2023 Popsugar Reading Challenge - Update #1

Happy Wednesday everyone and welcome to my first 2023 Popsugar Reading Challenge update with mini reviews!  In January I completed 9 books out of a total 50 books for the 2023 Popsugar Reading Challenge. So far I've made great progress!  Keep reading to see my thoughts on the book I read in January:

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William Shakespeare's The Force Doth Awaken (William Shakespeare's Star Wars #7) by Ian Doescher is delightful and I was grinning like an idiot while listening to this. I'm so glad I decided to listen to it on audiobook because the production is brilliant. I loved the introduction to the audiobook - that was a nice touch.  The narrators are so talented and do a great job of sounding like their screen counterparts. The real highlights are what Doescher does with BB-8 and Chewbacca - that was perfection.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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I wish I was able to get into My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite as much as I wanted to. Since this is from Korede's perspective, the sister of the serial killer, most all of the action is off the page and I wanted to see a little more of the darker elements in this thriller. Also the longer this story went on the more annoyed I was getting with Korede.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle #1) by C.L. Polk was a great historical fantasy set after an alternate WWI/ Edwardian England.  I'm so glad I decided to finally start reading this author after all the recommendations because I really liked this book's style.  The characters and the sense of magic are marvelous.  I'm going to have to read the rest of this series.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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I absolutely loved The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi.  It's fast, funny, and so geeky.  It was exactly what I needed.  Honestly, I can't think of any other character I would want to see eaten by Godzilla or maybe even a T-Rex faster than Rob Sanders.  By the way, if you haven't read Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson yet what are you waiting for?

My review is also on Goodreads.

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The Atlas Paradox (The Atlas #2) by Olivie Blake is a solid sequel but not quite as cool as the first book in the series.  I'll admit that I was just glad to return to the world of the story.  That said, it's much more slowly paced in comparison to the series opener.  It also does not need to be over 400 pages.  My favorite characters are still Libby and Nico.  If you enjoyed book one, it's still worth reading even if it doesn't quite have the magic of the first.  I'm still looking forward to reading the third novel, even if this wasn't quite as outstanding.

My review is also on Goodreads and my PopCulture Readathon post.

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I don't read memoirs all that often, but I was really looking forward to Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up A Wizard by Tom Felton.  I'm so glad I decided to listen to the audiobook edition of it because Felton narrates it himself and he does a fantastic job narrating his story.  His personality really comes through in his writing and it's fascinating hearing how much <i>Harry Potter</i> changed his life, what things were like behind the scenes with the rest of the cast, and what he's been up to since then.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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The Girl in the Green Silk Gown (Ghost Roads #2) Seanan McGuire  is a great follow up to Sparrow Hill Road.  Honestly, it's always good to have the chance to read Seanan McGuire.  Her style is great and this novel showcases it well.  I also appreciated that this includes the guide to types of ghosts at the back as well as the author's playlist to go along with the story.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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The Hacienda by Isabel Canas is a book that I kept putting it off way too long.  I really shouldn't have because as it turns out I absolutely loved it.  It's easily at the top of my favorite reads of 2023 so far.  I know I'll be reading everything from this author in the future.  I don't want to give anything away, but if you're looking for an incredibly atmospheric gothic horror novel this is one of the best.  By the way, Padre Andrés is easily my favorite character.  This is an incredibly impressive debut novel!

My review is also on Goodreads and my PopCulture Readathon post.

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Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill had been on my tbr for ages and I'm glad I finally decided to listen to it on on audiobook.  I honestly don't know why I put this off for so long because I've enjoyed everything else I've read from the author.  Anyway, this is a nightmare in the best way and it just keeps getting more and more intense as it went along.  I can't recommend it enough.

My review is also on Goodreads.

Have you read any of these books?  Are you taking part in this challenge?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!