New Year’s Book Tag

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Hello Hello! How are you?

Today I’m so happy to be bringing you such a fun post and to finally be back with a book TAG!

I. was so happy when Ashlee from Books are 42 tagged me in this post, as it looked so fun and I knew I needed some extra motivation to find new post ideas for my blog. Head over to Ashlee’s post to see what her answers were, and keep on reading to find our my answers!

Ashley mentioned having found this tag on Candyce and Isabelle’s (The Book Dutchesses) blog, and they mentioned having found it on Kristen Kraves Books’s blog, who found it on the blog Beverly a Baird, and so on and so forth, so I’m not sure where it originally came from, but if you do, let me know so I can properly credit them!

Without further ado, let’s get into this post!

How many books are you planning to read in 2023?

In 2022, I set my GoodReads goal to 150 books, but about mid-August I realised that was wishful thinking and pushed it down to 110. I managed to read 113 books last year, with a tonne of stress, health problems, new dogs, new jobs, university and tonnes of other things happening. So for 2023, I’ve set my GoodReads goal to 120, and I’m hopeful I’m going to make it! Looking back at my challenges over the years, I average between 100 and 150 books read a year, so I think I should be okay.

Name 5 books that you didn’t get to this past year but want to make a priority in 2023.

This is an easy one: all of them! But more seriously, I think the five books I’m itching to get reading in 2023 are the following ones:

• Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Betty by Tiphany McDaniel
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

What genre do you want to read more of?

I think I really want to try to read more nonfiction this year, and most definitely more true crime. I’m one of those people obsessed with true crime, and I’ve got a lot of true crime books on my shelves, but never seem to find the time to read them. So although I also really want to read more historical nonfiction, I think I’m mostly going to try to focus on true crime!

Name 3 not-related-to-book goals for 2023

Oh, this is kind of a hard question. I would say one of those is finishing my Master’s thesis, but since the topic is “Disability in anglophone literature“, that doesn’t really work for this question.

So here goes: In 2023, I would like to spend more time doing creative things, either outside, or inside and really find a relaxing routine I can get into either doing crochet, or cartonnage, or gardening, or whatever takes my fancy, when I’m feeling down and need some time doing something other than reading. I also am getting married in March and my fiancé and I are going on a honeymoon to Scotland, which we’ve dreamed about since we got stuck there during the first lockdown, and never got to visit ANYTHING. So my second goal is visit lots of things while on our honeymoon, but also relax and spend time together. And my third goal, I would say is keep working on the person I want to be, and make sure I keep people and the planet in mind while doing those things. I suppose it’s kind of a lame final goal, but it’s important to me to be kind to others and do what I can for the planet, even if it’s only something on a tiny level!

What’s a book you have had forever and are determined to read?

This kind of doesn’t count because it would be are-read, but my fiancé got me a stunning edition of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (the Barnes & Noble edition), and I have had it for about 4 years I think and still haven’t re-read it. It is one of my goals for this year anyway, but this question reminded me to be accountable, so I might start it sooner rather than later, as I remember what a chunky beast it was!

One word that you’re hoping 2023 will be

Peaceful. Honestly, I don’t care if we are successful, I don’t care if we earn a little more money, I don’t care if we reach mega goals or even tiny ones. After some really tough years, particularly 2022 with health issues and emergencies happening left, right, and centre, the one thing I wish for 2023 is that it be peaceful and kind to me. Please, oh pretty please!

I’m Tagging:

Noly, Candyce, Erika, Stephen, Holly, Becky, Ellie Mai and anyone else who wants to take a shot at this tag!

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That’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading this post.

See you soon, stay safe,

Ellie xx