My 2023 Syllabus ~ A Reading List and More

This is my fourth year of creating a personal syllabus. But this year I’ve created more than a reading list. My word for 2023 is “Create” so I’ve prepared a list that includes activities, courses, and creative projects in addition a reading list. I hope it inspires you to create your own plan for 2023!

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My 2023 Syllabus

Books…

Each morning I read from a few books. Some will take an entire year to read. Others, perhaps a few months.

Here are my “morning books” for 2023:

1. The Road to La Papillon: Daily Meditations on True Contentment by Shannon Ables

2. The Living Bible – Last year I read all of these 2 Week Studies. This year I am doing the daily lectionary readings from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship.

3. Poetry – I’m choosing a poet to focus on each month this year. The first one is William Blake so I’m reading from Blake: Poems (Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets Series). Each month I’ll be choosing a different poet which I’ll share as a blog post and read from each morning.

4. An Alexandra Stoddard book – I adore this author and have most of her books. Reading a few pages each morning is such a pleasure. Right now I am finishing up Gracious Living in a New World. When I finish it, I’ll choose another of her lovely books.

Last year I chose some books which were celebrating their 100 year anniversary. I like the idea so I looked up books celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.

Three books celebrating 50 years:

The Princess Bride – I’ve seen the movie a couple of times but haven’t read the book.
Breakfast of Champions
Fear of Flying

Three books which are 75 years old this year:

I Capture the Castle

The Foolish Gentlewoman

Cheaper By the Dozen – I remember the first time I read this. I was perhaps 11 or 12 and I remember laughing out loud as I read. It might be time to give it another go.

And these which are 100 years old:

The Inimitable Jeeves

Emily of New Moon

The Prophet

I don’t know that I’ll read all of them but I’d like to at least choose one from each anniversary year. If you’ve read any of these and would like to offer an opinion, please share in the comments!

Now here is where I should admit that I haven’t completed all the readings in my three previous syllabi. I think this year I will go back and catch up.

Create/Do…

In addition to reading, this year’s syllabus includes activities. Here are a few things I want to do this year:

bake bread routinely (I have a wheat grinder and plenty of wheat. No reason not to bake our bread.)
paint (David gave me an easel a few years ago and I’ve yet to use it.)
write
journal
create a Zen garden
puzzles
color
watch foreign and classic films
Artist Dates (From Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way“. I’ll share more in another blog post soon.)
finish up some courses I bought but never completed
play the piano regularly

I know that’s a fairly robust plan for 2023 but I’m feeling excited about it. Now that David is working from home I think I’ll be more focused and intentional with my time. He’s working regular hours and I’m going to attempt to do the same.

You may also enjoy…

A Personal Syllabus for 2020

My 2021 Syllabus ~ A Reading List for an Intentional Life

My 2022 Syllabus ~ A Reading List for Challenging Times

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Comments

Tori says

February 17, 2023 at 5:47 am

Good luck with your plans and reading goals.

I’ve read Emily Of New Moon… It’s really good, though I liked Anne Of Green Gables a little more.

I want to get back in the habit of making my own bread too, especially since I acquired a new to me bread machine last year.