My 15 Favourite Books of 2023!!

Thank you to anyone who returns after such a long hiatus, and to those who inevitably unsubscribe when they're reminded I exist... I love you all too!
Channels mentioned:
@GraceDionneReads
@merphynapierreviews
@ShelfCentered
Support me on Patreon: @verageben
Amazon Wishlist: @list/ls/31U2NKSN6QK91
00:00 - Intro
01:34 - Honorable mentions
09:04 - Book 10
11:17 - Book 9
13:12 - Book 8
14:44 - Book 7
16:19 - Book 6
18:37 - Book 5
20:28 - Book 4
21:31 - Book 3
23:42 - Book 2
26:45 - Book 1

[@peterknight3851]

Some of you may be wondering where Mr Overlyaverage has been for the last six months, the answer is he's been spending the time dead for tax purposes

[@GraceDionneReads]

The theme of so many books is “Grace bullied me into reading this” BUT they’re on your favourites of the year so really we’re both winning

[@OverlyAverageBen]

We be feasting

[@bentheoverlord]

Wooo we had similiar book counts ! I've been excited for this vid for a while ! Super excited for Wind & Truth, its gonna be a game changer for sure. Yas ! So happy you liked Evelyn Hugo, its such a great character study of Evelyn, and I sobbed for the last chunk. Also in a similiar boat, I dont really wanna read anymore of her books, that book is a 1 and done for me. Red Seas is a nearly perfect book for me ! Love it. I adored the Hobb books this year, Im still a bit annoyed by the final book, but its cooling. I loved the ending but I just found that section before hand really emotionally manipulative, but when it was great it was one of the best books I've read. So excited for Midnight Tides, gonna try and squeeze that in during this month because I think I'll need it post 1st year review.

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I hope you enjoy Midnight Tides as much as me when you get there! And hopefully as time goes on, the love for the Hobb books will erase the negative lol

[@TheBrynnb31]

Well, good timing I just happened to watch this. I JUST finished the first Fitz trilogy, and liked it... but was thinking not enough to continue (despite having read the Liveship trilogy and LOVING those). But your words on this have convinced me!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I'm glad to hear it! I would give it a break and see how you feel going back to Fool's Errand because I adored the first 200 pages of that book! Taking it slow and introducing the audience back into Fitz's life.

[@BookishDrummer]

Scott Lynch is awesome!!! Storm of Swords is my all time favorite book!!!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I definitely think there would be an argument for it being up there for me, I think Hobb may just knock it off lol

[@AlinaTheGoblin]

Lovely video, Ben, and welcome back of course! Overjoyed to see In the Dream House on here, I need to read her other writings this year. I'm mad jealous of that book count. I barely managed this 30 this year, so I'm foolishly aiming to more than double that this year 😁 Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and the Beka Cooper trilogy by Tamora Pearce were my favorites. I also reread Eragon before meeting Christopher Paolini at a signing and I finished the 6th Dune book, completing my years-long romp through Frank Herbert's wacky and mysterious sci-fi universe. I've already been bogged down by the Fourth Wing sequel this month (don't ask, book club wanted to read it 😭). But I've got these next few books on the docket and I'm super stoked: -The Councillor by E.J. Beaton (a Library of the Viking rec) -The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Folio Society is dropping an edition of this on Jan 25th) -The Will of the Many by James Islington (Daniel Greene rec) -The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (next book club pick) -The Expanse because I started watching the show this weekend

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I'm really interested in reading Temeraire by Naomi Novak so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed their other work! Ouuu I really want to get to the Will of the Many this year! Here's hoping it lives up to the hype!

[@AlinaTheGoblin]

Oh I'm so curious what you'll think about the Temeraire books. The first book His Majesty's Dragon is my absolute favorite, I gift it to all of my friends at some point or another 😁 Napoleonic Wars mixed with dragons is such a unique, brilliant concept that Novik executed beautifully.

[@akashas6012]

Good luck

[@BookishDrummer]

Picture of Dorian Gray is my all time fav classic!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I can absolutely understand why!

[@surpriseitsus9622]

Great video. I just started Lies of Locke Lamora yesterday. I'm so glad you liked book 2. My friend didn't, so you gave me hope. Great list. Lynn in Arizona 🌵

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I hope you enjoy the series!!

[@LukeEdwardstube]

Good luck with your last year at Uni, mate! Epic achievement!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Thank you so much, mate! Hope you're doing well!

[@Coleton2573]

Really cool list of books. I really want to read Yellowface! Interesting what you said about Malazan being really funny, I haven't dived into that series yet. Two favorite reads I had last year that I can't recommend highly enough are Boy's Life by Robert McCammon, and Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. Please put them on your list! 🙏

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I have Perdido Street Station and have been meaning to read it! And I have Swan Song by Robert McCammon, they're just such chonkers that I've struggled to find the time lol

[@Coleton2573]

@@OverlyAverageBen Swan Song and Perdido Street Station are next level epics, and they're standalones! Come one man, if you can make time for Malazan and Hobb books you can make time for these! They're so good you won't want them to end.

[@TheDarrenH30]

I had to laugh when I watched your review of “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” I really enjoyed that book too but absolutely recall the dreaded boring chapter you referenced! I enjoyed your video.

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Hahaha it's so unnecessary! Like, I get what he's saying, but just make it a few pages if he really wanted to, not a whole chapter lol

[@esmayrosalyne]

Hey, if we are only getting one video per 6 months, at least we get the most top-tier content out there. What a banger of a list, yay for uni escapism reading, hahaha. I feel like whenever you finish RotE, you will just perpetually be in a state of wanting to reread it all. And I had the exact same experience with Evelyn Hugo, thank all that is holy for those rare books that live up to their hype! Also, consider me sold on The Maniac, it sounds disturbingly intriguing 🤩 Good luck with finishing up your last year at uni, I'll be here to cheer you on from the sidelines!! Can't wait to see what 2024 holds in store for you ;)

[@OverlyAverageBen]

hahah I appreciate that Esmay! I really hope you enjoy Labatut's writing if/when you get around to him! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Good luck in 2024 as well!

[@dianneeagle4686]

So good to see you again! I definitely have a lack of overly average people in my life.

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Don't we all lol! Good to see you again too!

[@bethmw28]

I'm the same with Taylor Jenkins Reid....absolutely in love with Evelyn Hugo (as a book and kind of as a person...) but I can't remember the last time I hated a book quicker than when I tried Daisy Jones 🤣 I quickly resolved that TJR is going to just remain that fantastic one night stand that I'll always think about fondly but never under any circumstances must I save their number in my phone 🙈

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Seems like the safest way to go lol

[@BookishDrummer]

TJR is one of my all time favorite authors!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Oh interesting! What would you recommend I move onto next if I were to?

[@BookishDrummer]

@@OverlyAverageBen Daisy Jones and the Six is amazing, especially if you're a classic rock fan, I'd recommend that one.

[@NotSoAverageJo]

University will take everything you’ve got haha! Glad to see a new video from you!!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Thank you so much! Uni's a tricky one where I can't wait for the work to be done, but also don't want to leave 😂

[@MacScarfield]

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 Winter Road» by Adrian Selby «The Way of Edan» by Philip Chase (You might have heard about him! 😄) «Bold Ascension» by Vaughn Roycroft «Salammbo» by Gustave Flaubert «The Farthest Shore» by Ursula K. Le Guin «The Name of the Wind» by Patrick Rothfuss «Brigantia» by Adrian Goldsworthy «Tortilla Flat» by John Steinbeck «The Little Emperors» by Alfred Duggan My Honorable Mentions «Tehanu» by Ursula K. Le Guin «Speaking Bones» by Ken Liu «River of Stars» by Guy Gavriel Kay «The Conscience of the King» by Alfred Duggan «The Black Gods Kiss» (Jirel of Joiry) by CL Moore «In the Grip of the Minotaur» by Farnham Bishop & Arthur G. Brodeur

[@OverlyAverageBen]

A great list! I desperately want to get to GGK and the Dandelion Dynasty! I'm not sure when, but I own them all lol. Glad to see Le Guin up there, and someone else mentioned The Winter Road previously but I haven't got around to it yet

[@MacScarfield]

@@OverlyAverageBen I apologize if I am pestering you with suggestions, but I would very much like to shout out my fellow islander and indie author Alex A. Saloen (linguist, former Kong Fu Teacher and multi-instrumentalist: Banjo, fiddle and flute!) and his Fantasy series «A Tide of Sacred Ice», which I would describe as a love child of Tolkien, Malazan & Narnia, which a healthy pinch of Norwegian Folk Tales! Four books are out and all are available in English!

[@darren2880]

Good to see you 😊

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Thank you! Good to see you back too!

[@puncky]

you made me really want to pick up jurassic parc and hitchhikers quide to the galaxy. This is the first video I see of you but I'm really interested in what you like more. Will look into your other vids :)

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I'm glad to hear there were some books hidden within for you! Thank you for having a look around, and I hope you stick around!

[@bethmw28]

I finally got round to reading Hobb in 2023! Binged the first trilogy and she's just as immensely tremendous as everyone has ever said....no Hobb-caused tears yet but I'm ready! Masterpiece is the correct word for sure! Can't wait to get round to the rest!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Ouuuu I look forward to Liveship Traders thoughts! That's my favourite!

[@bethmw28]

@@OverlyAverageBen haha I'll check in with you on your June video! 😂 And...from someone who graduated 14 years ago and is still haunted by the mental exhaustion of third year: good luck with the rest of your time and your dissertation!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Hahaha thank you!

[@PonderingsOfPete]

felt the same about Blade of Dream. I need a book 3 announcement ASAP so I reread the first two

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Amazon lists the 12th December this year, but I need that official, from the horse's mouth announcement!

[@PonderingsOfPete]

@@OverlyAverageBen until we get a name and a date in an announcement, I’m not gonna trust it. Been burned too many times before with random dates

[@nathantowns2043]

Kitty cat!

[@nathantowns2043]

I demand more Maisie the cat!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

When I move to Canada I promise all the Maisie I can give lol

[@caitlinl2750]

I’ve read 14 of these!!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Anything to recommend based on which ones you've read?

[@caitlinl2750]

@@OverlyAverageBen dandelion dynasty, sword of Kaigen or blood over bright haven, the book that wouldn’t burn!

[@OverlyAverageBen]

That's perfect as I've read the Book that wouldn't burn and really enjoyed it! I have an e-arc for Blood over bright haven, and I have the dandelion dynasty waiting for me in Canada!

[@PonderingsOfPete]

"make do" with a cat on your lap. That cat should've been the only thing in the thumbnail

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Maybe next time lol

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

Ben! Do you ever take submissions? I'd love to send you my sci-fi novel "A Tyranny of Kindness" 👀🧬

[@nathantowns2043]

Awwww jeeez... I was 27 10 years ago :|😬

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Time flies when you're reading books

[@yelleks3085]

How on earth do you have time for lectures seminars and revision while reading 130 books 😂

[@OverlyAverageBen]

The complete absence of anything else in my life lol. I live in a book vacuum

[@spexi513]

I get it - read a disturbing # too & ppl often are like “wow that’s impressive !” And I’m like not if ya saw my dishes and laundry & other things I read to avoid . Blahdiggityblah appreciate the video 📖🪱💚

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Hahaha precisely so, everyone focuses on the only flourishing part of my life lol