The Best Books I Read In 2023

A reading year in review!

Happy almost new year, readers!

2023, what a year! Full of highs and lows and, most importantly, books. Despite multiple reading slumps, I read 75(!) of ‘em—my biggest goal yet. Color me impressed, although admittedly, my brain feels a bit like mush. Still, I wanted to look back on what I read and share my favorites in case you were looking for recommendations for the year ahead.

But before we get to my favorite books of the year, first, some stats!

Of the 75 books I had the pleasure of reading, the shortest was 130 pages, and the longest was 448 pages, with the average length being 323 pages, according to Goodreads.

No surprise that of those 75 books, 92% of them were fiction. I love a good self-help book or celeb memoir as much as the next person, but there’s just something about escaping reality and diving into worlds and characters from a writer’s imagination that I love more.

Physical books still reign supreme in these parts, although I did give e-books and audiobooks a try this year.

Emotional, lighthearted, funny, and reflective are just a few “moods” of the books I read, according to The Storygraph stats. In other words, I like to laugh, cry, and think, but not too much.

Now, onto genres. Isn’t it funny how a woman who loves reading romance is so bad at flirting in real life? (Gotta laugh to keep from crying, I guess.) My goals for 2024 include becoming a better flirter and trying some new genres.

And now, the best part!

If you’re in need of book recommendations, you’ve come to the right place. Below are my favorite reads from this year, in no particular order. The ones that made me laugh, cry, and love reading even more than before.

KEY

💕 = romance | 🏡 = family drama | ✨ = there’s magic! | 😵‍💫 = things get dark

🥲 = you’ll shed a tear | 🧠 = it makes you think | 👯‍♀️ = friends forever!

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

It was such a fun love story with a magical twist that also explored grief and finding yourself. The writing had me laughing one minute and crying (not merely tearing up, but full on crying!) the next. And the quirky heroine was incredibly relatable. If you enjoyed The Dead Romantics, you’ll love this one. 💕✨🥲

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea

It was dark, moody, and monstrous (literally)—a sharp detour from my usual steamy romance reads. A mix of fantasy and horror, I found myself happily rooting for the “villain” aka the power-hungry, vicious main character with questionable morals. 😵‍💫✨

Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin

Full of steam and snark, it’s everything one could want in an enemies-to-lovers rom com. Also, so many good one liners! 💕👯‍♀️

Main Character Energy by Jamie Veron

I felt all the feels reading this, as someone who’s struggled (and ahem, continues to struggle) with self-sabotage, self-doubt and becoming the main character of their own life. It was warm and full of heart, and overall, it made me feel really motivated and good about myself. 💕🏡

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

I don’t even no where to start. It was sexy and swoony, and I devoured it in like five hours. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop and found myself belly-laughing at like 3 am at a line about ribs. Honestly, I’m still laughing at that line. 💕🥲🏡

The Unfortunates by J.K. Chukwu

Never have I ever read something as heavy, messy, and chaotic, yet relatable. The writing was supplemented with playlists, emails, and artwork that completely captivated me and added an interesting layer to the story. 🥲😵‍💫

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

It was best friends to enemies to lovers. Enough said. 💕 👯‍♀️

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

This book was extremely cute, full of banter and mouth-watering food descriptions. I also really loved learning about the Chinese zodiac and traditions. 💕

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

It was a very sweet slow-burn between two bookish characters (a favorite of mine!) While the romance takes center stage, I enjoyed the moments between the main character and her sisters that all happened to be named after flowers. 💕

Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major

I’m not typically a fan of the “groundhog day” trope, but I loved this story. It was full of emotion and even had a little mystery! A great reminder (especially going into a new year) to slow down and savor all the little moments. 💕🏡 ✨

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

I can be a tad morbid sometimes, so it’s not entirely surprising that I was drawn to a story about a death doula. I was hooked from the first chapter and remained that way until the very last page because of the fantastic, thought-provoking writing. One of my favorite lines: “Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.” 🏡🧠

There Goes The Neighborhood by Jade Adia

It was an incredibly clever take on gentrification following three teens who start a fake gang to ward off interest in their neighborhood. The complex story was delivered beautifully, a good mix or heart and humor. 👯‍♀️🧠

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams

Only Stacey Abrams could get me to read (and love) a political thriller. It was a strong and entertaining sequel following corrupt judges and a spunky, puzzle-solving heroine. Fast-paced and incredibly insightful, the story felt like something ripped straight from the headlines. 🧠😵‍💫

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

It gave me Bridgerton, but with Black people. Incredibly well-written, this swoon-worthy romance was filled with fun family drama and could make even the most historical-romance-hating-reader (aka me!) kick their feet with joy. 💕🏡

Happy Place by Emily Henry

I’ll be honest: It wasn’t the romance in this story that made it a perfect summer read for me. Instead, it was the platonic love story between the group of friends, going through personal changes and trying not to grow apart that made me rate it five stars. 💕👯‍♀️

Cheers to reading more great books in 2024! ✨ Let me know what you read and loved this year in the comments or by replying to this email.

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