2023 Recap
How do you feel about your reading year? Good? Bad? Better than last year? Worse than last year? Spill all.
2022 was the year I got back into reading, 2023 was the year I was fairly consistent with reading, but could still be better. Overall, I'm happy with my reading year.
What was your average rating this year? (If you rate)
I don't rate
What was your favourite read of 2023?
Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne
Any other books worth a mention?
THe Choice - S.J. Ford (I enjoyed it, even if when book club thread read it largely hated it)
The Couple at No. 9 - Claire Douglas
Firewatching - Russ Thomas
What was your least favourite read of 2023?
Non-Fiction: Behind the Enigma - The Authorised History of GCHQ - John Ferris, what should have been a book about quite an interesting subject was unbelievably dry and dull, very hard to read and just ultimately not worth my time I felt.
Fiction: New Pompeii - Daniel Godfrey, could've been brilliant, an intriguing concept, but badly executed and didn't really have enough of plot resolution, it felt half finished in ways and just left me feeling like it was a slog to get through by the end.
What book exceeded your expectation?
The Marlow Murder Club, was expecting it to be similar to TMC, but was actually much better and I really enjoyed it compared to the Osman books.
What book didnt live up to your expectation? Or just wasnt as good as you thought it would be?
The People on Platform 5 - Clare Pooley, was well reviewed, but just fell a bit flat for me. Kind of reminded me of the Sky Christmas film This is Christmas, which was so good, this just didn't land in the same way even though it had that similar concept of commuting strangers becoming friends and their lives connecting etc.
Favourite non fiction book of the year?
its a book I'm still reading actually, and won't finish this year I don't think. The Earth Transformed - Peter Frankopan. Really interesting and engaging, the role of climate change and climate events on the development of the planet, humanity, society etc and structures in society like government and religion etc. So engaging and I'm really enjoying it.
Do you have any book goals for 2024?
keep reading, read more, get the TBR smaller, buy less, buy smarter. I don't do number goals, but just to keep reading and keep having the joy of reading.
Probably being more willing to DNF books should be a goal, a book needs to be worth my time and effort.
My DNF's for 2023:
Writers & Lovers - Lily King
Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
The Locals - Jonathan Dee
Probably should've and could've been more.