January 4, 2024

Between Christmas and New Year’s I moved into my 2024 Book Journal, and I am ready to record each book I read in the coming year plus begin new TBR lists. Actually, in the last couple days I have recorded the first two books read this year (to be shared later this month) and have added four TBR titles: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurezyk, suggested by a friend; and three titles recommended by Ann Patchett, Girl Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, Her First American by Lore Segal, and The Wife by Meg Wolitzer. The titles recommended by Ann Patchett were all published several years ago–part of her weekly “new to me” initiative.

On the first pages of my new book journal I list all the books I read in 2023: 107 novels and 38 nonfiction books. In 2022 I read 150 books, so this year’s 145 falls a bit short of that, but who’s counting. Truly, it was another year of great reading.

I also included in my new book journal the compiled list of books I have not yet read from my 2023 TBR. I hope to read them this year. There are 32 fiction and nine nonfiction books on that list. And finally, I included a list of books I acquired during the past year and have not yet read. (Nine books) I am not going to tell you how many books I acquired during the year. Some of those books were gifts and others I found in Little Free Libraries, but let’s say I helped the financial status of a number of independent bookstores.

Christmas Gift Books

Friends and family are often reluctant to give me a book, because I read so much and may have already read what they give me. This Christmas my husband asked for a list of books I would like to read, and off he went to Next Chapter Books where he bought me A Song Over Miskwaa Rapids by Linda LeGarde Grover, The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, and The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl. Plus, a friend took a risk and sent me Absolution by Alice McDermott, which I am reading and loving now. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for my reviews.

Last Books of 2023

Early in December I lamented that I had only read three books so far, but my pace did pick up. I ended up reading four more books in December, plus finishing my year-long devotional reading. You Are the Beloved by Henri Bowen, compiled and edited by Gabrielle Earnshaw. That book was a gift from a friend and has been a treasured companion this past year.

I also read two mysteries by Anthony Horowitz, which I thoroughly enjoyed, The Sentence is Death and Moonflower Murders. Perhaps you’ve read Magpie Murders or watched the tv series on PBS. Finally, I read two earlier books by Maggie O’Farrell–her debut novel published in 2000, After You’d Gone and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, published in 2006. At first the debut novel felt overwritten, but I am glad I continued reading it and actually liked it better than the later book, which, although the story was compelling, there were missing pieces, I thought. Still O’Farrell is an amazing writer, whose Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait I hope to re-read. She has written ten books (one of the 10 is nonfiction, I Am, I Am, I Am) and I have now read eight of them. I own one of the remaining, My Lover’s Lover and will also read The Distance Between Us–soon, I hope.

Reading Intentions

I certainly don’t have an intentions about number of books to read or about spending more time reading, but I would like to hold my TBR lists a bit more lightly–to think of them as suggestions, rather than To Do lists. Also, I would like to balance my reading more between new releases (I am attracted to the glittering new books!) and older books, including the backlists of favorite or new to me authors.

My last year’s intentions, which I plan to continue, include:

• Read more carefully.
• Continue to use the library.
• Re-read favorite books. Out of the 145 books read in 2023, only 12 of those were ones I had read before.
• Keep closer track of where and from whom I get recommendations.
• Continue the process of letting go of books.

An Invitation

Any book and reading intentions for 2024? I would love to know.