How are we already midway through 2023?! Am I on track to reach my reading goals? Is it time for me to freak out? OR am I doing better than I think? I’m hoping this tag will put everything in perspective and help me to have a better grasp on the rest of my reading year. 🙂

(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)

How much have you read?

I’ve read 49 books out of my Goodreads goal of 80 for the year so far. At the beginning of the year, I typically set my goal at 80, but later in the year, I usually end up adjusting my goal to 100.

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I’ve read 30 books out of 50 for my yearly Popsugar Reading Challenge, which puts me 7 books ahead of schedule. Here’s My 2023 Popsugar Reading Challenge Mid-Year Update post if you’d like to see what I’ve read so far.

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This year I’m also participating in Kal @ Reader Voracious’ Project Backlist Reading Challenge. I’m attempting to read an average of 2 backlist books a month, and so far I’m exceeding that! My ARCs usually dominate my reading, and I was super happy to see my backlist reading on top! Hopefully I can keep it up through the rest of the year.

What have you been reading?

Thanks to Kal @ Reader Voracious ‘s spreadsheet, I can produce this lovely pie chart showing exactly what I’ve been reading. Romance is still dominating my reading, but I’m okay with that. I’m happy that the other half is a nice mix.

Best book(s) you’ve read so far in 2023?

I don’t have a clear favorite so far. Currently, Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld; Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood; and Happy Place by Emily Henry are my top three. And, of course, they’re all romances. 💗

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2023?

I’ve only read a few sequels so far this year, but I adored Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert! It was my favorite out of all the Brown Sisters books.

A new release you haven’t read, but want to?

I’ve actually done well keeping up with my most-anticipated books that released this year, but Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert, her first young adult book, is one I’d like to get my hands on!

Most anticipated release for the second part of the year?

One of my favorite books of the year in 2022 was Silver’s, so I’m excited to see if her next book, A Winter in New York lives up to its predecessor. And I just got approved for the ARC! Woohoo!

Biggest disappointment?

I’ve had two books that were somewhat disappointing so far this year. And while I still enjoyed both books that wrapped up series, they didn’t live up to the previous books in their series. Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare and Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater.

Biggest surprise?

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim is a YA Romance that showed up in my book subscription box from The Strand. It wasn’t even the main book—it was the bonus ARC. I was smitten! Unique, charming, and memorable!

New favorite author (debut or new to you)?

I could easily put Priyanka Taslim that I used above here, as well. But I really enjoyed Something More by Jackie Khalilieh, too. This YA book about a Palestinian-Canadian with autism is done so well. Khalilieh is an author to watch!

Underrated gems you’ve discovered recently?

Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah deserves so much more attention. It’s a quiet, emotional read that packs a punch!

Rereads this year?

I’ve been reading In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren for the past three years over the holidays. I was supposed to read this one in December of 2022, but I didn’t get to until January, so it’s among my 2023 reads now. I have plans to reread The Hunger Games series soon!

Newest fictional crush?

Yep, this book is appearing again! Zaf, from Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert, was a character unlike any other. I just wanted to protect him at all costs.

Newest favorite character(s)?

Harriet, Wyn, Chloe, Kim, Sabrina and Parth—the friend group from Happy Place by Emily Henry. Each character jumped off the page, and I loved spending the week with them.

Book that made you cry?

Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is powerful and emotional.

Book that made you happy?

I was nervous about Christina Lauren’s latest book, but The True Love Experiment was a joy to read!

Favorite book-to-film (and book-to-tv) adaptation?

I thought the film adaptation of My Policeman by Bethan Roberts was actually done very well. It’s received some mixed reviews, but I thought it followed the book very closely. And I also thought the tv adaptation of Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner was excellent, too.

Most beautiful cover you’ve bought (or received) this year?

While Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune didn’t quite live up to Fortune’s debut book from last year for me, I do love the cover!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

I’m absolutely determined to reread The Hunger Games series before I pick up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It’s been about ten years since I first read the books, and I want to revisit the books and the films!

Favorite blog post you’ve done this year?

Honestly, I seem to have hit a bit of a blogging slump. I’ve been steadily blogging for almost 4 years without ever taking a real hiatus, and I know it’s time for me to do that. I was so happy to be joining in the Let’s Talk Bookish discussion posts, but all of sudden my well ran dry. The same seems to have happened with my Nanowrimo projects. I’m being kind to myself and just riding this out, confident my joy for writing will return. But I’ve mostly just been keeping up with reviews, monthly posts, and Top Ten Tuesdays. As soon as I can get ahead on posts, and have some scheduled, I’ll be taking a break. More on that soon! ❤️

And that’s it! Thanks for reading along. My goals for the rest of the year are to continue reading off my backlist, do some rereading, and take a quick blogging hiatus.
How’s your reading year looking so far?

Happy Wandering!