2023 Books Summary

In Lieu of Five Friday Faves - here are the 122 Books I read this year

Thoughts on My Reading in 2023:

This past year, I read more books than I ever have in a given year. I surprised even myself. You can check out the mini-episode on reading, where I shared what I like to read etc. etc. While I am not reading Pulitzer Prize winners every week, I am satisfying my brain with what I am reading, and that is perfectly fine by me. I have also really leaned into reading/listening to an audiobook rather than watching TV at night, and listening to an audiobook, while I am knitting, is one of my favorite ways to relax.

Below is a summary of what I have read this year, and some notes/thoughts, as well as what I am hoping to read this year. I mention this in the episode, but I track my reads in Storygraph, and I absolutely recommend it over Goodreads! You can follow my profile here to see what I am reading!

By The Numbers:

I was not surprised that ~80% of the books that I consumed were via audio this year, and I don’t see that trend stopping for a while. I listen to books on my walks with the dog, while I knit, etc etc. I just can’t do that with a hard copy or kindle book.

In a surprise to absolutely no one, the books I read are fairly light. I want to read things that make me happy right now. I thought this graph was really interesting based on the data about the books in Storygraph.

My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Books This Year

I really really enjoyed all of the books above, but there are some that stood out among the rest.

11.22.63 - This was my first Stephen King book, and I truly loved this book so much. I think about it often, and it was just so so good. Jake travels back in time to stop he Kennedy assassination. There’s time travel, there’s real history, it was a long and really great book.

Cloud Cuckoo Land - A book I didn’t expect to like, but it was so good. It takes place in multiple different times and focuses on the importance of words and books. Go into this one with an open mind, and you will see how it all comes together.

The Seven Year Slip - I loved the magical realism in this book, the notes on grief at the end were so poignant. This book is a warm hug. Read it.

The Book of Two Ways - I love Jodi Picoult, and this was one of my favorites in a long time. It place in Egypt and has a lot of Egyptology, which is something I know nothing about, but deeply enjoyed.

Happiness Falls - I loved this author’s first book, and her second is so well written. It centers around the disappearance of the father in the family, and the search for him. It takes place during COVID, and there is so much to discuss about this book. Great book club read.

Caught Up - This is the third in the Mile High series, and I just loved it. Kai is a MLB player with a son he’s raising and falls in love with the nanny. So good and lots of good spice.

Tom Lake - This is so worth listening to because Meryl Streep narrates. Its a thoughtful story of a woman growing up and telling the story to her children. I loved it from the perspective of a mom and a daughter.

The Winners - This is the third and maybe last (?) book in the Beartown series, and I couldn’t put it down. It takes place in a small hockey-obsessed town in a country that is a bit Canadian, a bit Nordic. The character development across the three books, and the way the story tied, was heartbreaking and beautiful. If you’re looking for a good series, this would be a great one.

You can check out my monthly book notes in my 📕 highlight on Instagram!

All Books

Favorite Series

If you, like me, love a good series, here are some of my favorites that I read books from this year. I was surprised when Storygraph said that 51 of the books I read were from a series, but not surprised because I love the character development. I find a lot of the BRADs I like are series, which I have no doubt is strategic.

Beautiful Bastard - Christina Lauren

Maple Hills - Hannah Grace

Windy City - Liz Tomforde

Beartown - Fredrik Backman

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J Maas

Bergman Brothers - Chloe Liesehttps://app.thestorygraph.com/series/4066

Beck Sisters - Trish Dollar

What I Am Looking Forward To Reading This Year:

There are a ton of books from authors I love coming out this year that I am excited about. In January, I am so excited for the next Crescent City book by Sarah J Maas. I am planning to re-read the two before reading it. Rebecca Serle and Tana French both have new books coming out in March, and if you also like some magical realism, Rebecca Serle is a great author to read. Tana French writes mysteries based in Scotland, and they are all great. I am also really excited about some summer reads by Annabel Monaghan, Carly Fortune, Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, and Elin Hildebrand.

I want to hear from you:

What were your favorite books of 2023?

What are you looking forward to reading this year?

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