Chapter #24: Mid-Year Favorites
The books I've enjoyed so far in 2023...
Feeling My Shelf is a bi-weekly newsletter about books, life, and well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy. First up, some recent reads.
Stiletto Sisterhood by Fallon DeMornay
Five friends, one pact: chase dreams, not drama—which they keep until adulthood starts adulting (cheating exes, chasing promotions, and financial woes), and the foundation of their friendship begins to crack. It’s a light read with fun writing that I finished in about six hours!
The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
Arthur is a grouchy old man that likes to terrorize the local library staff, who avoid him like the plague. Except for Sloane. Following a medical incident, Arthur and Sloane form an unlikely connection (can’t exactly call it a friendship) and start a book club bringing together a few other lonely souls. It’s a heartfelt read about community, and yes, I did cry.
Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron
A second-chance romance set five years after a whirlwind relationship and an accidental pregnancy that finds co-parents Jana and Anil stuck on a two-week excursion in Tanzania for their friends’ wedding. I loved the safari setting, the supportive (ahem, meddling group of friends), the “go-wild” bucket list, and the romantic tension between the two main characters. I absolutely hate slow burns, but it worked in this case!
We’re nearly eight months into 2023, and so far, I’ve read 40 books (out of a goal of 75.) According to StoryGraph, they’ve mostly been emotional, funny, and lighthearted contemporaries. Sounds about right!
The biggest surprise: People Person by Candice-Carty Williams. I didn’t exactly love her 2019 debut novel, Queenie, but found People Person to be a fun, chaotic mess following an eclectic group of half-siblings.
Favorite new (or rather, new to me!) author: Kennedy Ryan, the bestselling author of numerous romances, including Before I Let Go. I reluctantly picked up this book after being bombarded with BookTok videos about it and was truly blown away by the chemistry and character growth. A line about ribs had me cracking up at 2 am!
A book that made me cry: The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer, following a quirky, socially-awkward death doula who meets a client that pushes her to step outside of her comfort zone. Speaking of comfort zones…
A book out of my comfort zone: Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams, which I enjoyed, despite the fact that paranormal and fantasy are among my least favorite genres. But this ghost story featuring two biracial sisters separated at birth held my attention.
The best sequel I’ve read so far: Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams. I’ve said it many times before, Stacey can do it all! And Avery Keene is a puzzle-solving heroine you can’t help but root for.
A book that lives up to the hype: Happy Place by Emily Henry. Not as good as Book Lovers, in my opinion, but still an amazing read about exes who pretend to still be together while vacationing with mutual friends.
Best book I’ve read so far: The Unfortunates by J.K. Chukwu. It’s dark and heavy and tackles racism in academia with a unique narrative style. What I loved the most is that I never knew what was coming next.
Now looking ahead. A few of my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2023:
Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea: Two high-school-seniors wake up as thirty year olds… (That’s all I need to know as someone turning 30 this year!) (October)
Artifacts of An Ex by Jennifer Chen: Following a recently dumped teen who creates an art exhibit with souvenirs from past relationships. (November)
Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin: A rom-com about two rival candidates for a homeowner’s association presidency. (November)
The Bounce Back by Addie Woolridge: A rom-com following an aspiring artist whose life begins to unravel following a breakup and a series of events that force her to get a “soul-crushing” nine-to-five. And everything sucks until she meets a very-attractive co-worker.
“I’m just a Bratz girl living in a Barbie world.” What stan culture does to your brain. Can you match the romance novel to its opening lines? You can never have too many summer reading recs. “Stop trying to have the perfect vacation. You’re ruining everyone else’s.” The merch-ification of book publishing. Ten books to read if you need more Barbie vibes in your life.
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I loved People Person, too! Carty-Williams has quickly become one of my favorite authors. And I started watching Survival of the Thickest with some friends during our weekly virtual watch night and it's so good, she is so funny!