I may have mentioned this during my other blog posts about reading challenges and how I felt that I really didn’t savor the books I was reading because I was on such a deadline. I was constantly checking the progress percentage and felt rushed to get through one book so I could hop on to another.

So this year, I learned. I evolved. I made different arrangements.

Now I’m just recording the books as I read them within the calendar year of 2023. Smart, eh? I thought so! So if you’re curious what I’m reading, read on!

A Wrinkle in Time (Madeline L’Engle)

I’m fairly certain that I read this book in elementary school, but as usual, I’ve been revisiting books from my youth to see if there are any insights that may be different since I’ve matured. If the book was a school assignment, I likely read it only as deeply as I needed to so that I didn’t fail a quiz or enough to write a book report or answer a question in class. So this book, I’m happy to say, was a nice throwback. I’d been reading a lot of bummer stories and so I wanted another palate cleanser. This fit the bill. I am fairly certain I never saw any Christian undertones when I read the book originally, but I sure saw them this time around! I mean, when your author quotes the Bible, it’s a dead giveaway. So that was refreshing! And it was a very creative and provocative story. (Can I just say, I’m also really glad I haven’t watched the recent movie? Fairly certain whatever spiritual values imparted in the book were in some way woke-ified in the movie.)

Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

Unsure how this one fell into my thinking, but it just crawled in there as something I wanted to re-read. Same reasons as above. Had I changed at all since I’d read it before? I’m probably wiser. More appreciative of a good relationship story. And, yes, I was thinking about the ending the whole time because while I’d forgotten many other pieces of the story, the ending was crystal clear many years later.

Go Tell the Bees That I Have Gone (Diana Gabaldon)

This is the 9th book in the series, if you don’t include all the other spin-off books, and I was glad to see Brianna and family BACK in the past. Honestly, I’m writing this so long after I read the book – and after reading several other books – I can barely remember what happened. Leading up to great conflict. I bet that happened. And I’m sure Claire made mention of her amber-colored eyes and crazy hair. She does that a lot.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (Erik Larson)

I’ve read several other Erik Larson books and, while sometimes they feel like a bit of a history book, that IS the point. There is plenty of data gathered from journals, articles, etc. to fill the pages of this dramatization of people and a specific time during World War II. Churchill was quite a character, that’s all I’ll say, and I am always happy to be pulled into “everyday life” when reading about truly tragic and historic events. I always would wonder, “How could they let that happen?” And then you realize, oh. That’s how. I see it now.

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

WHAT an intriguing read! Making books illegal and chasing down readers of books like dogs. Bradbury had some kind of imagination! And then lighting everything on fire! My gosh, how did he come up with these things?? Great read, though. It was on my list of “I keep hearing about this. I should read it.”

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)

Another book that I’d heard the name over and over, but finally sat down to read. Excellent book about the a young girl growing up at the turn of the century. I don’t know why, but I love books like these. She was POOR and did what she had to, but I love the evolution of the story and her family. Definitely a great read.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote)

Okay, I admit it, Holly Golightly was not my favorite character. I didn’t “get” her. I had a hard time getting into this one. I get it. It’s famous. Maybe I just have no taste.

On the Road (Jack Kerouac)

This was a million page slog of, I don’t even know what the purpose of this book is. I did hear “hipster” before this last decade in use, so that was new. But it was just meandering and the characters were meh. I was excited about “Route 66” thinking it would play some major role. It didn’t.

Fairy Tale (Stephen King)

Ok, oddly, I didn’t have any idea what this book would be about – and Stephen King – he’s a horror author right?? So imagine my surprise and delight when I read this book. Creative, chivalrous, and made me shed a few tears along the way. What a refreshing book after On the Road. Highly recommend.

Timeline (Michael Crichton)

This one I started, stopped, picked it up again, stopped. I couldn’t get into it from the get-go, but then tried again. Unfortunately for Mr. Crichton, I also listen to Audiobooks while I walk each day and I’d just finished listening to The Book Thief (Mark Zusak) and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (John Boyne) and even thought Chrichton is a best-selling author it felt the opposite of storytelling – it felt like a “play by play” which is unfair, but the writing was so cut-and-dry compared to the eloquence of Zusak I was once again slogging through it.

Bridge of Clay (Markus Zusak)

Just started this one. Stay tuned. So far, though, it’s like train-of-thought and I’m struggling a bit to keep engaged. High hopes, though. He’s one of my favorite authors. Several weeks later…

Ok I stuck with it and got through. This book felt different than his other books and really the way he formed his sentences and jumped all over the place took a while to get used to. But then when I finally latched on, I was carried along right to the end. I can’t say I loved it as I’ve loved his other books, but I was moved by it and that’s as important as anything.

Silo (Hugh Howey)

I began watching the show, didn’t get past the second or third episode. But I’m well into the first book, Wool, and it’s already veered off from the television series so I like that I have no expectations. I’m only 27% of the way through – I’m guessing – the trilogy, but so far super hooked and engaged.