What a crazy year it’s been! I
haven’t gotten in as much reading as I would like, but I did well all things
considered.
Goal Type: 700+ pages
As usual, I aimed to read a
loooong book! I wanted to put some restrictions on this one. Brandon
Sanderson’s books didn’t count.
Did I do make it? Nope. Too many Sanderson novels. To be fair, the last one had 1,300 pages.
Goal Type: Published in 2024
More historical fiction! I didn’t
enjoy this one as much as Hur’s The Red Palace, but it was still a good
page turner. I found myself rooting for both the main characters, though there
were times I wanted to throw the book out the window.
Honorable Mentions:
A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
The Truth of Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
Goal Type: The Stormlight Archive Reread
Now hang on, is it fair to set a goal
of a specific series rather than a book type? Book 5, Wind and Truth came
out this year, and most of the Stormlight books are more than a
thousand, so yes, it’s fair. It’s also my goal, thank you very much! I dragged
most of my friends into this fandom, so was time for a reread!
Probably my favorite of the books
so far. What can I say? I like the Shattered Plains and all the character
development in this book.
For a full analysis of my thoughts on the series, check out my notes on Goodreads, starting with book 1, The Way of Kings.
Honorable mentions:
The Way of Kings (book 1)
Edgedancer (book 2.5)
Oathbringer (book 3)
Dawnshard (book 3.5)
Rhythm of War (book 4)
Bonus:
Wind and Truth (book 5)
Not a reread. I found a way to be
first in line for the library copy. Shall I divulge my methods? Mmmmmm…
Goal Type: Classics
I have two other friends who have
started reading The Odyssey because of Epic the Musical.
Did I finish reading The
Odyssey? Nope. Not yet. Maybe someday…
Goal: Nonfiction
Featured read: Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
An interesting account of the
life of one of my favorite actors.
Goal Type: English Translations
Manga’s aside, when it comes to
translations, I’ve been reading a lot of Japanese and French fiction lately.
No, this isn’t likely to change.
Featured read: How do you Live? by Genzaburo
Yoshino
Translated from Japanese. A
profound tale about friendship and life, learning and discovery.
Honorable mentions:
I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki (did not
finish)
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Goal Type: Poetry
I haven’t read as much poetry as
I would like lately, so I’d like to change that! Maybe I need to stop trying to
read anthologies cover to cover… Or not!
Featured read: Ode to a Nobody by Caroline
Brooks DuBois
Oh, what an amazing story. This
book hit me in the right way at the right time. I cried, then went and bought a
copy.
Honorable mentions:
Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại
Goal Type: Military Brat Representation
I haven’t seen a lot of these
books out there. Sure, there’s plenty of military representation, whether it’s
a romance or a thriller or historical fiction, but how about their kids? I have
a whole blog post planned for this category, but I want to do more research
first.
I did not get around to finishing
this goal.
Books I Own that I Haven’t Read
My mom challenged me to read all
the books I own. What? Tackle my TBR? Don’t be ridiculous! I’m kidding. Bring
it.
Featured read: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Does it count if I bought the
book so I could read it? These are my goals, so I’m going to count it. This one
had been on my to-be-read list for a while, but I didn’t start reading it until
I heard the movie was coming out. Such a sweet story! I enjoyed the book more, but
the movie was good too.
Honorable mentions:
Manga Classics: Anne of Green
Gables by L.M.
Montgomery
Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
6/9 Total Book Types
Other Honorable Mentions
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
(Newberry Honor winner)
Sing to Me of Rain by E.B. Dawson (indie published)
Let’s chat! Any of these books on your list? What were some of your reading goals for this year? What were some of your featured books?
Similar posts: 2023 Books in Review, 2023 Reading Resolutions, 7 More of my Go-To Authors
