A Year in Review: 2023 in First Lines

 

My annual Christmas treat

As usual at this time of year, I review and share my reading/blogging year with First Lines.

Simply put, we share the first line of the first post of each month and see what that overview tells us about our year. Often it can be an uncannily accurate summary.

If you haven't tried this before, give it a go this year; it's a fun exercise, and often summarizes the year quite efficiently. If you do, please share a link in the comments so we can all enjoy!

Here is my 2023 Year in First Lines: 

January: 
The beginning of 2023 has been speeding by, but I finally have a chance to sit down and talk about the book that I finished out 2022 with! [from Enchanted April at 100 Years]

February: 
This recent novel is co-written by two friends, aiming to give a different perspective on the American Civil War. [from The Thread Collectors]

March:
This is a wordless picture book by an internally displaced Ukrainian artist, created in the first few months of the Russian invasion. [from Yellow Butterfly]

April:
I recently discovered that there were a few of Margery Sharp's classic works in audiobook format via my library.  [from The Nutmeg Tree]

May:
I've been reading a rash of recent books lately! [from Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone] 

June:
My husband picked up this delightful Pym at the thrift store to complete my Pym collection. [from Civil to Strangers]

July: 
July is flying and I still haven't posted my Canadian Reading Challenge yet! [from 17th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge]

August:
August brings one of my favourite reading celebrations of the year -- Women in Translation Month. [from Women in Translation Month 2023]

September:
I just discovered this readerly link-up, Spell the Month in Books. [from Spell the Month in Books: September] 

October:
As some of my readers know, I also love to sew, and as part of my sewing, I keep another blog, Following the Thread.  [from The Blue Castle & The Literary Sewing Circle]

November:
This is the first volume in a projected series of cozy crafter mysteries, by well-known Canadian sewist Barbara Emodi. [from Crafting for Murder]

December: 
When I first heard about this book during Women in Translation month, I knew it would be one I would have to read. [from Jazmina Barrera's Cross-Stitch]

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So that shows the shape of my reading year a bit -- from looking back to older books and to 2022 at the beginning of the year, to some classics alongside current reads, and then a bunch of challenges and readalongs for the middle of the year. I read a lot of translated fiction this year, and some lighter mysteries & romances along the way, some of which show up in these first lines. 

A bit more scattered this year than some in the past, but I'm still reading, and still sharing. Hope you are all managing to fit some reading in as well.