26-ish books for 2023

[Tinkhasflown]

A shiny new thread for 2023. There didn't appear to be one do hope it's ok that I have created it this year.

All welcome and note 26 is just a number. Everyone can set their own target and you are welcome here even if you only read 3 books a year.

I personally count the larger novel style books I read to my children and audio books I listen to. Others don't and there are no rules.

I look forward to all your suggestions again this year.

Can I join you? I’m having a bit of a sweep of books I’ve started and not finished, before working on the many well intended purchases on my bookcase.

I’ve finished The Bell Jar, and now reading Anne of Green Gables on my phone during night wakes, Peter Frankopan’s The Silk Roads in my lunch breaks at work, trying to finish The Christmas Chronicles and joined the Anna Karanina read along.

I’m really interested to see what others are reading as am rubbish at judging if I’ll like something by cover/blurb so mostly stick to classics on the basis they must be well written

I've just finished my first book One Minute Later by Susan Lewis. The next book I'm going to read is Adam Kay Undoctored which was a Christmas present. I enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club when I read it last year, I was looking for an easy read at the time and it fitted the bill, I can see why it wouldn't be for everyone though. I really enjoyed The Midnight Library, it was one of my top reads from last year. 😀

I have just finished my second book of the year.

2 - The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis
Fantastic novel but quite harrowing. It's set in Auschwitz and is about a Nazi officer who is obsessed with the commandant's wife. It's narrated by the officer, the commandant (who is clearly increasingly going insane and becoming drug addled), and an internee who works clearing out the bodies from the gas chambers. It's such a fascinating take on the inherent madness at the centre of Nazism and it's got a lot to say about human relationships and how people react to extremes. I also like that it isn't gratuitous about the awful things going on, it doesn't avoid the horrors but it's never salacious. Actually the afterward is worth a read alone, all about the way in which it is ultimately impossible to really understand Hitler and why that is a good thing. I will almost certainly read it again.

Ashamed to say I haven't even started a book yet (though I AM listening to Stephen Fry read a Sherlock Holmes novel on audiobook).

I've got a massive pile of unread books from last year, but don't know where to start. When I do, it will be one of these:

Harold Bloom: Take Arms Against a Sea of Troubles. Bloom was a literary critic and completed this a few weeks before he died. I love his passion for literature. I was also intrigued by the subtitle: "the power of the reader's mind over a universe of death."

Thomas Mann: The Magic Mountain

Jane Austen: Emma

P G Wodehouse: Blandings Novels (I've read the Jeeves and Wooster stuff)

Thomas Halliday: Otherlands

Yuval Harari: Homo Deus

Merlin Sheldrake: Entangled Life

I want to read a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Actually, I might alternate between the two: a novel then a work of popular science then a novel, and so on.

Would be interested to hear people's opinions on the books I've listed.

I've never counted the number of books I read in a year before, but I'd like to join in as I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to and I miss it.

My first book of 2023 was a comforting reread of a Terry Pratchett novel (now finished) but I have a stack of unread books - my first will be 4000 weeks, which was gifted to me a while ago by someone who kindly hasn't asked if I've read it yet!

JoonT I often rotate between fiction and non-fiction. Often one as an audio book and one that I am reading.

Just finished my second book - I did start it in November though:

2 Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater

1. Forever Home by Graham Norton (audio)

I’ve read and enjoyed all of his novels - think this is the 4th? A family saga set in Ireland with quite a gritty mystery at its heart.

I tend to have one listen and one read on the go at a time. Still reading and really enjoying Hugh Boneville’s autobiography, so that will be 2.

I absolutely loved this book. Got it for Christmas and devoured it before went back to work. Also recently read The Shrines of Gaiety too and loved it, love all Kate Atkinson.
Currently reading The Twyford Chronicles but finding it a bit slow going, al half way through but don't feel I've really got into it. Anyone else read it?

@Lemonyfuckit I read it, I really enjoyed it though thought the ending a bit frustrating. It was just different to everything else I had been reading, and I enjoyed trying to figure it out as the story progressed. It made me read her other book, The Appeal, which I did not enjoy as much but have seen a lot of people prefer.

Lots of mentions of Graham Norton. I read his first one and enjoyed it, must look out for another.
One of the things I did to ease myself back into reading was to read really easy, undemanding books. It's all very well thinking you should challenge yourself with something classic or worthy but to me that often means that I'll just prevaricate and avoid reading.
There are 140 books in my kindle TBR file. I'm weeding some of those into another "Probably won't read" folder😁.

I would love join you all. I normally read about 20 books a year. I'm always looking for recommendations to add to my tbr pile.
Currently reading The Twyford Code. Started it new years day. So far I'm enjoying the style more than the story but it is getting better.
I'm a big fan of Steve Cavanagh and Cara Hope. Loved Lessons in Chemistry, The Midnight Library and American Dirt last year too.

Finished The Duchess. Was an interesting take on Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII romance. Now started The Last Days of Jack Sparks. Looks really good.

1. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson Just finished
2. Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski which I enjoyed a lot more. Quiet sort of novel about a widower looking for his son, who was lost in Paris during WW2. Took a while to get going and the central character is hard to warm to and something of a snob. Strong sense of time and place, plausible and interesting plot and I was emotionally invested.

Everyone seems to be very quick at reading! I'm only half way round my first book

Me too! I only have time to read at bed time right now, so just savouring my first book still.

@JoonT Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled is a really fascinating book. Definitely a good one to include.

Not everyone! Don't worry, this thread has fast readers and slow readers (myself included) and although lots join in Jan it does calm down a lot over the year 🙂

Book 1 I'm Glad my Mom Died- Jeanette McCurdy I wasn't sure in the beginning but this turned out to be quite a good book. It is a sad read and she is very open. It does cover the difficult topics of child abuse and eating disorders and she is very matter of fact about It all.

Finally finished book no
1.The Big Dark Sky- Dean Koontz which I thought was good but took so long to read .
Now I’ll continue
2.The Bullet That Missed-Richard Osman

Finished book 1, the first Richard Osman one this morning. Found it quite funny, even laughed out loud in places.
Now reading " the parasites" by Daphne du Maurier and enjoying it so far.

I just started this one, 3rd book of the year.

Just finished book number 1.

Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold.

Enjoyed it, kept me interested, lots of twists and turns and probably some unnecessary plot developments but well written.

Now going to get stuck into The Herd, which I started but sidelined for this one.

I loved Lessons in Chemistry too.

My other faves from last year are The Push, Still Life, Wrong Place Wrong Time, The Echo Chamber and Blood Orange.

5 of my books from last year were the first half of the 10 in The Chronicles of St Mary's, which I do laugh aloud at.

You’re absolutely right about easing yourself in gently. And here I am reading Beowulf

Hit me up with your most undemanding suggestions for afterwards!

Package 1 of 5 😁