I Read 43 Books in 2023
In 2023 I challenged myself to read 23 books—I read 43.
I love how seeing what I’ve read throughout the year is almost like a journal of my experiences. It shows what moods I’ve been in, how my taste has changed, what I’ve learned, and where I’ve been.
This year something clicked in me and I fell in love with fiction again. Last year, and the previous years, I’ve been stuck in the world of nonfiction, but something happened this year while I was in London. It was almost like I woke up one day and suddenly my tastes changed. Since then, I’ve read mostly fiction and have had such a fun time expanding what I read and enjoy.
Instead of listing out all the books I’ve read this year, here are my top picks.
The Bullet That Missed - Richard Osman. 4/5
Just as good as the other books in the series, I couldn’t put this book down. The perfect ingredients for a perfect mystery. And the fact that Osman comes out with a new book in this series every year so far makes it that much better! The characters in this series are so wholesome and ones you can’t help but immediately love.
Love Stories - Trent Dalton. 5/5
I picked this book up at Foyles in London. It was one of those books that I reached for partially for the cover but also because I remembered wanting to read it. It did not disappoint. I read the entire book in almost one sitting. Beautifully written story about human connection and the thing we all chase in life: love.
The House in the Cerulean Sea - T.J. Klune. 6/5
Hands down the best book I’ve read all year. Picked this book up at a queer bookshop in London per multiple friend’s recommendations and it did not disappoint. I read it on the flight home from my study abroad. Needless to say, it immediately became my favorite book I’ve read all year, and still is. This is a story of found family, the beauty in differences, the importance of friendship, and how your dream life isn’t as out of reach as it seems. But overall, it’s ultimately a story of love and life.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab. 6/5
Rarely do I find a book that is worth an above 5 star rating (but this year I had a few)—this is one of those books. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a story of ___. Not only is the writing absolutely beautiful and captivating from the very beginning, but the story is told in such a way that you are left gripping the pages reading as fast as you can to find out what happens while also reading slowly to savor the words. It creates a unique dichotomy that I now find myself craving in everything I read.
Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid. 4/5
Reid has done it yet again and is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I picked this book up at The Strand in NYC while in town for a journalism conference. I read half the book while in New York and the rest on the plane. My recommendation: read the book as you are watching the show. Bonus points for listening to the soundtrack as well. It really brings the book and the world that Reid has created to life.
Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune. 5/5
I am anxiously awaiting Klune to publish more books. After reading The House in the Cerulean Sea I instantly had to buy this book too. Not only did Klune take a topic that I would normally stray away from (death) but he made it enjoyable to read about and comforting. Klune could write a fridge manual and I’d read it.
She Gets the Girl - Rachael Lippincott. 4/5
I thought I wasn’t a fan of romance novels. Turns out I just wasn’t a fan of straight romance novels. This was another book picked up in London in January but I took a while to actually come around to reading it. Once I read it (almost in one day), it beat all my expectations. Very good pool/beach read.
84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff. 6/5
I smiled the whole way through. The kind of book you finish reading and hold close to your chest to try and make the feelings last longer. Immediately went on my ‘Top 5’ list and will be read over and over and over again. Makes me jealous of Hanff’s wonderful experience. There’s something magical about the experiences of both those who read books and sell them.
The Lost Ticket - Freya Sampson. 4/5
This was such a feel-good story that will make you laugh, cry, smile, and want to start up a conversation with a stranger on the bus. Proves that humans can be fundamentally good and I guarantee that it will bring you such a smile to your face and hope to your soul.
Don’t Forget to Write - Sara Goodman Confino. 5/5
I have read so many beautiful books this year and this is for sure one of them. This is one of those books where it’s so good that it’s hard to describe because now amount of words can explain how amazing it was. Instead of attempting to pitch this book, here are my favorite quotes from the novel:
“And that is your way out of both problems. You said you wanted to write. The only one who is going to make that happen is you…Don’t write your own story,” Ada said. “You haven’t lived enough for that. But use what you’ve learned. You can’t expect to write about things you’ve never felt in a real way…But you’re no plucked flower that will wilt and die in the city. You, my girl, are a phoenix. And it may feel like the end of the world, but you will rise from the ashes into something even stronger.’’
“Only if I burn the whole house down,’ I said darkly.”
“Then do that—metaphorically, preferably.”
Lifesaving for Beginners - Josie Lloyd. 4.75/5
This one was a surprise read for me. I picked it up after my town opened its first bookstore because the cover caught my eye. I know, you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I can’t help it. I figure that if the cover catches my eye, so will the writing. And it did. Lloyd does something in this book that every writer knows is hard, sometimes considered impossible—multiple characters all with their own points of view. But in Lifesaving for Beginners, it works. And it works well. Reading this book at the beach and doing cold water plunges along with the characters really adds to the experience as well.
No Two Persons - Erica Bauermeister. 6/5
This book simultaneously made my year and ruined 2024 for me (in terms of reading). It was so good it left me breathless, and now I can’t read anything else because nothing compares. And since reading it over a week ago, I still have no words to describe it. Although I read it in two days, it was one of those books where you know you’re going to have to read it over and over again because every time it just gets better. Just read it and you’ll see what I mean.
If you’d like to follow along on my reading journey for 2024 or see all 43 books I’ve read this year click the button to be directed to my Goodreads page. And for some reading inspiration, here are my favorite BookTubers: Haley Pham, Jack in the Books, & Ruby Granger.
