My Bookish New Years Resolutions

It's that (often) dreaded time of year again, where we sit in a state of socially forced reflection and look back, through a critical lense, on the past tweleve months of our lives. We flee towards our highlights, briefly indulging in the few moments we allow ourselves to be proud of before seeping into a faux paralectic manner, telling ourselves we have let ourselves down. We haven't acheived enough, we haven't been as motivated as we should have been. We haven't acheived enough, seen enough new places, made enough new friends et cetera. Whilst there is an argument to be had surrounding the tension between toxicity versus culturally acceptable criticism, I decideed it may be a smart move to compartmentalise my resolutions into sub-categories relating to my hobbies. That way, it's less of a 'challenge' or a 'goal' and more of a dedicated period devoted to direction I'd be taking anyway.

Here are a list of books I hope to get to in 2023. Sister, Outsider, Audre Lorde I read small snippets of this work whilst writing my dissertation for my Masters degree a couple of years ago and remember feeling incredibly awed by it's contents. Why then did I not push through and read the entire thing at the time? Sis, I was knackered. This experience and voice is one I am really eager to step into but I feel like I need to be in a space mentally where I can donate the energy to this book that it truly deserves. It's not really one you can skim through in a stage of burn out. I feel like this is a huge book and one that is fundemental in every feminist's journey. The House With The Golden Door, Elodie Harper One of my highlights this year was starting my book club back in March (Read Between The Wines) and by far our most successful session was when we meet around International Women's Day to discuss the first installment in this trilogy, The Wolf Den. If you're not familiar, this series follows Amara and her experience of being sold, by her own mother, into a life of slavery within the brothels of Pompeii. I picked up a signed copy of the second installment and I can't WAIT to see how Amara's life and the lives of the women around her ae unfolding.

Middlemarch, George Elliot I try and read a few classics a year. Partially as an obligation I feel as both an avid reader and an employee of the publishing industry. Partially because I genuinely adore a handful of classics my eyes have graces the pages of. As we all know, it's always a bit of a gamble with classics as I feel like the classic can either have the power to revolutionise your perspective and enrich your life or, it can be almost soul sucking and feel like a waste of a reading experience. There's something about that gamble I find thrilling. Middlemarch has been sitting on my sheleves for a good number of years now and I think it's probably about time I showed it the love it likely deserves. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee This one has made the lost simply due to two factors; I have been craving a chunky book to get my teeth really stuck into and this is one meaty boy that looks to be less depressing than A Little Life. The second and more prominent reason; I have never seen a single bad review about this book. Not on goodreads, bookshop websites, Booktok, Bookstgram, nothing! I know a few people personally who have read this one who have gone as far as to claim it was their favourite book of the year. Surely, that's a compelling enough argument to justify it's spot on this list. I'm not entirely sure what it's about but I'm very much looking forward to finding out.

Mrs Death, Salena Godden From what I understand from picking this bookk up on a whim is that this book is narrated by Death herself. Not only has she been personified but she is a woman. It spans the relationship between Mrs Death and the first person to witness death first hand...which happens much later than you'd imagine. But hey, I doubt plausability is the point here. Admittedly, I did start this one and then lost it somewhere in my room so I need to dig that back out and properly commit. Literally anything written by Elif Shafak Shafak is one writer who has been on my radar since her novel 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds In This Strange World was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. I've got into the habit of always looking up her books and fantasising over reading them but for whatever reason, I clearly see myself as unworthy of those reading experiences. I've been given some advice lately that I need to get better at self-care so one way I'd like to start with that is by breaking the habit I've formed of frolicking around my local bookshops, picking her books up, taking them for a walk across the floors in the shop and then putting them back on the shelves. Writers and Lovers, Lily King Lily King is another writer I have been watching from afar for probably three years or so. I have wanted this particular book of King's since before it's release. It's storyline incorporates themes of growth, reflection, loss. All things I currently resonate with remarkably and wish to indulge in, climb further into and explore the depths of. In my mind, this is a slightly more grown up version of Rooney's Normal People, which I adored. I'm not too sure what has been holding me back from this but, I won't be restrained much longer, I promise. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller I was gifted a BEAUTIFUL anniversary edition of this title last Christmas and again, have never heard a bad word about it. Other than it single handedly destroying people emotionally I guess. A few years back I read Circe and thought it was stunning, this is sort of it's older sister in a way and the trend of looking at women;s stories in Greek Mythology has become HUGE. I feel like I can't call myself a reader for much longer if this story isn't in my repertoire. It's almost a right of passage to read this one and shed a million tears over it.

Lapnova, Otttessa Moshfegh My love affair and jealousy of this women will never end. I'll follow her career forever. She is dark, vexing, exciting, repelling, endearing and brilliant. I have a ravenous desire to consume every word she writes. One of my favourite writers. Chef's kiss. I must have more. I am your Annie Wilkes. The Collector, John Fowles Another dark one, another classic one. Some reading patterns always emerge. This one follows a creepy, scary man being creepy and scary, written, from my understanding in a creepy and scary way. I want to feel chills down my spine, I want to feel deathly afraid of a book, without picking up another Stephen King. I feel an inexplicable pull to this one. I feel like i'll love it and hate it and won't be able to stop thinking about it. I always respect a writer who can make the words float of the page and plant terrifying roots in your brain. It's a very special ability and the mark of a masterful writer, in my opinion.

Honourable mentions (if budget allows); -Best Of Friends,Kamila Shamise -The Death of Francis Bacon, Max Porter -The Bread The Deveil Knead, Lisa Allen-Agostini -The Years, Annie Ernaux -The Piano Teacher, Elfriede Jelinek There you have it. I'll update you as the year unfolds.