I started 2022 with multiple top 10 lists ready to be read. While I did pretty good I came short of my goals across the board. In addition to not meeting my goals I also lost a lot of enthusiasm for reading books on those lists. I picked books at random or books that had been on my shelves the longest and while they were almost all good reads I felt a bit like I was trudging through the lists to make progress. This year I'm taking a step back and focusing on reading books I'm really excited about reading. Because I'm still me there will be a list involved but instead of multiple lengthy lists I'm doing a list of 5 books off my shelf and 5 books off my library list. All 10 books are books that when I thought "Oh I want to read that!" when I came across them.
Library:
1.
Unearthing the Secret Garden: The Plants and Places that Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnet by Marta McDowell - The Secret Garden is one of my absolute favorite books and this book looks gorgeous.
2. Death in Bloodhound Red by Virginia Lanier - This is a holdover from last year's list. I've heard great things about this mystery and am really looking forward to reading it.
3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton - I love Kate Morton's books and this is one of the few I haven't read.
4. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen - I have been really wanting to read this since it came out but kept getting distracted and never ended up getting around to it.
5. Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson - How can I resist this title?
My Shelf:
1.
An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor - This is another holdover from last year's list and I'm really looking forward to reading it.
2. Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert - I got this book years ago and thought it looked like such a good mystery but haven't yet.
3. The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams - I've loved the Beatriz Williams books that I've read but never got around to this one. It looks fantastic.
4. Withering Heights by Dorothy Cannell - This is a mystery I picked up a few years ago and meant to get to it right away but didn't.
5. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts - I started reading this book right after it first came out but stopped because it was a bit too supernatural for me at the time. I've enjoyed some of her more fantasy books lately so I want to give this book another try.
What are you excited about reading this year?
I am planning to do a few challenges this year and I plan to (loosely) use that to guide my reading.
ReplyDeleteYour Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village is a book that sounds so delicious!
What a great approach! I try to keep pressure off my reading, too, by only doing the goodreads challenge and setting the goal low. I have plenty of ideas of what I want to read, but do better when I don't stick to long lists. Good luck and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of a more relaxed approach for your reading. I find that type of thing works well for me too. No 'musts' in my reading. Ha! I also have DEATH IN THE FAMILY and have meant to read it. I'll try to get to it soon-ish and will be interested if you are able to do the same.
ReplyDeleteI love the book challenges and fully intended to sign up for at least two but....changed my mind. My main goals is to grab the books off my shelves and read them or DNF, then move them out. This house is cluttered with books I've had for years!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of the How to Not be Murdered book. Also, I love Kate Morton and have read all she's published and am very much looking forward to her new book Homecoming coming out in April.
Sounds like an excellent reading plan! I'm only doing one reading challenge this year, and for the rest, I'm just going to read what I like when I'm in the mood to read it. Happy 2023! :D
ReplyDeleteSounds great Katherine. We all have to do what works for us. I have a master review list and I juggle things around based on when I get them or when I feel like reading them. It sounds like you would be a good fit for our Library Love challenge if you want a challenge.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
This is a good idea, Katherine. Sometimes when we pigeon hole ourselves in challenges, it can do the opposite of what we hoped. I chose format challenges rather than titles. Ex. Library Love Challenge, Audiobook, COYER . Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteReading what you really feel drawn to does help reading - a lot. Hope these prove to be really good.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your goals! It sounds like a great plan.
ReplyDeleteThis makes so much sense! When reading isn't fun anymore, it's time to change it up.
ReplyDeleteI love making lists but sometimes you need to forget the list and just read what is calling you.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great reading plan! I've signed up for a few challenges this year, though I haven't made any to-read lists yet. We'll see how my mood goes! I'm also wanting to read The House at Riverton soon.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great approach to your reading, Katherine. I love making lists but sometimes it starts to feel like a chore. I hope you have a great reading year!
ReplyDeleteThe Secret Garden book looks really good. 🙂
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