RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Like I have done for the last few years, I am setting my goal at 52 books read in 2023. As usual, I'm not really going to focus on the QUANTITY of books because I want to try to focus more on the QUALITY of my reads.

In the posts below over the next few days I will list some of my upcoming reads in the following genres/categories:
- General Fiction/Classics
- Non-Fiction
- Mystery/Crime/Thrillers
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- Horror
- Short Stories

In my 2022 thread, I'll be summarizing my reads for the year 2022. I will break down each of the categories above and name my favorite read in each, along with my favorite read of the year. I will also list the new (to me) authors I read for the first time this year.

If you see similarities in our tastes, feel free to send a friend request.

[Lisa]

Looking forward to seeing how his evolves through the year :) I'm always intrigued to see what you read throughout the year.

Best of luck with your challenge in 2023, Randy.
Happy New Year!

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Lisa wrote: "Looking forward to seeing how his evolves through the year :) I'm always intrigued to see what you read throughout the year.

Best of luck with your challenge in 2023, Randy.
Happy New Year!"

Thank you Lisa! Happy New Year to you as well. :)

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

GENERAL FICTION/CLASSICS in 2023:

Last year I was able to, with the help of some group reads, read some classics that I have been wanting to read for a long time. Although it's too early to say what group reads might be part of my 2023 reads, here are some of the General Fiction/Classics reads that I hope to finish in 2023:


Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho


Nutcracker and Mouse King and the Tale of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas


Catch-22 by Joseph Heller


Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories by Truman Capote


If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino


On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev


Jazz by Toni Morrison


Martin Eden by Jack London


Andrea by John O'Hara


Kolyma Stories by Varlam Shalamov


Vathek by William Beckford

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

NON-FICTION IN 2023:

Last year I didn't finish many Non-Fiction books, partially because two of the Non-Fiction books I was reading (the first two below) are big fat doorstops that aren't quick reads, although both are very good.

Here are some of the Non-Fiction books I hope to finish in 2023 not sure I'm going to get to them all):


Asimov's Chronology of the World by Isaac Asimov


Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson


Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand


The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown


A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson


Basin and Range by John McPhee


Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors by Stephen E. Ambrose

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

MYSTERY/CRIME/SUSPENSE IN 2023:

I read more in this genre than any other. In general, I'm continuing series that I already started or following authors that I like but I do read new series/authors occasionally, usually along with group reads.

Mystery/Crime/Suspense books I hope to read in 2023 include:


The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr


To Die in California by Newton Thornburg


The Quiet American by Graham Greene


The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley


The Cartel by Don Winslow


Mischief by Charlotte Armstrong


Vanish in an Instant by Margaret Millar


Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin


The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes


The Burglar by David Goodis


Greenmantle by John Buchan


The Deep Blue Good-By by John D. MacDonald


Triple by Ken Follett


Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers


The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett


The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

FANTASY IN 2023

The Fantasy genre includes some of my earliest reads and some of my all-time favorites. This year I will continue with series I have been reading and slip in a couple stand-alone stories as well.

Fantasy books I hope to finish in 2023 include:


The Road to Amber by Roger Zelazny


The Princess Bride by William Goldman


Kull: Exile of Atlantis by Robert E. Howard


Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett


The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft


Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik


Delirium's Mistress by Tanith Lee

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

SCIENCE FICTION IN 2023:

Was there a slight uptick in my Science-Fiction reading in 2022, and can that trend continue in 2023? Let's hope so. Some of the previous years have been fairly bleak for this genre. I'll be focusing on continuing with series and authors I've been following and hopefully, like last year, I'll find time to add in some group reads as well.

Science-Fiction books I hope to complete in 2023 include:


The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers


Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugatsky


The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter


Sundiver by David Brin


Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card


Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi


Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams


Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler


A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge


Broken Angels by Richard K. Morgan

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

HORROR IN 2023:

Hoping to get this genre back on track in 2023 after a slightly down year in 2022, I will again build my reading around Stephen King and Clive Barker, with some other authors and group reads thrown in.

Horror books I hope to finish in 2023 include:


Intensity by Dean Koontz


The Damnation Game by Clive Barker


The Wolf's Hour by Robert McCammon


The Witching Hour by Anne Rice


Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist


Night Shift by Stephen King


The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

SHORT STORIES IN 2023:

I do enjoy short story collections and anthologies, and I usually find a lot to like in this category. I'm working on a couple big volumes right now (the first two below) but hope to fit some others in this year.

Short Story Collections/Anthologies I hope to read in 2023:


The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 edited by Robert Silverberg


The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe


The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume II A edited by Ben Bova


The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

CURRENT READS

I'm starting 2023 reading these books (listed in order of expected finish):


The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr


To Die in California by Newton Thornburg


Catch-22 by Joseph Heller


Nutcracker and Mouse King and The Tale of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas


The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers


Intensity by Dean Koontz


Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho


The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter


The Road to Amber by Roger Zelazny


Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson


The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 edited by Robert Silverberg


The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe


Asimov's Chronology of the World by Isaac Asimov

[Lisa]

Happy New Year :)
Great book selection as usual. I'm hoping to get to some of them myself this year. Like Catch 22 and some Italo Calvino, just not in January :D I might've overreached - woops. Also for Toni Morrison, I'm planning to pick up Sula.

Can't wait to see your thoughts and ratings on the ones you're currently reading.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Lisa wrote: "Happy New Year :)
Great book selection as usual. I'm hoping to get to some of them myself this year. Like Catch 22 and some Italo Calvino, just not in January :D I might've overreached - woops. Als..."

Thanks Lisa! I hope you have a terrific 2023 :-)

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#1 and #2 in 2023:

I finished my first two books of the year this weekend, both in the Mystery/Crime/Thriller genre:


To Die in California by Newton Thornburg
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second book in the Cartel series - I gave the first one (The Power of the Dog) five stars so hopefully this one is just as good:


The Cartel by Don Winslow

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#3 in 2023:

I finished this small collection of the two short stories that inspired the Nutcracker ballet which has become a Christmas classic:


Nutcracker and Mouse King and The Tale of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#4 in 2023:

I finished an addition to my All Time Favorites


Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the Russian Cold-War Era Science-Fiction classic:


Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugatsky

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#5 in 2023:

I finished the very likeable "Cozy Sci-Fi" book


The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories by Truman Capote

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#6 in 2023:

I finished the Soviet Sci-Fi classic:


Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugatsky
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading:


The Quiet American by Graham Greene

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#7 in 2023:

I finished the short story collection


Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories by Truman Capote
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#8 and #9 in 2023:

Capping off a relaxing weekend, I finished the thriller


Intensity by Dean Koontz
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I also finished


Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I started re-reading this re-telling of the Faustian tale


The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

and I also started reading


On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#10 in 2023:

I finished Graham Greene's novel set in Vietnam in the early 1950s


The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#11 in 2023:

I finished a highly celebrated Hard-Boiled mystery


The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started the first book in the Uplift series


Sundiver by David Brin

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#12 in 2023:

I finished my second 5-star read of the year, the middle book in Don Winslow's Cartel trilogy:


The Cartel by Don Winslow
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the deliciously trashy 50s pulp novel:


Tiger by the Tail by James Hadley Chase

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#13 in 2023:

I finished reading the final volume of the complete collection of stories by Roger Zelazny


The Road to Amber by Roger Zelazny
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and, inconceivably, I started reading


The Princess Bride by William Goldman

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#14 in 2023:

I finished the estate-authorized sequel to The Time Machine by H.G. Wells


The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading one of those books that it seems like everyone but me has already read


The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#15 in 2023:

I finished the postmodernest of postmodern novels


If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#16 in 2023:

I finished the trashy fun 1950s pulp crime novel


Tiger by the Tail by James Hadley Chase
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Father and Son by Larry Brown

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#17 in 2023:

I finished the classic short novel by a Russian literary master


On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second book in the Beloved trilogy:


Jazz by Toni Morrison

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#18 in 2023:

I finished the semi-autobiographical novel


The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#19 in 2023:

I finished


Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Red Rising by Pierce Brown

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#20 in 2023:

I finished the Southern Noir/Grit Lit novel


Father and Son by Larry Brown
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading a 1950s thriller that was the basis for the Marilyn Monroe film Don't Bother to Knock


Mischief by Charlotte Armstrong

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#21 in 2023:

I finished the allegorical novella


The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading*


Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

*after taking a small break first to read the short story Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#22 in 2023:

I finished the MASSIVE Pulitzer Prize-winning single-volume history of the American Civil War


Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading a book that probably everyone but me has already read, or maybe it just seems that way


Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#23 in 2023:

I finished the disappointing first installment in the Uplift Saga


Sundiver by David Brin
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#24 in 2023:

I finished the domestic suspense classic


Mischief by Charlotte Armstrong
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The 10:30 From Marseille AKA The Sleeping Car Murders by Sébastien Japrisot

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#25 in 2023:

I finished the mother of all high seas pirate adventure books:


Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the short novel


The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

50% DONE!

#26 in 2023:

I finished the French thriller


The 10:30 From Marseille (AKA The Sleeping Car Murders) by Sébastien Japrisot
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Vanish in an Instant by Margaret Millar

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#27 in 2023:

I finished the second book in the "Beloved trilogy:"


Jazz by Toni Morrison
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Martin Eden by Jack London

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#28 in 2023:

I finished the short novel


The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading another short classic novel


Summer by Edith Wharton

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#29 in 2023:

I finished another short novel, this one an update of - or response to - The Horror at Red Hook by H.P. Lovecraft:


The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Although The Horror at Red Hook is not one of Lovecraft's best stories, and it is brewing over with hateful xenophobia and racism, I would still recommend reading it first in order to fully appreciate La Valle's story.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#30 in 2023:

I finished


The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading more Sword and Sorcery tales by the creator of Conan the Barbarian


Kull: Exile of Atlantis by Robert E. Howard

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#31 in 2023:

I finished reading an excellent murder mystery


Vanish in an Instant by Margaret Millar
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second installment in the City Blues Quartet


Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

And I gave up on the Young-Adult borefest


Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Rating: 1 star (did not finish)
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

so I could finally start reading the "original" Star Wars "Legends" trilogy


Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#32 in 2023:

I finished the novella


Summer by Edith Wharton
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading "that book by Nabokov"


Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#33 in 2023:

I also finished


Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I started reading the novella


Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#34 in 2023:

I finished Clive Barker's first novel, the Faustian homage


The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The Wolf's Hour by Robert R. McCammon

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#35 in 2023:

I finished "that book by Nabokov"


Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#36 and #37 in 2023:

I finished Edith Wharton's beloved short novel


Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I also finished the second book in the City Blues Quartet


Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading (but I've never seen the film)


Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

#38 in 2023:

I finished


The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the Pulitzer-Prize winner


The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara