastardly Desdrusan and cunning Keisella, so many contenders for "Favorite Character Categories", but Sael has to be the winner of "Sassiest Old Lady of the Year"-category! Also, wins my "Favorite Ongoing Series": Heck, what a great debut!)
2-«Finn and Hengist» (JRR Tolkien’s interpretation)
(While incredibly short, it contains rivalries, dilemmas and tragedies worthy of a full Greek Drama or Norse Saga! Great scholarly work by the Professor, on a part of history/myth unfairly often overlooked! Hengist is contender for "Favorite Morally Complex Character" and Hildeburh solidly wins "Favorite Tragic Side Character"!)
1-«Sarantine Mosaic: Sailing to Sarantium» by Gay Gavriel Kay (The Prose, The Characters, The Setting, The World Building: GGK is one of the best writers of today! The Prologue and the Epilogue is both top notch and could have served as excellent short stories in themselves! Favorite characters over all this year for me: Emperor Valerius II and Empress Alixana)
This is such an awesome list! So many books on here I can't wait to read! Thanks for sharing and for watching!
My favorite of 2022 was... Fools errand (the last book I've read in rote so i know i have tons of heartbreak ahead of me). That book as you may recall broke me
Fool's Errand is one incredible book! I'm VERY excited to see your reactions to Fool's Fate!
@@TallGuyReads oh no i am not 🤣
The prince of nothing and aspect emperor are such amazing series.
I'm so excited to keep making my way through them! I'm loving it so far!
The wall of storms is my favorite book in the dandelion dynasty series
It's incredible!
I read all the Fitz and the fool books and its sort of ruined reading for me for a bit. Everything else just seems flat and tasteless after this
Hahaha I am very much worried about a post-series rut after finishing Realm of the Elderlings
What an amazing top ten list. I am currently in the middle of Fool’s Fate so this bodes well!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the remainder of Fool's Fate! From where you are to the end is an complete emotional rollercoaster hahaha
86 books in a year!?! 😲 That's more than I have read in my entire life 😔
Quality over quantity! As long as you're reading and enjoying what you're reading, I don't think the numbers matter!
Love your channel. How tall are you? lol
6'8 hahaha
YES #2 AND #1!!!!🎉🎉🎉
Yay! Wouldn't have had it any other way!
Larry McMurtry is phenomenal, Swan Song otoh I dropped recently because the writing style felt so cringe.
Sorry to hear Swan Song didn't work for you!
Do you accept books from small publishers? If so, how would someone contact you? Thanks!
Sometimes! It depends on the timing...feel free to message me on Twitter!
The ocean is really just a giant bowl of soup.
I can get behind that lol
I read Lonesome Dove this year as well, it was a fine read. It was good...maybe 3.5/5 stars...but definitely a little let down after seeing all the high ratings from some booktubers I follow. Wasn't really that big of a fan of the characters...for sure all the pathetic males falling over themselves for the few females in the story was cringe worthy. The only way this story even works is if you like the characters since the story itself is pretty slow and definitely relies on the characters and their interactions. Great list though, keep up the solid videos.
Totally fair! It definitely isn't a story that works for everyone because no story is. I usually really connect with flawed and complex characters and I felt that the characters in LD had plenty of that in spades. That plus McMurtry's writing made it an unforgettable read for me! Sorry it didn't work out for you but I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2023!
Just here to enter into the echo chamber and say this is an epic list which makes me want to quit my job and read fantasy for the next twelve months instead of doing literally anything else
Hahaha thank you so much for watching!!