Louise Blackwick's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Monstrous Regiment was definitely the most fun I’ve had with a Terry Pratchett book, not to mention my absolute favorite read of this year.

It is a war story, a comedy, and a political study of gender roles, all rolled into one. Reminiscent of the plot of Mulan, we follow Polly Perks, a young woman who decides, against the laws of her land, to dress up as a man in order to enlist in the Borogravian army.

Her intention is to find her brother Paul, who has been missing in action. Due to a shortage of troops, her fellow comrades include a troll named Carborundum, an undead called Igor, and the vampire Maladict.

The story is engaging, hilarious, and absolutely riddled with plot twists.

Atomic Habits fell into my hands sometime in February. At the time, I was in a bit of a writing slump, and my daily habits were an absolute mess. Normally, I am highly suspicious of self-help books, especially anything that promotes quick and easy solutions.

I dare say Atomic Habits exceeded my expectations. Not only did it succeed in getting me out of my writing slump, but it also helped me create new and more powerful habits.

The book’s practical advice is interlaced with lots of productivity strategies, as well as some psychological root causes for procrastination.

My main takeaways were all the little things add up to big accomplishments, habits begets more habits (positive and negative), and finally, if you make your tasks easier to do, habits stick longer.

As a fan of cosmic horror, I was, of course, familiar with H.P. Lovecraft’s unique flavor of insanity-inducing fiction. It wasn’t until this year that I managed to get my hands on his complete body of work.

“The Complete Fiction” bundles nearly 100 short tales of hair-raising horror, spanning mysterious civilizations, dangerous cults, and alien creatures that defy imagination.

Lovecraft’s vision of an infinitely abysmal universe has even inspired the fantasy book I’m writing right now, especially the tale known as Dagon. Another favorite of mine was The Shadow over Innsmouth, where I first became acquainted with the race of the Deep Ones.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how many stories were new to me. I recommend this collection to everyone with a passion for bizarre cosmic horror.

Sally and Sam were having a dull day at home when they received the unexpected visit of a cat in a hat. So begins this little tale, which Dr. Seuss wrote by rhyming 220 words in delightful and creative ways.

 Just like Sally and Sam are saved from their boredom by the Cat in the Hat, so will your children revel in this brief tale of adventure and mischief. They will especially enjoy the rhyming prose, the quirky illustrations, and the naughty tomcat himself.

My friend’s kid adores The Midnight Gang. There is so much excitement, magic, and wholesomeness jumping from the page that your child will absolutely beg you to read them another page.

Since the story reframes a hospital ward as a place of adventure and thrill, where children can make their wildest dreams come true, this book is an ideal read during times of sickness or hospitalization.

The Midnight Gang is funny, adventurous, and thought-provoking, featuring Tom Charper, his gang of rebels, and their side-splitting shenanigans.

Children will especially love the book’s charming hand-drawn illustrations, which are sometimes mixed with puns and nursery rhymes.

I know this thirteen-year-old boy who cannot stop talking about Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Something about the dark and eerie atmosphere of the book had him hooked from the start.

There is a quote that stayed with him, which I believe is a perfect summary of the book: "When you're scared, but you still do it anyway, that's brave." The story is exciting and humorous, with spare sprinkles of darkness. It is teeming with important life lessons about family, friendship, and finding your authentic self.

All in all, if your child is between 13 and 17, I completely recommend getting them to read Coraline.

Just be careful with allowing them to watch the movie version of this most excellent book. There are few children's animations on the silver screen more creepy than the book-to-movie adaptation.