End of the Year Book Tag: 2023 Edition

Another year past, another end of the year wrap up to start getting into! This is my favorite time of the year on my blog where I get to wrap-up a bunch of fun things from this year and look ahead to the next year. It always kicks off with the End of the Year Book Tag. This is my fifth year doing it and it's one of the tags that I enjoy every time. Let's go ahead and dive in! 

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1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I've not started and DNF-ed any books that I want to finish but there are a few series I want to continue with before the year is over. First, I want to finish my reread of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I've gotten through Queen of Shadows and I've started Empire of Storms. It's so much fun being back in this world and with these characters. It truly feels like returning home.

I also want to continue reading the Ironside Academy by Jane Washington. Jane is one of my favorite indie authors and this is her newest book series. I've read the first book and loved it. The sequel came out a few months ago and the third book just came out a few days ago. I'm so excited to continue with more in this world and I've heard nothing but great things about the second and third books. I'm hoping to binge them all in one go after I finish the Throne of Glass series. 

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2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I always think that fantasy books are the perfect fall and winter books. There's a few on my TBR for the rest of the month but I'm pretty excited about hopefully getting to One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. I've known about this book since it came out but it seems like it hit a popularity surge this year and I've heard nothing but good things about it. I just feel like this has the perfect autumn/winter fantasy reading vibes. 

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3. Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross is probably my last confirmed release that I'm anticipating for the year. It comes out in the US in December but in the UK in January so it's technically one that I'm excited for this year and next. I might not get to read it until January but I'm very much looking forward to it. 

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

I want to get to Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon, and Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman. I've heard great things about the first two and I absolutely love Heartstopper so I'm really excited to see how the story continues.  

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5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

Any book could shock me at this point as all of my TBR for the rest of the year are ones that I'm highly anticipating. It could be The Hurricane Wars or Emily Wilde's or One Dark Window or Sauter or Foul Heart Huntsman or a random book I decide to pick up on a whim. Any one of them could surprise me and become a favorite. 

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6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2024?

You bet I have! I have some books scheduled in various months throughout the year to coincide with the releases I'm most excited for. I am very excited as a bunch of my most anticipated releases are coming in the first few months of the year. I'm not going to set a number goal for the year but I do have some goals planned around series and my backlist TBR. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Spooky Season Readathon TBR

It's now September and that means it's spooky season! It doesn't matter if it's still hot outside or that I'm still in dresses and sitting with a million fans around me. September means spooky season and spooky season means spooky books! This is my favorite time of year (September-December) and I can't wait to dive into all the witchy and spooky books I've been saving for this time. I doubt I'm going to get through all of these books this season but here are a bunch that I'm interested in reading during this spooky season...

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Up first is The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling. This is the sequel/spin-off/companion book to The Ex Hex which was one of my favorite reads of 2021. This sequel came out last year but I was so stressed during last autumn that I didn't get around to it despite my excitement for it. The first book was like a spooky romcom with such great setting and vibes. I loved it so much and I'm just excited to be back in this town and with a rivals-to-lovers storyline. 

Then I want to pickup Payback's A Witch by Lana Harper. This is a sapphic(?) witchy romcom that has been on my tbr since 2021 and I'm determined that this is going to be the year that I finally get to it. I don't know too much about it, all I know is there's queer-ness and I think a competition or something? I'm all for that. Plus, one of my family read it and loved it so I'm even more eager to get to this one. 

Up next is The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. I have been wanting to read this since it came out last year but didn't get to it during the spooky season. I've been eagerly waiting for spooky season to come back around so that I could get to this. All I really know is there's romance but it's also apparently the perfect cozy fantasy vibes. 

Then we have One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. I know hardly anything about the actual plot but it's been getting pretty popular on tiktok and bookstagram so I've been thinking about it quite a bit lately. There's a girl with a monster in her head? And a potential romance? I'm in. Plus, the sequel comes out in October so if I love it then I can immediately dive into that one! 

Then I want to get to Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. I've been excited for this since it came out and I've had a copy for a year now. The sequel just came out and I think it's about time for me to finally read it as it's been on the top of my TBR for a while. All I really know is there's a mystery, a girl who can't die, and Death as an actual character. If that doesn't sound like the perfect book for spooky season then I don't know what is. 

Up next is A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley. All I know about this is it's a witchy romcom between a witch and a legendary demon. Sounds like the perfect spooky recipe to me. I'm not a big horror fan so spooky but comedic movies and books are perfect for me and this sounds right in that category. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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