My 2023 Reading List

It's a modest list. I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

I'm still trying to get back into the habit of reading before going to bed. I have to tell myself to put my smartphone down for the evening and leave it there. But I'm getting better.

I haven't purchased a new book in years because the ones that I did buy have been collecting dust, their covers never cracked open. And so I've made those books a priority this year.

As I said, it's a modest reading list. If I get through them, I'll add more. I have plenty of unread novels on my book shelves. But here it is, including the book I've already read:

• The Lonely Hearts Hotel, by Heather O'Neill (finished): I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
• Hungry Ghosts, by Peggy Blair (in progress): Peggy is a friend of mine and she gave me this copy of her novel some years ago. I've already read her first two Inspector Ramirez novels and so far, this one seems to be the best one.
• 
  A Song For The Dark Times, by Ian Rankin: Ian is one of my favourite authors and I've met him a few times (he even recommended a whisky to me and it's now one of my favourites). I will never tire of Scottish crime novels and Rankin's John Rebus stories are addictive.
• A Heart Full Of Headstones, also by Ian Rankin: Kid 1 gave Rankin's latest Rebus novel to me for Christmas, but because the Rebus stories are chronological, I have to start with A Song For The Dark Times first. I imagine these books will be read in quick succession.
• The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt.
• The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson.
• My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk.
• American War, by Omar El Akkad.

The final four novels were given to me many Christmases ago but all they've done is collect dust on a bookshelf. It's not a huge list, but given that I haven't done much reading at all over the past several years, it's a good start.

If I finish these books before 2023 has come to a close, I can certainly add more titles to my list. After all, there are so many books in our house that I haven't touched. This is just a start.

And as soon as I finish these books, I'll likely pass most of them on. Last year, I complained that I've collected so many books that I could start my own small library. I need to let most of them go, but like my reading habits, that task fell by the wayside.

Wish me luck.