My Favorites Books of 2023

 In 2022 I read 91 books, with a goal of around 70... I figured in 2023 I would set the goal of 90 books to see if I could match my best year yet. Once February rolled around I figured out that wasn't going to be possible. 

I kept abandoning books I wasn't feeling and couldn't find my groove with anything I was reading; I realized that I wasn't going to hit a goal of 90 and decreased that to 70...which by May I knew I wasn't going to hit because I was reading only 3 books a month.

I decreased my goal once again to 55 and I'm happy to report that I hit that goal at the beginning of December...and then a few days ago, hit 60 books for 2023.

While I've read a lot of books that didn't live up to my expectations, I read so many books that I loved deeply... and almost all of them were released this year. Let's get into them!

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it delivered. Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler is the story of a young woman in love, in London. It was so poetic, literary, and inspiring; a story about a young woman's struggle with a one sided love affair in the midst of growing up, changing and finding your way. Wheeler's words jumped off the page and made me sob. There is a little bit of all of us in Adelaide, and we can find something to relate too within these pages. If I had to pick one book as my #1 favorite this year, I think it might be this one. Read my full review of Adelaide here. 

The Daddy Diaries by Andy Cohen

It's always a good year when Andy Cohen releases a 'diaries'. This year, he released 'The Daddy Diaries' which followed his 2022 from a sober New Year's Eve in Times Square to the birth of his daughter Lucy, to many a Housewives scandals and more. I love listening to these on audiobook because it's so fun to have Andy simply tell you about his day, hear his impressions, and feel like you're chatting with an old friend. If you love Andy or Bravo, you need to pick up The Daddy Diaries. Read my full review here. 

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz 

When I first read the summary for The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, I was intrigued. I love any book about authors, and when you put that in the 'thriller' genre, I'm immediately intrigued. This book was not what I expected; a handful of aspiring writers are invited to their favorite author's secluded home for a retreat... yet it turns into a deadly charade. It was exhilarating, thrilling, scary, and mind blowing. You won't see the twists coming and the story will stay with you long after the first page. Read my full review of The Writing Retreat here. 

The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis

This was another stand out thriller for me in 2023. The Chateau follows four friends to one of their grandmother's chateau's in the French countryside, where secrets are buried deep beneath the grounds and death lingers behind every door. It has twists that you will not see coming, and stories that will touch your soul. It was so good! Read my full review here. 

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove by Karen Hawkins

No matter what books I read in a year, a Dove Pond book will always make it into this list. Dove Pond is like Gilmore Girls with magic; it's warm, cozy, inviting, thoughtful and fun. The Dove sisters are so unique, so interesting, and feel so real.  The words jump off the page, it feels like a television show or movie; I don't know if I've ever read writing like this. Karen Hawkins does it like no other. The Secret Recipe follows Ella Dove, who is very different from her sisters, and I think it was my favorite book so far. If you need a comfort read that isn't all sunshine and rainbows, I cannot recommend the Dove Pond Series enough. Read my full review of The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove. 

Honorable Mentions:

These are just a few of the books that I think deserve an honorable mention because they all got 5 star reviews from me, and I enjoyed every single moment of them! Read my reviews of them below. 

Funny You Should Ask by Elisa Sussman 

Under the Influence by Noelle Crooks

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

What was your favorite book of the year?

xoxo
B