Lately, I’ve been creating seasonal TBR’s and reflecting on them at the end of said season. I’m having fun doing this every time, so I thought I would extend it a little and look back on the same season last year. Since fall 2024 is upon us and I will be creating my seasonal TBR in a short while, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on fall 2023. Did I read the TBR I’ve set for this season? And how did I do on my bookhauls of October, November and December of that year? Time to find out! If there’s a review of said book on my blog, the hyperlink in the title will direct you to it.

Did I read my fall 2023 TBR?

1. The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty – I read this book in October 2023 and I enjoyed it, albeit less than the entire “Daevabad” series by this author. It took me a while to finish this book because I caught Covid and a reading slump at the same time. Covid left soon, but the reading slump was dreading till late November.
2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – I’ve started this book, but DNF’ed it this quick that I never tracked it. This was absolutely not the book for me and I knew it from the moment I started it.
3. Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Yes, I finished this book right before my slump hit. Maybe this partially was the cause of said slump, as I struggled with the book for the most part. It’s two-faced as you can read in my review.
4. Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score – Amidst my huge slump which definitely lasted for too long – much to my dismay – I finished this book. It was okay, but less enjoyable than the first book in this series. This is the curtesy of the main characters being annoying as heck, especially our female main character.
5. Glow by Raven Kennedy – I tried and tried and tried, but this book was not for me either. This series has one huge problem and that’s the pacing. For most part of the book, nothing is happening. However, when it’s time for the final 20-30%, things happen and fast. I just hit the point with this book I just couldn’t take it anymore. So, this was yet another DNF of this TBR. I managed to pick this up in March this year though.
6. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath – I never read classics and this book reminded me why. I didn’t understand it, didn’t like the writing style and was bored out of my mind. This was yet another DNF.
7. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson – Don’t ask me how, but I finished it. And I hated it with a passion LOL.
8. November by Thomas Olde Heuvelt – I read this one in November and it took me nearly the entire month to finish it. Why? The slump and I didn’t like this book at all. I was left really disappointed and couldn’t rate it high.
9. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros – I read this book shortly after publication and even though it has its flaws, it was one of the few books I enjoyed this season.
10. Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti – Again, I’ve started this book, but DNF’ed it quickly as well. I didn’t track it. I just removed it from my TBR and Audible library and never looked back. It felt so rubbish which is weird, because I quite enjoyed the previous book in this series.

Did I read my fall 2023 bookhauls?

1. Edwards keuze by Marijke Vos – Yes, this was in fact the only book I fully enjoyed in October 2023.
2. Daniels belofte by Marijke Vos – I’ve read it this summer and again enjoyed it.
3. James’ Geheim by Marijke Vos – No, I still have to read this final book in the trilogy.
4. The Dead of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi – No, although I’ve contemplated picking it up multiple times.
5. Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (Dutch edition) – Yes and loved it this time around.
6. A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair – No, I still need to read this one. I’m a little on the fence about this series though. My ffirst impression was quite underwhelming.
7. A Fire in the Flesh by Jennifer L. Armentrout (pre-order) – Yes, but I’m not the biggest fan of this series.
8. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears – No, I haven’t read it and therefore probably missed the hype.
9. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros – Yes, see above.
10. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (I just couldn’t help myself and bought the Dutch ebook with a huge discount) – I’ve started it but the translation is so poor that I couldn’t be bothered at that exact moment. Maybe I should retry a bit closer to publication of the third book. It will be a reread anyway.
11. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon – Yes and I thought it was okay.
12. Gloriedagen by Corina Bomann – No, not yet.
13. Lichtpunt by Corina Bomann – No, part of a series.
14. Avondrood by Corina Bomann – No, part of the same series.
15. De zus van de chocolatier by Rebekka Eder – No, not yet.
16. Het zwarte boek van de uren by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi – No, neither.
17. De engel van de stad by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi – No, still not as it’s the sequel to the previous book.
18. Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score – Yes and this was the worst book in the series because of the insufferable main characters.
19. Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare – Yes and this book was again two-faced, interesting world and characters, great writing, but boring plot.
20. Someone to stay by Laura Kneidl (not available in English) – No, still need to read the second book in this series and this is the third.
21. Vergeet ons. Niet. by Laura Kneidl (neither available in English) – Yes, also read the sequel.
22. Betting On You by Lynn Painter – Yes I read this last June and honestly don’t understand the hype. It’s very average.
23. Powerless by Lauren Roberts – Even though I DNF’ed it the first time, I had a much better reading experience the second time around.
24. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood – I also read this one and never expected it to like it as much as I did.
25. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross – Yes, this was the last book I properly finished in 2023 LOL.
26. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent – I’ve read this quite soon into 2024 and although I enjoyed it, I liked the first book more.
27. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent – No I still need to pick this up, but I’ve mainly read contemporary romance this year.
28. Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings – My first DNF of the year, Magnolia and BJ Valentine are so incredibly insufferable, I can’t.

Verdict:

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• Read 10 books from my fall 2023 TBR and had 4 DNFs. The others where mostly disappointing as well, because I was in a major slump that lasted nearly the entire season.
• Read 16 books of my fall 2023 bookhauls, 2 were soft DNFs and 1 was a hard DNF.

Fall 2023 was dictated by a dreading reading slump. I therefore only enjoyed a handful books I read, even though I still felt the urge to pick up a book. Many books of this season left me disappointed, whether I read or hauled them. As fall is fast approaching, I wonder what this season will bring me this year.

Have you read anything of your fall 2023 TBR and bookhauls when looking back?