A roundup of all the books I read and loved in 2023.
I set myself the goal to read 50 books this year. Did I reach that number?
I did not. But, I did manage to read 36 books (so far).
This is what I read, in order from January to December, with limited commentary:
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho: A favourite. Good way to start the year.
The Storyteller - Dave Grohl: Made me fall in love with Dave just a little bit. What a legend.
A Court Of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J Maas: Move over, Dave. Hello, Rhysand.
The Four Agreements - Miguel Ruiz: Don't take anything personally. Don't take anything personally. People are just reacting based on previous experiences.
Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill: An 80-something-year-old book about positive thinking.
You Must Market Your Book - Honoree Corder: Yes, I must.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo: Does not suit my maximalist self.
A Family of Strangers - Fiona Lowe: Made me want to join a choir.
Atomic Habits - James Clear: Lots of little positive things add up to big positive things.
The Morning Miracle for Writers - Hal Elrod: Get up earlier.
Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers: A biblical retelling of the book of Hosea.
Sell Like Crazy - Sabri Suby: Inspired a blog post. Good marketing ideas.
The English Grammar Workbook for Adults - Michael DiGiacomo: I still suck at grammar.
Uninvited - Lysa TerKeurst: The author writes about how flawed she is and how we can only find fulfillment in God.
The Overstory - Richard Powers: Environmental fiction that made me scared about how we are killing our planet.
Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper - SARK: Unapologetic creative inspiration. Inspired me to share my art and be okay with the results.
A Creative Companion - SARK: More a workbook of creative ideas.
Succulent Wild Woman - SARK: I love SARK. Her books inspired another blog post.
Animal Farm - George Orwell: About animals taking over a farm. Political undertones.
Cashvertising - Drew Eric Whitman: Practical marketing ideas. Gets into nitty gritties like font size.
Eden - Brennan McPherson: Biblical retelling of the story of Adam and Eve.
Sisters of the Sands - J B Villinger: Portals, gore, and gender wars.
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - J K Rowling: Drama at Magic School.
Creating Your Permaculture Heaven - Nydia Needham: Gardening in a way that benefits everything.
Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden: Aussie teens go camping and get home to find a war.
The Sustainable Homestead - Angela Ferrero-Fanning: Made me want ducks.
Secrets of the Vine - Bruce Wilkinson: A short book about John 15 and growing grapes.
Why Buddhism is True - Robert Wright: How meditation and mindfulness work in our brain.
Love & Pain - Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou: A book about Silverchair, written by 2 out of 3 band members.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J K Rowling: More drama at magic school.
Little House on the Prarie - Laura Ingalls Wilder: When families roamed in horse-drawn carts and settled wherever they wanted.
Chocolat - Joanne Harris: Chocolate, church, and gypsies in France.
Good Vibes, Good Life - Vex King: Shape up your life.
The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home - Joanna Nell: Aussie retirees up to mischief in aged care. As much as their bodies will allow.
Braving the Wilderness - Brene Brown: Be brave enough to stand alone.
This Beautiful Truth - Sarah Clarkson: Find God in all of the simple, artistic, and beautiful things.
Counting the Cost - Jill Duggar: Parents can do a lot of harm. I still want to be more like Michelle.
You can see that I love to read a mix of genres. Here are my picks from this year:
Autobiography: The Storyteller: Takes of Life and Music - Dave Grohl
Personal Development: Atomic Habits - James Clear
Young Adult: Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden
Literary Fiction: The Overstory - Richard Powers
Women's Fiction: Chocolat - Joanne Harris
Marketing: Sell Like Crazy - Sabri Suby
Christian Life: This Beautiful Life - Sarah Clarkson
Special mentions have to go to the musical biography, Love and Pain by Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou and the arty, hippie, personal development book, Juicy Pens Thirst Paper by SARK. These books had personal significance for me, so I really enjoyed reading them as well.
So, I may not have reached my goal of reading 50 books this year, but I still read a heap of great books! Next year, I will not be doing any further study. This should give me enough time to reach the same reading goal.
In 2024 I aim to read 50 books. I'll keep track of my progress on Goodreads like I have this year.
What is your reading goal?
Much love - Marley x
Comments