My Blog Vision for 2023

Here we stand at the threshold of another brand new year. I still maintain that leaving a breadcrumb trail of books we read in the form of feedback and impressions is a helpful and generous gesture. I often track down a book based on curiosity aroused by someone else's review, so returning the favour suits me fine. 

Furthermore, I'm convinced our diligent reading pays off for our own benefit. It's the perfect time of year to compare ourselves to some very illustrious role models; the Magi, aka Three Wise Men. These insightful strangers had their own low-key and patient study to thank for guiding them quietly to the ultimate treasure. Contrary to what Sunday School lessons and Christmas card pictures may have us believe, that star wasn't as in-your-face as a beacon or foolproof as a GPS. If that was the case, Herod and his assassins could've followed it to the Holy family in the exact same way. Nope, those Wise Men read, studied and contemplated their way to the stable in Bethlehem. In a similar manner (forgive me if you think I'm straining the analogy) the a-ha moments we get from reading good books lead us to our own mini epiphanies. I can honestly declare that input from other people's great minds, found in books helps me to keep my own moods on an even keel. Why stop a good thing?

With that, here's my wrap-up and plans for this year.   

 A highlight of 2022 was my Trixie Belden Marathon, giving me even more nostalgic feels than I anticipated from the outset. It was a refreshing treat to hang out with the Bob Whites again and re-reading all 38 I own back to back was a blast. It even highlighted several fun inconsistencies, which I enjoyed swooping down on. For this year's reading marathon I'm making a start on the Glad Books, aka the Pollyanna series, which I've finally collected all of, after forty years of frustration. There are 14 of them which I'll feature every two or three weeks.

I intend to keep reading the occasional tome, or walloping thick classic. I'll probably fit in two of these bricks at the most. Last year I tackled Dombey and Son which was a struggle, and Gone with the Wind which I loved more than I ever anticipated. Given my appreciation of several of Dickens' other works, I expected it to be the other way around, but isn't this how it is with reading? Sometimes our expectations are turned bottom side up. Yet I'm not unhappy to disagree with other reviewers who loved old Dombey, because differences are interesting. All we can do is try to express our views and justify our own positions as clearly as possible. I had the brainwave with Gone with the Wind to break my thoughts into quarterly sections; something that should've occurred to me long ago. I wish I'd thought of staggering War and Peace and Middlemarch. Oh well, we live and learn. 

I'm keen to keep reading some of the bestselling fiction and non-fiction titles from the last 90 years or so. My social media news feed once delivered a list of these, starting from 1930 and ending at 2017, which I'm taking advantage of. I already had some ticked off from long ago.

Plowing through the stack of unread books on my shelves is also a priority, since my household is facing another lean year financially. Both my husband and I are still studying at Tabor College, so won't have space or money for new books. I decided to undertake the TBR 23 in '23 challenge, by Gilion C Dumas at Rose City Reader. We simply read 23 books we already have on hand clogging up our shelves. I certainly have more than enough unread books to fit the brief. I'll just mention that I won't hesitate to DNF books I'm not liking, but will replace them with other unread titles to make up the number. Life is short and there are too many good books to persevere with baddies.

I still have my share of other books on hold at the local library. Finding a message that one has arrived for collection always give me a rush of adrenaline. This year, I'm waiting on a trio of recently published memoirs which sound quite juicy. There is Matthew Perry's, Tom Felton's and Prince Harry's. I wonder how soon they'll come, as there must be a backlog of other readers waiting for their turn too. 

I wonder if I dare indulge myself by including some of my own short writing on this blog from time to time. I'm studying for my Masters in Creative Writing and Communication. Posting the occasional fiction story or creative non-fiction assignment I've worked hard on might be fun.

Finally, a hearty thanks to everyone who engages with my book chat, either here on over on Instagram. Recently some anonymous blog visitor commented, 'What a sorry load of crap,' which needless to say, I did not approve. That sort of feedback is more than compensated for by people willing for a good discussion. Please do subscribe to my feed on the toolbar to get an email notification with each new post, so you don't miss any. They will rarely be more than weekly. Last year I scheduled my posts for Fridays, to give followers something to read for the weekend. This year I'll give Thursdays a try instead, since some people have suggested a good read on the eve of Friday itself might hit the spot even better.

Thanks in advance for more fun reading and good chats.