Apart from a last few that are in next month's posts, these are officially my last reviews of 2023. This is a pretty weird mix of things that just didn't fit in anything else. There's a non fiction, some rereads and some YA so let's jump into it.
Sex, Lies and Question Time by Kate Ellis
I read this one back at the start of November and then it just didn't fit into any of the review round-ups I was doing. Anyway, this is about women in Australian politics and the issues they face. It was a really, really interesting read. Kate Ellis mixes her own experiences in with the stories from other women in Australian politics from all sides. At times, it made for really rough reading—some of the things these women have gone through are just horrendous, but I appreciated how honest and open all of them were. I'm definitely not aiming for a career in politics myself, but it did give me hope that things are changing for the better. I also listened to the audiobook and I'd highly recommend that.
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Firekeeper's Daughter is my favourite of the year without a doubt so when I saw that this one was out, I put the audiobook on hold at my library immediately. Right off the bat, I didn't love this as much as FD. This had some really fantastic moments and elements, but it didn't effect me as much as FD did. Perry is a really interesting character—she's a child in FD and so it was really fun seeing her as a teenager. She's incredibly reckless and stubborn but I loved seeing those parts which reminded me of Daunis in FD. I really, really enjoyed the anthropology aspect of this one—I'd never heard about NAGPRA before this book and now I've added so many things onto my reading list that are mentioned in here. I have to admit that some of Perry's methods caused me some serious anxiety, but it did make for a fun read. I think my only criticism is that the mystery element felt a bit sidelined—there's so much going on that the mystery and a few other elements only pop up now and again. I'd honestly forgotten about one of the events that happened towards the start because so much else had happened, when it popped up again and I realised I'd forgotten it even though it kind of set everything up. I also kind of got the feeling that maybe Boulley was setting up for a third book at the end or maybe that was just me hoping for one...
Truly, Devious (Truly Devious #1) by Maureen Johnson
I've been eyeing off Truly, Devious for years now. I was a huge Maureen Johnson fan as a teenager and so when this came out, it immediately went on my list. I don't read a lot of YA crime these days but the second I picked this up, I knew it was going be a good read. I LOVE a good atmospheric setting and Johnson has always been good at that, and Ellingham Academy is no exception. Is there anything better than a beautiful place where terrible things happen? I'm obsessed with the mystery—I've been trying to work out what my own theories are and I really have no idea where it's going to go from here. It's been a few months since I've been this invested in a series so obviously I've already put the second book on hold at the library. I cannot wait to see where things go from here.
The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan
Ahead of the release of the new Percy Jackson show, I finally got around to rereading this. I've talked so many times about rereading this series and I've just been really bad at it. I'm kind of conflicted about this one—on one hand, I enjoy it more than The Lost Hero because I love Percy way more than Jason. But at the same time, I just don't enjoy the Roman side as much as the Greek. I love the division between the two of them and the whole plot of this series, but I'm just not as enthusiastic about the Romans. There are lots of parts of this one that I do enjoy—I love anytime we get to see Nico, I like Hazel. The heart wants what the heart wants and mine wants Percy and Annabeth together at all times.
None Shall Sleep (None Shall Sleep #1) by Ellie Marney
Here's another reread I finally got around to picking up. I've spoken so many times about Ellie Marney being a favourite author of mine and this being maybe my favourite book of hers so far. Honestly, that still stands because there's just something about this one. I think it's the Silence of the Lambs vibes that are made creepier by the fact most of the people involved are teenagers. It's the way Marney is just so good at creating creepy moments and characters that you just can't turn away from. I have absolutely no regrets about rereading this and I'm so glad there's a sequel and reportedly a third on the way. I need all the Emma and Travis stories.
And that kind of brings 2023's year of reading to an end for me. I talk more about how I went with my goals in 2023 here, but here's hoping I have a great read year in 2024.
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