I saw this on a couple of blogs last week and thought it’d make a good one for me to do. But when I went back to check so I could link to them, I could only find the entry at Biblio Nerd Reflections. Sorry to whoever else inspired me, I didn’t mean to ignore you, but I apparently did.
Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?
The only things that really fit here are my project reads—The Existence and Attributes of God: Updated and Unabridged by Stephen Charnock and A Mystery Revealed: 31 Meditations on the Trinity by Ryan McGraw—books that I’ve scheduled my reading to finish on December 31. Hopefully, everything else gets wrapped up before then. I don’t get too worked up about that kind of thing, but I appreciate making a clean start on January 1.
Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?
Nope. I don’t get this kind of thinking—I know a lot of people do read seasonally, and more power to ’em! My brain doesn’t really work that way. I read Christmas-related ARCs in July, I could (but probably haven’t) read a book about a Summer Vacation in the dead of winter. So, basically whatever book I happen to be reading on December 21 will be my transition book.
Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?
As far as I know (which isn’t very far), the only two that I’m waiting for are Mike Lupica’s Spenser debut in Robert B. Parker’s Broken Trust and the next Bill Smith/Lydia Chin book, The Mayors of New York by S. J. Rozan. But I could easily be forgetting something.
Also, depending on when I decide to post this, the Lupica book could already be out.
What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?
There are five books that I’ve mentioned on previous tags/lists that I haven’t finished yet. I’m picking three of those (because I’m pretty sure that I’ll get to the other two without calling them out). The Moonshine Messiah by Russell W. Johnson, Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman, and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson Lancaster.
* The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss and The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher
Is there a book you think that could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?
Absolutely. Pretty much anything I pick up between now and 12/31. Sure, I don’t expect The Secret by the Child brothers will be it—that would be a shock for sure. But otherwise, I hold out hope for almost every book. As I’m still not sure what I’m going to read over the next month, I hesitate to mention a likely nominee (although Rothfulss and Butcher have to be in the running).
Have you already started making reading plans for 2024?
I have indeed. And stopped. And started again. And stopped again. I didn’t do a great job with my goals for 2023, so I’m hesitant to commit to much for next year. I’m also trying to figure out how much I want to plan ahead at the moment—it might be a time to lean into whimsy and clearing off my shelves. And polishing off the 2023 plans that didn’t get accomplished.
* How un-great is still TBD.
As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.
Bob Germaux
The Lupica Spenser book came out today, H.C. I bought it first thing this morning. Not sure when I’ll get to it. I’m expecting it to be good (based on how well Lupica did the Sunny Randall books), so I’ll probably savor it for a while, maybe read it over the holidays.
HCNewton
Yeah, my copy should be arriving momentarily. I doubt I’ll savor it. I tend to wolf those down in a sitting or two and then wonder how I’m going to wait for the next one.
Bob Germaux
Your comment reminded me of something that happened decades ago H.C., when we got just one Parker book a year, the newest Spenser, which usually was released in May or June. This was very early in the series (I don’t remember the specific book), but it came out the day Cynthia and I left school for our summer vacation. We stopped at, I think, a Borders and saw that the new Spenser had just been put out on the New Releases table. We grabbed it and took it home. That night, at around ten, I settled down in the rocker/recliner in our den, intending to read just the first few chapters. Of course, that never happened. Cynthia said good night to me about an hour later . . . and I ended up reading the entire book over the next few hours, at which point I realized I had another 365 or so days before another Spenser would appear. From then on, I tried to stretch those boys out, which wasn’t easy. Anyway, thanks for the memory tug. Cynthia and I enjoyed it.
HCNewton
Absolutely something I’d do–which is why I no longer let myself read “just the first few chapters.” Stuff like a new Parker (when those happened) doesn’t get opened until I’m prepared to polish it off at the soonest opportunity. 🙂
HCNewton
…so it took a good amount of will-power, but I put Broken Trust down at pg. 103 so I could accomplish something tonight. I easily could’ve kept going for a few more hours and finished it. Best thing I’ve read from Lupica.