I read 132 books in 2023. If you’re sitting there thinking, wow, that sounds like a lot – you’re right. It’s a lot. And I kept track of every single one, because of course I did.
I won’t bore you with the intricacies of my Excel spreadsheet, but I did think it would be fun to look at some of my reading stats and patterns for the year.
On average, it took about 4 days to complete a single book. In terms of physical books and eBooks, I read 29,214 pages. I listened to about 308 hours of audiobooks, or just under 13 days.
This story is a modern re-imagining of the myth of Pomona and Vertumnus, so if you like mythology and/or stories where women get revenge, then this is definitely for you. I hope you enjoy it!
If you’re interested in reading more about the backstory behind this piece, keep reading below.
In Spring 2017, I was just coming out of my first year of college. The last few weeks of the semester had been particularly challenging. On top of navigating the usual end-of-year exams and papers, I was grieving the death of a close family member. The end of the school year also meant moving back to my childhood home again after nearly a year of living independently (more or less), and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that either. In other words, it was a time with many significant transitions, and I was struggling to make sense of it all.
Enter Breath of the Wild.
I was a little late to the party, given that the game had already been out for two months by the time I finished my first year of college, but I didn’t care. The Legend of Zelda series had been a favorite of mine ever since I was introduced to The Wind Waker as a young teen. This new entry in the franchise seemed to combine all of my favorite adventuring and puzzle-solving elements into one incredible package, and I was practically bouncing with excitement at the thought of exploring this new world.
It was love at first sight when I walked out onto the game’s first breathtaking vista over the Kingdom of Hyrule. I think some part of me knew from that moment that Breath of the Wild would become my new favorite.
The more I played Breath of the Wild, the more I wanted to create something that gave me the same feelings of both wonder and comfort. It started with a simple question: What would happen if we flipped the roles of the main characters, Link and Zelda? What if our Chosen Hero was a female swordswoman tasked with protecting a prince with a magical power?
My brain refused to let go of that question, and it eventually spawned a fantasy novel, the first draft of which I wrote in Fall 2017. It would be several years and many revisions before I finally wrote a version I felt fully proud of in 2021. “Project Quest,” as I began calling it, is still the story closest to my heart for many reasons, and though it looks vastly different from its original draft, Breath of the Wild still remains one of my primary inspirations. Whenever I felt stuck in writing, I would return to that game and remember how I felt playing it. And I would ask: How can I do this too?
The three main characters from Project Quest: Adrien, Myrina, and Silas. Art commissioned from @EmilyE_Draws on Twitter
And so it is rather appropriate that today, Breath of the Wild‘s long-awaited sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is being released after 6 years.
I have just finished drafting “Project Quest #2,” because I learned the story I wanted to tell couldn’t be contained in just one book. This sequel (Book 2 of a trilogy, most likely) clocks in at 135,000 words, which is the longest single thing I’ve ever written. I’m still baffled by it. And again, while this story has a long way to go, I feel like I have also come full circle. Today, I will get to return to the world that started this journey for me.
The past year has also brought some significant change in my life, much like how I felt in 2017. Some of these changes have been more welcome than others, but it all leaves me feeling nostalgic in a way I can’t quite define. I often find myself returning to favorite books, shows, and games for a sense of stability and comfort.
I have changed, and I know Hyrule has changed too since the last time I visited it. And still, this afternoon when I pick up the controller and turn on Tears of the Kingdom for the first time, I know it will feel like greeting an old friend.
Ever since I was small, there have been two things that I’ve loved: books and video games. These two passions rarely intersected during my childhood. Sometimes a more recently published book would have a passing reference to a Gameboy or PlayStation, but more often than not, it was like video games just didn’t exist in fiction.
Fortunately, that is no longer the case. Video games have increased in popularity among all age groups, not just children. Combine that with the fact that there are more and more emerging authors who also grew up with video games, and you have the perfect recipe for bringing reading and gaming together.
This list contains some of my favorite video game-related novels. These are books where games play an integral part in the story itself – they’re not just something for characters to do on the weekend. Each narrative is crafted around different genres of video games, and they often use those games as vehicles to discuss important topics like personal identity, societal issues, and building relationships.
My childhood may have been lacking in “gamer books,” but I’m so thankful that they exist now, especially for readers who have been waiting to see characters like themselves reflected on the page. There is something for everyone here!
When the temperatures cool down and the days get shorter, sometimes you just want to curl up with a good book. Personally, I tend to associate autumn with a good something mysterious or spooky – probably because I always think of Halloween. A lot of readers probably reach for the latest horror or thriller novel if they’re looking for something spooky. Me? I’m a bit of a coward. I enjoy a good scare here and there, but I’d prefer to avoid something that’s going to keep me up at night or make me afraid to go out in the dark.
The good news is that there are still plenty of spooky books for the faint-ish of heart, and I’ve compiled a list of my favorites in this post. These books cover a variety of genres, from magical realism to historical fiction. The one thing they do have in common: ghosts, monsters, or something just the slightest bit unsettling.
A quick note before we begin: though these books would likely not be categorized as “horror,” many of them still contain themes the some readers may find triggering or otherwise wish to avoid. I’ve included links to the content warnings for each book so that you can be informed if you choose to read any of these books.
In response to a, uh, certain annual book awards that’s just a glorified popularity contest, I’ve decided to approach my end-of-year reading wrap up a little differently than usual. So, welcome to the inaugural Maggie’s Musings Choice Awards! This is the best of the best books that I read over the past year. Each award winner has its own incredibly specific category, because we don’t do things by halves around here.
Without further ado: The 2021 Maggie’s Musings Choice Awards!
Tis the season to stress out about what to gifts to give your friends and family. I can’t help with your whole list, but if you happen to know a book lover (or if you are one yourself), I have just the thing for you.
You might think shopping for a reader is easy – just ask what books they like, click “add to cart” on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and then boom, you’re done! But if you’re like me and you want to support a small business or independent artist, or you want to give something a little more unique and special, I’ve got what you need. The list below covers alternatives to Amazon and other major booksellers, as well as online shops that sell a plethora of bookish goodies.
“Hey.” Annabeth slid next to me on the bench. “Happy birthday.” She was holding a huge misshapen cupcake with blue icing. I stared at her. “What?” “It’s August 18th,” she said. “Your birthday, right?”
The Last Olympian (pg. 372)
This is my third time rewriting this introduction, and this time I’ve decided that I’m just gonna be as weird as I want because this is MY blog and I do what I want.
Anyway, last weekend, my friend Rachel came up to visit and we threw a birthday party for a fictional character.
Now to be clear, this wasn’t just any fictional character, but Percy Jackson, hero and protagonist of the The Lightning Thief (which was recently named as one of Time‘s 100 Best YA Books of All Time), its sequels, and many spinoffs. For longtime readers of Maggie’s Musings, it should come as no surprise that I’m a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series. I grew up with these books, and even now as an adult, I still love re-reading them. They hold a special place in my heart.
I usually don’t remember dates like this, but Percy’s birthday just so happens to be the day after my brother’s birthday (speaking of which: Paul, if you’re reading this, IOU one (1) birthday gift and a cake or other treat of your choice). And since Rachel was already coming to visit that weekend and she also happens to be a Percy Jackson fan, we thought, why not? Let’s live the lives our twelve-year-old selves would’ve wanted us to have.
You smile. Maybe cry a little, either from relief or joy, or maybe both. You don’t scream even though you want to, because it’s 1:00 in the morning and you don’t want your neighbors to think you’re getting murdered.
You tell the only other person who’s crazy enough to be awake at this hour on a Sunday night (Monday morning?).
You export your document and save it to the cloud because your laptop had a near-death experience twenty minutes ago as you were writing the last three lines and you nearly broke down in tears. (Thank goodness for autosave). You don’t want to repeat that.
It’s strange how when the world comes to an end, you focus on all of the big things that change. When the plague (you know what I mean) first started ramping up in 2020, we knew a few things we could expect. We knew that our work and school schedule would be disrupted, we knew we’d have to adjust to a “new normal” (ugh, I hate that phrase) in our daily lives.
But I think as things in the U.S. start becoming more normal-ish, I’m realizing that there are a lot more “little things” in my life that have changed. And while it might seem silly, one of the things that’s definitely changed is my reading habits.
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