Hello Readers! When I saw this tag making the rounds, I had to stop and count the months. It didn’t seem like a fourth of the year had already gone by. 😅 It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a tag, so I decided to join in the fun. I’m hoping by taking stock of my reading journey so far this year, I’ll be able to reevaluate my goals, making any changes I might need to make.

Since I wasn’t tagged on this one, I’m not tagging anyone myself, but consider yourself tagged if you want to participate! 💗

(This tag was originally created by Roisin’s Reading on Booktube.)

How many books have you read so far?

I feel good about 26/80 books right now. I typically set a goal of 80 books and then adjust it to 100 books closer to the end of the year, but I like to start off low pressure in case I’m reading less or dedicating more time to writing.

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2023 favorite? If not, what was your favorite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?

I don’t have a clear favorite yet, but I’ve rated 9 books five stars (one being a reread), so I’ve been reading some excellent books. A few favorites so far: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert; Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (My Review); and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (My Review)

Any 1 star books / least favorite book of the year?

I haven’t rated anything less than 3 stars so far, but that 3 star book, An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgerton, #3) by Julia Quinn was a bit of a disappointment. Not terrible, but not great.

Most read genre so far?

I’m happy to see that Romance is not taking over so far this year. I was hoping to branch out more from my comfort zone, and it looks like it’s working!

A book that surprised you?

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim wasn’t even on my radar, but when it showed up in my book subscription box, I couldn’t resist the glowing early reviews. And I was pleasantly surprised by how well this debut was written. AND how much I enjoyed it. (My Review)

A book that’s come out in 2023 already that you want to read but haven’t yet?

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson seems to be getting a lot of buzz.

One goal you made that you’re succeeding at:

I didn’t create an “official” goals post for this year. My goals are the same every year: request less ARCs, read more off my backlist, and re-read more of the books I’ve loved in the past. I have managed to request less ARCs so far this year. BUT I started off well last year and then ended up over-requesting the second half of the year. So we shall see how that goes. 😆 One goal I AM succeeding at is reading off my backlist! I joined Kal @ Reader Voracious’ Project Backlist Reading Challenge, setting a goal of reading 2 backlist books a month, and so far I’ve read 8 backlist books, which averages out to at least 2 a month—and I’m currently reading another backlist book, as well. Yay!!

One goal you made you need to focus on:

Re-reading! I was appalled to discover I didn’t re-read anything last year, so I’m determined to change that this year. I know many readers don’t like to re-read, but I love to relive a favorite book. For me it’s nostalgic and comforting. I’ve only re-read one book so far, and it was a Christmas book I didn’t get to over the holidays. So technically it’s one I would have read last year. I have plans to re-read The Hunger Game Trilogy before I read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which I just picked up, so hopefully that will happen soon.

New to you Booktubers/bookstagrammer/booktokers for 2023 you recommend?

I have been spending so much time on reading and creating blog posts, I haven’t spent much time perusing content by other creators—except for the blogs I already follow. I don’t typically watch Booktube, and I haven’t been spending much time on Bookstagram or Booktok, either. I’m hoping to carve out more time for that this summer! ☀️

And that’s it! Thanks for reading along. How’s your reading year looking so far?

Happy Wandering!