Reading Goals and My TBR for 2023

Welcome to 2023, a year that has thus far not been good to me. But I'm trying to remain hopeful that it will improve. I'm not making a ton of new year's resolutions, but I do have a few goals when it comes to reading. 

If history has proven anything, it is that I am not very good at reading challenges. I have attempted to complete several over the years (you know those challenges that are like 'read a book with plants on the cover' or 'read a book by a German author', etc.) and have never succeeded. And I've realized that this is largely because in order to complete such a challenge, I have to force myself to read books that I am not interested in. And that is not motivating. So I've decided, at least for now, that I will not be participating in any online reading challenges. Instead I am sticking only to my personal reading goals.

I started my 2023 reading journey by deciding to joining Book of the Month Club. I'd heard about this subscription service for a while, but I never really checked it out until recently. I decided why not try it out for a year and see how it goes. My first book is currently on its way.

If you read my post about books I read in 2022, you may know that last year I really only had two goals. But since I didn't meet them, I am shifting some of them over to this year. Plus I have a few new goals as well.

• Read 27 books- This goal I am pulling in from last year. I didn't do terribly in 2022, I did read 21 books. But since I haven't yet reached 27, I'm leaving my goal there for this year.
• Listen to more audio books- Prior to 2023, I have only actually ever listened to 9 1/2 audio books. Which sounds like quite a few until you note that 7 of those were Harry Potter books and 2 1/2 were A Song of Ice and Fire books. This year, I want to listen to more audio books in different genres. I spend almost 7 hours a week in my car driving to and from work and that is time I could be listening to a book instead of 1,000 commercials on the radio.
• Read more fantasy- I recently discovered the world of fantastical books and I would love to read more in this genre. I can't say why I haven't read much fantasy in the past, but I am game to explore it moving forward.
• Read books I already own. I have so many books on my shelves that I have never read. I'm not going to specify a certain number, but I want to read more of these instead of only buying new books.

My TBR's for 2023

1. The Green Mile- Stephen King : Moved over from last year, I want to read this novel I have owned for quite some time. 
2. Confessions of a Shopaholic- Sophie Kinsella : Also moved from last year's list, this chick lit series is one I've been wanting to dip my not-even-close-to-Jimmy Choo's in.
3. The Stolen Heir- Holly Black : This new release is set in the magical world of Elfhame and is a spinoff of The Cruel Prince books. I'm interested to read it and see how it compares to its predecessor. 
4. A Curse For True Love- Stephanie Garber : The final book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series and probably my most anticipated book of 2023.
5. The Brother's Hawthorne- Jennifer Lynn Barnes : A new book in the world of the Inheritance Games will also arrive this year. I'm nervous but excited because I love me some Jameson Hawthorne.

I'm sure more books will interest me in the coming year, but those are my top picks to read in 2023. Wish me luck on my reading journey!