Hey there, everyone! I’m thrilled to give you a peek into my whirlwind of reads throughout 2023. Seriously, the way I thought this year would wrap up when it began? Totally different from how it’s actually closing out, especially in terms of the number and variety of books I’ve devoured. And you know what? I’m stoked to spill all the bookish beans with you.
At the start, I aimed for 20 books, thinking it’d be doable with my workload and social life. Classic me, I gravitated to the familiar and cozy – think Historical Romances. Mimi Matthews, Evie Dunmore, Meredith Duran—you name it, I devoured it. Predictable plots? Comfortably familiar. Happily Ever Afters? Count me in! It’s like finding that one coffee shop where they know your order before you even step in
Then came the memoirs—I practically had a monthly subscription to these tales of real-life adventures. And let me tell you, audiobooks have been my jam! There’s something personal about hearing the author narrate their own story, plus they’ve been a lifesaver for hitting my reading goals during commutes or while doing chores.
March rolled in, and I hit my goal – a shocker that taught me a powerful lesson: I actually HAVE enough time. It was a humbling wake-up call about managing time and energy. Turns out, prioritizing is key, and with newfound confidence, I doubled down on my original goal.
I was on fire! Reading records were shattered, hitting an all-time high of 17 books in both July and August. Weirdly enough, July was chaos at work, and August was when I got laid off. Go figure, right?
Then came the dreaded “reading fatigue.” Ugh, that phase when picking up a book felt like lifting a mountain. But fear not, I shook things up! Ventured into Science Fiction after ages, diving into Martha Well’s “The Murderbot Diaries” – short, sweet, and perfect for kickstarting my reading habit. Then, Jesse Q. Sutanto’s “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” nailed the mystery, humor, and warmth I craved. Finally, a cozy read from Katherine Center, “Hello Stranger,” sealed the deal.
The Mystery Renaissance of 2023 was sparked off by my 2022 obsession with Miss Marple. This year, I expanded to Hercule Poirot’s (mis)adventures, exploring a whole slew of cozy Christmas mysteries. I was also drawn to Harini Nagendra’s mysteries “The Bangalore Detective Agency” and “Murder Under a Red Moon” featuring young bride Kaveri and her husband Ramu set in Bangalore at the beginning of the 1920s, and of a similar vein Alexander McCall’s Smith’s “The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency“. Suffice to say Cozy Mystery is MY genre of 2023.
And the final quarter of 2023 saw me diving into diverse topics, from Abraham Verghese’s family saga “The Covenant of Water“, to diving deep into the life of Oppenheimer with Kai Bird’s “American Prometheus” to Randy Ribay’s compelling coming-of-age novel, “The Patron Saints of Nothing” to Mallory O’ Meara’s “Girly Drinks” which provides a global herstory of booze!
Venturing beyond my comfort zone this year has genuinely enriched my life and expanded my mind through these bookish adventures. And did I mention I read 102 books this year?! I am still amazed!
As I look ahead, I’m setting a conservative target of 52 books for next year, with a couple of simple goals:
1. Finish Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina by the end of 2024 – a long-held wishlist item.
2. Balance non-memoir, non-fiction reads with my usual fiction – time to explore!
3. Keep chronicling my reading escapades on my blog and socials – it’s my way of remembering what I read and honing my writing skills.
That’s my 2023 in books! What about you? Any reading highlights or goals for the upcoming year? Let’s chat in the comments below!
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