Series I want to focus on for the rest of 2023
Introduction
My reading year has been quite good for me so far and, just thinking about it, makes me smile. Yet, this is not without its limitations; I read a lot but I am not doing great in relation to my original goals. Granted, they were and are soft goals (so I do not feel too much of the pressure from not sticking to them) but it still feels like a shortcoming. This review process is helpful for me: understanding why I am not doing great is just insightful (I will have a post later in the year on reflections on my reading year and what are the current improvements for me).
Putting the more demanding version of myself aside, let’s look at the next few months (we are about 4 months away from the end of the year, time just flies by). I have changed a few things from my original plan as there are a few Fantasy Buddy Reads (it is a very diverse group and very inclusive; if you are looking for a safe place to interact with people on fantasy reads, this might be a nice place to start!) happening in the next weeks hat are highly interesting for me.
I see my plan has one major flaw: I do not have enough women in fantasy in this list and I have already committed myself to have women in fantasy as my pillar for 2024 but I am getting ahead of myself.
Long series
Let’s start with long series. There are only two of them: the first is The Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky; I read four books so far and I might be able to complete the series in the next months. I will probably make this series a priority so (i) I can feel accomplished for finishing a longer series (and I need these wins too) and (ii) I can focus on new series in 2024!
The other series is The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, although I might only add two books and continue reading it next year, slowly but enjoying it. In fact, I want to make sure that I just make progress on this longer series. The reason it is on my to-be-read list is the new series on Amazon Prime; and I will be slowing down my reading but I want to make progress.
Trilogies or similar length
Then I have a few books that belong to the shorter series list, which are three or four books (or I have three or less books left in the series). This list is a bit crowded and exciting at the same time! So let’s dive in.
Rook & Rose by M.A. Carrick needs to be a priority; this story is interesting and the magic system is quite unique (and interestingly effective and intriguing!) and I really want to know what the ultimate goal of the villain (and our heroine) is!
Age of Madness by Joe Abercrombie suddenly made an appearance on my TBR, after I realized that Fantasy Buddy Reads was reading the series between August and October. So I plugged this series in (and A little hatred was glorious, even if this was a re-read for me and the rest will be new reads for me!).
Two more series made it on my list because they are on the Fantasy Buddy Reads list in the next months: the first is Greatcoats by Sebastien de Castell. I want to be ready for the new series in the same world and it is appropriate for me to focus on this series before the end of the year (and early on in 2024 I can jump into the next series!).
The other series is Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan; it is interesting to read these two series in parallel, as they seem to be inspired by a similar approach to storytelling (better, the main point of view is people enforcing the law).
Three more series are on my radar: The War Eternal by Rob J. Hayes, as I have the last three books left and I truly loved Eska as main character. So I need to get going and possibly string the reads one after the other.
I need to finish Mistborn era 2 with The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson. I only have one book left to finish the series so I want to make sure this makes it in and I can move to the next Sanderson series in 2024, The Stormlight Archive.
Last but not least, I want to start my journey with Guy Gavriel Kay, reading The Sarantine Mosaic. I want to have GGK as a focus author for next year but I want to start this journey and just enjoy everything about his ability to tell stories!
Stand alone (or first in the series)
I also have a few stand alone (or first in a series) that I really want to get through: the first is The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell (and I have been itching to start as soon as possible so I might even plug it in before the end of August).
Another book that I bought at release date and I have not started yes is The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (and this starts the series called Amina al-Sirafi).
Last but not least, I want to read The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu (starting The War Arts Saga).
Outro
Yes, I am doing it again, I am being ambitious in compiling these lists. I have priorities in this list and I want to make sure that I prioritize books that I own over books that I do not own yet, plus I want to finish series rather than starting new ones.
It is a bit of a complex matrix to determine the next read; and, having had one brainwave, I should track the performance to this list, percentage wise and see if I am adding books to the list (and why). It is just fun to understand how I do in relation to my own plan; not only I hope to check how close (or far) I am to this list but I hope to be able to discern the reasons for it.
What are your plans for the end of the year? Do you have a list of series that you want to focus on? Share them down below with a rainbow emoji!
