This year I read 26 books and it was all because I found your channel and started actively reading again since probably 2011, maybe 2012. I cannot thank you enough Mike for my reading year because of the books you've introduced me too and words cannot express the thanks and gratitude as a watcher. Thank you Mike for recommending amazing series and novels. If it wasnt for you I wouldnt have read WOT, First Law, Mistborn, Stormlight (about 50% done with WoK). These stories all inspired me to want to write my own series maybe one day. But for now, I am reading a ton and its all thanks to you. I fell back in love with it and i cant wait to continue to check more stuff you recommend even if im not as fast as a reader as you are lol.
George R. R. Martin book blurbs: "[insert genre here] they way it ought to be written." Noticed when you went from 6 to 5 lol great stuff this year Mike! Looking forward to 2024
YES MIKE. Lonesome Dove is outstanding and has some of the greatest character work of all time. Gus and Call will never leave my head. Loved your list!
@@alexanderunder8sgoalkeeper625 I have actually only read Lonesome Dove. It works very well as a stand-alone, in my opinion. If you wanted to read the whole series, I would go chronologically and start with Dead Man’a Walk.
I read lonesome dove in 2005 and re read it in 2019. I love everything about that book. I also love it when people pick it up because I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t love it.
so grateful for your channel Mike. Without it, no way I read Lonesome Dove, Bound & The Broken, LIghtbringer, etc... all exceptional 2023 reads. Killer list!
Not that you hadn't already sold me on Lonesome Dove throughout the year, but this really sealed the deal. I am going to read it sooner rather than later! And love to see Bound and the Broken so high, Cahill is a legend!! Hope you find many more faves in 2024, happy reading Mike!
I haven't read any of those authors (novels) from the top 10, but at least 5 of them are now on my list for 2024. Read a bunch of authors for the first time in 2023, and I feel like it was the best reading year of my life. Hoping to continue that trend in the new year!
Flowers for Algernon is the book that turned me into a true reader back in HS. Reading had always been this involuntarily chore until Flowers. I connected deeply with the book because I had a family member, a cousin, who I was very close to and he was mentally challenged. Anyway, great top 10 for the year. I've got Speaks the Nightbird on my TBR.
So glad I finally read it. Was always a big fan of the show. My dog's name is Roscoe, my last name is Brown. So I like to call him Sherif Deputy of Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Awesome video Mike. Something Wicked this Way Comes by Bradbury is going to be 1st or 2nd for me this year. Bradbury packs such a punch in his writing without being over descriptive. I can't wait to get to Hobb this year and We are the Dead may even make my top 10. Again, awesome video brother.
So thrilled to see The Outsiders on this list!!! It's so good. Johnny Cade is still one of my favorite characters ever. This is a great list, and I'm glad you had a good year. I would love to get to Lonesome Dove this year if I can. I've seen the TV series and loved it. Also love the shoutout to the good solid Young Adult stories. We need those, and I think we're too quick to dismiss books that are "just YA" because of a lot of the stereotypical tropes we see in YA romance now.
Definitely some interesting choices there, and I agree with Flowers for Algernon--I loved that book, and it was a highlight of my year as well!! You definitely have some top choices there! Thanks for a great booktube year, and best wished for 2024!
Great list, man. It's been amazing watching your channel grow. You've remained humble, gracious, and real, and your content has only gotten better. Thanks for entertaining and edifying us! Merry belated Christmas, and Happy New Years!
I like these types of videos. It's a jungle of books out there; the most difficult part of getting books is finding the good ones, outside of the well known ones. So it's helpful to have booktubers reporting their thoughts of what they've read.
Hot list & a great reading year! 😀 As usual, you’re adjusting my TBR at best, blowing it the hell up at worst. Lonesome Dove’s on my shelf, and just climbed up closer to the start of the year. Here’s to another awesome reading year in 2024!
I finished Of War and Ruin last night. It’s absolutely fantastic. I have no idea how he manages so many different plot lines but keeps them all interesting and important.
Awww Flowers For Algernon 🥹 was my summer vacation school homework in high school and was blown away towards the end. I should re-read it now that I’m older. Great list!
I agree wholeheartedly about Lonesome Dove. It is, without a doubt, one of the best books I ever read. The characters and their quotes have a way of sticking with you long after you have finished the book.
War and Ruin and Light Bringer top 5 for me this year easily. Fools Errand 200 pages in and I’m struggling. But it finally appears to be picking up the pace. I’m excited for the remaining half of the book. Excellent list!
Great year. Thanks Mike. After discover ing your channel I got back into reading again. I read 26 books this year. I never though about reading Dune but I did this year and loved it. I also took on The Expanse series and actually finished before you did thanks to spooky season. I'm not as fast as a reader as you are. Keep up the great content. Currently reading The Faithful and the Fallen series.
You and Ian have absolutely convinced me to put Lonesome Dove on my TBR for 2024. Also you've both got the song stuck in my head this week. (I'm old enough to remember the show too!) I love reading outside my "comfort zone" and Lonesome Dove will do exactly that - it's a genre I never reach for.
I finished Of blood and Fire yesterday. In just two days. thanks to your channel i discovered that series and thank you! Cus I loved it and I'm so excited for what's to come. 2-3 should be arriving next week and the wait seems eternal.
What a fantastic reading year, Mike! I’m so glad you found some of your all time favorites and can continue adding to that list after all these years of reading. I’ll be dipping into Red Rising and Lonesome Dove this year and I can’t wait to start them. Hope you and your family have a great new year man!
I already knew lonesome dove was gonna be number 1 because spoiler alert it is my book of the year as well and it’s not even close!! My book 2 was Lightbringer and 3.empire of the vampire all these are thanks to you except lonesome dove but you always helped me finally read it,I read it when you did..also read the fall by Ryan Cahill absolutely incredible!! Thanks again for helping me have another amazing reading year Mike!! I was literally fist pumping the air your last 3 picks :)😅
@@mikesbookreviews hell yeah!! Last few years all my lists have been greatly influenced by you lol next year gonna focus on green bone (Petrik),bound and the broken(you) and Sun eater (you) so if I love those series thanks in advance again ha!!
BEST/FAVOURITE READS OF 2023 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald Last Summer Boys - Bill Rivers Diamonds are Forever - Ian Fleming Jaws - Peter Benchley Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - Terry Brooks Last Night in Montreal - Emily St. John Mandel Halloween Ends - Paul Brad Logan Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt - Anne Rice Loved your list, love your channel, Mike! Happy New Year!
Mike, it's time brotha.. start selling merch. My girl was scouring your channel looking for some Mike's Book Reviews gear to get me for the holidays but was disappointed when she couldn't find a link. I know it's something you like to do for your patreon subscribers but there's tons of other perks you can come up with for that crew. I want to rock the gear of my fave TH-camr. You're a fan of classic rock, make some channel shirts in the fashion of old 80's band tee's. They would be a hit and I would snag each and every style. Looking forward to your first drop 🫡
Read Lonesome Dove and Lightbringer this year and absolutely loved them. Also read the Fall and Of Fire and Blood this year and I'll get into the next books now in January. Awesome list Mike! Read Fool's Errand last year, probably my fav of Hobb so far! Loved it!
I read Lonesome Dove for the first time this year (2023) as well. I too was blown away. This is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read and I love everything about it. It affected me for a couple of weeks after I read it. I can respect anyone that places it as #1 on a list of bests.
While I was watching this video, I put a hold on Speaks The Nightbird at my local library. Went to pick it up a few days later, it is a tome at 726 pages but I am officially addicted.
When you said Lonesome Dove was your #1 of the year I had to go back and write all of your recs down. It was my husband's favorite book of the year too.
Lonesome Dove was my #1 also. And I was just as surprised by it, too. Another banger was Power in the Blood by Greg Matthews-- it had the same vibes as Lonesome Dove but had a supernatural element/revenge plot that was superb. And I'm the only one on the internet who seems to have read it, let alone heard of it. Finally, Royal Assassin. I place that only slightly above any one of the Liveship books
As the first to predict, especially as a casual viewer of the channel (former addict in 2020 lol), I hate to say it but damn I’m always right! (lonesome dove). Never heard of the book before your video review but have to read it now. Great video and list. Surprised you never read outsiders before - it was mandatory reading in middle school for me. The movie was good too. I’m surprised to see Scythe on the list. It had a good premise but with book 2 it really felt childish to me and I abandoned the series (bought Toll but didn’t read it). Respect your opinion though! All the best for 2024. You’re the best book tuber out there
It's a great list! Here are my top 10 of 2023: 1. An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka, 2. The Will of the Many by James Islington 3. Defiant by Michale R. Miller (Songs of Chaos #3) 4. Of War and Ruin (The Bound and the Broken #3) 5. The Lost War & The Bitter Crown by Justin Lee Anderson (Eidyn Saga #s 1 & 2) 6. Dark Water Daughter by HM Long 7. Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker 8. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree 9. Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald, and 10. System Collapse by Martha Wells.
10. American Prometheus by Martin J. Sherwin and Kai Bird 9. Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson 8. Red Rising by Pierce Brown 7. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson 6. Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell 5. John Adams by David McCullough 4. Mad Ship by Robin Hobb 3. Swan Song by Robert McCammon 2. Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura. (With particular emphasis on volume 4) 1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Honorable Mentions: Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Allen C. Guelzo Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann Spy Family by Tatsuya Endo Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. Overall it was a great year for reading. I did not expect to have 2 nonfictions crack the top 10, but they were just that good. Some things got pushed to 2024, but thats ok. When you read multiple 700+ page books, it tends to happen.
Mike, I like your well-rounded TBR lists. Always great to have some classics and some modern literary fiction in to ground yourself. I have seen other videos and read your top posted comment. Of course lonesome dove. I just don't want to read a book that can stop a 50 cal. round.😊. See you in a few.minutes.on New Years live
I didn’t read enough this year to give a top 10, but here’s what I did read. I still feel i did pretty good considering I didn’t have time to pick a book up the first half the year. Three-body problem trilogy - one of the heaviest series I’ve ever read. The whole idea of galactic civilizations using weapons to destroy entire stellar systems and weapons that attack entire universal dimensions as a whole were really heavy ideas that made me think think think! Red Rising trilogy(the first 3 books) - it’s my favorite series I’ve read since smashing through all expanse books & novellas. Thanks for that recommendation! The Silo Trilogy- I’ve never read a,series where I loved the overall story, yet hated all the characters so dang much! I started reading Oathbringer bringer of the storm light archives earlier this year, but only got maybe a 1/4th the way through it before I got busy with work. Now I’m going to have to restart it from the beginning lol Definitely plan on reading it, Ritual of Battle, and then I’m going to smash through the second Red Rising trilogy and then who knows 🤷♂️
Good #1 choice. Lonesome Dove has always been on my favorite read of all time list. The tv movie was just as good. I just finished the Liveship Trader series and now I'm reading Fools Errand right so we'll see if I like it as much as you did. You seem to like the same books I do so...
Love that Mike loved the outsiders. That was one of the first books I read that resonated with me that wasn't fantasy. Glad to see my decade-old opinion on it still holds.
I only read about 25 fiction books this year, Of those my top five were: 1. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson 2. The Death of Grass, John Christopher 3. State of Fear, Michael Crichton 4. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley 5. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
Hey Mike. Those books sound great. I can tell you what my top 4 books are. I will have to think for a while about the others. One of them is the book Go West with Giraffes. That was an incredible story about an orphan boy who survived a hurricane that hit the coast of New York during the great depression. He comes across two giraffes and winds up traveling and carrying for them while they travel to California and the San Diego Zoo. It is an amazing story. My next 2 series are both light novel series. The first is called A Certain Magical Index the Old Testament and the other one is called Spice and Wolf. I found it very easy to get attached to the characters in both of those series. I also, really liked reading while listening to the Mistborn era 1 series. I also wanted to let you know, that today I started listening to the Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson. I now know that I can sympathize with Wax on the level of how hard it is for him to find friends and relate to people. He is always on the outside of every group looking in. The ending of the Shadows of Self was so heartbreaking.
Can't really argue with the list, great books! (still finishing lonesome dove at some point) Lightbringer gave me a 3 week bookslump! Honourable mention for me, The Way of the Argosi and the Spellslinger series by Sebastian de Castell. Fun fun read!!!!
I have read Sun Eater in December, all of it, and started rereading it. I was sobbing in Ashes of Man. I didn’t think anything would beat The Bound and the Broken for me this year, but Sun Eater did it. I am still dying to reread B&B. I know it will be even better on reread too. I love that people can actually make good money with self bs traditional publishing. I love Lonesome Dove. It had long been my mom’s favorite book and when I read it, I regretted not having read it sooner. It gave all the feels. I laughed, I cried, it is really special.
I'm surprised to not see Empire of The Damned show up on the top ten list. The original was highly praised my Mike and he claimed he liked the sequel even better. One of my most anticipated for next year.
My top book of the year is Frank Herbert’s, God Emperor Of Dune. I like Dune. Read it a few times over the years. But this was the year I read through the whole six book series and became obsessed with the Dune saga. I like the two books that came after. But God Emperor just nailed it. The Ghola became my favorite character, hence my name here. Such a great universe. I can’t get enough of it.
I’m reading Lonesome Dove right now. It’s my first western. I’m normally a fantasy/thriller novel fan. But I totally agree with you. This novel is fantastic. Some of the best characters I’ve ever read.
Hey Mike, I really wanna share with someone my satisfaction of The heir to the empire. Thrawn is just the goat. Here are spoilers to 13th chapter: It's after The star destroyer attacked Nkllon. Thrawn had a conversation with C'Baoth and found out that he contacted Luke through the force and didn't tell Thrawn about this. Especially I liked the moment when Thrawn says to C'Baoth that he trust him and simultaneously pats ysalamir that block Jedi's power. I gasped aloud. I highlighted in Kinde the entire dialogue “I always trust you,” Thrawn said sardonically. He reached a hand up to stroke the ysalamir draped over his command chair, as if to remind the Jedi Master just how far he trusted him. “ Definitely the best read of this year (on the same spot with Words of Radiance)
I didn't know there'd be homework! 😀 I have no sense of time. If I did a top 10 of books I read THIS year, half of them I probably read like a decade ago and just can't remember when I read them :D
That's a very interesting list. I'm very curious for a lot of the things you mentioned, specially The Bound and the Broken, The Realm of the Elderlings and The Expanse, but The Last War has been piqueing my interest, as well. For me, well, I had a mostly Malazan year, so I'll have to present 2 lists: one with your "1 book per author" rule and another without it. WITH THE RULE: 1 - The Bonehunters - Steven Erikson 2 - The Foundation First Trilogy - Isaac Asimov (I read it in a massive volume, so I'm counting as one book, but you can read it as "Foundation and Empire" only, if you want to) 3 - The Obelisk Gate - N.K. Jemisin 4 - Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert 5 - Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky WITHOUT THE RULE: 1 - The Bonehunters - Steven Erikson 2 - Memories of Ice - Steven Erikson 3 - Midnight Tides - Steven Erikson 4 - Deadhouse Gates - Steven Erikson 5 - The Foundation First Trilogy - Isaac Asimov 6 - The Obelisk Gate - N.K. Jemisin 7 - Reaper's Gale - Steven Erikson 8 - Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert 9 - House of Chains - Steven Erikson 10 - Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky honorable mention to Crack'd Pot Trail
Lonesome Dove was a little disappointing for me. It was fine...maybe 7/10 or so but I didn't really like the characters like it seems everyone else did...again, they were fine...just not amazing. But The Bound and The Broken and The Last War books are some I really want to start this coming year.
Glad you had to a phenomenal reading year! Here’s hoping 2024 is even better! Question. Empire of the Damned. Did it just not make the cut or are you not counting it because it’s not out till 2024?
Of war and ruin and aiduels sin were my 1 and 2 .. can't wait for you to start reading the illborn saga by Daniel T. Jackson. Just the prologue of illborn will have you hooked
My Top 10 reads of 2023 My Top Favorite Read of 2023, is a tie between «Under Heaven» by Guy Gavriel Kay & «The Veiled Throne» («Dandelion Dynasty #3) by Ken Liu: «Under Heaven» should be teached next to «War & Peace» and «Le Miserables» for GGK’s prose and Ken Liu’s Character Work has few if any rivals! A character that has only one scene in «TVT» (though a series veteran in «The Dandelion Dynasty»), earned with that scene alone my favorite character of 2023: Cogo Yelu! Next is another tie between «The Retreat to Avalon» by Sean Poage & «The Winter King» by Bernard Cornwell: Poage has written my favorite take on «A Historical King Arthur» and the Seige of Yves Trebon/St. Michel in «TWK» shows why Cornwell might be the best at writing battles! The next are unsorted: «The Way of Edan» by Philip Chase «Bold Ascension» by Vaughn Roycroft «The Winter Road» by Adrian Selby «Salammbo» by Gustave Flaubert «The Farthest Shore» by Ursula K. Le Guin «Brigantia» by Adrian Goldsworthy Honourable Mentions «The Little Emperors»/«The Conscience of the King» by Alfred Duggan (Love very dry British humor on ambitions, politics and bureaucracy (so many great quotes!), and excellent descriptions of how (possibly) Roman Britain fell!) «Tortilla Flat» by John Steinbeck (my biggest laughs this year, Great Feelgood Read if you don’t mind some tragedy too!)
Nice list! I love watching your videos. Even though I'm not a big fan of fantasy, I might end up getting into some simply because of your videos and opinions. That being said, I still get a number of good ideas from your lists that I ended up putting onto my own TBRs. So . . . my Top 10 read in 2023 (not all published in 2023 - actually, none, I think). With a couple of Honorable Mentions. Out of 24 books read (a lot for me) . . . and in no particular order: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill Pet Sematary by Stephen King Skin (an X-Files novel) by Ben Mezrich The Dark Half by Stephen King I Am Legend by Richard Matheson The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson Animal Farm by George Orwell HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Later by Stephen King Prime Evil (collection) - Specifically the stories by Stephen King and Clive Barker
I read Lonesome Dove after watching the miniseries. I've never seen a movie adaptation of a book match the written source material better. I'd swear that Robert Duvall was put on this earth to play Augusta
Great video , Mike! I am from Ukraine but I feel same about Lonesome Dove - it’s my favorite book of the year and one of my favorites of all time. August McRae is my favorite character also:)
Totally agree with you on the greatness of Fool’s Errand and Nemesis Games! I’ve also read both within the last year and loved them dearly. I love getting hyped for things like the Last War trilogy, Bound and the Broken, the Red Rising sequel series, and Lonesome Dove!
Nice list! I only have one honorable mention - Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi. Following is my top 10: 1 - Until the Last (Mike Shackle) 2 - Light Bringer (Pierce Brown) 3 - The Tyranny of Faith (Richard Swan) 4 - Winter's Fury (A.E. Rayne) 5 - The Fury of Kings (R.S. Moule) 6 - Never Die (Rob J. Hayes) 7 - Of Blood and Fire (Ryan Cahill) 8 - We Ride the Storm (Devin Madson) 9 - Cold West (Clayton Snyder) 10 - Eleventh Cycle (Kian Ardalan)
Maggie's Grave by David Sodergren would be my number 3 this year. Felt like I was reading a horror movie. Number 2 would be Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill. It's a post apocalyptic world where Robots took over. Day zero is a novella in the same universe and happens at the time of the apocalypse. I read these back to back so they blend like one book to me. I recommend checking these two out. Number one would have to be Oathbringer. So many connections were made through the cosmere and I feel we finally have an ultimate goal for the series (I think at least).
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This year I read 26 books and it was all because I found your channel and started actively reading again since probably 2011, maybe 2012. I cannot thank you enough Mike for my reading year because of the books you've introduced me too and words cannot express the thanks and gratitude as a watcher. Thank you Mike for recommending amazing series and novels. If it wasnt for you I wouldnt have read WOT, First Law, Mistborn, Stormlight (about 50% done with WoK). These stories all inspired me to want to write my own series maybe one day. But for now, I am reading a ton and its all thanks to you. I fell back in love with it and i cant wait to continue to check more stuff you recommend even if im not as fast as a reader as you are lol.
Always happy to help!
Ohhhh. Prediction. Lonesome Dove at number 1. Of War and Ruin at number 2!
Nailed it!
You know your history. Very good.
😂
I commented the prediction first! (And I’m a casual viewer now too!) Hahaha but yeah, I still have to read Lonesome Dove. Sounds great!
Lightbringer has got to be up there
George R. R. Martin book blurbs: "[insert genre here] they way it ought to be written." Noticed when you went from 6 to 5 lol great stuff this year Mike! Looking forward to 2024
He’s gotta be trolling at this point.
Mike's real favorite book: Toll the Hounds.
He can't stop reading it!
😂
YES MIKE. Lonesome Dove is outstanding and has some of the greatest character work of all time. Gus and Call will never leave my head. Loved your list!
is lonessome dove the 1st book you should read is it a series ?
@@alexanderunder8sgoalkeeper625 I have actually only read Lonesome Dove. It works very well as a stand-alone, in my opinion. If you wanted to read the whole series, I would go chronologically and start with Dead Man’a Walk.
Well said!
I read lonesome dove in 2005 and re read it in 2019. I love everything about that book. I also love it when people pick it up because I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t love it.
so grateful for your channel Mike. Without it, no way I read Lonesome Dove, Bound & The Broken, LIghtbringer, etc... all exceptional 2023 reads. Killer list!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Right on point here
Not that you hadn't already sold me on Lonesome Dove throughout the year, but this really sealed the deal. I am going to read it sooner rather than later! And love to see Bound and the Broken so high, Cahill is a legend!!
Hope you find many more faves in 2024, happy reading Mike!
I haven't read any of those authors (novels) from the top 10, but at least 5 of them are now on my list for 2024.
Read a bunch of authors for the first time in 2023, and I feel like it was the best reading year of my life. Hoping to continue that trend in the new year!
Hope you enjoy!
Oh, I'm so glad you liked Flowers for Algernon so well! :D One of my favorite books!
Same!!!
I love it!
Flowers for Algernon is the book that turned me into a true reader back in HS. Reading had always been this involuntarily chore until Flowers. I connected deeply with the book because I had a family member, a cousin, who I was very close to and he was mentally challenged. Anyway, great top 10 for the year. I've got Speaks the Nightbird on my TBR.
FFA was incredibly profound and touching.
I read Lonesome Dove in August and I haven't been able to get it out pf my head. I agree 100% this might be the best damn book I've ever read!
Lonesome dove is the greatest book of all time without a doubt. Just 10/10 🔥🤠
So glad I finally read it. Was always a big fan of the show. My dog's name is Roscoe, my last name is Brown. So I like to call him Sherif Deputy of Fort Smith, Arkansas.
It’s pretty darn good.
🐴
@@mikesbookreviews 🐴 Could also be a reference to The Godfather.
I’d been thinking about reading Lonesome Dove awhile and you were the final nudge I needed. It was phenomenal. Loved it.
Outstanding!
Awesome video Mike. Something Wicked this Way Comes by Bradbury is going to be 1st or 2nd for me this year. Bradbury packs such a punch in his writing without being over descriptive. I can't wait to get to Hobb this year and We are the Dead may even make my top 10. Again, awesome video brother.
Bradbury is a legend.
Lonesome Dove ftw
Can't wait for you to read Streets of Laredo dude I immediately went to Dead Man's Walk and it's still up to par
That’s so awesome to hear!
So thrilled to see The Outsiders on this list!!! It's so good. Johnny Cade is still one of my favorite characters ever. This is a great list, and I'm glad you had a good year. I would love to get to Lonesome Dove this year if I can. I've seen the TV series and loved it.
Also love the shoutout to the good solid Young Adult stories. We need those, and I think we're too quick to dismiss books that are "just YA" because of a lot of the stereotypical tropes we see in YA romance now.
Indeed. I love a good YA book that doesn’t demand quite so much of a learning curve.
Thanks so much for your channel in 2023. Totally enjoyed listening to you talk about books. CHEERS to 2024!! Picked up Shogun!!
⚔️
Going to read Lonesome Dove in 2024 on your recommendation!
Enjoy!
Definitely some interesting choices there, and I agree with Flowers for Algernon--I loved that book, and it was a highlight of my year as well!! You definitely have some top choices there! Thanks for a great booktube year, and best wished for 2024!
Great list, man. It's been amazing watching your channel grow. You've remained humble, gracious, and real, and your content has only gotten better. Thanks for entertaining and edifying us! Merry belated Christmas, and Happy New Years!
Thanks so much for being a part of it!
I like these types of videos. It's a jungle of books out there; the most difficult part of getting books is finding the good ones, outside of the well known ones. So it's helpful to have booktubers reporting their thoughts of what they've read.
Happy to help!
My #1 for 2023 was Project Hail Mary. What a book!! And I typically don't care for scifi.
Think that was my book of the year in 2021.
Hot list & a great reading year! 😀 As usual, you’re adjusting my TBR at best, blowing it the hell up at worst. Lonesome Dove’s on my shelf, and just climbed up closer to the start of the year.
Here’s to another awesome reading year in 2024!
You’d love LD. I have no doubt!
I finished Of War and Ruin last night. It’s absolutely fantastic. I have no idea how he manages so many different plot lines but keeps them all interesting and important.
It’s remarkable isn’t it?
Awww Flowers For Algernon 🥹 was my summer vacation school homework in high school and was blown away towards the end. I should re-read it now that I’m older. Great list!
I agree wholeheartedly about Lonesome Dove. It is, without a doubt, one of the best books I ever read. The characters and their quotes have a way of sticking with you long after you have finished the book.
War and Ruin and Light Bringer top 5 for me this year easily.
Fools Errand 200 pages in and I’m struggling. But it finally appears to be picking up the pace. I’m excited for the remaining half of the book. Excellent list!
Tawny Man was so hit and miss for me.
the moment you said you were going to read Lonesome Dove, I knew that'd be your number one. Pretty sure I told you that too
Wow this list is SO diverse, I am impressed.
I try.
Great year. Thanks Mike. After discover ing your channel I got back into reading again. I read 26 books this year. I never though about reading Dune but I did this year and loved it. I also took on The Expanse series and actually finished before you did thanks to spooky season. I'm not as fast as a reader as you are. Keep up the great content. Currently reading The Faithful and the Fallen series.
Flowers For Algernon is a wonderful book. The Mathew Corbett series is top notch. It's nice to see a list without King on it.
It really is!
I’m glad you enjoyed Flowers for Algernon!
Tiamat’s Wrath was my favourite Expanse book but Nemesis Games was great too.
Big sci-fi and fantasy fan, but also love Lonesome Dove. A true classic.
Flowers for Algernon is a fantastic book that everyone should read!
Agreed!
You and Ian have absolutely convinced me to put Lonesome Dove on my TBR for 2024. Also you've both got the song stuck in my head this week. (I'm old enough to remember the show too!) I love reading outside my "comfort zone" and Lonesome Dove will do exactly that - it's a genre I never reach for.
DEWIT.
@@mikesbookreviews - I bought it and threw it on my priority TBR for early 2024. EVIL. I appreciate it. 🤣
I finished Of blood and Fire yesterday. In just two days. thanks to your channel i discovered that series and thank you! Cus I loved it and I'm so excited for what's to come. 2-3 should be arriving next week and the wait seems eternal.
What a fantastic reading year, Mike! I’m so glad you found some of your all time favorites and can continue adding to that list after all these years of reading.
I’ll be dipping into Red Rising and Lonesome Dove this year and I can’t wait to start them.
Hope you and your family have a great new year man!
I already knew lonesome dove was gonna be number 1 because spoiler alert it is my book of the year as well and it’s not even close!! My book 2 was Lightbringer and 3.empire of the vampire all these are thanks to you except lonesome dove but you always helped me finally read it,I read it when you did..also read the fall by Ryan Cahill absolutely incredible!! Thanks again for helping me have another amazing reading year Mike!! I was literally fist pumping the air your last 3 picks :)😅
Hope we can repeat this in 2024!
@@mikesbookreviews hell yeah!! Last few years all my lists have been greatly influenced by you lol next year gonna focus on green bone (Petrik),bound and the broken(you) and Sun eater (you) so if I love those series thanks in advance again ha!!
I read Lonesome Dove in January and yes, it's the best book I read this year. Which says a lot, because #2 is Milton's Paradise Lost.
More books to add on my TBR :))
My favourite books of the year gotta be most Abercrombie books but John Gwynne is growing on me right now ! :D
That’s two awesome authors.
The Outsiders I read in like 6th grade andI still think about it all the time to this day!
BEST/FAVOURITE READS OF 2023
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
Last Summer Boys - Bill Rivers
Diamonds are Forever - Ian Fleming
Jaws - Peter Benchley
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - Terry Brooks
Last Night in Montreal - Emily St. John Mandel
Halloween Ends - Paul Brad Logan
Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt - Anne Rice
Loved your list, love your channel, Mike! Happy New Year!
🥂
Mike, it's time brotha.. start selling merch. My girl was scouring your channel looking for some Mike's Book Reviews gear to get me for the holidays but was disappointed when she couldn't find a link. I know it's something you like to do for your patreon subscribers but there's tons of other perks you can come up with for that crew. I want to rock the gear of my fave TH-camr.
You're a fan of classic rock, make some channel shirts in the fashion of old 80's band tee's. They would be a hit and I would snag each and every style. Looking forward to your first drop 🫡
Read Lonesome Dove and Lightbringer this year and absolutely loved them. Also read the Fall and Of Fire and Blood this year and I'll get into the next books now in January. Awesome list Mike!
Read Fool's Errand last year, probably my fav of Hobb so far! Loved it!
I read Lonesome Dove for the first time this year (2023) as well. I too was blown away. This is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read and I love everything about it. It affected me for a couple of weeks after I read it. I can respect anyone that places it as #1 on a list of bests.
Here we go baby the best video of the year!!
My top 3 have to be:
1. Morning Star
2. The Will of the Many
3. The Hunger of the Gods
Great picks!
While I was watching this video, I put a hold on Speaks The Nightbird at my local library. Went to pick it up a few days later, it is a tome at 726 pages but I am officially addicted.
When you said Lonesome Dove was your #1 of the year I had to go back and write all of your recs down. It was my husband's favorite book of the year too.
Great year and some great reads! Glad Speaks the Nightbird worked for you, the Corbett series has some great characters.
I’ve heard they only get better.
Lonesome Dove was my #1 also. And I was just as surprised by it, too.
Another banger was Power in the Blood by Greg Matthews-- it had the same vibes as Lonesome Dove but had a supernatural element/revenge plot that was superb. And I'm the only one on the internet who seems to have read it, let alone heard of it.
Finally, Royal Assassin. I place that only slightly above any one of the Liveship books
It’s rare I hear anyone that finished LD that didn’t love it.
As the first to predict, especially as a casual viewer of the channel (former addict in 2020 lol), I hate to say it but damn I’m always right! (lonesome dove). Never heard of the book before your video review but have to read it now.
Great video and list. Surprised you never read outsiders before - it was mandatory reading in middle school for me. The movie was good too.
I’m surprised to see Scythe on the list. It had a good premise but with book 2 it really felt childish to me and I abandoned the series (bought Toll but didn’t read it). Respect your opinion though!
All the best for 2024. You’re the best book tuber out there
LD is just phenomenal. Hope you like it!
It's a great list!
Here are my top 10 of 2023:
1. An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka,
2. The Will of the Many by James Islington
3. Defiant by Michale R. Miller (Songs of Chaos #3)
4. Of War and Ruin (The Bound and the Broken #3)
5. The Lost War & The Bitter Crown by Justin Lee Anderson (Eidyn Saga #s 1 & 2)
6. Dark Water Daughter by HM Long
7. Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker
8. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
9. Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald, and
10. System Collapse by Martha Wells.
10. American Prometheus by Martin J. Sherwin and Kai Bird
9. Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
8. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
7. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
6. Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell
5. John Adams by David McCullough
4. Mad Ship by Robin Hobb
3. Swan Song by Robert McCammon
2. Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura. (With particular emphasis on volume 4)
1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Honorable Mentions:
Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Allen C. Guelzo
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Spy Family by Tatsuya Endo
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson.
Overall it was a great year for reading. I did not expect to have 2 nonfictions crack the top 10, but they were just that good. Some things got pushed to 2024, but thats ok. When you read multiple 700+ page books, it tends to happen.
Red Rabbit would probably be right up your alley. It's like Lonesome Dove set in a Steven King Wild West. Kinda reminds me of The Wizard of Oz too.
Mike, I like your well-rounded TBR lists. Always great to have some classics and some modern literary fiction in to ground yourself. I have seen other videos and read your top posted comment. Of course lonesome dove. I just don't want to read a book that can stop a 50 cal. round.😊. See you in a few.minutes.on New Years live
I didn’t read enough this year to give a top 10, but here’s what I did read. I still feel i did pretty good considering I didn’t have time to pick a book up the first half the year.
Three-body problem trilogy - one of the heaviest series I’ve ever read. The whole idea of galactic civilizations using weapons to destroy entire stellar systems and weapons that attack entire universal dimensions as a whole were really heavy ideas that made me think think think!
Red Rising trilogy(the first 3 books) - it’s my favorite series I’ve read since smashing through all expanse books & novellas. Thanks for that recommendation!
The Silo Trilogy- I’ve never read a,series where I loved the overall story, yet hated all the characters so dang much!
I started reading Oathbringer bringer of the storm light archives earlier this year, but only got maybe a 1/4th the way through it before I got busy with work. Now I’m going to have to restart it from the beginning lol
Definitely plan on reading it, Ritual of Battle, and then I’m going to smash through the second Red Rising trilogy and then who knows 🤷♂️
Good #1 choice. Lonesome Dove has always been on my favorite read of all time list. The tv movie was just as good. I just finished the Liveship Trader series and now I'm reading Fools Errand right so we'll see if I like it as much as you did. You seem to like the same books I do so...
Hope you like it!
Love that Mike loved the outsiders. That was one of the first books I read that resonated with me that wasn't fantasy. Glad to see my decade-old opinion on it still holds.
I only read about 25 fiction books this year, Of those my top five were:
1. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
2. The Death of Grass, John Christopher
3. State of Fear, Michael Crichton
4. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
5. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
Crichton 🍻
Hey Mike. Those books sound great. I can tell you what my top 4 books are. I will have to think for a while about the others. One of them is the book Go West with Giraffes. That was an incredible story about an orphan boy who survived a hurricane that hit the coast of New York during the great depression. He comes across two giraffes and winds up traveling and carrying for them while they travel to California and the San Diego Zoo. It is an amazing story. My next 2 series are both light novel series. The first is called A Certain Magical Index the Old Testament and the other one is called Spice and Wolf. I found it very easy to get attached to the characters in both of those series. I also, really liked reading while listening to the Mistborn era 1 series. I also wanted to let you know, that today I started listening to the Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson. I now know that I can sympathize with Wax on the level of how hard it is for him to find friends and relate to people. He is always on the outside of every group looking in. The ending of the Shadows of Self was so heartbreaking.
Can't really argue with the list, great books! (still finishing lonesome dove at some point)
Lightbringer gave me a 3 week bookslump!
Honourable mention for me, The Way of the Argosi and the Spellslinger series by Sebastian de Castell. Fun fun read!!!!
Lonesome Dove was my #1 as well... Gone With the Wind #2 - Cheers for guiding me into a great reading year!
Those are two of my favorite books ever. So glad you liked them!
I have read Sun Eater in December, all of it, and started rereading it. I was sobbing in Ashes of Man. I didn’t think anything would beat The Bound and the Broken for me this year, but Sun Eater did it. I am still dying to reread B&B. I know it will be even better on reread too.
I love that people can actually make good money with self bs traditional publishing.
I love Lonesome Dove. It had long been my mom’s favorite book and when I read it, I regretted not having read it sooner. It gave all the feels. I laughed, I cried, it is really special.
I'm surprised to not see Empire of The Damned show up on the top ten list. The original was highly praised my Mike and he claimed he liked the sequel even better. One of my most anticipated for next year.
That’s a 2024 book so it will be nominated for next year.
My top book of the year is Frank Herbert’s, God Emperor Of Dune. I like Dune. Read it a few times over the years. But this was the year I read through the whole six book series and became obsessed with the Dune saga. I like the two books that came after. But God Emperor just nailed it. The Ghola became my favorite character, hence my name here. Such a great universe. I can’t get enough of it.
I’m reading Lonesome Dove right now. It’s my first western. I’m normally a fantasy/thriller novel fan. But I totally agree with you. This novel is fantastic. Some of the best characters I’ve ever read.
i just got Lonesome Dove for Christmas!
Hey Mike, I really wanna share with someone my satisfaction of The heir to the empire. Thrawn is just the goat. Here are spoilers to 13th chapter:
It's after The star destroyer attacked Nkllon. Thrawn had a conversation with C'Baoth and found out that he contacted Luke through the force and didn't tell Thrawn about this. Especially I liked the moment when Thrawn says to C'Baoth that he trust him and simultaneously pats ysalamir that block Jedi's power. I gasped aloud. I highlighted in Kinde the entire dialogue
“I always trust you,” Thrawn said sardonically. He reached a hand up to stroke the ysalamir draped over his command chair, as if to remind the Jedi Master just how far he trusted him. “
Definitely the best read of this year (on the same spot with Words of Radiance)
That’s a damn good book.
Now I definitely want to start the Red Rising series. I hope I will start it during the next month or so.
I didn't know there'd be homework! 😀 I have no sense of time. If I did a top 10 of books I read THIS year, half of them I probably read like a decade ago and just can't remember when I read them :D
Fools errand is my favorite Hobb as well
That's a very interesting list. I'm very curious for a lot of the things you mentioned, specially The Bound and the Broken, The Realm of the Elderlings and The Expanse, but The Last War has been piqueing my interest, as well.
For me, well, I had a mostly Malazan year, so I'll have to present 2 lists: one with your "1 book per author" rule and another without it.
WITH THE RULE:
1 - The Bonehunters - Steven Erikson
2 - The Foundation First Trilogy - Isaac Asimov (I read it in a massive volume, so I'm counting as one book, but you can read it as "Foundation and Empire" only, if you want to)
3 - The Obelisk Gate - N.K. Jemisin
4 - Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert
5 - Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky
WITHOUT THE RULE:
1 - The Bonehunters - Steven Erikson
2 - Memories of Ice - Steven Erikson
3 - Midnight Tides - Steven Erikson
4 - Deadhouse Gates - Steven Erikson
5 - The Foundation First Trilogy - Isaac Asimov
6 - The Obelisk Gate - N.K. Jemisin
7 - Reaper's Gale - Steven Erikson
8 - Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert
9 - House of Chains - Steven Erikson
10 - Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky
honorable mention to Crack'd Pot Trail
Lonesome Dove was a little disappointing for me. It was fine...maybe 7/10 or so but I didn't really like the characters like it seems everyone else did...again, they were fine...just not amazing. But The Bound and The Broken and The Last War books are some I really want to start this coming year.
Flowers for Algernon 🌷
🐁
"The best of the best, of the best, with honors." - MIB😆
👓
Thanks Mike. Happy New Year.
Same to you!
Glad you had to a phenomenal reading year! Here’s hoping 2024 is even better!
Question. Empire of the Damned. Did it just not make the cut or are you not counting it because it’s not out till 2024?
I recently finished the farseer trilogy and I can’t wait to start the Liveship traders
It’s S tier. Hope you love it!
@@mikesbookreviews Thank you!
Of war and ruin and aiduels sin were my 1 and 2 .. can't wait for you to start reading the illborn saga by Daniel T. Jackson. Just the prologue of illborn will have you hooked
Subbed for that MIB reference 😂
Yer boy Captain America over here…
My Top 10 reads of 2023
My Top Favorite Read of 2023, is a tie between «Under Heaven» by Guy Gavriel Kay & «The Veiled Throne» («Dandelion Dynasty #3) by Ken Liu: «Under Heaven» should be teached next to «War & Peace» and «Le Miserables» for GGK’s prose and Ken Liu’s Character Work has few if any rivals! A character that has only one scene in «TVT» (though a series veteran in «The Dandelion Dynasty»), earned with that scene alone my favorite character of 2023: Cogo Yelu!
Next is another tie between «The Retreat to Avalon» by Sean Poage & «The Winter King» by Bernard Cornwell: Poage has written my favorite take on «A Historical King Arthur» and the Seige of Yves Trebon/St. Michel in «TWK» shows why Cornwell might be the best at writing battles!
The next are unsorted:
«The Way of Edan» by Philip Chase
«Bold Ascension» by Vaughn Roycroft
«The Winter Road» by Adrian Selby
«Salammbo» by Gustave Flaubert
«The Farthest Shore» by Ursula K. Le Guin
«Brigantia» by Adrian Goldsworthy
Honourable Mentions
«The Little Emperors»/«The Conscience of the King» by Alfred Duggan (Love very dry British humor on ambitions, politics and bureaucracy (so many great quotes!), and excellent descriptions of how (possibly) Roman Britain fell!)
«Tortilla Flat» by John Steinbeck (my biggest laughs this year, Great Feelgood Read if you don’t mind some tragedy too!)
I highly recommend Unwind by Neal Shusterman, and The dry also by him
I will have my list up on the 2nd of January I am taking every second. Great List!
Probably smarter ha ha
@@mikesbookreviews Just finished Words of Radiance yesterday so I figured I better wait😀. So much fun to watch your list live with you commenting!
Nice list! I love watching your videos. Even though I'm not a big fan of fantasy, I might end up getting into some simply because of your videos and opinions. That being said, I still get a number of good ideas from your lists that I ended up putting onto my own TBRs. So . . . my Top 10 read in 2023 (not all published in 2023 - actually, none, I think). With a couple of Honorable Mentions. Out of 24 books read (a lot for me) . . . and in no particular order:
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Skin (an X-Files novel) by Ben Mezrich
The Dark Half by Stephen King
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
Animal Farm by George Orwell
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Later by Stephen King
Prime Evil (collection) - Specifically the stories by Stephen King and Clive Barker
Scythe was so so good i wish i can read it again like the first time
Scythe was amazing, the send book is even better…..MUCH better
Great list Mike!!
Glad you enjoyed it
I read Lonesome Dove after watching the miniseries. I've never seen a movie adaptation of a book match the written source material better. I'd swear that Robert Duvall was put on this earth to play Augusta
Without a doubt.
Great video , Mike! I am from Ukraine but I feel same about Lonesome Dove - it’s my favorite book of the year and one of my favorites of all time. August McRae is my favorite character also:)
Totally agree with you on the greatness of Fool’s Errand and Nemesis Games! I’ve also read both within the last year and loved them dearly.
I love getting hyped for things like the Last War trilogy, Bound and the Broken, the Red Rising sequel series, and Lonesome Dove!
Heck of a reading list you have there.
Glad you liked scythe. I like to ask people who have how would you glean?
Nice list! I only have one honorable mention - Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi. Following is my top 10:
1 - Until the Last (Mike Shackle)
2 - Light Bringer (Pierce Brown)
3 - The Tyranny of Faith (Richard Swan)
4 - Winter's Fury (A.E. Rayne)
5 - The Fury of Kings (R.S. Moule)
6 - Never Die (Rob J. Hayes)
7 - Of Blood and Fire (Ryan Cahill)
8 - We Ride the Storm (Devin Madson)
9 - Cold West (Clayton Snyder)
10 - Eleventh Cycle (Kian Ardalan)
That’s a damn nice list.
Watch Lonesome Dove be #1 lol
😉
I have two sons with autism and I love sci fi so I want to try Flowers for Algernon.
It's really good.
It’s amazing.
Nice list! Thank you!👍👍👍📚🤖🚀
Thanks for watching!
Maggie's Grave by David Sodergren would be my number 3 this year. Felt like I was reading a horror movie.
Number 2 would be Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill. It's a post apocalyptic world where Robots took over. Day zero is a novella in the same universe and happens at the time of the apocalypse. I read these back to back so they blend like one book to me. I recommend checking these two out.
Number one would have to be Oathbringer. So many connections were made through the cosmere and I feel we finally have an ultimate goal for the series (I think at least).
I took a long break from The Expanse series after book 4. Guess I'm picking it back up again! I'm on a big scifi space kick after finishing Deaths End
It gets real good in Nemesis Games.
"You know, maybe we could have handled some things a little bit better." as reaction to the Salem witch trials is unintentionally(?) hilarious.
Appolonius speech in Light Bringer is an absolute all timer for me.
He’s amazing.