Happy 2024! As we come to the start of a new year - you know what that means, it's time to wrap up our reading for 2023 and look back on our favourites!
I read 88 books this year, which I'm quite happy with (even if reaching 100 is incredibly satisfying haha). My goodreads goal for this year is 75 books, which I might very well surpass - but if 2023 has taught me anything it's that quality over quantity is incredibly important when it comes to reading, so I'm excited to start picking up books that seem genuinely interesting and do not just end up being middle of the road average 3 or 4 stars.
Anyway, that said - without further ado let get into some of my favourites and most memorable reads (because I think that's a sign that you truly enjoyed a book) of 2023!
Quick Disclaimer: I'm sure it goes without saying, but this list is entirely subjective to me and my reading tastes. However, I do hope that you find inspiration to maybe pick up one of these books. I also do not have the heart in me to order all of these, so instead I've divided them into 2 sections - Honourable Mentions & Favourites.
Honourable Mentions:
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
In this isolating, multiple point of view mystery, guests gather on a tiny island off the coast of Ireland come together to celebrate a luxurious wedding. It's going to be perfect - till someone gets killed, that is.
Written in dual timelines - we alternate between the wedding night (although we do not know who has been killed) and the multiple characters perspectives leading up to that event.
This is an incredibly intricately written book, you can tell each world has been placed with intention no matter how simple it may be. The setting is immaculate, the pacing is perfect, and the slow-burn is incredibly well executed - making it a great page turner!
My review: https://keyalovesbooks.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-guest-list-by-lucy-foley.html
When In Rome by Sarah Adams
A famous popstar wanting to escape the chaos of her life, falls in love with a pie shop owner when she runs away to Rome, Kentucky (inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday) - in this cosy, grumpy x sunshine, slice of life novel (with plenty of Audrey Hepburn references, meddling townsfolk, pies, friends who feel like family, and Gilmore Girls vibes).
This book is the epitome of comfort (think heartwarming rom com in book form), and I couldn't not give it 5 stars.
The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen are two parts of a bestselling writer duo, and best friends- until they're not. Four years later, they're forced to reunite to write one more book together - will their own passionate prose bring them closer together or only drive them further apart?
This heartfelt, addicting, and sentimental literary fiction romance is unlike anything I've ever read. It's a true, unfiltered portrayal of human relationships and imperfect people coming together to create something beautiful. The writing is extraordinary, emotion is masterfully weaved through every page - you have to pick this up.
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Naturals is an incredibly gripping, fast-paced young adult thriller mystery which revolves around the lives of five teenagers who are all part of a program created by the FBI called the 'naturals' - a classified endeavour which utilises these exceptionally skilled teenagers to crack infamous cold cases.
I loved this book and it's short chapters haha (every one ends on a mini-cliffhanger making it impossible to put down) - great character development, the suspense was built really well and the novel was paced perfectly for the storyline.
My review: https://keyalovesbooks.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-naturals-by-jennifer-lynn-barnes.html
Anxious People by Fredrick Backman
This book is truly unlike anything I've ever read before - it follows characters at a rather unusual hostage situation, which takes place at an apartment viewing after a failed bank robbery.
I know this may seem like a rather awful summary, but I swear the best way to go into this book is absolutely blind. How well the characters are crafted are truly phenomenal, it's a gripping, emotional take on a thriller - you will not want to put it down.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
A deeply emotional, magical story of two rivals vying for a promotion at their newspaper who find solace and belonging through a mysterious magical connection - for little does Iris know, the letters she continuously writes to her brother off at war, are reaching the hands of Roman, but what happens when he writes back and she has no idea it's him?
This book is an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish - I'm still in awe of how much Rebecca Ross gets you to truly love and root for Iris and Roman, as well as be invested in the larger plot of the war (never thought I'd say I'd recommend a war novel - but here we are!). 10/10 from start to finish.
Blackout
This young-adult short story anthology is set during a city-wide blackout in New York City, and as the reader - we get to see snippets of romances and friendships unfolding all throughout the city, and all interconnected and weaving together in the end.
This book really surprised me by how much I ended up enjoying it! I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for something quick with an engaging plotline, fun characters and great queer representation.
Lovelight Series by B.K. Borison
Gorgeously sweet, cosy, and funny - I binge-read this romance series this winter and it was absolutely perfect. Set in a small town and centred around a Christmas tree farm, B.K. Borison's writing (rather reminiscent of Chloe Liese) immaculately captures the magic surround these character's lives. There is also an incredibly well done found family trope and lot's of mentions of baked goods!
⭐ Favourites ⭐
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In short, Daisy Jones & The Six is an incredibly emotional and captivating story that explores the rise and fall of a 1970's band of the same name. It's written in a truly unconventional format - which somehow works perfectly in this case - as a transcript of interviews with the band members, their families and friends as well as other people who were involved in their journey at the time. This book was so realistically and hauntingly beautiful and completely unique in that it was unlike anything I've ever read.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I'm quite possibly the last person to read this - but believe me, it truly, truly lives up to the hype.
For anyone more clueless than me (sorry it had to be said) - The Hunger Games is a gripping story following Katniss Everdeen as she enters the annual competition run by the Capitol to keep the districts in line - a brutal fight to the death between twenty four children from the ages of 12 to 18, and only one can come out alive.
It's a real example of timeless young adult fiction, a recipe for success - loveable characters, high stakes, and fast paced writing. I seriously think it's impossible for someone to dislike this book - it's dystopian/fantasy perfection from start to finish.
Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter
A rom-com about rom-coms, Better Than The Movies follows hopeless romantic Liz (who also happens to be a movie buff), who in her excitement upon the return of her childhood crush, Michael - enlists the help of her next door neighbour, Wes (whom she can't stand) to get Michael to notice her. But of course, as these stories tend to go - Liz finds Wes to be completely different to who she though he was, so maybe there's a rom-com ending in it for them?
This book is pure fun from start to finish - packed with movie and music references, fun side-characters, vintage outfits, fake dates, and relatable behaviour on Liz's part, it's one of my favourite young-adult books ever. It also packs an emotional punch in unexpected ways (which I will not spoil for you!). It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's still incredibly well written and strikingly heartfelt.
Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Following her relocation to the small town of Willow Creek, Emily finds herself unexpectedly pushed into working at a renaissance fair with her teenage niece, which just happens to be run by an incredibly grumpy and inscrutable school teacher.
This book is so much fun! The atmosphere of the renaissance fair is executed perfectly (it truly felt like I was there), the found family is so sweet, and the slow-burn romantic plotline is a lot of fun with what it adds to the story! Emily's character development is also done really well which I enjoyed - overall, it's an incredibly touching, escapist, and entertaining book (I would definitely recommend picking this up if you're in a reading slump, because it's such a cosy world to escape into).
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Happy Place is the product of a fake dating romance and a summer between old friends at a lake house.
This book was incredible - Emily Henry's writing shines, and I adored the way she created this glittering, summery atmosphere paired with meaningful narratives on friendship, love, and the ambitions we have for our lives. It's deeply emotional and impactful, but fun and joyous at the same time - I could not recommend it more.
Highly Suspicious & Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
This YA romcom/coming-of age story is about two former best friends, who having drifted apart into different social circles at the start of high school have transformed their relationship into being full blown academic rivals who "despise" each other. As college-minded, competitive teenagers do - they both enter a wilderness survival competition in the hopes of winning an amazing scholarship opportunity. Through this competition they reconnect, and you can imagine how the rest of the story goes...
My two favourites parts of this book were the incredible representation and everything this book manages to accomplish outside of the romance - making it an incredibly well though-out work where we not only learn why the characters like each other but so much more about them as people and what they struggle with and the uncertainties they have in their own lives. I delve more into this in my review which you can read here:
https://keyalovesbooks.blogspot.com/2023/09/highly-suspicious-and-unfairly-cute-by.html
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #1)
Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail, who's aspired to being a scribe all her life but in a drastic turn of events is forced to attend Basgiath War College to become a dragon rider. Faced with countless trials and challenges, the book follows Violet throughout the course of her journey at the school as well as attacks in her kingdom growing deadlier and deadlier by the day - she'll need all her wits about her to make it out alive.
This book was not objectively great but a great time nonetheless - and for someone who very rarely reads high fantasy that meant a lot! (if that doesn't convey how obsessed with this book I was when I read I don't know what will). It's entirely too addicting - the writing pulls you in from the first page, the cast of characters is fun (this book would be incredibly as a TV show), the dragons are amazing (my favourite part of the book) and the fantastical world is well developed. Proceed with caution though, once you start reading you will not want to put it down!
The Very Irregular Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandana
Following, a golden-hearted, lonely, witch (Mika) who gets a cryptic message offering her a position teaching three young witches how to control their magic. Once she gets there she's introduced to not only the three children whom inhabit Nowhere house, but Ken and Ian (the owners of the cottage), Lucie the housekeeper, and Jamie - the brooding librarian who seems to want nothing to do with Mika.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is truly a hug in a book. The magical atmosphere is masterfully done, the romance sub-plot has the perfect amount of slow-burn, and somehow all the characters are well fleshed out (each one more eccentric and unique than the last) - and I love how not one of them had similar personalities.
Definitely pick this up if you're in the market for a cosy, witchy read (which may or may not make you shed a tear) with lots of found family and gorgeously written descriptions, which may or may not make you shed a tear.
Aaanndddd....with that we come to the end of this years list! I applaud you if you made it this far - thank you for coming on this journey through my year in books with me :)
Happy reading! ❤️
Comments
Post a Comment