2023 Reading Summary

My 2023 Reading List contains 73 books. Below I’ve highlighted the 15 that stood out to me for one reason or another. After my “Top 15,” I’ve included a list of all books I read in 2023 with brief commentary. If you want to jump to the list of books with particular star ratings, click on the links below.

2023 Reading List Quick Links

5 Star Books  ♦  4 Star Books  ♦   3 Star Books  ♦  2 Star Books  ♦  1 Star Books

5 Star Books on My 2023 Reading List

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).

4 Star Books on My 2023 Reading List

• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth by Sam Quinones: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• More Than A Woman by Caitlin Moran: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros: Second book in The Empyrean series and made my Top 15. I cannot WAIT for book 3 to see what is going to happen to my beloved Xaden Riorson.
• The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond: Made my Top 15 for 2023 (see above).
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano: This almost made my top 15 list. I was really touched by this story of a family that breaks apart but still loves each other. Says a lot about how it isn’t worth missing years with your loved ones because you’re hurt (easier said than done.)
• The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman: This is Book #4 in my favorite “new to me series.”
• The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman: This is Book #3 in my favorite “new to me series.”
• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman: This is Book #2 in my favorite “new to me series.”
• Good for A Girl: A Woman Running In A Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman: An excellent book and one that I found eye-opening and important. Almost made my Top 15 list. Should really be ranked 4.5 stars.
• Case Histories by Kate Atkinson: This was a reread. I love this series and have been reading it for a long time but had completely forgotten what made me fall in love with Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie books. Now I remember.
• My Soul to Keep by Tanarive Due: This is Book 1 of the African Immortals series, and I quite enjoyed it. Sadly, my library didn’t have the rest of the series and I forgot to keep reading it. Need to rectify that!
• Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough: Better than average thriller because I still recall the plot, and I usually forget them instantly. Had a nice little twist at the end.
• The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama: I love Michelle Obama and wish she could be our First Lady forever. This felt like it was meant for younger women, but I’m always up for a pep talk and encouragement.
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: I love Ann Patchett’s writing, although I couldn’t tell you the plot of her books afterward. When I’m reading Patchett’s books, I am living with the characters for a time.
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: I listened to this on audio and loved the narration. A wonderful way to learn about Greek mythology and have the characters come alive for you.
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: The first in a series that I will revisit and become obsessed with in 2024. Scratches the same itch as Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and the Twilight books.
• Rules of Civility by Amor Towles: This was not my favorite book by Towles (that would be The Lincoln Highway with A Gentleman in Moscow close behind) but who cares because this guy can write like no one’s business.
• Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes: I LOVE this author; I feel SEEN by her. Not as great as her Me Before You series, but an enjoyable book nonetheless.
• The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care—And How To Fix It by Mary Makary: Interesting and depressing look at why the U.S. healthcare system is so broken. I wish we could fix this, and I suspect that means removing profit from healthcare to some degree. A must-read for all U.S. citizens.
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: This was a book club read. I knew nothing about McCurdy before reading this. Provides a fascinating look at McCurdy’s messed-up childhood and how being a child actor can lead to exploitation. I wish her well.
• Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen: A must-read for parents and students alike to find out how history textbooks are created and the forces that affect the stories they tell. The result is that textbooks that don’t provide accurate history, which is a disservice to everyone.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: A clear-eyed look at what it means to be a feminist, and how it takes all of us to achieve a truly feminist world. Short, precise, and very readable.
• Happy Place by Emily Henry: As far as romances go, Emily Henry is my go-to writer. She creates worlds I want to live in and relationships I want to have (the good ones … not the bad ones).
• Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore: If an author chooses to tell a story in a unique way (especially one where our protagonist lives her life out of order), I am THERE for that!
• We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler: What a wonderful and creative book this was. It feels like a mystery, but the mystery isn’t a “whodunit” but what happened to Fern? When the answer came and Fern’s true self was revealed, I was overcome with tears. Lovely book.
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt: I adored this book, especially Marcellus, the octopus narrator. This is a debut novel, and my book club was lucky to hear the author speak. I wish her all good things, and I’m curious to see what she writes next.
• The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones et al: An important (but also difficult) book that connects slavery and its repercussions to modern-day America. Don’t look away from this topic; it is critical to read and understand it. Also, be sure to actually read it before you believe the criticism of it.
• The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson: A decent thriller that led to a series, even though I didn’t think it needed to become a series.
• Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro: A book club read that was super fascinating and makes you wonder about our future relationship with robots/AI. I heard it is being made into a movie, and I’m VERY interested to see it!
• Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon: I love reading books about problems between neighbors and within neighborhoods so I really enjoyed this murder mystery that involves teens, their parents, and a well-off neighborhood. Better than average mystery.
• The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman: This is the second book of the His Dark Materials trilogy. It expands Lyra’s story and brings in Will and his story, and book’s world gets even more expansive. You MUST visit this world that Pullman creates!

3 Star Books on My 2023 Reading List

• Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score: I liked that the romance was split between the man and woman’s viewpoints, but, ultimately, it was just another romance for me—a palate cleanser between more interesting and substantial books.
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden: There was a time when you couldn’t avoid this book … so I didn’t. A pleasant diversion.
• The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth: I can’t remember a thing about this book, other than I think I did seek out another Sally Hepworth book after reading it.
• Going Zero by Anthony McCarten: Pretty decent thriller where a librarian outfoxes the most advanced spy team of all time … or something like that.
• Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson: This was a book club read. I wasn’t a big fan. I felt this book got so much hype because the author is in publishing. When I read the afterword where the author said it was based on an article she read, it all made sense.
• The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark: This was just OK for me. I read it because it was on a list of New York Times great thrillers (or something like that) and I was just “meh.”
• Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford: Lovely little bit of historical fiction. My brother Chris is in a book club with the author so he always sends me his books with these marvelous personal inscriptions.
• The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni: My friend Kelly recommended this book, and I usually trust her but this was a miss for me. Out of respect for Kelly, I’m giving it 3 stars. Part of the problem for me is that I thought the story was going to veer into the supernatural and it never did and I was disappointed.
• Zero Days by Ruth Ware: I always read Ruth Ware books when I see a new one. They just go down easy.
• The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow: This was a book club read and a book I would have never picked up on my own. I quite liked it. A little mix of fantasy, time travel, history… it defies easy description. If you’re looking for something different, give it a try.
• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson: Lovely book and recommended by someone after I said I loved Lessons In Chemistry. Nowhere near the same type of book, but I kind of get why her mind went there.
• Holly by Stephen King: I love Mr. King and have read many of his books, but this one didn’t do it for me (as much as I love Holly Gibney). Just made me feel icky.
• Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools by Diana Ravitch: Lots of interesting things to think about but not well-written, which made for a painful read. A good editor would have made this book much stronger.
• Spare by Prince Harry: Another book club read. I started out feeling somewhat sympathetic, but Harry (and his seeming lack of awareness of his privilege) lost me in the end. Made for a spirited book club discussion though!
• The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett: After loving The Appeal (on my Top 15), I wanted to try another Hallett book. This one didn’t tickle my fancy as much.
• The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson: Decent sci-fi book that does some neat world-building. First in a series, and I may check out the others.
• Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart: I almost gave this four stars, but it was so painful and difficult to read at times that I put in the three star category. But it is definitely a cut above the other books here … so maybe 3.5 stars?
• My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell: A young female student has a romance with her older male teacher, which makes you think about the power dynamics of these relationships. Also leaves you feeling kind of icky.
• I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney: I read a different book by Alice Feeney the previous year and liked it well enough that I read her other books from time to time.
• Every Other Weekend by Margaret Klaw: A look at divorce from multiple viewpoints of the people involved. Decent read.
• The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston: This book (and others of its ilk) will keep me from ever exploring in a jungle. I was so freaked out by the diseases you can get in the jungle that I remember all that but almost nothing about the hunt for the lost city.
• Five Winters by Kitty Johnson: A lovely little read, but I can’t remember a thing about it now.
• The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson: This is the second book in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series. I read the first one and felt compelled to read the second one, but didn’t feel compelled to look for a third (if there even is one).
• The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman: This is the Book 3 in the His Dark Materials trilogy. I LOVED the first two books, but this one got a bit messy. Still, I highly recommend visiting this world and sticking around for the end. Just be prepared to be challenged with this one.
• Open by Andre Agassi: This was a book club read, and I would have never read it otherwise. Weirdly, it has the same ghostwriter as Prince Harry’s Spare which we also read in book club. I found that almost more interesting than the book itself. However, if you love tennis or Andre Agassi, you’ll probably love this book.
• Am I Overthinking This? Overanswering Life’s Questions in 101 Charts by Michelle Rial: A fun read but it only took me a half hour to read during lunch so I can’t recommend buying it.
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: So many people adore Fredrik Backman’s books, and I have never understood why. However, this came closest to showing me what people like about Backman.
• Gallant by Victoria Schwab: A book club pick by the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which was one of my favorite books of 2022. This one wasn’t nearly as good. Read the print version so you can see the illustrations.

2 Star Books on My 2023 Reading List

Wow! No 2-star books in 2023!

1 Star Books on My 2023 Reading List

Wow! No 1-star books in 2023! I guess I’m getting better at picking books.