My Favorite Books of 2023

Maybe I do have AuDHD...

When you’ve read almost 90 books in a year, picking a handful of favorites feels not only daunting but impossible. You’ll notice that none of my favorites made the New York Times Best Books of 2023 list. In fact, I haven’t read any of the books they picked. A few of them overlap with NPR’s Books We Love sections. I knew I was more of an NPR girlie anyways and maybe you are too.

Going through the list of books I read in 2023, I picked favorites based on the stories that stuck with me. Some of the books made me cry. Some of them made me forget how to breathe. Some of them made me remember why I love reading and writing.

After culling down my list of favorites to 16, I found some loose patterns. These categories are unique to me and perfectly sum up how varied my reading preferences are.

Captivating writing

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel — A book that felt like night to me. Haunting and atmospheric in a way that defies any specific genre or description. Best read after Station Eleven.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt — The quintessential Dark Academia novel. A modern-day, self-aware Greek Tragedy. This book will have you questioning your own morals and human sympathy. Everything Tartt includes in the book is incredibly calculated and purposeful. It’s perfection.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson — For a debut novel, I was constantly in awe of how expertly all the characters were intertwined through alternating timelines and POVs. This book explores deep topics like identity, racism, colonialism, death, and familial estrangement with sensitivity.

Non-fiction for Millennials

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman — Perhaps not the most uplifting non-fiction text, Burkeman drives home the point that life is finite so you might as well use your time the best you can. As I was reading, I found that I shared a lot of the author’s views, which made me feel less self-conscious about wanting a simple life.

Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy — Where this book differs from other parenting books is that the focus is on changing the parent's reaction versus the child's behavior. Dr. Becky repeatedly comforts every parent with gentle reminders that we are good inside and that with simple, consistent changes, we can become better parents by reparenting ourselves. It's never too late to build a stronger, better relationship with our children.

Women making bad decisions

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin — Big Swiss was quirky and unpredictable, wildly inappropriate, and filled to the brim with dark humor and sarcasm. Part queer romance, part psychological drama, and part character study this genre-bending book explores themes like sexual identity, mental health, trauma, voyeurism, obsession, infidelity, wealth, privilege, and everything in between. If you like books with likable characters, this book is not for you.

My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin — Set on a college campus during the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, the plot is centered around consent, lust, and the power dynamics between an older professor and his student during a secret affair. At the same time, the novel is very much a coming-of-age novel that explores grief, Jewish identity, and the unknown that comes with being launched into adulthood after college.

Shadow Daddies

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas — The 4th book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the book that officially made me a Nessian fan. The story primarily follows Cassian in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court and the flame that ignites between him and Feyre’s sister Nesta.

Fourth Wing + Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros — You'll recognize many similar elements from other fantasy/dystopian novels but the way Rebecca Yarros puts it together creates a captivating storyline. Violet is a cadet training to be a dragon rider under the watchful eye of her nemesis and wingleader, Xaden. The action in this novel is high stakes and drives the plot forward. The rider's ability to make it through training is a life-or-death matter and I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time. The series has family drama, great friendships, internal struggles, chronic illness, self-perseverance, bravery, and so much more.

A chair-gripping thriller

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll — I don’t read a ton of thrillers and I’m not a true crime junkie so trust me when I say you must read this book! I went into it not knowing it was based on the infamous American serial killer, Ted Bundy. Bright Young Women is a dark story but it’s also one of resilience, friendship, and sisterhood amid tragedy. Knoll expertly brings a voice to the victims without being overly graphic. I appreciated that the perspective highlighted the women’s stories instead of glamorizing their killer.

Verity by Colleen Hoover — This book completely consumed me and I did not want to put it down. My heart was racing for the majority of it as I flipped through page after page. The ending left me with so many questions (in the best possible way). A fantastic psychological thriller and steamy romance rolled up in one. The hype for this book is real! It's disturbing and will get inside your head so be sure to check the content warnings.

Swoon-worthy romance

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams — This romance has mutual pining, bad boy/good girl vibes, a fake dating trope, voiced consent, great communication, the small-town setting, and tattoos...all perfection. Annie and Will’s flirty relationship and banter were so playful and fun to read. This one's for the introverts out there waiting to be noticed and wanted.

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan — I went into My Oxford Year expecting a fun, lighthearted women’s lit novel about an academic year abroad. I wasn’t expecting a whirlwind romance or a heartbreaking coming-of-age story. I loved the wit and humor between Ella and Jamie. Their connection and passion is just incredible. I was so emotional reading the last few chapters that I truly did not want to face the ending. The epilogue was perfect though…the love story Ella and Jamie deserved.

Time-travel element

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub — Cue the tears! The parent-child relationship between Alice and Leonard is so tender that it will make you want to immediately call your parents and grandparents and talk about everything. I loved the time travel elements, pop culture references, and NYC backdrop. I felt so nostalgic for my teenage years reading this book.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon — A passionate love story and an epic time travel novel set in Scotland. After watching the first 5 seasons of the TV show, it’s a book I never intended to read but am so glad I did. I needed a moment to recover from the last scene before jumping into A Dragonfly in Amber.

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens — Lucy Young is an aspiring TV exec who wishes on a wishing machine to skip to the good part of her life after a fight with her BFF/roommates, a drunken night out, and a failed dating app encounter. Fast forward 16 years and Lucy’s not sure she made the right decision to skip to the part of her life where she’s got everything together. There are hard parenting moments but also so much joy and both exist at the same time. Sam was also the most patient and loving husband and father and I adored their love story in reverse.

As I finish writing this newsletter, I’m a little over 1/2 way through A Winter in New York by Josie Silver. While it’s too early to tell if this book would have made my best of 2023 list, I can confirm it will be at the top of my best new winter romance/women’s lit book this year. Silver’s writing is just so evocative. I can’t get enough of the Belotti family’s story. I feel like I’m right there in New York with them.

I’ve been enjoying everyone else’s end-of-the-year posts so be sure to give me a heads-up if you’ve already hit publish on yours! It’s fascinating to see what other people are reading and loving. It’s been a great year of reading and sharing here on Substack and I’m looking forward to all the books 2024 will bring.

Happy Reading.