Christmas and New Year have come and gone. We’re now approaching the 200th day of January. Sorry, I mean 20th January. It just feels like it’s been 200 days. At this point in January, what better way to spend a Saturday than reviewing last year’s reading challenge? I know, you’re as excited as I am.
In 2023 I planned to read 30 books and set my Goodreads challenge accordingly. After twelve months of reading, I finished 22 books. Three less than last year, but the relatively short Chronicles of Narnia series might have boosted last year’s number. Anyway, It’s not quantity that matters, but reading every day – which I did. Without further waffle, here are the 22 books I read in 2023, ranked in order of enjoyment.
Fiction
- Radio Silence – Alice Oseman
- Solitaire – Alice Oseman
- Nightshade Revenge – Anthony Horowitz
- The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- The Sweetness of Water – Nathan Harris
- I was born for this – Alice Oseman
- Ninth house – Leigh Bardugo
- Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
- This Kiss Curse – Erin Sterling
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – George R.R. Martin
- Loveless – Alice Oseman
- The Ex Hex – Erin Sterling
- Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
- Where The Crawdads Sing – Lelia Owens
- Nick and Charlie – Alice Oseman
- The Invisible Man – H.G Wells
- Book of Night – Holly Black
- The Eyes of the Dragon – Stephen King
Non-Fiction
- The Courage to be Disliked – Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
- Tribe of Mentors – Timothy Ferriss
- 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do – Amy Morin
- Tiny Habits – BJ Fogg
There is definitely a lot more variety in this list than last year’s list. As you can see, I discovered Alice Oseman and came to love her character-focused novels. There’s still a good mix of fantasy in there and a nice blend of classics. Pride and Prejudice surprised me the most. It’s not the kind of book that usually appeals to me but I found myself drawn into it fairly quickly and I’m hoping to read more by Jane Austen in 2024.
I like to add in some non-fiction alongside my fiction reading. I usually read fiction in paperback and non-fiction on Kindle, so I can have one of each on the go at the same time. Non-fiction generally takes me longer to read unless it’s particularly compelling. These four were good reads, but honestly, I struggled to remember what numbers 3 and 4 were about, despite making notes as I read.
So, that’s my 22 books in 2023. For 2024, I’ve set the goal of 25 books and I’m starting with two new books in a series I’ve been a fan of since it began. Rick Riordan fans will know what books I mean!
What is your reading goal for 2024? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget you can connect with me on Goodreads, and follow my book progress board on Pinterest.
Happy reading!
