We're halfway through the year, and I've read books!

Now, I don't want to curse my reading stint because it is going rather well for me at the moment, but I have read a lot so far this year!

A lot isn't much in the grand scheme of things; after all, we all have that friend on Goodreads who sometimes manages to read 250 books by the end of the year despite having a full-time job and other commitments. The goal is to read as much as I can, no matter how small that is, depending on my circumstances.

I started my PhD in January, and reading is a huge part of that (thank goodness, because I love reading!). Reading as a form of studying, research and form a greater understanding of my own topic has meant that I've read much more by this point in the year than I normally have.

Last year during my gap year, I read 33 books, a little below average for my typical reading year.However, with PhD-ing and general bookish curiosity this year, I've read 26 books out of my goal of 40! Assuming that I hit my target of 40 books, I will most certainly be pushing beyond that too, but in the meantime, I feel like celebrating what so far has been an excellent reading year.

Many people on the Internet do the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag, but some of the questions don't fit with my reading habits and patterns, so I'm going to take a few of the questions and answer them instead.

Favourite Book So Far This Year?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is still at the top of the list come December, but the first book I read this year was A Woman's World by Dan Jones and Marina Amaral, and I adored it. This was a birthday present quickly devoured, and I spent hour upon hour pouring over the pages, in awe of the amazing women I was discovering and seeing familiar faces in a digitally recoloured light. It is an extraordinary volume that I will always treasure, not least because it taught me so much about the world and celebrated the women who had been forgotten by history.

Biggest Disappointment?

Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier was the biggest disappointment I could have anticipated. The blurb matched my tastes, as did the opening chapters, but from there, the book slowly slid downhill. Whilst the premise is fantastic, this is the perfect example of an unintentionally disjointed narrative trying to do too many things at once and ultimately leaving the reader more in the dark than they were at the start. It was my first Chevalier, but it certainly won't be my last, as I have high hopes for her other work!

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of 2023?

It has to be Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman. I started reading Heartstopper in 2018 when it was primarily on Tapas, and I instantly fell in love. Its warm illustrations and gentle yet powerful storytelling make these books the perfect graphic novels. Like any Heartstopper fan, I am so excited to inhale the next volume in the series!

Biggest Surprise?

This is tough, but I may have to go with Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido. I'd never heard of Trapido until my supervisor recommended her work to me. Although I read this in February, there are still many moments where I find the characters from this novel whirring about in my head. Witty and littered with cultural references, this book from the 1980s is a modern classic that should be celebrated far more than it is!

What have you loved most so far this year? What's been your favourite book of 2023?