As the end of the year approaches, I’m increasingly conscious of how far I am from meeting my goal of reading 50 books this year. I have so many books I’m excited to read, yet I’ve been plodding along, taking forever to finish anything. Since I’m reading three books right now, I only have myself to blame. I’d probably have finished at least one if I could stick to it. Once they’re all finished, however, I’ll have time to read more and can inch closer to my goal.
One of the reasons I’m eager to get a move on with reading is that it’s been a slow year in terms of books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed (probably because I haven’t read nearly enough), so I’m hoping that something I pick up soon will become a new favourite.
So, in the hopes of getting closer to 50 books read, here are five books that I already own and want to get to before the year is up.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Though I’m not the biggest fan of the fake dating trope, and have other Ali Hazelwood books I’m yet to read, I am a sucker for the hate-to-love trope, or anything remotely related to enemies to lovers, and so when I read the synopsis for this one, I had to have it. Hopefully, it will be a somewhat light-hearted, occasionally cute, swoon-worthy romance with minimal cringe-worthy moments!
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
I think I’ve mentioned wanting to read Ninth House before on my blog, and yet I’m still avoiding it. When I’ve enjoyed an author’s book before, the pressure for it to be good is so intense and leads me away from reading it, away from potential disappointment. It won’t be the end of the world if it’s not that great, but I need to convince myself of that before I can get around to reading it.
I’m a big fan of dark academia, and apparently, Ninth House fits very snugly into that aesthetic. It’s also an adult book, which is more my speed these days, even if I don’t mind reading YA occasionally. So, all signs point to me probably enjoying this. I just need to pick it up. And I will. Probably.
Foxglove by Adalyn Grace
I had quite a good time reading Belladonna, a book about a girl who becomes thoroughly acquainted with Death, so naturally, I’m looking forward to reading Foxglove, which is the following book in the series. The first also ended on a cliffhanger, so even if I hadn’t enjoyed the book as much as I did, my curiosity may have led to me reading it anyway.
I’m the least desperate to read this book since it’s one of the newer additions to my TBR, and I’m willing to wait to read it next year if it means I can get to the others.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
I have had this book for so long that it’s embarrassing but it’s also clear to me why it’s still sitting on my shelf, having never been picked up. If I can barely finish a 300-page book in a month right now, what’s to say I can finish one with over 600? The size of The Priory of the Orange Tree is the only thing scaring me off, so once I get over the intimidating length, I’ll probably be happy to immerse myself in a fantasy world filled with assassins and magic.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
When books have a lot of hype and that hype is very mixed, I’m more inclined to want to read it than when most people’s opinions align. From what I’ve seen, Fourth Wing is one of those books that people either love or they hate, (though a lot of people seem to love it) with very few opinions in between. Being a writer, I always find this so incredibly interesting.
Obviously, no book will ever be loved or loathed collectively, but I like to find the things that make people love them or hate them, just to have the knowledge in the back of my mind.
That concludes the 5 books I want to read by the end of 2023, even though I have many more books I could have added to this list or swapped out, these are my priorities. Even if they’re among others, I hope to be updating you in a month or two with some or all of these books read.
What books are you looking forward to reading before 2024 begins?
Read 'N Riot 