NB: This week, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite and our most popular pieces of writing this year. We’ve got a week of best-of posts to share, with reviews, cover snark, and more. We hope you enjoy revisiting our archives, and most of all, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy new year – with all the very best of reading.
…
Since we feature other things outside of reviews like HaBOs, Rec Leagues, and general opinion pieces, we wanted to look at what y’all really engaged with the most. I kept out sale posts and our regular new releases and Whatcha Reading columns.
Here’s the top five!
5. HaBO: Heroine Becomes a Healer and Inventor in Husband’s Absence
This is our only HaBO to crack the top five. It’s also sadly unsolved. We had over 50 comments of people hoping to know what the title was. If you think you have any leads, feel free to e-mail us or be on the look out for when we reopen old HaBO Cold Cases.
4. Fat Representation in Romance: Counter-Programming with Fat Romances
Shana thoughtfully wrote about her feeling reading about fat representation in romance, how it works, and how it doesn’t. There are some great reading recs and wonderful discussions in the comments.
3. Solidarity with the Harper Collins Union Strike
Sadly, we are in approached the new year and the HarperCollins Union still doesn’t have fair contract. Poor pay is just one of many reasons people are leaving publishing in droves. They still are not calling for a boycott from readers, but as a site, we won’t be promoting HC titles on current posts.
2. The Rec League: Cozy Fantasy
I was wondering if a Rec League would crack the top five posts and I’m so charmed to see this one make it. Cozy fantasy is having a moment and I’m fully on board. It sounds like a lot of you are too!
1. The End of The USA Today Bestseller List
What a bummer of a post to end on, but it was a decision that came as a shock to many readers, authors, and book people. It also prompted a great discussion on the SBTB slack on how we use bestseller lists as readers and reviewers.
That’s our top five! Did you have a favorite post this year that really stood out to you? Or are there any features you just love reading?
Just lost myself again in the cozy fantasy post and added more to my wishlist. Was there a cozy SF list, because I would heart that.
Yay for more cozy fantasy in 2023! I’m so glad that post made the list.
love this top 5
I’m another who enjoyed revisiting the Cozy Fantasy post. Thank you for this Best of collection!
Cozy fantasy was my favorite post.
Some cozy sci-fi:
Becky Chambers – The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
Janet Kagan – Mirabile
Connie Willis – All Seated on the Ground, maybe Bellwether
I think the HaBO is “How to Train Your Knight” by Stella Marie Alden. I never read it but did some research and the plot seems the most similar to the ask.