The start of a new year it is a good time to reflect on your reading the year before. I read 117 books in 2023, which I think is a record for me. As usual going from one book to the next without any real planning. At the end of the year, and thanks to Nonfiction November, and our trip to Greece with a focus on the Ancient times, I did enter into reading about ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Really interesting, and something I will continue to do in the new year. But, let's not go ahead of time, let's look at 2023.
Statistics
The 117 books I read are spread over the following genres:
Thrillers - 33 - 28%
Nonfiction - 29 - 25%
Fiction - 26 - 22%
Classics - 15 - 13%
Novellas/Short Stories - 11 - 9%
Poetry - 3 - 3%
I am pleased with the spread. The big number of thrillers relate to my binge reading of Agatha Christie and Donna Leon, which I think will continue this year. Also happy about the number of Classics.
Best books
Nonfiction
I read a lot of good nonfiction books, here five of them that stood out:
Love in a Time of Hate by Florian Illies
Van Gogh's Ear by Bernadette Murphy
Sanningen är alltid oförskämd - a biography of August Strindberg by Göran Hägg
Ett hemligt liv - a biography about the relationship between Verner von Heidenstam and Kate Bang by Martin Kylhammar
Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette - the love affair between the two by Margareta Bäckman
Napoleon - A Concise Biography by David A. Bell
Fiction
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Circe by Madeline Miller
Classics
I have to mention:
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
Poetry
Novellas
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Plans for 2024
I am still thinking on plans for 2024. The problem is, when I make up a plan I tend to do something totally different. Maybe it is just a good thing to Carpe Diem also the reading. I know I want to participate in a few of my favourite challenges. There are so many interesting challenges out there, but I cannot follow them all. Paris in July and Nonfiction November are two I usually follow. I will join Brona's books on her reading of George Orwell which will go on for the whole year, in your own rhythm. There might be a few others I will pick up. Mostly if they coincide with my main aim: to lower my TBR shelves.
My TBR shelves
I did read 62 books from my shelves last year, which is also a record. Of course a few new entered the space. I am left with 158 for 2024, and a good aim would be to be under 100 books at the end of the year. I do add, and read, also newly purchases so some of the books are not that old. However, I try to choose those that has been there for a while.
Good luck with your reading plans, they will be interesting to follow.