It’s the end of June, which means we’ve gone through half of this year already. Time is going by so fast. January feels like years ago, although, so does May. The summer months are here, and I’m trying to remember what I did during winter and spring, but it’s all a blur.
As a bookish girl, I thought the best way to keep track of 2023 would be with a bookish mid-year review. So far this year, I’ve read 38 books out of my goal of 80. If you’re good at maths (I’m not), you’ll notice I’m 1.5 books behind schedule. But my excuse is that I usually read more in the second half of the year, so I should be able to catch up in autumn.
Mid-2023 bookish review
Favourite book read so far
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. This is the type of book I knew I would love after reading just the first page. The world-building was intense and beautiful, and it had the right amount of cosy vibes I needed.
Favourite non-fiction book so far
The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg. While it’s a hard book to tackle, there’s so much information being thrown at you, and it’s mostly just a grim read, I enjoyed learning a lot about climate change and what will happen in our not-so-distant future.
Favourite graphic novel so far
Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo. The witchy dark academia illustrations of this graphic novel are amazing, and I want to go to this school for witches, even if people die from time to time.
Favourite book series so far
The whole Lockwood & Co series by Jonathan Stroud. Is anyone else heartbroken by the cancellation of the show? It had so much potential… At least I have the books to keep me company.
New favourite writer discovery
Richard Osman, writer of The Thursday Murder Club. Yes, I finally read this bestseller, and I fell in love with the charming and funny writing. It was another great cosy read. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series.
Most read genre so far
Currently, fantasy and romance are my top two read genres, with mystery and thriller falling behind, which is rare for me. I’ve been reading a lot of romance lately and I’m not sure why.
Favourite books for each genre so far
Romance: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. One of my most anticipated books of 2023. I think this was my favourite of hers so far!
Fantasy: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton.
Mystery: Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas.
Thriller: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz. This book had me on edge from the beginning, and I couldn’t put it down.
Most anticiapted book release for the second part of the year
I am so excited about Ally Carter’s new book, The Blonde Identity, which comes out in August, and it’s her first book for adults. I devoured her YA books when I was younger, and her new book feels like the same spy mystery style but for adults.
First book to read in the second part of the year
The Luminaires by Susan Dennard. I’ve had this book on my shelf forever because it never felt like the right moment to read it, there was always something else.
A book to read before the year ends
I have 200+ books on my TBR list, and I don’t know which books to prioritise anymore.
I always try to read in seasonal patterns, so I should be reading only summer books at the moment, yet the last book I read in June, The Writing Retreat, is set in a snowstorm… So not doing great with that. But I’ve created a list of books for each season below to organise my TRB list a bit:
Summer
- Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
- Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban
- Happy Place by Emily Henry
Autumn
- My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
- How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
- The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Winter
- Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
- Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
- Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
I’m not sure if I can commit to reading these books during their specific season because I’m known for going rogue on my lists, but we’ll see! I would like to end the year with a cosy witchy novel and lots of hot chocolate with vegan marshmallows.
So far, it’s been a good-ish year for me. I’ve had my braces removed (yay!), I went to Bristol to see the Arctic Monkeys play live, and my partner and I are buying a house. And I’ve been watching so many good shows lately… I can’t complain. Here’s hoping the second part of 2023 is equally good.
Willow in Winter 