A Little Late: My Top Picks for the End of 2023

It’s only the middle of January, I can still count this as a wrap-up post for my yearly recommendations!

So, overall 2023 was a good reading year for me. I consumed less in terms of volume (unless you count what I read to Muffin, that was still lots and lots), but I was pickier about my selections, and therefore came across some real gems.

I watched a lot less in terms of Netflix (though most of my winners for last year I already covered in previous posts), and a lot more when it came to YouTube (which means I do believe I’ve now seen 95% of all the videos Gaming Beaver has ever released).

So, drum roll, please… Here’s what The Invisible Moth officially recommends you should all get your eyes/ears/hands on for the final time of 2023!

A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

This was the first time I’d read something by Becky Chambers, but, wow, these titles did not disappoint. The author has further books planned in this series, but due to personal life conflicts has had to pause writing. I so, so hope we will eventually get more Monk and Robot stories, as these tales are lovely. Selfish confession — I initially picked these up at the library because they were short. After years of drowning in 500-page soap-opera trope-laden low-fantasy, I was so relieved to come across adult fiction that wouldn’t sprain my wrists I didn’t even read the blurbs before checkout. Thankfully, I was in for a treat.

Set in the distant future, in a human colony on a moon with an environment that very closely resembles Earth, a clergyperson named Sibling Dex provides tea service (with some prayer and comfort and spiritual healing) to the population. In their travels, they one day stumble upon a robot, Mosscap, who wants to travel with the monk and learn about humans. In this story, robots no longer work for people, and humans have developed very different sorts of technology — basically, there’s electricity and machines and all types of gadgets, but AI is not a thing. As the two species learn more about each other, a bond grows between Dex and Mosscap, and of course, they each learn more about themselves, too.

These books are beautifully simple, intensely optimistic, and present a future where people have managed to get past many conflicts and problems. This doesn’t mean everything is perfect, there are still struggles, issues to solve, personal goals to work on. For example, Dex, meant to have a bunch of answers to deep questions, as a member of the clergy, doesn’t have all of their own stuff figured out, and is afraid this will impact their ability to do a very important job. Potentially the entire population could show up at Dex’s tea service, everybody needing a different solution to a different problem, and that does put a lot of pressure on a person who just wants to help out. Although I certainly am not a tea monk, there was so much about Dex’s story that I absolutely related to; and so many lovely little turns of phrase and just a welcoming and immersive writing style, created such a homey atmosphere to pose the big questions without intimidating the reader or at all seeming preachy. Before the end of the first book, there were honest laughs, happy tears, and the amazing feeling that reading simply to make oneself satisfied can, still, thank God, exist.

Lore Olympus

I imagine this will come as no surprise to those of you who have read more than a few of my posts, but OMG, EVERYBODY, READ LORE OLYMPUS ALREADY. It started as a webcomic, and printed editions have been getting released for a while now. I love this series, it’s amazing, so deep, romantic, funny, witty, clever, and just so relatable, and I will laugh out loud and cry real tears every volume. I am DYING waiting for the next instalment, but also going to IMPLODE when the ending is announced. Rachel Smythe is the fricking BEST.

MAGE BREAKER

I got to read an ARC of Mage Breaker, so this review has been waiting for a while. But ignore the delay; go read this book. It’s fun, it’s clever, it’s engaging, and relatable; with plenty of action, characters you can root for, and a mix of urban fantasy and low-sci-fi that works. The story is grounded without taking itself too seriously; the narrator feels like a real person, with internal struggles and an external front she puts up against them; the plot trundles along at a healthy pace but the reader has a chance to absorb scenes before being introduced to the next layer. Sean R. Frazier clearly worked hard on this tale; it shows throughout the manuscript, beginning to end. Total thumbs-up for fans of fantasy, sci-fi, and action-adventure stories.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Not being previously familiar with the anime or manga of this series, I still thought the live action Yu Yu Hakusho was cohesive, with a distinct flair that clearly nodded at its roots, and had good writing, good voice actors for the dubs, and great direction. I couldn’t figure out any of the characters’ names — unfortunately a pretty normal thing for foreign language productions and me (thanks, dyslexia) — but they all had unique traits and mannerisms, so it was easy to keep a sense of who was in what role and what they were out to accomplish. This was a fun series, with nice, tight episodes and not much filler at all. I also really liked the idea that a wayward soul with the right intentions could remain on Earth to do some good and seek their redemption.

My Daemon

This anime was astounding. It starts with a sort of “It’s like Pokemon, they’re rare, coveted creatures with amazing abilities, but what if they’re dangerous and people are hunting them?”, and becomes an intense look at loss, grief, what draws us together, and how we may have to change our perspective on what makes us human to grow, individually and as a whole. Despite the animation style, because of some of the content, I suggest saving this series for older kids (tweens and up) and the adults in your family. It will be worth the time (and feels) invested.

I also dipped my toes into podcasts for the first time! Not having any idea where to start, I checked out a few some of my friends film/participate in; so I am a bit biased for all of these, but if you’re into all things geekery (and are okay with possible/likely NSFW content), then check some of these out:

We Have Issues

If you’re a fan of comics, movies based on comics, and all things that would classify as an X-File, tune in to listen to hosts Stephen and Anthony — co-creators of an indie comic series called Deathless — rant and rave and laugh about life, the creative process, and their passions. There are lots of not-under-18 jokes and discussions, improvised musical bits, and still-deep-and-heartfelt conversations about the serious side of being a self-published anything.

Don’t Make It Weird

If you’re an indie author, like to read indie books, and are interested in getting to the people behind the titles and covers, join hosts Daniel and Dina and their guests as they talk about such topics. This one is very off-script and light, and everybody seems to just be having fun as they’re conversing about the creative life.

The NE1 World Showcase

I am absolutely biased here, because I was on an early episode of this show (it’s the November 1st livestream, up on ASAP Imagination’s YouTube channel, for anybody who’s interested). Laurie is a wonderful host, personable and giving her guests plenty of space to share all about their passion, whether she’s with a comic creator, a novelist, a short fiction writer, or a hybrid of any of the above. Since ASAP Imagination has a diverse catalog as well, this showcase has a variety of authors and works to choose from, too.

Honorable mention here to Critically Stupid Dungeons & Dragons Podcast (I don’t play D&D, so I was lost, though it was hilarious), and What the Book? (also an indie author discussion/community).

And that’s all for now! Have a great weekend, everyone, and I’ll be back with a new post eventually!