These blog posts typically go notoriously bad for me. Looking back at some of my previous “books on my bookshelf I want to read this year” posts I’ve written over the years, the amount of books I’ve ACTUALLY read from those lists is… abysmal. To put it bluntly. The intentions are always good but…
I’m sure any book lover will understand that sometimes our reading plans go out of the window when new exciting books get released all year round. Or a random trip to the library sees us come back with 10 extra books we need to read before we have to take them back.
And as someone that just loves books so much, I’m always accumulating new books throughout the year.
In fact, 2022 was the year I realized that I do LITERALLY come back from EVERYWHERE with a book. I went to a funeral and came back with 5 books that someone had brought along for me because they knew I liked reading.
I also went to view a house and ended up coming back with a book that the woman who lived there gave to me.
It’s getting a bit ridiculous.
You can check out last years bookshelf TBR here: 9 Books I Want To Read In 2022
So, I’m keeping an open mind when it comes to writing this post this year. And I’m certainly not going to put any pressure on myself to read all of these books specifically.
Because I KNOW that I’ll be gaining more books throughout the year, some of which I might be more excited to read than those listed here.
And that’s okay because I’m also a mood-reader and I hate to limit myself with what I can read. The worst thing is trying to read a book you’re just NOT in the mood for.
Reading is supposed to be fun, right.
So, all that being said, here are 12 books that are currently on my bookshelf RIGHT NOW that I’m hoping to finally get around to reading in 2023.
Some of them have been there for quite some time, others are new books that I’ve just picked up. But all of them are on my hopeful TBR this year.
Here’s a quick run-down of each book I want to try and read this year:
The Lemon Tree Cafe by Cathy Bramley
Yes, this book was on last year’s list and I didn’t get around to reading it. Not for any particular reason but I’m hoping to get around to The Lemon Tree Café in the Spring this year, I think that’d be a perfect time to read this and I’m a fan of Cathy’s writing!
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
Oh look, another book from last year’s list as well *hides face*. I don’t know why I haven’t read this yet. I think it’s because I’ve heard LOTS of good things about The Vanishing Half and I’m intimidated. Whoops.
The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page
This one hasn’t been on my bookshelf for very long, so I don’t feel too bad about not having read this one yet. The Keeper of Stories was picked up on a trip to Lincolnshire in November and sounds like a beautiful read!
How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
How To Kill Your Family has been on my radar for ages – everyone seems to have read this book! I’ve heard mixed reviews but it definitely sounds up my street!
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
This is another book that’s been on my book case for FAR too long because, quite honestly, I’m intimidated to read it. I’ve heard amazing things about Girl, Woman, Other but definitely feel like I’ll be out of my comfort zone reading this!
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
This is a book I picked up on an absolute whim. I’d never heard anything about it before and it sounded REALLY different from what I’m used to, so I guess I thought I was trying to expand my reading *repertoire* with The People in the Trees. Except I didn’t read it because I got scared.
The Push by Ashley Audrain
I’ve heard soooo many great things about The Push and it’s also been nominated for a few awards, so I definitely have high hopes for this one. This is one I picked up with a Waterstones gift card I got for Christmas.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Another one that everyone seemed to be raving about in 2022 and whilst this isn’t typically the sort of book I would have picked up, I do want to read different styles and genres this year, so Book Lovers seemed like the perfect option for delving into more rom-com.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman novels keep popping up for me as recommendations from other book bloggers or book tubers and I mean, they can’t ALL be wrong, can they? I really liked the sound of A Man Called Ove, so I’m looking forward to reading this one.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This book has been out for over 10 years and I keep seeing it and reading about it but for some stupid reason I still haven’t picked it up – until now. Only 11 years late to The Night Circus party but I finally made it!
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
I’ve heard great things about this series of books so I reaaaally looking forward to delving into Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I love the fact that it has a chronically ill main character as well, as that’s not something you see often.
The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker by Lauren James
I read a Lauren James book last year and I was absolutely blown away by it so I’m really glad I was able to find another of her books with my Waterstones gift card to read in 2023. The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker sounds like a ride!
I feel like 2023 already is shaping up to be an excellent year for books and reading. I can’t remember a year where I’ve been THIS excited at the prospect of reading so many books on my bookshelf before.
My goal is definitely to get through as many of my bookshelf books as possible. I love the library but I think I’ll only be sticking to the library to get some non-fiction books throughout the year for a while!
Now over to you! Tell me which books you’re excited to read in 2023! Have you read any of these on this list?
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