Each year I like to round up my favorite reads and rank them in a top 5. Looking back on 2023 there were a lot of average books that I liked and a few that I absolutely loved or was obsessed with. I read 23 books in 2023, which seems fitting for the year but it was shy of my goal of 30 books. A reading goal isn’t something that I take all too seriously but rather just a number I hope to reach if the year allows. In the fall I had a huge book slump that slipped into the rest of the year. I’m happy to report that I have started to get out of that slump (one book down so far this year and one I’m almost finish with!) and it feel so great to get back into the swing of reading. Even with the book slump, the book world brought me a lot in 2023: a new favorite author, branching out in genres, two new books from authors I adore, and stepping into the audiobook world.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Starting off with my favorite book of 2023! Emily Henry just hit it out of the park with this one. I’m a big Emily Henry fan, but I will say that her last few novels weren’t my favorites (Beach Read still reigns supreme), however this one made up for all that time waiting for my next obsession. This was my first 5 star read of 2023 and was so well deserved. This book is filled with so many relatable topics for people in their 20’s and 30’s. Growing up, life changes, and priority shifts. Set during the summer in a cute town on the coast of Maine, a group of friends get together one last time to celebrate the summer at a coastal cottage- this plot was everything I needed from a book. The fake dating genre isn’t always my favorite, but Henry did it in the most perfect way- it felt as if every sentence in this book was so wonderfully thought out and placed with the most intent. I can’t wait for her new release in 2024!
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
This was my first book by Ali Hazelwood and goodness if it didn’t get me hooked on her writing style. I really enjoyed the STEM aspect, a theme in all of her books which I find to be so fun, and Hazelwood keeps the science and chemistry at a level that isn’t overly in-depth or hard to understand for the everyday reader. This was another fake dating novel that I thought was done so well. Olive and Adam’s chemistry in these pages translates easily to the reader as their characters compliment each other in the best way. The witty and dry humor between these two main characters were a favorite of mine- I laughed out loud quite a few times when reading this book. I have another novel of Hazelwood’s I can’t wait to pick up this upcoming year.
The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
My favorite dark thriller author came out with another great novel! I first became obsessed with Audrain’s writing when I read her first book, The Push– a suspense novel that I gave 5 stars. In The Whispers we follow the lives of 4 different women who are all on different journeys of motherhood- one who is longing for a child, one regretting, one loving, and one mourning. One of my favorite characteristics about Audrian’s writing style is her ability to write the rawness of human emotion. She is able to describe these feelings her characters are going though so well, that you think she herself must’ve experienced these exact emotions-even though you know this can’t be true as each characters story is so vastly different. I’m eagerly awaiting the announcement of Audrain’s next novel! I would also recommend checking trigger warnings before reading this book, as there are multiple situations that are very intense.
Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
I’m not one for self-help books or audiobooks, but Brené Brown made me love both when I listened to her novel, Atlas of the Heart. I was shocked to find how insightful this book was for me, especially when it came to diving into why we feel the way we do in certain situations and learning how to properly express how you feel when experiencing difficult emotions. In this book Brown explains 87 emotions humans go through that shape and define our lives. As I said I’m not the biggest audiobook person, but when it comes to nonfiction works that are narrated by the author I find it easier to connect and relate to the novel. Not to mention Brown has a wonderful voice that made it so easy to follow along. I also love how she would repeat a line in the book that she wanted to emphasis on. There were multiple lines that I had to write down when listening to this novel so I wouldn’t forget them.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
Talk about a book that I couldn’t put down. There were so many plot twists and turns I truly didn’t know what to believe. Lisa Jewell is well-known for her dark thrilling novels. This was my first book by Jewell and I was taken aback at how much I wanted to keep picking this book up. Alix Summer and Josie Fair live completely different lives, but their paths cross one night out at dinner when they realize they are “birthday twins”. Intrigued by her mysterious life, Alix invites Josie to come on her popular podcast to tell her story, and that’s when things start to take a dark turn as Josie’s secrets are revealed. Josie becomes heavily involved in Alix’s life in the oncoming months-forcing her way into Alix’s personal, work, and home life until there’s no where else for Alix to go. The short chapters and fast-paced plot made this one a page turner. I spent many nights reading into the early mornings in order to finish this one! I need to pick up more by Lisa Jewell.
