It’s that time of year! Everyone is compiling their “best of” lists and I decided to do the same. We are keeping my tradition going of sharing some of my favorite books I read in 2023. My book count came to just over 60 books for the year which feels like a great accomplishment!
Other bookish celebrations to note:
I hosted my second year of book club! Myself and ten other women meet monthly to discuss a book. We often have differing yet strong opinions and the discussions are always amazing. We have snacks and drinks and it’s something I look forward to every single month. I feel incredibly blessed by the group and am just so grateful for them!
A picture of us at our December meeting where we always do a book white elephant exchange:
The other cool bookish thing I got to do in 2023 was participate as a moderator at the Tucson Festival of Books! My friend Jody, who works at my favorite local indie bookstore, Mostly Books, asked me to participate and I excitedly accepted her offer!
I had the opportunity to moderate a panel called “Women of a Certain Age” featuring authors Terri-Lynne DeFino and Angie Cruz. The discussion covered their respective books, Varina Palladino’s Jersey Italian Love Story and How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water. Both were funny and big hearted and allowed for beautiful discussion and I would recommend! I talked about How Not to Drown… in another blog post here. It was an incredible experience meeting these women, giving them the opportunity to discuss their work and seeing so many people come support their panel. I am excited to say that I will be hosting another literary panel at this year’s festival, too!
Myself, Angie Cruz and Terri-Lynne DeFino
Top Ten Books of 2023
Now on to the list…let’s jump right in! These are in no particular order and did not all come out in 2023, but I read them all in that year. Some are repeats from my blog post linked about “My Ten Favorite Books of 2023 So Far” and some creeped in at the last half of the year to make the best-of list! I hope you find some new books to add to your shelves. Enjoy!
These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany
These Impossible Things was a book club pick at in February. It follows three best friends, Malak, Jenna and Keyes. They have been friends since childhood and have navigated all the complications that come with being women. Not only this, but they have had to navigate the expectations of being good Muslim women, too.
After a night that breaks their friendship, it sets them each off on separate paths where they individually have to face complicated and challenging things. Throughout this time and their own personal journies, they are wishing for their friends. This novel is about navigating religious, familial and cultural expectations while also learning who you are. It’s about forgiveness and the lengths you’ll go to heal and be there for your friends. I thought this book, though sad, was really beautiful and moving. Recommend for fans of A Place for Us by Fatima Farheed Mirza. Please be aware of trigger warnings before reading this book (sexual content and domestic abuse among others).
The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
The Sweet Spot is probably my favorite Amy Poeppel so far (I’ve read three of hers but still have one more) and I’ve already recommended and given it as gifts to friends. Amy writes large chaotic families with so much warmth and grace and humor. This book was an example of that in full force.
It primarily follows Lauren and her family (though does feature other characters as narrators, too) who live in an old brownstone in Greenwich Village in NYC. The home was adopted from Lauren’s eccentric father in law who moved out but surprises them by showing up unannounced and moving back in. Lauren and her family (which seems to grow by the day), become connected with other people in the neighborhood and in the greater NYC area. These connections add to the chaos and hilarity of their lives.
I don’t want to give too much away about these characters or the relationships they form with the family. What I will say is that you will be delighted by the relationships. I was left with warmth and awe and how people can show up for each other and forgive. This is one of my favorites of the year so far and I hope you pick it up!
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Are you a fan of stand up comedy or Saturday Night Live? If so, this book is for you! Romantic Comedy follows a female comedy writer on a late night sketch comedy show with incredible similarities to Saturday Night Live. Sally, the writer, is noticing that more and more “hot female” celebrities and guest hosts of the show are entering into relationship with some of the show’s “average-looking” and dorky men (see Arianna Grande and Pete Davidson or Kim K and Pete Davidson or ScarJo and Colin Jost – ha!). In this midst of this, the show welcomes Noah Brewster, a pop icon and known dater-of-models. When he and Sally begin working together on sketches for the show she becomes increasingly charmed by him.
I loved this book because it featured a mature, female protagonist and love interest. Most romances I read now feature young couples whose flaws often annoy me and contribute to my distaste of the book. These two are not perfect, but their flaws don’t contribute to a crazy rollercoaster plot. This book is set partly during Covid quarantine times which lends to the plot, but be aware of that if it’s not something you’re interested in reading about quite yet. I found this romance incredibly unique and refreshing and gave it 5 stars!
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradel
This was my first book by J. Ryan Stradel and it definitely won’t be my last! Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club is set in the Midwest and features multiple timelines and narrators. It mainly follows Mariel Prager, the owner of a Midwest supper club which she is desperately trying to keep open. Her husband, who also happens to be the future inheritor of a competing restaurant, is in the midst of an identity crisis. To top it all off, Mariel’s mother, who she hasn’t spoken with in years, has been waiting at the local church for her daughter to pick her up for more than a week.
This book is a great mix of heart and humor. It definitely deals with heavy topics such as death of family members so be aware of that going into it. If you feel you can handle a plot like this right now, I highly recommend this book. It moves quickly and you’ll fall in love with the Midwest location and the characters and their growth.
Side note: I will be involved in something exciting featuring this book and author in the coming year!!
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
Ink Blood Sister Scribe is, what I would describe, as an urban fantasy. If you’ve been wanting to try out more fantasy books but high fantasy (other worlds and fantastical creatures) intimidate you, I recommend giving this one a try!
This book follows a family who, for generations, has been entrusted to safeguard a collection of magical books. Unfortunately, this magical collection causes strife in the family and even forces them to separate. The story mainly follows Joanna, who lives in isolation protecting these books in her home in Vermont, and her sister Esther. Esther has to pack up her life and travel every year on the dot because of a cryptic warning from her father. Esther is in Antartica and has fallen in love and decides to forgo her father’s warning and stay put after a year To top it all off, the girls’ father was recently found dead on the driveway of their Vermont with a magical and especially mysterious book in his possession.
What happens next spans continents and centuries and allows this family to discover that they might not be the only ones out there with knowledge of this magic. This story is a great adventure filled with magic and mystery and the love of books and reading! While the plot was not similar, it has a similar vibe to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. If you are a fan of that or just a fan of fantasies in general, I recommend. And thus began my fantasy kick for the year…
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
I know I’m late to the game in finishing the propulsive and popular fantasy series. I read A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first book in the series, in 2021 but wasn’t blown away. Because of this, I decided to put finishing the rest of the books on the burner. After some encouragement from some book friends, I decided to pick it back up. They all said that the second book and rest of the series was a whole lot better and they were correct!
A Court of Mist and Fury follows heroine, Feyre, after she has undergone trauma and trials to become reunited with her love, Tamlin. As her marriage to him approaches, the trauma from the violence she’s endured threatens to consume her. Her soon to be husband does not respond in a supportive way (to put it lightly). This book follows Feyre as she reclaims her power and confidence and finds support in a beautiful chosen family. Not only does she learn to save herself but she learns to accept the help and love of others, too. Trigger warnings for PTSD and spicy scenes.
This book definitely made it easier to pick up this series again. The third and fifth book of the series were also five star reads for me but I chose to just include this one in my list. I definitely recommend this series if you haven’t yet picked it up. When discussing the book, I don’t feel like enough emphasis is put on the incredible growth that the female main character goes through. It’s an example of the real effects of trauma and the amazing courage it takes to not only work through it but gain confidence in yourself again. The book was not only entertaining, but deeply encouraging.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
There’s not much I can say about Fourth Wing that hasn’t already been said! It’s one of the buzziest books of the year. In my opinion, the first book at least, lives up to the hype. This is a fast-paced, fun story about a strong young girl whose life is forced to change.
Violent Sorrengail is the daughter of a general and lives in a “war college.” She has studied all her life to become a scribe. The book opens upon her realization that instead, she is being forced to go into the “rider’s quadrant” of the college. Here, she will attempt to train to become a dragon rider which is one of the most dangerous jobs.
Violent is definitely an underdog and makes enemies in this college quickly. The stakes are incredibly high in that she could be easily killed by her classmates or the dragons they seek to bond with. This book is full of adventure, romance and excitement! You definitely root for Violet as she overcomes her physical and mental limitations and proves both herself and her peers wrong.
There are some spicy scenes so be aware.
The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali
The Stationary Shop follows Roya, a teenager living in 1950s Tehran, Iran. Roya is an idealistic girl who finds solace in a stationary shop filled with books, beautiful pens and other magical and creative items. There she meets a handsome young man named Bahman who is smart and social justice oriented. They fall in love and plan to marry. Political upheaval, family drama and cultural expectations soon interrupt their lives and relationship.
This is a beautiful story that follows their emotional journey for over half a century and the events that brought them together as well as apart. It was incredibly moving and I really enjoyed seeing how the characters were intertwined. I especially loved the strong feature of Persian food – it had my mouth watering for most of the book! This was a December pick for my book club and left many of us in tears and gave us lots to discuss!f
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
If you’re looking for a comedic, heart-felt fiction book, I definitely recommend The Garden of Small Beginnings! This was my second Abbi Waxman novel. I read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill at the end of 2022. Based on how much I enjoyed that one, I knew I wanted to be sucked back into the worlds that Abbi Waxman creates.
This book follows Lilli and her two daughters as they navigate life after her husband tragically dies. The story does not go into strong detail about the death, but be aware if this is something that might trigger you. Lilli is a talented illustrator. Her company is hired to illustrate a gardening book. In an effort to learn more about the trade before beginning, Lilli is asked to attend a gardening workshop put on by the company. She decides to bring her two precocious daughters and helpful, single sister. At the workshop, she meats a lovely cast of people. What unfolds is a beautiful story of found family and what it looks like to move on in life after the absolute worst occurs.
I absolutely adore Waxman’s writing! She infuses an incredible amount of wit into her dialogue and is skilled at describing situations that are so common yet are often challenging to put in words. Waxman does this so perfectly you’ll wonder, “why didn’t I think of it that way?”
If you’re looking for something heartwarming with a touch of life’s realities; a book that will make you laugh and smile, this one is for you! Highly recommend!
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
The Last Romantics has been on my shelf for quite a while but I’m so happy that I was finally inspired to pick it up! The story opens with world renowned poet, Fiona, is asked a question at a public speaking event about her most famous poem. The answer to this question prompts her to share the story of her life – most specifically – the story of her family.
The Skinner family just lost their father. The mother unfortunately spirals into a depression which causes her to emotionally abandon her children for a span of a couple years. This time in their lives is coined “the pause.” The story follows the siblings as they band together to take care of one another during this time. They are growing and changing as kids do as well as dealing with the death of their father and absence of their mother. The dynamic they create with each other during this traumatizing time affect how they view and treat each other in their lives moving forward.
The writing reallly impressed me! The story was propulsive and engaging enough to keep me constantly wanting to turn the page. Each of the siblings has their flaws. The reader watches them grow, change, make mistakes, hurt each other, and reconcile. While the story was incredibly beautiful and poignant, it was most definitely sad. I recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading. If you like a complex family drama that spans decades, I definitely recommend trying this one out. I cried through many of the last chapters. This story and the character’s lives will definitely stick with me for a long while.
A Couple Quick Reading Notes and Tips!
Before I “sign off” I want to leave you with some quick reading tips and notes and answers to questions I often get when it comes to reading.
“How do you find out about the books you read?” is probably my most frequently asked bookish question. My biggest resources are podcasts, reading apps, Instagram and blogs! My two favorite reading podcasts are What Should I Read Next and From the Front Porch. I am a Patreon member of What Should I Read Next which means I get extra bookish content. This includes a yearly summer reading guide, spring book preview and fall book preview. My “to be read” list is never ending!!
Bookstore owner, Annie B Jones, hosts the podcast The From the Front Porch. Her episodes are more like monthly book recaps. I listen to these and get an idea of if any of the books she’s describing sound interesting to me.
I keep track of my reading with GoodReads and StoryGraph (I prefer the latter) and can also see what my “followers” and “friends” are reading, too.
My favorite places to buy books in Tucson are Bookmans, The Friends of the Library, and my local independent bookstore, Mostly Books. If you’re in Tucson, can I encourage you to shop your local indie before ordering from Amazon? You’re supporting local and making sure book stores will stay in business for a long, long time! Independent bookstores also offer online ordering and free local pickup. Win, win!
I hope you enjoyed this list and as always, please let me know if you pick up a book based on my recommendations!
