New year, new books! This is the time of year when we make resolutions and while the cynical part of me knows most of us won't stick to them, I get a certain warm and fuzzy feeling from the optimism in the air at the turn of the calendar. I put together a separate post with my 2023 reading goals and I hope you'll share yours, too!

This month brings a bunch of new books and while there aren't many on the list, I want to note that the Harper Collins Union is still on strike as I write this. They're striking for NYC wages and an increased commitment to improving diversity at the company. The two are, of course, closely related since low wages prevent all but the economically privileged from joining and staying in the profession. You can read more, download graphics and contribute to their strike fund here. The union isn't calling for a boycott and you can support them and Harper Collins authors by shopping through their Bookshop storefront (at no extra cost to you) here.

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I'm not going to be a cookbook author and write a lengthy intro to this post. Instead, here are my reading goals for 2023!

We made it to the end of another year! I didn't write a Best of 2021 piece last year because I wasn't up for it, so the fact that I've pulled this 2022 list together is something of an achievement.

Shop Your Shelves is back for 2023! Due to popular demand and my own burgeoning bookshelves, I've set up a new bingo board for the first quarter of 2023. Below you'll find rules, explanations for the squares and a link to square, story and print boards.

December is usually a wasteland for new releases from mainstream publishers and this year is no different. There are lots of indie releases, most of which are Christmassy and a couple of which I've featured here. I'm not a big holiday romance person (sorry?) so this list is short.

Though Kobo tells me it released on Nov. 30, I'd like to draw your attention to the Current anthology, a collection of new stories to benefit community groups in Jackson, Mississippi. This first volume features stories by talented A.H. Cunningham, Meka James, Dria Andersen, Karmen Lee, Jayce Ellis and Nicole Falls. I've read and enjoyed books from four of these authors, so I'll be picking this up once my book buying pause lifts in January!

I also want to note that a couple of the books in the list at the bottom are Harper Collins titles. The unionized US employees of Harper Collins have been on strike since November 10 and have asked readers to support the strike and the authors by continuing to talk about the strike and buy books, but not to generate the kind of review coverage and social media posts that HC could use to replace the work of publicity employees. I've added an asterisk next to HC titles.

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Shop Your Shelves Bingo

Announcing... Shop Your Shelves Bingo! This reading challenge is organized around one goal: to read books you already own.

Time for a YA fantasy round-up! I'm very behind on these reviews, so I hope you're ready for a bunch of magical, murderous teens! Read on for short and sweet reviews of:

• This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra, #1), by Emily Thiede
• Belladonna (Belladonna, #1), by Adalyn Grace
• A Far Wilder Magic, by Allison Saft
• The Liar's Crown (Dominions, #1), by Abigail Owen
• Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli

I also want to warn folks that I read most of these before or around release date, so my recollection of the content warnings is kind of fuzzy. I apologize if I've missed some.

Rating refresher! Categories are based on whether or not I recommend them to fellow readers -  DNF (Did Not Finish), Pass, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), Read it Eventually, Read it Soon.

It's November! Some of my most highly anticipated books of the year release this month, so I'm excited to share a bit about three I've already read and two I'm eager to dive into. If you plan to read any of these, please find me on Instagram (@loveinpanels) or pop into Discord to tell me all about them.

Do some research and vote on the 8th. If you don't like any of your options, remember that by not voting, you're allowing other people to choose for you. It's especially important to vote in your local/down ballot races. Folks who can't vote are of course excluded from this call to action, but please feel free to badger your friends into exercising this fundamental right before we lose it.

Sending cozy thoughts and an extended spooky season to all!

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We are officially in the Spooky Season! Hocus Pocus 2 is on Disney + starting September 30, so I'm not sure why you're even reading this instead of watching the Sanderson sisters rise again. But...

If you haven't already, check out these two fun reading bingo challenges:

But Do They Bang: Bang in the Night 2: The Monster Smash - This is not all about monsters, but is really quite flexible and spooky/spoopy. Runs September 19-October 31.

Fall In Love Bingo - General fall theme, runs September 1-November 30. These are quarterly, so if you miss it you can expect one for winter afterward. (Please, I hope Jen and Aarya continue!)

 My birthday is this month, so I'm probably going to be up to some nonsense (and maybe yelling about the Supreme Court, sorry) over on Instagram where I'm @loveinpanels.

I also want to mention that October is when the majority of Christmas romances are released. Those aren't my thing, so I didn't include many on this list. They're everywhere though, so enjoy!

Happy October!

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The Orc from the Office is the book for you if you like: