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I have always loved to read, but in 2016 my love really blossomed. I set a goal that year to read 100 books and finished book number 100 on NYE. Since then, I have kept up with the reading -- albeit closer to the 70-80 book mark. As of this post, I have read 85 books in 2023. I will probably get 1-2 more completed this year. Below are the best books I read in 2023. If you are looking for books to add to your reading list in 2024 - consider some of these! These are my suggestions of what to read in 2024.
What was your favorite book you read in 2023? I'd love it if you would share it in the comments or chime in on Instagram!
Looking for more posts about books? Here is one I wrote with the best books I read in 2020.
The books below aren't in any order, but I did try to organize them by genre. If you asked me my absolute favorite book of the year it was hands down the Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. What was the best book you read in 2023? Please share it with me so I can add it to my 2024 to be read list!
Rom-Coms / Fiction
- The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
- Christina Lauren is usually a favorite for me. (The Unhoneymooners, is one of my all time faves!) Their book, The Soulmate Equation, should probably be read first to understand some of this book (although it is not necessary as it had been awhile between the two for me and I couldn't remember all the details anways). In The True Love Experiment, a romance author, Fizzy, is cast as the lead in a reality tv dating show. This is a new concept of a reality tv dating show as they used data from a DNA-based match making company (the subject of The Soulmate Equation) to cast the show. Every man cast on the show has a high percentage match with Fizzy, so the chemistry should be off-the-charts. Unfortunately, for Fizzy the sparks aren't flying with the men cast in the show... but instead the producer! At times a bit predictable, but oh so fun!
- The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
- Tanner is a 21-year-old who needs a job and a place to live. Enter, Louise. Louise is a elderly woman who needs someone to live with her after a slip on the rug. Neither Louise or Tanner really wants to be there, but they both need each other. Then, the news breaks a story about a possible lead in a decades old case regarding a jewelry heist in America. And the suspect looks... just like Louise. Tanner wakes one night to Louise in her room, bags packed, saying they need to leave town immediately. What exactly happened in Louise's past? Join them on their adventure to find out!
- Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey
- I don't do a lot of audio books, but I listened to this on audio book and really liked it. (Sometimes I think the way you consume a book changes your opinion of it.) This book tells the story of Teddy, who on the night she thought she was getting engaged ends up dumped instead. Teddy feels lost in life as she is working at an antique toy store, now living with friends, and doesn't know what's next. The only thing that brings her joy is tuning into a children's show, Everett's Place. Everett's Place is a puppet show that helps kids decipher their feelings and is hosted by a man named Everett. One day, Teddy emails Everett with questions about her own life and feelings. Teddy and Everett start up a coorespondence. Eventually their worlds collide and they have to figure out if they can take the relationship they've started to form to the next level, while also figuring out what they want professionally. A little cheesy, but you'll root for both Everett and Teddy.
- The Right Move Liz Tomforde
- This is a very spicy read! Book two in a series of stories about professional athletes in Chicago. (You don't need to read them in order to understand the story, but you will get a slight spoiler if you skip book #1.) In this book, Ryan is the star of Chicago's NBA team. He is so focused on work, and so worried about messing up in the spotlight, that he pretty much just works and goes home. His sister, has a friend named Indy who needs a place to live after ending a relationship. The sister ends up getting Ryan to agree to Indy moving in. They don't have much communication with one another until they need one another. Ryan's General Manager says he has no work-life balance and doesn't approve of his promotion to Team Captain. Indy has an upcoming wedding, where her ex will be in attendance. Ryan and Indy lean on each other by faking a relationship. However, the lines get blurry as they try to decipher what's real and what's fake.
- Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
- Abby Jimenez is an author I always look forward to reading. Dr. Briana Ortiz has a lot going on. She is in the middle of a divorce, her brother needs a kidney transplant, and a promotion she's been working for is probably going to a new guy at the hospital where she works. The new guy is Dr. Jacob Maddox. Jacob has his own issues -- his ex-girlfriend is set to marry his brother, he suffers from anxiety, and loses 7 patients his first day at the new hospital. Jacob and Briana get off to a rocky start. So, he send her a letter. Jacob and Briana get into a groove of sending letters, and even start to spend time together in person. Then, Jacob turns out to be Briana's brother's anonymous kidney donor. She offers to fake date him so that he has an easy +1 to all the wedding festivities as a thank you. As they spend more time together, it is harder to keep fake dating. Apparently I read and liked a lot of fake dating romance books this year!
- When in Rome by Sarah Adams
- Amelia Rose, known to the public as Rae Rose, is a burned out popstar. She decides to disappear in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately for her, her car breaks down in Noah Walker's front lawn. Noah doesn't have the patience for Amelia as he is busy running a pie shop in town that was left to him by his Grandmother. Even though he's against it, he lets her stay at his house in the guest room until her car is fixed. While she's there, they start to get close and they both learn there's more than meets the eye. Noah sees Amelia's bubbly personality, but also that she is lonely in the spotlight. He shows her all the sites around town that he loves. They start to fall for one another, but how can they make it work when they are from entirely different worlds?
- The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
- This is a historical fiction novel set in Ukraine during World War Two. This book tells the story of the Martels, a 6th generation German family living in Ukraine. The Martels were brought to Ukraine by Catherine the Great to share their agriculture knowledge. During the war, the land was taken over by the Germans. Now, the Germans are in retreat and the Martels have to decide whether to follow the Germans or stay and face the Russians. The story is told alternating between present day 1944 and the past, as the Martels make their way west. It was a different WW2 story than I had previously read, as it focuses on a family escaping Stalin under the protection of the Nazis (whom they don't agree with). It is also based on a true story and a real family. A little long (almost 500) but tells an interesting story about the end of WW2 that is different from many other books I have read.
Non-Fiction
- Pressing Pause 100 Quient Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus
- A daily devotional all geared towards mom life. I loved the short passages (nothing more than 3 pages) and how relatable I was able to find most entries. If you're looking for something to expand on your faith in 2024 - check this out. Would also make a great gift for a new mom or a great mother's day gift.
- No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, PH.D.
- This book provides effective ways to handle tantrums and misbehavior in children. It talks about why a kid is acting one way, and what kind of consequences make sense for undesirable behavior. It talks about how to help your child through a tantrum, work through the emotions, and how to set and enforce clear limits for behavior and expectations. There was a lot of interesting information in this book about why kids act the way they do, and what our job is as parents to support them. This book will help you work with your child to get the behavior and attitude you want in your house. This book focuses on teaching your children what the desired behavior is and how to make better decisions, thus hoping that as they age you will encounter less and less "bad" behavior. I found it very interesting and came away with a lot of strategies I wanted to implement at home.
- Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy
- If you're a mom, I'm sure you've seen Dr. Becky on Instagram. This book is kind of similar to the book above, but talks about more than just discipline. This is honestly a book I could see myself re-reading every year for years to come to remind myself of parenting strategies and how to handle some tough conversations that could come up as the boys grow up. This book talks through how to handle tantrums, sibling rivalry, anxiety, and more. Dr. Becky really preaches connection with your kids and taking a step back with things happen and looking at "why" a kid is acting one way. She believes that all kids are "good inside" and we need to support them through "ugly" emotions and hard times to help them realize their full potential.
Romantasy
- The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (The Empryean Book 1)
- My number one favorite book for the whole year. I finished this book and immediately had to talk to people about it. It was one of those books that I couldn't put down, stayed up way too late reading, and thought about all day. I am not normally a fantasy reader but this one captured my attention immediately. It is kind of similar to Divergent in that when these young adults reach a certain age, they choose a path at a college to pursue to help in a war effort. They can be scribes, healers, infantry, or dragon riders. The main character, Violet, had planned her whole life to be a scribe. However, her mother is a war general and last minute demands her to be a dragon rider. Unfortunately for Violet, her mother has made many enemies due to her handling of a past uprising. Violet has to deal with the upheaval of her life plan, learning how to ride a dragon, and protect herself against enemies -- one in particular, Xaden, who is both the leader of her squad and the son of a man who lead the last revolution. This book is amazing! I have noticed from comments on Goodreads, that people who read a lot of fantasy don't love it as much as others who are newer to the genre... but I could not put it down!
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (The Empreyan Book 2)
- Book two in The Empreyan series. The ending leaves SO many questions (which I guess on one hand is a good thing because it has me so ready for book three). I can't talk too much about book 2 without giving away the ending of book 1, but just know once you finish The Fourth Wing you'll be ready for this book!
Psychological Thriller
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Book 1)
- Millie was recently paroled and is looking for a new job that doesn't need references. She ends up getting hired as a live-in housekeeper for Nina and and Andrew. Nina and Andrew live a fabulous life, but Nina seems lazy, messy, and rude. Andrew is clearly tired and Millie starts to feel that he deserves better than Nina. Millie starts to wonder what it would be like to live Nina's life and be with Andrew herself. And as Millie grows closer to Andrew, she finds her room only locks from the outside. But she's not worried... Nina and Andrew don't know about her past or what she's capable of. Lots of twists in the end to keep you on your toes!
- I wanted to add that this book is similar to another book I had previosuly read, The Last Mrs. Parrish. However, I aboslutely LOVED book 2. Although I liked book 1, book 1 wasn't necessarily my favorite read of 2023. I included it here, though, because you need to read it to understand book 2!
- The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden (Book 2)
- I don't know how to talk about this book without ruining book 1, ha. Just know that Nina is back, working for another wealthy family as a housekeeper, and suscipious details keep emerging about the couple. Plot twists in this one were way crazier than book 1. I read it in one sitting on airplane to DC.
Looking for more book recommendations? Head here to see my full list of book recommendations on my Amazon storefront.
1 thoughts
What an impressive reading journey! Hitting the 100-book mark in 2016 and consistently keeping up with 70-80 books each year is commendable. Your list for the best books in 2023 provides a diverse range of recommendations, and I'm eager to explore some of them in 2024. Thanks for sharing your literary adventures and suggestions. The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros sounds intriguing—definitely adding it to my to-be-read list for the upcoming year. What's your reading goal for 2024? Share your thoughts! Visit https://www.melodyjacob.com to read my new post. Happy holidays!
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