It’s the second day of the week! It’s also time for a Top 5 Tuesday update. Top 5 Tuesdays was initially created by Shanah @ the Bionic Bookworm but is now currently being hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads.

This week’s topic: Top 5 books I’m thankful for in 2023

As the United States celebrates Thanksgiving, it is also time to look back at the five books that I am thankful for this year. There are many but here are some of them.

Ulysses by James Joyce

James Joyce’s Ulysses used to daunt me. I planned to read it back in 2017 but its complexity made me not finish it, making it part of a rare group of books I did not finish. However, I resolved to read it in the future. Sure enough, I slotted it for a very important milestone in my reading journey: I made it my 1,000th novel. This is kind of an accomplishment because I never thought I would ever reach 1,000 novels. But here I am. When you think about it, you will find a way to achieve it. Beyond this, I am thankful to the book because it made me see a different kind of literature, one that pushed the boundaries of my own imagination.

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

I can’t remember when but when I first encountered Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, the book immediately grabbed my attention, This was despite the fact that I barely had any iota about who Mann was – I, later on, learned that he is a Nobel Laureate in Literature – nor have I read any of his novels. Almost a decade since I first encountered the book, I was finally able to read it and it was sure worth the wait. Moreover, it is my 1,100th overall novel and also my 110th read this year. The book occupies an important place in my reading journey.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams

This year, I was finally able to complete reading all the books in Douglas Adams’ magnum opus, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. I read the first book in the series way back in 2018 and I have been promising to read the succeeding books but I never had the time. Or, I guess, I had other books to read. However, I finally sat on the other books and now I was able the series. It was certainly an amazing reading journey. It was witty and thought-provoking. I can finally tick these books off.

The Preying Birds by Amado V. Hernandez
Crying Mountain by Criselda Yabes
Marcosatubig The Story of Salagunting by Ramon L. Muzones
State of War by Ninotchka Rosca

This year has been record-breaking in ways more than one. Among these record-breaking feats, at least on a personal level, is that this year marks the most works of Filipino writers I read in a year. The four novels above reminded me of the beauty and diversity of my own country’s literature. Each of these books provided me a distinct literary journey that I am grateful for. I am hoping to read more works of Filipino writers in the coming years.