December 2023 - Monthly Wrap-up

 

Hi, everyone!

 

What a typical December!! Lots of activities, visits, and family time. As expected, my reading was down. I always TRY to remember that it is not a contest or a chore, but personal reading is for joy and pleasure!

So as of today, I am closing out my reading blog for 2023. Also, I will be off social media from December 20, 2023, to January 2, 2024. I will be back on January 3, 2024, trying to remember to write 2024 not 2023 on my checks AND reading new books!!

 

INAUGURAL BEST BOOK OF 2023

THIRTEEN books were vying for booksbydorothea Best Book of 2023.

• The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende (May)
• Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See (June)
• How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (July)
• A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power (August)
• The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (August)
• Evergreen (Japantown Mystery #2) by Naomi Hirahara (August)
• The Women by Kristin Hannah (September)
• After Annie by Anna Quindlen (September)
• Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki (October)
• The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok (October)
• Making It So by Patrick Stewart (October) audiobook
• Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner (November)
• Being Henry by Henry Winkler (November) audiobook

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a Best Book of 2023 candidate in December. Hopefully, 2024 will be another fantastic book year!!

As you may have read previously in my blog, my booksbydorothea INAUGURAL Book of the Year 2023 is:

How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair REVIEW

 

Of these thirteen BEST books, only one made it to the Goodreads Choice Awards 2023. Congratulations to Henry Winkler, who was awarded Best Humor. It was a great audiobook and Henry is a great narrator!

Being Henry by Henry Winkler REVIEW

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

My Goodreads reading goal kept increasing in 2023! In May, it increased from 50 to 60 books; in September, it increased from 60 to 80 books; and in October, it increased from 80 to 100 books! T

The final number: 94 books out of 100 books GOAL. Only 6 shy of my yearly goal which I increased THREE times!! Yeah, ME!!

For 2024, my goal will be 100 from the very start!!!

 

DECEMBER STATISTICS:

4 total books

1 e-books; 3 audiobooks

0 books were an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

3 books were library books (0 ebooks; 3 audiobooks)

0 books were purchased ebooks

1 book was an Amazon First Reads

0 books were a gifted physical book

Audio listening time in December: 25 hours, 35 minutes

Pages read in December: 31 pages

 

DECEMBER BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star books (0)

4.5-star books (0)

4.0-star books (3)

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe audiobook REVIEW

Dying of Politeness by Geena Davis audiobook REVIEW

Two Women Walk Into A Bar by Cheryl Stayed ebook REVIEW

3.5-star book (0)

3.0-star books (1)

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry audiobook REVIEW

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review posts for each e-book or audiobook below the picture of the book. You can click on the specific book link to get to that book review!! 

 

Happy holidays 🎅 and Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. For more information about my book ratings, you can find out more HERE.