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I can read more than 100 books but I don't want to. I plan to read long books that have been sitting on my shelves for years because they interfered with number goals. 2023 is my year for quality over quantity.

Reserved

I just seconded the notion of "quality over quantity" on someone else's challenge, so hear, hear to that!

Best of luck. I hope you have a great reading year, regardless how many books you end up reading!

Lisa wrote: "I just seconded the notion of "quality over quantity" on someone else's challenge, so hear, hear to that!

Best of luck. I hope you have a great reading year, regardless how many books you end up ..."

Thanks, Lisa!

January

Plans
I've discovered Ben McEvoy's YouTube videos on Classics and I'm inspired to read a long classic over a period of 10-12 weeks. The first I'll be reading is War and Peace.

My goal is to read 6 books a month.

Books read:
The Brutal Telling 1/3/23 ****. I was happy to return to Three Pines and I'm happy to continue the series.

The Book of Goose 1/10/23 ** I didn't care for this book. The characters were too detached and unlikeable and I didn't understand the intensity of the friendship. From the cover: "The Book of Goose is a story of disturbing intimacy and obsession, of exploitation and strength of will." Believe those words!

The Marsh Queen 1/12/23 **** I loved this book. I grew up in the vicinity of the setting of this book and it brought back a lot of memories.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter 1/14/22 ***. Practical advice to follow but not ground shaking.

You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters 1/15/23 ****=1/2. I loved this book. It was humbling but taught me much about active listening. I might even go so far as to say it was life changing.

Factory Girls 1/21/22 **** I enjoyed this coming of age book that was set during the Troubles in Ireland. It was sad and funny, slow paced but always kept me wanting to get back when I had to break away. I had some trouble with understanding some of the local language use, but it was easy enough to decipher after a while. Trigger warnings for mention of suicide and for violence against innocent people (told through flashbacks).

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 1/23/22 **** I resisted reading this book for so long. Nothing appealed to me, but I decided to read it since I received it for free from Book of the Month Club. I ended up liking it. It was a solid 4 read for me. I categorized it as literary fiction and liked the author's writing style. I liked the characters which surprised me because I had heard they were unlikeable. The gaming part was more gamey than I anticipated, but I certainly was interested in the storytelling aspect of gaming. I am not a gamer but my children have been and I will be passing this book on to them.

12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life 1/24/22 *** Okay read. Some things were worth noting. The title is a summary of the book. Areas to build a more intentional life were Space, Work, Spirituality, Food, Style, Nature, Communication, Home, Sensuality, Creativity, Learning, and Community.

The Sign for Home 1/27/23 **** This book was an education in itself about the DeafBlind and in addition was a great story. I haven't seen it mentioned a lot so I am recommending it.

Between Shades of Gray: 1/28/23 **** YA historical fiction about Stalin's relocation of Lithuanian people to work camps in Siberia. This was a hard one to read but I really liked it.

February
The Book of Everlasting Things: 2/6/23
This is a gorgeous book about memory, family, loss and history. It's also about the art of perfumery and calligraphy in Lahore when it was still in Hindustan. It was a slow read but I thought this book was worth the effort.

In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss: 2/7/23** This is the first book I read from the YouTube Book Award long list, one that I was eager to read. Unfortunately, the author's voice was privileged, self-centered and not so loving toward her spouse. The writing left me feeling detached and bored.

The Trayvon Generation 2/8/23

Gilded Mountain 2/11/23 ****

Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times 2/13/23 ****

How to Love a Jamaican: 2/14/23 ***: Okay group of stories. I liked some stories more than others. I read this for the 193 Books Around the World challenge for Jamaica.

The House of Eve 2/15/23 ****.5

Midnight Blue *** 2/17/23

Séance Tea Party **** 2/17/23

Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships: 2/21/23 **** Power of friendships is the most accurate part of this book, but I appreciated this memoir about the career of two women who broke the glass ceiling in their careers and about how the support of women friends is so important. I also enjoyed reading about the friendships Nina Totenberg had with some of the Supreme Court justices and about how the justices respected one another with a code of conduct they had in making decisions. The epilogue about the Supreme Court now painted a different picture, but it was one of the best parts of this book.

River Sing Me Home 2/23/23 I read this over two days because I couldn't stop reading.

Maame 2/26/23

March

There is a lot going on this month with Middle Grade March, You Tube Award Long lists, March of the Mammoths, Mystery Madness, in addition to my own predetermined books.

My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World's Deadliest Migration Route YTA contender. This was gut wrenching!

Healer of the Water Monster **** For Middle Grade March. I used it to fit a book that won an award other than the Newberry.

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation 3/10/23 Also from You Tube Award list.

Wishtree **** 3/10/23 Read for Middle Grade March. Cover depicts a sky.

Go, Went, Gone **** 3/16/23. This book is good paired with My Fourth Time We Drowned.

You're off to a great start to the year, Martha! I'm so intrigued by River Sing Me Home. Hoping to get to it this year, but I guess we will see :D

Lisa wrote: "You're off to a great start to the year, Martha! I'm so intrigued by River Sing Me Home. Hoping to get to it this year, but I guess we will see :D"

It's so good, Lisa! I hope you get to read it soon.

April
Counting Creatures: 4/2/23 A beautifully illustrated counting book with hidden pictures of baby animals in natural habitats. I don't often include picture books in my challenges but I had to do it for this book. Julia Donaldson has been a favorite author of my grandchildren and she branched out with this book. I will also follow up with a similar book called Animalphabet.

Sea of Tranquility: A novel 4/4/23 **** I mostly enjoyed this science fiction novel. It was a relatively quick read and I was immersed in the story. I didn't like it as much as I loved Station Eleven, but I appreciated the creativity and time travel aspect of the novel. Science Fiction is not my favorite genre though I do read some from time to time.

Class Act: 4/6/23 **** I enjoy this series. I just learned there's another one out about the protagonists taking a school trip to Paris. I'm trying to get my 9 almost 10-year-old grandson to read this series.

Our Missing Hearts **** 4/8/23. A dystopian novel that felt like it could reflect a plausible future. I preferred Bird's story to Margaret's.

When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice 4/9/23 ***.5

Other Birds *** 4/15/23. I wanted to like this book more than I did. It was okay.

Weyward 4/16/23 **.5 What a disappointment. I feel like I've read too many witchy revenge tropes.

It Would Be Night in Caracas *** 4/25/23 Oh my this book has filled my night with nightmares. I read it for 193 Books Around the World Venezuela prompt.

The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho ****.5 4/28/23: This was this month's favorite book.

May
I have some catching up to do with April. It wasn't my favorite reading month and I'm dragging my feet listing all the books I read, the majority of them 3-star experiences. May sounds more promising with all the book themes: AAPI month, Older Americans month, Jewish American Month, and Mental Health Month. I have books from Namibia, Wales, and Iran to read for 193 books from Around the World book group, too. It's my birthday month and I got at least 5 books from that including The Covenant of Water and Birnam Wood. I should finish War and Peace this month. I'm down to my last 400 or so pages! This is also the month I'll start listing books that I want to read this summer. I love May!

The Trackers 5/4/23 ***: Not a promising start to May, but I read most of this book in April. I will never love a Charles Frazier book like I loved Cold Mountain.

Brotherless Night 5/11/23 ****

The Ferryman **.5 5/19/23 I might raise my rating but I'm pretty angry about the confusing twist. It's impossible to talk about this book without spoilers. I'm going to let this one sit for a bit. Or maybe I won't. I'm ready to move on.

War and Peace 5/23/23 ***.5. I can now get my reading life back. I completed this doorstopper. It took me 5. months to read. The experience was sometimes delightful but the historical philosophy was a slog. I prefer Anna Karenina.

Drift 5/24/23 I loved the sense of place, the magical and folkloric aspects, the writing. I read this book for Wales in the 193 Books From Around the World book group. I would love to read more books by this author.

Summer Stage **** 5/28/23. A perfect antidote to the heavier books I've been reading. First book of summer reading season.

Trespasses 5/31/23 I got this read just under the wire for May. This book was on my library Hold list for months and I had to read it as soon as possible. It is also on the semi-final list for YouTube Book Awards this year. It has a slow pace but the writing is beautiful and the characters are complex.

I read 6 books for May with Trespasses and Drift being my absolute favorites. I finished War and Peace and I'm glad I can say I read it. It just wasn't a favorite.

June
I have so many summer reading guides and there are so many new releases! I am no longer putting books on hold at the library until I can make a dent in my own books. It's Pride month and also National Crime Reading Month and Caribbean Heritage month. Countries to read are Cyprus, Philippines and Scotland.

My new long read for midyear will be Moby Dick. I've joined the Group Read to help me keep on track and will likely not finish this book in June. I would like to start Les Miserable in September, so keeping that in mind will help me keep pace,too.

What I Read
My Father's House: 6/3/23 I always swear I'll never read WWII historical fiction again. This is one of the few exceptions I made and I didn't regret it.

Foster 6/3/23 **** Short and sweet. I read it in one sitting.

Rogue Justice 6/9/23 ** I've been waiting for this book for a long time. Unfortunately it was a disappointment. I found the plot confusing and convoluted and there was excessive overuse of acronyms. I wanted to like it but felt so frustrated during the reading experience that I'm not sure I'll read another thriller any time soon.

The Last Animal 6/13/23 ****.5

Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater 6/19/23 ****

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea 6/21/23 ***.5 stars. Interesting book. I recommend it but don't think I'd read it again. It was a little too ruthless and bloody for my tastes but it was an interesting story about a legendary pirate.

Above Ground 6/23/23 I don't like poetry very much, but this collection was an exception and I loved it. Poetry is supposed to make you feel things and I definitely felt things while reading these poems on parenting, current events, love.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 6/23/23 **** I read this for the 193 Books Around the World challenge for Scotland.

The Crescent Moon Fox 6/2723 **** I read this book for the 193 BATW challenge for Cyprus. It had special meaning for me as it was sent to me from my nephew's Cypriot wife. It was hard to read since it's about civil war, but I learned so much and had many questions answered.

Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden 6/30/23. I loved this book and think it's one I'll have to purchase. I resonated with the gardens, living in the West, struggles with wildfire, etc.

Martha, fabulous plan to choose quality over quantity! I fall into the quantity trap every year. Best of luck in the rest of the year.

Happy reading! 😊

July I'm not following themes this month. I'm determined to read my library books (or give up on them) so I can get to books on my shelves and on Kindle. I'm at a place where challenges are prompting me to forego what I want to read. I'm thinking I may give up challenges for a year or two.


Books Read
Stolen 7/2/23. I can't do justice to this book. I'm afraid listing the trigger warnings would be enough to put people off, but it has been my favorite summer book, maybe even favorite book so far this year. It's a family saga, coming-of-age story, crime novel that takes place in Arctic Scandinavia among the Sami reindeer herders. I'm still thinking about it and may add more thoughts later.

Three Summers: 7/8/23 **** A quiet character-driven book about 3 sisters and 3 different summers set in Greece. It's a coming-of-age story that seems plotless at times but it's dreamy and memory evoking. It gave me a "bittersweet" feeling. This book was written in 1946. I wish I could remember how this book caught my eye. I've noticed several people are reading it but I can't remember where it was mentioned.

No Two Persons **** 7/12/23 I didn't think I would finish this book but ended up liking it very much. This is why I finish books I start most of the time. I always change my initial impression.

Wandering Souls 7/14/23 This was a beautifully written book that was on the long list for the Women's Fiction Prize and that has come up a few times on Booker Prize long list prediction videos I've watched. I'm rooting for it!

Small Worlds 7/19/23 I loved this book, a coming-of-age story set in London and Ghana. It's about a young man during 3 consecutive years and explores immigration, life in the UK as a black male, father-son relationship, and life with all it's unpredictability and how it shapes life directions.

Now You See Us **** 7/27/23. I read this for the Singapore book this month. I've read 3 of this author's books and this has been my favorite. It takes a more serious direction exploring the lives of 3 Filipino domestic workers in Singapore.

August
The Booker longlist is now out but it's not going to be easy to acquire the list since many of the books have not been published in the US yet. It's a good list but it's not going to be an August goal to complete it. The only notable August literary focus I'm aware of is Women in Translation month. I will try to read one or two.

Blue Hour **** 8/2/23. I read this because it was on Obama's Summer Reading list. It was a little hard to adjust to the second person narration but that stopped being uncomfortable as I got into the book.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop *** 8/3/23

Western Lane *** 8/6/23.

Tom Lake *** 8/15/23

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store 8/29/23

Dear Committee Members 8/31/23 ***.5. Short and sweet and very funny. I needed a book like this after being in mourning over a beloved pet's recent death.

September

How to Master Your MOOD in Middle School 9/4/23 ****. Great book to give to my grandson who will be starting middle school next year. It's not too soon to begin this book this year.

: 9/4/23 **: Just okay. It did get the job done but the preaching was annoying.

A Fire Story **** 9/5/2023. A personal account of the October 2017 fires that demolished a large swath of Sonoma County. The story moved me and didn't do much to diminish the horrid fear I have of something similar happening to my PNW community.

The Blue Sky *** 9/8/23 The book I chose to read for Mongolia. I'm reeling from the end (not in a good way) but this was a book set in a culture very different from mine. I liked the family and the way older people were treated. I loved that animals played a strong role in the culture. I could have done without that ending though! There is a sequel and eventually I'll read it, but not any time soon.

The Invisible Hour 9/10/23 ****. I loved the first half of this book and then it switched to a plot change that made me want to throw the book against the wall, except the plot change worked for me. Now I want to reread The Scarlet Letter.

In the Country: Stories **** 9/14/23

: 9/17/23 . I live for this kind of novel: Found family, Sense of Place, slow paced, great characters.

: 9/17/23 **** Slow burn, intense thriller. I really thought this was going to be on the long list for the Booker Prize so it's been on my list to read all summer.

The House Is on Fire **** 9/23/23

October
My reading life centers around Victober in October and Nonfiction November in November. I will add a few books here and there but the next few months are specific to the two reading events.

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude 10/6/23 ***

The Romance of a Shop: Amy Levy 10/11/23 ****

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper **** 10/24/23

Elena Knows **** 10/25/23. Not always enjoyable to read but the story was artfully done and had a lot to say about ageism and ownership of women's bodies. This book was on the short list for the 2022 International Booker Prize and I read this book for 192 Books Around the World prompt for Argentina.

The Way We Live Now **** 10/28/23. Surprisingly readable Victorian novel that was the group read for Victober. Trollope is new to me and I found him a much more relatable narrator than Dickens. He's an author I'll read again and I'm lucky because he wrote many books!

And the Bride Closed the Door *** 10/29/23

November
I'll be mostly focusing on Nonfiction November but will also throw some fiction in here.

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library **** 11/4/23: Feel-good fiction from Japan. I needed a comfort read and this book delivered.

Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home **** 11/10/23: An interesting graphic memoir about a woman looking for answers about her German family's participation in WWII. While I liked the memoir, the font and faded pictures were not kind to my old eyes.

The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight : **** 11/12/2023

Legends & Lattes **** 11/18/23. Pure fun and comfort.

Lolly Willowes *** 11/19/23 This was a strange book but I enjoyed it, especially after coming out of Victober. This book had a feminist message and tied in nicely with the "New Woman" Victorian literature at the end of the era. It was published in 1926 though.

Blood Betrayal **** 11/25/23 The second book in the Blackwater Falls series. As always, I'll read anything Ausma Zahanat Khan writes.

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy 11/28/23 (for emotional impact, not for enjoyment). This is an important book but trigger warnings for child death and human rights abuses.

Poverty, by America 11/30/23 My favorite nonfiction book for Nonfiction November.

December

I have 8 books to read to possibly reach 100 books. I have no goals for the month. It's all about comfort reads, rereads, and reading what I want to read. Planning for 2024 is part of my reading in December, too.

Beartown 12/6/2023 A reread for me and I still love the story. Moving on to the second book and hoping I'll finish The Winners by month's end.

Milk Blood Heat 12/17/23 3.5*

Us Against You 12/19/23 3.0 I didn't change my opinion from the first review. I still don't like the narrative style. I liked Beartown enough to read The Winners though and I've heard that one is the best of the three.

Quentins 12/21/23 3.5 * This was a comfort read. I had some quibbles with the main character, but I enjoyed the restaurant (Quentins) and the couple that ran it.

All Systems Red: 12/21/23 3.0*. Just okay. I might try some more books in the series.

The War That Saved My Life 12/23/23

A River Enchanted 12/30/23 4-1/2 *: I loved this book and I have the sequel coming to me which I will read in 2024.

Afterparties: Stories 12/31/23 3.5* These stories were hard to read as they are about generational trauma, but they were well written. I added this book to the 193 Books Around the World challenge for Cambodia.

Loved this book!

Dorothy wrote: "Loved this book!" What You Are Looking For Is In the Library? I loved it too. I love linked stories featuring a central location (libraries, bookstores, restaurants).