Hello!

I have been reflecting on my reading and planning for the rest of the year as I am trying to finish off some challenges. I figured the End of Year Book tag would be a perfect place to reflect on these end of year plans.

This tag was originally created by booktuber, Ariel Bissett.

So without further ado, lets get onto the questions!

Are there any books you’ve started this year that you need to finish?

I have two books which I’ve started and really need to finish before the end of the year and they are The Road of Bones by Demi Winter and His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler.

The Road of Bones is a ARC that I did start and think it is going to be interesting but I wasn’t in the mood for it at the time — the curse of the mood reader. This is the start of a new fantasy series which looks like it’s been heavily inspired by Viking/Norse culture and history. I have enjoyed what I’ve read so far.

I picked this one up during October with all my Halloween reads. It’s a short story collection which include 13 retellings of Edgar Allan Poe’s works alongside the original tales. I am a massive fan of Poe but haven’t read any of his work in a while. I think I will dip in and out of this collection as the year goes on and use it as a palate cleanser between books.

Do you have any autumnal book to transition into the end of the year

Given that we are moving into Summer here there isn’t any autumnal books I have on my TBR. In terms of a book that would work to get me into the summer mood, I think Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey is a perfect pick. This is the second book duet and features a friends to lover romance set in a small sea side town. I loved the first book so I have high hopes for this one.

Is there any new releases you are still waiting for?

Two releases I am super excited for are The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater and Shadowed Obsession by Penelope Black.

I read all of Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales series this year and I completely adored them. These romances are so sweet. I loved the whimsical magic system and it felt so much like tradition fairy tales. All I know about The Witchwood Knot is that it’s the first book in Atwater’s new series which is get in Victorian England so I am hoping for some dark faerie vibes.

The ending of the first book, Moonlit Temptation, blew my mind and ended on the biggest cliffhanger so I am dying to figure out what is going to happen to Evangeline and St. James guys. This is a small town, why choose romances which features a MC and I just need to know where the story goes.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Apart from the books I’ve started, I would love to get to A War of Ruin and Reckoning by Lana Pecherczyk, Infernium by Keri Lake and The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. And if I do read these I will be up to date or have completed some more series, which is always a win!

If there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?

I am sure there are some books that could become a favourite of the year. The first books that come to mind are Burn the Stars and Wake the Gods by Elisha Kemp. This is book 2 and 3 of her Dying Gods series. I finished the first book in October and loved it. This series follows Adrienne who has been sent Santorini, a small Greek Island, to spend her summer before college with her absent mother. Despite being forced to spend the summer away, Adrienne is determined to make the best out of her holiday. What she doesn’t expect to time travel to the Bronze Age. I am a sucker for a time travel story and am interested to see what happens next.

Have you already started making reading plans for next year?

Yes and no. I have already started to set up my reading journal for 2024 (see below a spread that I am stupidly proud of. I will use this spread to track the books I’ve read from my physical TBR)

The only other planning I’ve done for next year is that I have created a priority TBR for 2024 and I’ll have a post coming soon about it. ButI haven’t mapped out all of the reading challenges I want to take part in or which will be my priority series I would like to finish. I do know that next year I want to focus more on tracking how many series I am starting, continuing and finishing each month. To help me track it I’ve created a new spread in my journal, which I’m excited about.

I would also like to make some progress of my Psy-Changeling reread. This is my all time favourite series so I want to be back in this world and with this characters. I would also like to write reviews for each book.

That’s all for me today. Comment down below and let me know which 2023 releases you are hoping to get to before the end of the year.

Until next time, happy reading!

Dearna