It’s around this time that I sign off from blogging for the rest of the year. My twins have their twelfth birthday on 23 December so it’s a busy time of year in our house, even before you factor in Christmas! Last year we all tested positive for Covid on Christmas Eve and were sick for quite a few weeks, so we are hoping for a healthier time this year.

I’ve had a great blogging year and am already making plans for 2023. My main goal is to get the old 746 into the 200s but am also looking forward to taking part in challenges and reading prompts throughout the year.

January kicks off with two great initiatives – Nordic FINDS, hosted by Annabel and the Japanese Literature Challenge 16 hosted by Meredith at Dolce Bellezza – both of which I am hoping to take part in.

Nordic FINDS is a celebration of everything Scandinavian and the only rule is to read books by authors from one of the following countries; Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark or Sweden. This year, there is a group read – The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup – I won’t be reading that one and instead have have two books lined up.

I originally hoped to read The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas (translated by Elizabeth Rokkan) for Novellas in November, but Covid put paid to that. Commonly seen as the legendary Norwegian writer’s masterpiece, this story tells the tale of Siss and Unn, two friends who have only spent one evening in each other’s company. But so profound is this evening between them that when Unn inexplicably disappears, Siss’s world is shattered.

My second option is The Blinded Man by Arne Dahl (translated by Tiina Nunnally). Sweden’s elite are under attack. Two rich and powerful men have been murdered, and in the face of mounting panic – and media hysteria – a task force has been created to catch the killer. I’ve heard good things about Dahl’s crime novels so am looking forward to this one.

I don’t have anything planned just at the moment for the Japanese Literature Challenge which is now in its sixteenth year, but I do have a few books by Japanese authors that I’m keen to read, including Twinkle Twinkle by Kaori Ekuni (translated by Emi Shimokawa) and Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura (translated by Kalau Almony).

I am also very excited to launch A Year with William Trevor in January, when I will be joining forces with Kim at Reading Matters to celebrate the work of one of Ireland’s finest writers, William Trevor. We will each be reading a different book every month, covering 24 of his books throughout the year. My Trevor reading kicks off in January with The Old Boys (1954) while Kim will be reading Cheating at Canasta (2007). Keep an eye out for our reviews in early January.

Thanks all for reading, commenting on and supporting 746 Books throughout the year. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Christmas. Here’s to more great reading in 2023 x

Reading Challenge The 746 WilliamTrevor 2023 #NordicFINDS japanese literature reading challenge william trevor