An Avid Reader Booklist

These are the books I read in the year 2023. Among these 16 Titles you will find Mystery, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Humor, Romance, 6 Stephen King Novels, and 3 Non-Fiction Titles. I hope you are inspired to read more.

1. Joyland by Stephen King: This one of 3 King books published by Hard Case Crime, and it will not take you long to read. Horror crime set at an amusement park, where main character Devin is working during his summer break. This is a story full of colorful characters, a ghost, murder, mystery, and love

2. Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl: A friend passed this along to me at a time when I was looking for light in the darkness. Viktor Frankl was a psychologist, and Man's Search For Meaning is his account of his experiences as a prisoner in concentration camps during World War II.

3. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King: This is another of the 3 books from King published by Hard Case Crime. A quick read, this one stood out to me as unique among the vast King collection. The story of the Colorado Kid is told through conversation between two seasoned journalists and their younger protégé.

4. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: This a fiction about a human stumbling into dark and magical underbelly of London, where rats speak, doors are portals, and it's hard to know who to trust.

5. Heartburn by Nora Ephron: This one sat on my shelf for a long time before I finally picked it up. Upon reading the first page, I learned that Nora Ephron is the writer responsible for the screenplays of some of my favorite 1990s movies: Michael, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've got Mail. Heartburn is the journey of a pregnant woman finding comfort in preparing food as she navigates her husband's infidelity.

6. The Guest List by Lucy Foley: Oh, I loved this mystery! Lucy Foley is, I believe, an English author. In The Guest List takes place on a secluded island, during a weekend wedding event. The relationships of many guests prove to be complicated, so when a body is found, fingers aren't so confident about who to point to. This is the first Foley book I've read.

7. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith: Troubled Blood is one of several novels centered around Private Investigator Cormoran Strike. Other titles, such as The Cuckoo's Calling and Silkworm, lead me into the realization that I am a fan of Mystery. Troubled Blood is about Cormoran and his partner, who is also his love interest, working to unravel the mystery of a cold-case dissappearance. The story has crazy astrological, religious, and metaphysical elements.

8. The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King: This is a bonus book to Stephen's King 7 book series, The Dark Tower. I completed reading the Dark Tower Series in 2022, and was so happy that King opened up the portal in his mind onto Roland and his time-traveling travel companions once again. I really cannot get enough of, and I hope he writes more stories set in this universe.

9. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: I loved this non-fiction book, which is basically about the science of creating and recreating habits. The author uses many examples from the business worlds to teach this science.

10. From A Buick 8 by Stephen King: Spending time at the local police station following his father's death, a young man is told the tales of the mysterious shed out back, which houses a vehicle that is a portal to another world, sucking things in and spitting bizarre life forms out.

11. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: I first read this book in 2013, just before the movie came out in theatres. I did a re-read when I learned a sequel had been written. Ready Player One is such a cool fiction tale, set mostly in virtual reality, and littered with 80s cultural references and video game history.

12. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline: New owner of the virtual Oasis, Wade Watts is confronted with a brand new mission with brand new rivals to overcome. I'v heard this book didn't receive the best reviews, but I definitly recommend both Ready Player One and Ready Player Two. These are the only Ernest Cline books that I've read, but I will certainly be reading more from him in the future.

13. A Load of Hooey by Bob Odenkirk: This is a silly little book recommended to me by the silliest of my friends. I was interested to read it because I knew the author as the actor in Better Call Saul. Although the book will tell you to not read it while you poop, I definitely recommend putting this one in the bathroom. Each bite-sized chapter is separate from each other.

14. Wild by Cheryl Strayed: This is a beautifully written autobiography. Cheryl Strayed decided to hike a chunk of the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs along the west coast of the United States. She did this alone in the 1990s, in her 20s, shortly after the death of her mother, and as prepared as she could possibly be for a complete novice. A worthy, touching, and inspiring memoir.

15. Elevation by Stephen King: A quick, delightful read. A man is rapidly losing weight with no reduction in physical size or change of appearance. A positively odd tale.

16. Billy Summers by Stephen King: The tale of a hitman's final job, so of course nothing goes to plan. I saw the cover of this book many times on book shelves, often in airports, before finally picking it up. Another masterpiece of fiction by the King.