A couple of years ago now I came up with my Good Intentions Book Tag.  Put bluntly I’m not very good at sticking to resolutions so instead decided to come up with a tag based around the most popular ‘resolutions for this time of year.  Today I’m going to look back at my previous good intentions tags and see how I got along as well as coming up with some new books from my 2023 book list.

This is my Good Intentions Book Tag – this gives me another opportunity to revisit some of the great books I read (mostly during the past year):

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Exercise more : This is a book that is a real chunkster, in fact you will need help to even pick this book up:

The two previous books I came up with were  Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff and Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky.  I’ve actually read both of these books since choosing them.  This year I’m coming up with a book I haven’t started yet but I am keen to get to – Infinity Gate by MR Carey.  This has great reviews and it’s an author that I enjoy so I need to give my head a wobble and get to this one soon.  This one clocks in at just shy of 550 pages so not too daunting.

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Lose weight : A book that is not a chunkster; a short story or novella.  A book you could probably read in one sitting:

For the previous two years I went  Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente and Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse. This year I’m going to choose a book by an author that I’m loving at the moment.  Thornhedge by T Kingfisher.  This is short, sweet and satisfying.

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Eat healthy : A book that is good for you.  This is a book that made you feel so happy that you wanted to give it a big hug:

Previously I chose The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow which I will say, one more time at least, is a beautiful book and  Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson because I just loved it.  This year I’ve chosen Claws and Contrivances by Stephanie Burgis. This story is absolutely delightful and I can’t say enough good things about it.

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Fulfill your ambitions : A book that has a lot going on.  Plenty of different threads, points of views and action but everything eventually comes together in a very satisfactory fashion:

Last year I chose The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley (#1 Ashes of the Unhewn Thrown) and the year before Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandell.  This year I’ve chosen The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers.  I really enjoyed this one  it’s told in two different timelines and it has lots of threads that all come together in a most pleasing fashion.

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Spend more time with the family : A series of books that you love and that has developed more than you ever anticipated:

Previously I posted about the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs and the Stranger Times Series by CK McDonnell. This year I’m choosing a book that was the start of a duology that promises great things and really great characters – Talonsister by Jen Williams.

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Tick off an item from your bucket list : Reduce the tbr.  Choose a book from Mount TBR that you would like to read this year:

Well, so far I’ve failed for two years in a row to catch up with the book I’ve chosen.  So, I think I will choose something else.  I’ve been fancying reading The September House by Carissa Orlando.

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Save money : A book that was an absolute bargain – you would have to be crazy in fact not to have bought this book:

I’ve not bought as many books as usual this year – possibly because I’m so very bad at picking up my own books.  The last book I bought that I’m excited to pick up and was very reasonable for my kindle was Miss Percy’s Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons (A Miss Percy Guide Book #2) by Quenby Olson

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Get Organised : A book with a glossary, maps, useful words, lists of people – this book is one helpful book, it wants you to know ALL the things and it’s not afraid to use footnotes and other devices to help you do so:

Previously I picked  Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke and The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne.  This year I’m going to choose the Emily Wilde books.  I’ve made a start on the second and I’m really enjoying it so far.  These books make use of footnotes to provide useful information about the fae.

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Start a new hobby : A book that is outside your comfort zone.  Perhaps everyone was raving about this book, maybe it was over-hyped, you hesitated to pick it up in fact, but when you did – you loved it:

Finally, a book that is outside of my comfort zone.  To clarify, for the most part I read SFF, I also like to read a little crime/thriller/horror and also some history.  The Maid by Nita Prose.  This is a cozy murder mystery which I don’t tend to really read a lot of but thoroughly enjoyed.  I’ve also read the second book in the series – The Mystery Guest and loved that too.

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That’s my top ten Good Intentions Book Tag for 2023.