Hello everyone,
Are we really coming to the end of the year?! Time surely can not have elapsed so quickly that we are in December already, but the fact that the weather is freezing cold and the Christmas decorations are up suggest otherwise.
It also means that it is time for the End Of Year Book Tag, which I did for the first time last year and really enjoyed. There are lots of fun prompts about my reading over the past 12 months and looking at the final few books on my 2023 TBR. Let us get started!
Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?
I have just started a beautiful short story collection called The Winter Spirits, which includes dark, wintry tales from some of my favourite Gothic fiction authors. I will be reading that one right up to the end of the month.
I am also listening to Cilka’s Journey on audiobook, and on my Kindle I have started Such A Good Liar, a young adult thriller by Sue Wallman, whose previous books I have mostly enjoyed.
All those current reads are a rather eclectic mix, and I am hoping there will be more to come in December! In particular, I would like to read the Hunger Games trilogy over Christmas. I will whisper it quietly, but I have never read them before *hides*.
Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?
Yes! Recently I read Spells For Forgetting by Adrienne Young and it is definitely one of the most atmospheric books I have picked up all year. It is full of eerie autumn vibes that go perfectly with the evenings getting darker, containing hints of magic to go with its intriguing mystery.
Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?
To be honest, there are so many recent new releases that I am hoping to get to that I am not really looking very much at upcoming ones. However, I did see that Stacey Halls finally has a new book coming in 2024 called The Household. I love her writing, so I am excited for that.
What are three books you want to read before the year ends?
Like I said already, The Hunger Games! There might be others too, but I do not want to put too much pressure on myself.
Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?
My favourite book out of all the ones I have read this year is King Of Scars. I have very high hopes for the books I still have to finish this year, but I would be surprised if that gets beaten.
Have you already started to make reading plans for 2024?
My main goal for 2024 will be to read more! I have been a little disappointed not to read quite as much as I have wanted to in 2023, especially when my to-read pile is still growing. Hopefully I will find the time.
Other than that, I have a good idea of which books I would like to get to in the New Year, and I have some buddy reads informally lined up too.
Let’s Chat
How is your reading shaping up as we approach the end of 2023? Which books are you still hoping to read? Let me know in the comments!
Stephen Reads Books 