Books

My Reading Plans, Goals and Intentions for 2023

| Eleanor

2022 was the year that I read more books than I ever have before. Reading has been something that I’ve enjoyed on and off for my entire life but 2022 seems to have been the year that I pulled myself out of a slump and found what kind of books I enjoy the most.

Now that 2022 has come to an end and 2023 is here, I think it’s time to chat about what I plan to read this year.

I’m definitely more of a mood reader so this post won’t be a list of all the books I want to read. It will however be where I talk about some of my plans and the book series I hope to get to.

So, without further ado, here are some of my bookish goals for 2023.

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The Best Books I’ve Read In 2022

| Eleanor

Looking back on everything I’ve read in 2022, I’m pretty happy with this reading year. I’ve discovered some new favourite books and read some others that taught me what I don’t enjoy in a book.

2022 seems to have been the year that I discovered what genres I enjoy most. In the past, I’ve usually just been tempted to grab something light and fluffy from the young adult sections in bookshops. However, this year I branched out and discovered other genres that I love so much more. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with light and fluffy books. But for me personally, I love a dark and mysterious story.

In honour of 2022 coming to an end, here are the best books that I’ve read this year.

1. The Body In The Library by Agatha Christie. This was the very first book I read in 2022 and I started the year very well. I set myself the challenge of reading all of the Miss Marple series in order and I’ve been sticking to that goal pretty well. I managed to read up to A Pocket Full of Rye before I took a mini Agatha Christie break but now I’m reading them again and hope to finish the Miss Marple series in 2023. My goal is to start the Poirot next.

2. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. Something tells me that this book will be making it onto most people’s best reads lists. If wholesome stories are for you then you need to grab yourself a copy of this book. I know I said that light and fluffy wasn’t my thing but I’m pretty sure anyone could be charmed by Heartstopper.

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Book Review: Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen

| Eleanor

“Gretchen Lin, adrift at the age of thirty, leaves her floundering marriage in San Francisco to move back to her childhood home in Singapore and immediately finds herself face-to-face with the twin headaches she’s avoided her entire adult life: her mother’s drinking problem and the machinations of her father’s artisanal soy sauce business.

In the midst of increasing pressure from her father to remain permanently in Singapore—and pressure from her mother to do just the opposite—Gretchen must decide whether she will return to her marriage and her graduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory, or sacrifice everything and join her family’s crusade to spread artisanal soy sauce to the world.”

I downloaded this book on Kindle Unlimited without really thinking much about it. It’s not the kind of book I’d usually pick up but this book was pleasantly surprising.

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Bookish Instagram Story Templates

| Eleanor

Instagram is a great way of connecting with other readers and getting more book recommendations. Not that we need more recommendations with our ever-growing tbr lists.

One of my favourite things about Instagram is posting bookish content on my stories. A great way to do that is by sharing templates. They work as a great way to share more about books and help you followers get to know you more. Not to mention, they are super easy to use and no one is going to be mad at easy content.

Simply save these templates to your phone and use them to get to know the bookstagram community even more.

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Book Review: By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison

| Eleanor

“Three tiny, ancient beings – Moss, Burnet and Cumulus, once revered as Guardians of the Wild World – wake from winter hibernation in their beloved ash tree home.

When it is destroyed, they set off on an adventure to find more of their kind, a journey which takes them first into the deep countryside and then the heart of a city.

Helped along the way by birds and animals, the trio search for a way to survive and thrive in a precious yet disappearing world.”

By Ash, Oak and Thorn made me want to frolic through nature with its magical writing and whimsical world.

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The Rory Gilmore Reading List

| Eleanor

Any Gilmore Girls fan knows that Rory is the inspiration for living our bookish lives. She always had a book with her and inspired many watchers to start reading.

Throughout the show, Rory references many different books and authors. In honour of it being Autumn now and we all know that Autumn is Gilmore Girls season, I thought it would be fun to share a list of all the books Rory Gilmore mentions and references.

Whether you just want to read a few books from this list or set yourself the challenge of reading all of them, now there’s a list of all the books in one place.

Here is a list of all the books on the Rory Gilmore reading list.

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Classic Book Recommendations And Where To Start With Classic Literature

| Eleanor

Reading the classics is something that I’ve always wanted to do but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t feel smart enough and I wasn’t really sure I’d even enjoy them.

That was until I decided to bite the bullet and give the classics a try.

Back in 2021, I decided to start reading one classic book per year. I actually didn’t end up sticking to that as I enjoyed them so much that I read much more than just the one.

I know that it can be intimidating to start reading the classics so I wanted to share a few little tips that helped me.

How to read and enjoy the classics

1. Read slowly. There’s no rush to finish the books. By reading slower, you are able to fully take in all the information and parts of the story.

2. Start with children’s classics. These are often easier to read and will help you get used to the language used in more classic books.

3. Listen to the audiobook while you read. Sometimes my issue with classic books is that I have no idea how to pronounce some of the words. By listening to an audiobook as I read, I feel like I am able to process the story a lot easier.

My Recommendations

There are so many incredible classics out there that I haven’t read yet, but here are the classic books that I have enjoyed the most and think that you will enjoy too.

1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. This is my favourite book of all time. It’s cosy, whimsical, and makes me appreciate all the little things in life. This is one of the first classics I read and I didn’t find the language too difficult to understand.

2. The Call of the Wild by Jack London. I read this book after watching the film that was released in 2020. The film was absolutely beautiful so I knew that I had to try to read the book. It was a pretty enjoyable read but I do wish that I listened to the audiobook alongside reading it as some of the wording was a little tricky which meant it took me a while to read.

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Book Review: The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan

| Eleanor

“The year is 1793 and Herbert Powyss is set on making his name as a scientist. Determined to study the effects of prolonged solitude on another human being, he advertises for someone willing to live in his cellar for seven years in return for a generous financial reward. The only man to apply is John Warlow, a semi-literate farm labourer with a wife and six children to support. Cut off from nature, Warlow soon begins losing his grip on sanity while above ground, Powyss rapidly becomes obsessed with Warlow’s wife, Hannah.

The experiment, a classic Enlightenment exercise gone more than a little mad, will have unforeseen consequences for all included. In this seductive tale of self-delusion and obsession, Alix Nathan has created an utterly transporting historical novel which is both elegant and unforgettably sinister.”

I had this book on my Amazon wishlist for months and when I spotted it on a shelf at my local library, I knew I had to grab it.

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A Cosy Autumnal Reading List

| Eleanor

Autumn is by far my favourite season of the year. It’s a time to be filled with blankets, hot chocolates, and our favourite books.

Reading is my all-time favourite Autumn activity. Nothing can beat reading under a blanket on a windy day.

If you’re looking to add some books to your tbr piles for Autumn, then here are a few of my recommendations.

1. If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura. How do you decide what makes life worth living? This book follows the story of a man who only has months left to live. He isn’t ready to die so when the devil appears and offers him a deal, he has to decide how far he will go in order to live.

2. The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes. A middle-grade paranormal mystery is perfect for Autumn. This book follows Aveline Jones who finds a spooky, old book that once belonged to Primrose Penberthy who mysteriously vanished. Aveline decides to investigate Primrose’s disappearance.

3. Agatha by Anne cathrine Bomann. This book is a pretty short, fast-paced read. It’s set in 1940s Paris and follows the story of a psychiatrist who is counting his days until retirement. That is until Agatha visits him and makes him reconsider everything.

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