My best books of 2023!

My new podcast, all the books mentioned and more down here ↓

► The End of the World Book Club podcast
* Episode about The Fifth Season with Joel coming soon!

p.s. I used to have my Storygraph link down here, but I recently decided to make my account private, and am keeping friend requests for people I know IRL, so if you can't find me anymore, that's why!

► Chapters
0:00 My sci-fi podcast is here!
0:52 Reading stats
1:49 Two weird little Medieval books
4:36 We're going to space
5:39 I finished a fantasy trilogy
7:39 A Brontë favourite
9:06 Poetry
9:38 Honourable mention (+ a content warning)
10:34 Reading goals for this year

► Books mentioned
(Books marked with * were sent to me by the publisher for review, without specific obligation to mention them)
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Lapvona by Otessa Moshfeg
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin
The Brontë Myth by Lucasta Miller
Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit* by Jen Campbell
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz

► Yorkshire Wuthering Heights Pilgrimage
(I'm a paid faculty member on this trip, and this mention is not part of any required posting)

► Find me here

► About Me
Hoi! I'm Sanne. Ten years ago, after finishing my English Language and Culture MA, I moved from the Netherlands to London where I'm currently working as a Social Media freelancer and Event Host in Publishing. I've documented my journey in publishing, my life in London and of course my favourite book recommendations (which include anything Gothic, classic and historical with a dash of sci-fi). Besides reading, I now spend a lot of my time discovering literary locations around the UK, sketching outdoors and trying out new crafts. If you're looking for creative and literary inspiration, you're in the right place!

► My Book Club Journal
I created this beautiful journal for anyone who is in a book club or wants to track their reading. Featuring: thick paper (great for fountain pens!) and bookmark ribbon, 50 book journal templates to fill in, 200 book recommendations in 20 themed reading lists and chapters with tips and advice for starting your book club.

► Frequently asked questions
◦ Where is your accent from?
I was born and raised in the Netherlands, studied English Language and Culture at Leiden University where I originally was taught a British (RP) accent, then studied in the US for 3 months and still have lots of American friends. Now that I live in London, I still mostly have my American accent, but with lots of British vocab mixed in.

◦ Where do you live?
I currently live in St Albans, just North of London.

◦ Where do you work?
I’m a Freelance Social Media Producer, Consultant, public speaker and Content Creator. Before that I worked in social Media at Penguin Random House UK.

[booksandquills]

The best books of the year! My new sci-fi podcast! A ton of audiobooks! Enjoy :) - Sanne

[jwhee]

I read Project Hail Mary last year too and absolutely adored it. I read the physical book but now I’m very excited to try audio when I eventually do a re-read. Great vid!

[Urukins]

So happy to see a video from you AND a new podcast to listen to!

[autism_and_niamh]

YES Lapvona! What a super strange little book! But strange in the way that you want to keep reading... loved it!

[CristinaAllegra]

Ohh, have been waiting for this!!
I also read this year (well, 2023) the broken earth trilogy and absolutely loved it. And I'm currently reading Station Eleven and enjoying every second of it. Cannot wait to listen to the corresponding podcast episodes 😍

[PageTurnersWithKatja]

I love PHM and Lauren Goff's M; great seeing them on your favourites of 2023.

[Beach]

Oh, I haven't heard of the Bronte Myth and am very interested! I read Bronte by Glyn Hughes when I visited Haworth and it was great to be steeped in their world that way while there. (Also: I Who Have Never Known Men is incredibly impactful for such a short novel; I still think about it regularly. So good.)

[alina-]

I love your book recommendations! thank you

[mentinfusion]

Hiiii! So glad to see a new video from you here :D

[Redmambi]

Since you loved Lapvona, I’d like to recommend The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal.

[BellatrixVanDettaZwarts]

I really loved Matrix and Project Hail Mary! The sounds were notes in the physical book, by the way.

[frannook]

The podcast is soo good! :D
Can't wait to read Matrix

[bethanyseabolt]

I also loved the audiobook of Project Hail Mary, and the Broken Earth audiobooks.

[beckycanty]

Regarding weird medieval novel recommendations, I have Nobber by Oisín Fagan on my shelves and I've heard it described as a better version of Lapvona. I'm hoping to get to it soon :)

[russwelday]

I read Project Hail Mary. I struggled with the suspension of disbelief. If you believe that a single introverted 5th grade science teacher would have the survival of the human race placed on his shoulders this is for you. The science of the mythical creatures is murky; they are a Deus Ex Machina from the very beginning. The book improves at the half way point when our hero makes a friend..

[Applepopess]

Heyy, I have a question about your story graph: I used to follow you there but it now looks like you have vanished? I was just interested if you've decided to not "read publicly" anymore or if you no longer use the story graph (or maybe something's broken on my end too haha).