Best New Mysteries of 2023 . . . So Far

Several social media sites that I follow have made lists of the best new books of 2023. I am jumping on the bandwagon with my own list of the best new mystery novels. Here are my picks:

Hide by Tracy Clark was published on January 1, 2023.

The Blue Bar by Dimyanti Biswas was also published on January 1, 2023.

Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler was published on February 1, 2023.

Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs was published on March 7, 2023.

Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Jurado was published on March 14, 2023.

Two of my favorite authors have books coming out later this month and I am looking forward to reading them. They are Dan Silva, and Brad Thor. James Rollins and Laura Childs have books coming out next month. It's going to be a great summer for reading!

My Life in Books

Here is another great book title meme.  This one is from Booker Talk blog.  Just pick a title from the books you read in 2022:

Links in the titles below will take you to my reviews where they exist.

In high school I was: Among the Innocent by Mary Alford

People might be surprised by: The Sugarcreek Surprise by Wanda Brunstetter

I will never be: The American Adventuress by C. W. Gortner

My life post-lockdown was: I'm Still Alive by Roberto Saviano

My fantasy Job is: Royal Heir by P. K. Adams

At the end of a long day I need: Thanksgiving by Janet Ivanovich

I hate being: The Thorn by Beverly Lewis

I wish I had: Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

My family reunions are: Iced in Paradise by Naomi Hirahara

At a party you’d find me Double Blind by Sara Winokur

I’ve never been to Paris by Edward Rutherford

A happy day includes: The Taste of Ginger by Mansi Shah

Motto I live by: Always Never by Jordi Lifetree

On my bucket list is: London by Edward Rutherford

In my next life, I want to have: A Billion Years by Mike Rinder

In 2022 . . .

 

Shellyrae at the Book'd Out blog came up with this cool meme. Complete the prompts using titles from the books you have read in 2022

2022 was the year of: Fear Thy Neighbor by Fern Michaels (don't ask why)

In 2022 I wanted to be: In a Kingdom by the Sea by Sara McDonald

In 2022 I was: The American Adventuress by C. W. Gortner

In 2022 I gained: Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

In 2022 I lost: Trust by Sharon Mitchell

In 2022 I loved: The Orange Lilies by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

In 2022 I hated: that Royal Heir by P. K. Adams

In 2022 I learned: My Wife is Missing by D. J. Palmer

In 2022 I was surprised by: The Sugarcreek Surprise by Wanda Brunstetter

In 2022 I went to: London by Edward Rutherford

In 2022 I missed out on: A Billion Years by Mike Rinder

In 2022 my family were: Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

In 2023 I hope (for a): The Perfect Home by Kevin Lynch

Book of the Month: July

I have a four way tie for book of the month.  I could not choose just one book from among Kaikeyi, Beasts of a Little Land, My Wife is Missing and The Good Wife of Bath. All of these novels are rated way over 5 out of 5 stars. With the exception of My Wife is Missing, all of the books are historical fiction. 

The story of Kaikeyi expands on the character's life that is mentioned in the Hindu script Ramayana. Likewise, The Good Wife of Bath expands on the story in the The Canterbury Tales. Beasts of a Little Land is different in that it gives the history of Korea in the entire 20th century through the eyes of 4 main characters. My Wife is Missing is a gripping suspense novel that had me guessing throughout the story.

Instead of repeating what I wrote in the reviews, check out the review links above if you haven't read them yet.

Mid-year Status of Challenges

I have done pretty well on my reading challenges this year. There are three challenges that I have not started yet: Vintage Scattergories, Six Shooter Challenge and the Creativity Challenge. I may forego them however. There are three challenges that I have completed and they are the Finishing the Series, What's in a Name Challenge and Cruisin' Through the Cozies Challenge.  There are at least two more cozies that I want to read next month though. For all of the others here are my stats.

Calendar of Crime:  7 out of 12 books read

Chunkster:  11 books read, no limits

Cloak and Dagger:  33 out of 35 books read

Color Coded:  7 out of 9 books read

Comics and Graphic Novels:  25 out of 52 books read

Historical Fiction:  19 out of 25 books read

Library Love:  13 out of 24 books read

Monthly Key Word:  7 out of 12 books read

New Release:  28 out of 30 books read

Nonfiction Reader: 1 book read, no limits

As you can see I am close to completing all of my challenges!

Top Ten Books I Want in 2022

Several of my favorite authors will be publishing their latest novels in 2022.  We readers wait all year for new books from our favorite authors and then they are read in a day or two. The waiting begins again.  It's an awful affliction to have.

Top Ten Book Covers 2021

My top ten book covers for 2021 are all from graphic novels. I am surprised that the fiction books I read did not have covers as phenomenal as these.  In past years I did not have any comic covers on the list so this is a first for my blog.

Primer is my best book cover for the year. I love its colorfulness and the girl known as Primer has a curious look on her face that's appealing. As an artist, I am always drawn to these colorful covers.

Top Ten Books of 2021

I read 154 books in 2021!  99 of the authors were new to me.  I primarily read historical fiction, mysteries and graphic novels but also read a few science and political books.  My top ten list combines my favorites from all genres.  Here they are:

10. Twisted Tea Christmas (cozy mystery)

9.  Primer (comic)

8.  Hemlock (cozy mystery)

7.  Superman Smashes the Klan (comic)

6.   Peril (politics)

5.  Dominus (historical fiction)

4.  The September Society (mystery)

3.  Tunnels (graphic novel)

2.  Defending Britta Stein (historical fiction)

And my number 1 book is:  China (historical fiction)

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

I signed up to read 50 books for the 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I read 43 books by 21 new to me authors. The time periods that I read about covered 5 BC to the 1970s. The settings covered European and Asian cities. Here.is a list of the books that I read:

A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee

Death and the Maiden by Ariana Franklin

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams

Vendetta by C. DeMelo

Now and Then Stab by Anna Castle

The Binding by Bridget Collins

America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray

Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan

The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul

The Art Collector's Daughter by Derville Murphy

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper

The Tea Planter's Daughter by Janet Macleod Trotter

The Lantern Boats by Tessa Morris-Suzuki

Murder in Venice by Maria Luisa Minarelli

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Midnight Fire by P. K. Adams

Apricots by Sally Christie

Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh Rowland

Beneath an Indian Sky by Renita D'Silva

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray

China by Edward Rutherford

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by by Alka Joshi

Dominus by Steven Taylor

The Dying Day by Vaseem Khan

The First Actress by C. W. Gortner

The French House by  Helen Fripp

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli

A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy

The Widow Queen by Elzbieta Cherezinska

The Good Death by S. D. Sykes

White Ivy by Susie Yang

Defending Britta Stein by Ronald Balson

The Flower Boat Girl by Larry Feign

Prayers of the Dead by Priscilla Royal

Berlin and Betrayal by Susan Finley

Master Wycliffe's Summons by Mel Starr

The Rabbi's Wife the Bishop's Wife by David Jacobson

Anticipation by Melodie Winawer

The Samurai's Daughter by John Healey

Brigid of Kildare by Heather Terrell

Favorite Book:  China    

2nd Favorite Book:  Defending Britta Stein

Least Favorite Book:  The Flower Boat Girl

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

12 books were required for the challenge, one for each month of the year.  I read 15 books however and 11 of the authors were new to me.  They are as follows:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams

The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul

The Lost Ancestor by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper

The Girl From Silent Lake by Leslie Wolfe

The Night Away by Jess Ryder

Beneath an Indian Sky by Renita D'Silva

Gone by Sharon A. Mitchell

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

Top Producer by Laura Wolfe

Sweet Tooth Compendium by Jeff Lemire

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

One Night in Tehran by Luana Ehrlich

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves

Favorite Book:  The Midnight Library

2nd Favorite Book:  Sweet Tooth Compendium

Least Favorite Book:  Thin Air

Wrap-Up of the 2021 New Release Reading Challenge

I signed up to read 30 books for this challenge and I more then met the challenge by reading 55 books.  23 of them were mysteries, 13 were historical fiction, 10 were graphic novels and the rest were about politics, science, and Amish fiction.  28 of the authors were new (to me.) Here is what I read:

Now and Then Stab by Anna Castle

Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs

Deliberate Duplicity by David Rohlfing

The French Paradox by Ellen Crosby

The Wedding by Ruth Heald

The Grand Odalisque by Ruppert and Mullet

Women Discoverers by Marie Monard

One Perfect Grave by Stacy Green

Freiheit by Andrea Grosso Ciponte

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper

The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

The Cartiers by Francesca Cartier Brickell

The Murder of Emma Brown by Rod Kackley

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh Rowland

The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion

Play Dead by Ted Dekker

The Night Gate by Peter May

The Perfect Daughter by Daniel Palmer

China by Edward Rutherford

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

The Fourth of July by Cami Checkouts

Gone by Sharon Mitchell

Return to the Big Valley by Wanda Brunstetter

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

The Cellist by Daniel Silva

Dominus by Steven Saylor

Factory Summers by Guy DeLisle

Rebecca & Lucie by Pascal Girard

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan Erskine

The Dying Day by Vaseem Khan

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett

Peril by Bob Woodward

The Good Death by S. D. Sykes

The Tenant by Keith Ververka

Berlin and Betrayal by Susan Finley

COVID Chronicles by Ethan Sacks

Home by Julio Anta

The Beginning by Beverly Lewis

A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy

The French House by Helen Fripp

Menorca Sketchbook by Graham Byfield

The Widow Queen by Elzbieta Cherezinska

Defending Britta Stein by  Ronald Balson

The Rabbi's Wife the Bishop's Wife by David Jacobson

The Waiting by Keum Suk Gentry-Kim

The Flower Boat Girl by Larry Feign

Prayers of the Dead by Priscilla Royal

Master Wycliffe's Summons by Mel Starr

Tunnels by Rutu Modan

The All Nighter by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo

A Lancaster Family Christmas by Kate Lloyd

Anticipation by Melodie Winawer

Favorite Book:  China

2nd Favorite Book:  Defending Britta Stein

Least Favorite Book:  The Flower Boat Girl (a vulgar historical fiction novel. Yuck!)

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

I signed up to read between 36 and 55 books in 2021 and I met the challenge by reading 50 mysteries.  18 of the authors were new to me. Here is what I read:

Death and the Maiden by Ariana Franklin

Plaid & Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

The Girls in the Snow by Stacy Green

Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

The French Paradox by Ellen Crosby

Piece of my Heart by Mary Higgins Clark

With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George

Followed by Helen Macie Osterman

One by One by Ruth Ware

Now and Then Stab by Anna Castle

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Deliberate Duplicity by David Rohlfing

In the Blood by Steve Robinson

The Wedding by Ruth Heald

One Perfect Grave by Stacy Green

Raven Black by Ann Sleeves

The Lost Ancestor by Gill Paul

The Easter Sepulchre by Mel Starr

My Sister's Grave by Robert Durian

The Girl From Silent Lake by Leslie Wolfe

The Murder of Emma Brown by Rod Kackley

The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion

Play Dead by Ted Dekker

The Night Gate by Peter May

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Perfect Daughter by D. J. Palmer

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

One Night in Tehran by Luana Ehrlich

The Fire Thief by Debra Bokur

The Fourth of July by Cami Checketts

Gone by Sharon Mitchell

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard

The Cellist by Daniel Silva

The September Society by Charles Finch

Viral by Robin Cook

Top Producer by Leslie Wolfe

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett

Murder on the Metro by Margaret Truman

The Last Odyssey by James Rollins

The End of October by Lawrence Wright

The Good Death by S. D. Sykes

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves

The Tenant by Keith Veverka

Master Wycliffe's Summons by Mel Starr

Prayers of the Dead by Priscilla Royal

Roses Are Red by Miranda Rijks

Favorite Book:  The September Society

2nd Favorite Book:  Hemlock

Least Favorite Book:  Thin Air

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge

12 books were required for the challenge, one for each month of the year.  I read 14 and 5 of the authors were new to me.

The Girls in the Snow by Stacy Green

Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark

Murder at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan

The Easter Sepulchre by Mel Starr

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Murder in Venice by Maria Luisa Minarelli

The Marriage Clock by Zara Raheem

The Fourth of July by Cami Checketts

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard

The September Society by Charles Finch

The End of October by Lawrence Wright

Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier

A Lancaster Family Christmas by Kate Lloyd

My Sister's Grave by Robert Deign

Favorite Book:  The September Society

Second Favorite Book:  Murder in Venice

Least Favorite Book:  The Fourth of July

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Cruisin' Through the Cozies Challenge

I signed up to read 10 books for this challenge.  I met the challenge with 18 books! Here they are:

The Hawaiian Discovery by Wanda Brunstetter

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

The French Paradox by Ellen Crosby

Followed by Helen Macie Oysterman

Killer Deadline by Lauren Carr

The Blended Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter

Persian Perpetrator by Katherine Hay-don

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard

The Amish Quilter's Unexpected Baby by Jennifer Beckstrand

Return to the Big Valley by Wanda Brunstetter

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

Loch Down Abbey by  Beth Cowan-Erskine

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs

The Beginning by Beverly Lewis

Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier

A Lancaster Family Christmas by Kate Lloyd

Favorite Book:  Hemlock

Second Favorite Book:  Twisted Tea Christmas 

Least Favorite Book:  Plaid and Plagiarism

7 of the authors were new to me. It's interesting that 5 of the books are Amish fiction and that 3 of them were written by Wanda Brustetter. I didn't start out expecting to read Amish fiction but it worked out that way.  I have lost some of my enthusiasm for cozies but still read favorite authors Susan Wittig Albert, Laura Childs, Cleo Coyle and Ellen Crosby.  I began reading some new authors but couldn't become interested in them and gave up. I have always enjoyed Amish fiction and, frankly, could not complete the challenge without them.

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Color Coded Reading Challenge

The Color Coded Reading Challenge requires a participant to read 9 books with either the book title or book cover being blue, red, yellow, green, brown, black, white, any other color, or an image that implies color, such as polka dot.  I had the challenge completed early in the year but waited until December to read my last entry.  Here is what I read:

Plaid & Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

A Yellow House by Karien Van Ditzhuizen

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

White Ivy by Susie Yang

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

The Murder of Emma Brown by Rod Kackley

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper

Roses are Red by Miranda Rijks

Favorite Book:  White Ivy

2nd Favorite Book:  Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Least Favorite Book:  Plaid and Plagiarism

All of these authors were new to me, which is rather cool. It's not every reading challenge that forces you to look for something new.  I believe that is the brilliance of the color coded challenge.