My Favorite Books of 2023
It's that time of year!
Before we get started on the annual Best Of List, if you’re a writer and missed my big announcement about becoming a coach for writers in 2024, you can check out the details below! :) I also have a Self-Care for Writers class that starts in January and still has a few spots left if you’re interested.
Alright, on to the list!
This year has been a weird reading year for me. (It’s been a weird year in general.) But I’m not one to judge reading choices, including my own. I follow my whims on which books to pick up and see where those moods take me.
So where did I end up? First, a few stats…
Books attempted: 74
Books finished: 58
Number of 5-star books: 11
Number of 4-4.75 star books: 29
Number of completed audiobooks: 19
Percentage of successful books (4 or above): 69%
Surprising-ish stat: 60% of my reads were non-fiction
That percentage of success is good and a direct result of my lack of guilt over DNFing (did not finish) a book. I’ve learned not to let myself get stuck behind a book. The only one that I’m happy I pushed through (because I was tempted to DNF early on) was Demon Copperhead. It was a library book club pick, so I pushed further than I would’ve on my own, and when I switched from print to audiobook, that format finally opened up the (massive, 550 page) story to me in a way that hooked me.
So overall, the reading vibe of the year was positive!
But that’s not what you’re here to know. You want to know which books are my favorite of the year, right? So, how about I get on with that? :)
Favorite Novels of the Year
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
I highly recommend this one on audio with Julia Whelan as narrator. This is literary, a mystery, has a podcast element and thoughts on true crime and on women and crime. I could go on. This story had so many layers to it and was very compelling. If you like your mystery with more literary heft to it, try this one.
Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Everyone has heard of this book by now because it’s been turned into a TV series, but I really loved this one. From my book journal: So great. If Sheldon from Big Bang Theory was a woman in the 1960s. The best character was Six-Thirty, the dog (who had a POV.) One of those books with such a singular voice that it stands out from everything else.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
This one had so many of the tropes I love: friends-to-lovers, childhood friends, dual timeline. I raced through this one in two days and it’s one of the few romances I read this year. (I’ve been in a romance-reading slump.)
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
One of the other romances I read, but I’d say this is romance with a nod to more literary writing. I adored the sneak peek behind a Saturday Night Live type show and improv acting (I wrote an improv hero in Yes & I Love You for a reason. I’m fascinated by that style of acting.) The characters in this one totally won me over.
I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin
Not a romance. A sad love story but so nuanced and beautifully written that I couldn’t put it down.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (specifically on audio)
A classic that I had tried before in print but hadn’t finished. The audio version really opened this one up for me and I loved it. Creepy as hell. Gorgeous writing.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Y’all. I enjoy my library book club, but the picks this year have included multiple 500+ page books and it’s killing me softly. However, this one was worth the read. I would’ve never picked this one up on my own, so that’s what book clubs are for, right? They get us to read new things.
This is a beautifully written, epic story about one character whom you follow from childhood all the way into adulthood. There is a A LOT of tragedy so be warned, but what saved this for me was the singular voice of the main character. He’s darkly funny and you’re pulling for him so hard. I highly recommend this one in audio because the narration was fantastic and really helped me power through the book. (I did tandem reading where I switch back and forth between print and audio.)
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
This one is a horror story, so you’ve been warned. The set-up: 17-year old Jade Daniels is obsessed with horror movies and starts to see signs that one is staring in her town of Proofrock, Idaho. But she’s an outcast and no one believes her.
This one is a slow burn and I had to switch from audio to print to follow the unique way the author uses language. I couldn’t skim any of this one without missing stuff. I also wasn’t sure the main character was believable at first, but I’m glad I trusted the author because eventually, you get it—why she is the way she is. This was a compelling journey and I immediately went out and bought book 2. (Though, don’t worry, not a cliffhanger ending.)
Honorable Mentions - Fiction
Recursion by Blake Crouch (sci-fi, fast-paced)
The Local by Joey Hartstone (legal thriller set in small-town Texas)
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (thriller, very propulsive, read it in one day)
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay (epistolary, historical novel, sad but lovely)
The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon (thriller, dark)
Favorite Non-Fiction Books of the Year
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
In my book journal I gave this “a million stars.” If you do anything creative, add this one to your list. It will be one that I reread regularly.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
This is a memoir about divorce and it is heartbreakingly beautiful. Maggie Smith is a poet and it shows. This was gorgeous in audio but I also bought a hard copy afterward to keep on my shelf. I think I’d like to reread it in print as well.
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television by Thea Glassman
Fun on audio. If you’re of my generation and want to remember the years of great teen TV, this is for you. It covers Freaks & Geeks, Glee, Dawson’s Creek, My So-Called Life, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The O.C., and Friday Night Lights. I love books like this and it kept me company many a night while I was cooking.
101 Horror Books To Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann
If you like horror, Hartmann gives modern recommendations (instead of repeating the same old classics.) I loved how this introduced me to many new authors I’m looking forward to trying. Plus, it’s a fun format.
Gentle Writing Advice by Chuck Wendig
I mean, it’s a Chuck Wendig writing book. That’s all I needed to know.
Honorable Mentions - Non-Fiction
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (darkly funny memoir, check trigger warnings, some stories had me rolling laughing.)
In Light of All Darkness by Kim Cross (true crime about the murder of Polly Klaas)
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Clair Dederer (good on audio, not an easy listen, this is an intellectual dive into what to do when creators of something you love turn out to be “monsters”)
Outlive by Peter Attia (good on audio, exhaustive but interesting coverage on health topics and research on how to live our healthiest lives. If you’re not into health books, this will probably be too much.)
From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks (about our careers and how they shift as we age)
Hidden Potential by Adam Grant (about, well, hidden potential ;) )
The Secret History of Home Economics by Danielle Dreilinger (good on audio)
Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday (stoic philosophy)
Writing in the Dark by Tim Wagonner (on writing horror)
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (re-read, got me to start morning pages in March and I haven’t stopped since!)
Dear Writer, Are You Intuitive? by Becca Syme and Susan Bischoff (I’m going to be working with Becca so obviously I’m a fan of her work, but if you’re a writer and have been told you’re “doing it wrong” by other writing books/instructors, check out her books)
Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell (on writing)
Whew! I think that’s it. That was a lot, lol. I hope you found something that piqued your interest!
What were your favorite reads this year? I’d love to hear!
Hope you all have a lovely holiday season!
*All links are affiliate links to either Bookshop.org or Libro.fm
I need to restart The Artist's Way.
Thanks for the great lists!! Happy you found Carly Fortune- she’s Canadian and the rural setting is close to where I moved just over a year ago. ❤️❤️ Also liked her Meet Me at the Lake.
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister was a five star for me. Read it on my kindle, listened to the audio and purchased a print copy for my shelf. Nora Goes Off Script another one I loved- older heroine-though not as old as me!