2023 Reading Goals.

Hi, and welcome to Hannah’s Bookish Adventures! I’ve started this blog because reading is a major part of my life, but not an interest of many of my friends/family. I thought this blog would be a fun way to organize and reflect my bookish thoughts, and maybe connect with readers who share similar interests to me.

I’m kicking off the blog with my 2023 reading goals, because it sets the stage for what’s to come this year. With that, here are my three major reading goals for this year!

1. Read at least 38 books.

Last year I read 34 books, but my pace was wildly inconsistent – in some months I read seven books, in some months I read only two books, and for three consecutive months in the Autumn I read no books at all! So, I like 38 because it challenges me to read a little bit more this year, while still being attainable if I go through any major reading slumps again.

2. Prioritize reading the following 12 books:

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1892 by Cho Nam-Joo. This novel has been on my TBR ever since it was translated into English in 2020. It was a book whose premise immediately resonated with me, and it really makes no sense that I haven’t read it yet!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This has been on my TBR for 4 years, and is also very likely to click with me. I read and enjoyed Circe (also by Madeline Miller), and have heard that The Song of Achilles is an even stronger novel. So, it’s another book that I need to get off the TBR and into my hands this year.

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. I’ve heard mixed reviews of this book since its 2020 debut, and I want in on having an opinion about it! I’ve also heard this author described as similar to Sally Rooney, whose novels have all been 5 stars out of 5 for me.

Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctor’s Believe in Women’s Pain by Abby Norman. This is yet another book that has been on my TBR for years (you may be noticing a theme on my priority TBR). As a woman who has had pain and heart issues dismissed by medical professionals (and heard countless similar experiences from friends and family), I am very curious to read a well-researched nonfiction book on the topic.

All’s Well by Mona Awad. I bought this book over a year ago and still haven’t read it! Normally, December is a month where I catch up on all the books that I bought but didn’t read during the year…but this December was part of my mega-slump, so I am prioritizing it now instead.

Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz. Another book that I bought at the very beginning of 2022 but didn’t get to. I typically feel “meh” about short story collections and thus tend to avoid them, but I’ve heard very promising things about this one! Also, I’m going to Florida in February, so I thought it could be fun to read this collection while I’m there (the stories in this book are all set in Florida).

The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O’Rourke. I bought this book as soon as it came out last year…and then proceeded to let it sit on my bookshelf for over 10 months. I am often intimidated by reading nonfiction, as it can be intellectually challenging for me. But the topic of chronic illness is something I would like to learn more about, and I’ve heard great things about this book, so I’m prioritizing it. Even if it might be challenging to get through.

All This Could be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews. I keep seeing this novel at bookstores and almost buying it, but then swerving and picking something else at the last minute. I also keep hearing wonderful things about it. So, the next time I see this book, I’m actually going to buy it, and read it by the end of 2023.

The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini. I heard about this book when it was shortlisted for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction, and have heard nothing but positive things about it ever since. The main reason I haven’t read this yet is because it hasn’t been super easy to find where I live. By prioritizing this novel, I’m committing to finding it and reading it this year.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I’ve owned a physical copy of this book for like 3 years now, but haven’t read it because (just like with nonfiction) I get intimidated by classics. This novel is really hyped up as an exquisite masterpiece, though, and could be the book to change my (frankly, unfounded) bias against classics.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. This is another book that I’ve heard a lot of (positive) buzz about, and I want in on the conversation.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Another book that I own, but keep putting off because ~cLaSsIcS aRe InTiMiDaTiNg~. Toni Morrison is an essential American author, and it’s (past) time for me to give her work the prioritization it deserves.

3. Read diversely.

Specifically, I want to make sure that my reading this year includes:

• Books by authors of diverse nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, and abilities. I am my best, most compassionate self when I am in a reading routine – especially when that reading routine features voices and perspectives that are different from my own. To stay (and become more) open-minded, I will make sure that my reading list features diverse authors.
• Translated literature. Really, this is a continuation of the first point, but my life has been so enriched by reading translated literature (which I only started doing in 2021). Translated literature provides great insight into other cultures, and often features such fascinating and lovely turns of phrase. I want to make sure that my reading list this year features more literature in translation.
• Books spanning diverse genres. My reading list tends to be heavy with contemporary and literary fiction about “messy women,” with a few memoirs and romance novels in the mix as well. I want to diversify my genre selection more this year, because (in the same vein as reading books by diverse authors) reading different kinds of stories is important for keeping a broad perspective.
• Classics. I have read maybe two classics in the past four years, and want to try reading more this year. Because just as sticking to similar genres and similar authors is limiting, reading only contemporary books is limiting too. My priority TBR for this year has two classics on it, so even if those are the only classics I read this year, I’ll be making good progress toward reading more classics.
• Books long-listed for literary awards. Since 2019, I’ve ended up reading some truly amazing books that I otherwise wouldn’t have otherwise found by following the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Booker Prize. (I’ve also ended up reading some real duds, too, but that’s okay). Although I’ll probably never be the type of reader to read through an entire longlist, I do think that following literary awards is yet another way to find fascinating new stories.