December 14, 2023

Top Ten Reads of 2023

Ah, another top-ten list, this time of my most darling reads of the year. I should put a little disclaimer that I do not say these are objectively the best books of 2023 but rather the books I personally liked the most. I also have never claimed to have good taste. So if you read this book and are gobsmacked.. you were warned. Also, I like things that make me feel hopeful and happy. Don’t expect to see many ‘heavy hitters’ on this list. Enough about my bad taste into my top ten reads of 2023.

THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET – Natasha Pulley

In full honesty, I am not sure I loved this book so much as I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I even made my friend read it as well so I would have someone to talk to about it. Despite this book not being my normal pick the pitch of steampunk 1880s London but also Japan with intrigue and explosions and a clockwork octopus lured me in. I would also like you to read this book, not because I am sure you will love it, but because I am sure I would still like to talk about it.

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX, AND THE HORSE – Charlie Mackesy

I picked up this book because 1) it was gorgeous and 2) because it seemed short and I needed to motivation of powering through a book. I wasn’t wrong about either of those assumptions but this book made me cry and warmed my heart and made me see that life can be beautiful and full of love. Sometimes with all the darkness of life, you need to be reminded of the light.

DARING GREATLY – Brene Brown

If the idea of reading a book that talks about shame makes you have a visceral reaction where the inside of you feels like they’re shrinking into a tiny ball to protect yourself, maybe you should give it a read. Daring Greatly tackles being vulnerable and shame in a gentle but honest way. If, like me, you’ve been defending your soft gooey insides because you’ve been burned before, this book is for you. Great option for a self-help reads of 2023.

A FAR WILDER MAGIC – Allison Saft

writing this list has forced me to accept I judge books by their covers. Case in point I picked up this book to read because I saw an Instagram picture and thought it was so gorgeous and I wanted it on my bookshelf. So I read it so I could buy it. If you are a fan of ‘the sunshine one loves the grumpy one’ and you love magic, alchemy, underdogs, and found family I think you will really enjoy this one. I would suggest looking up Content Warnings on this one as it tackles some difficult topics including death and parental neglect.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND – Lewis Carroll

It is a little surprising I hadn’t read this before. I think my opinion was influenced by the Disney animated movie in which I found Alice to be irritating and a bit stupid. If I didn’t enjoy the movie I didn’t think I would want to spend more time reading it. However, the book Alice is delightful. I didn’t expect this book to be so amusing and full of play on words. It’s a beautiful example of the change from childhood to adulthood and navigating a world that doesn’t make sense anymore. Happy to add a ‘classic’ to my list of top ten reads of 2023.

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK – Neil Gaiman

I read this book ages ago and liked it well enough. However, I started a conversation with a friend about it which made me realize I had missed some very obvious parts. Well, I wasn’t going to let that stand so I added it to my TBR for 2023. I really did not savour this book the first time I read it which was a shame because it is wonderful. Can you say something is a lighthearted gothic tale? Because that is the best descriptor I can think of. You might want to look up content warnings because like I said, gothic.

GHOST WALL – Sarah Moss

I picked this book up at the thrift store because, you guessed it, it was very pretty. The dark earthy cover is appropriate to the content. For me, this was a fascinating look at how we cannot comprehend the barbarity of the past while simultaneously ignoring the barbarity of our current times. Perhaps human nature doesn’t change that much? But then again maybe it does. Really thought-provoking quick reads of 2023. DEFINITELY LOOK UP CONTENT WARNINGS.

A IS FOR ARSENIC: THE POISONS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE – Kathryn Harkup

I got very into Agatha Christie this year and this book was the perfect accompaniment! (Thank you Kat for the suggestion!) If you are interested in Christie, poison, fun facts, history, or chemical knowledge you will adore this! Particularly if you like one or more of those! Harkup takes a look at the life of Chrsite particularly her time as a Pharmacist and how she used her knowledge of poison in her works of fiction. I especially loved learning about contemporary cases Christie may have been inspired by and real-life cases that came after and may have been “inspired” by her novels.

A MONSTER CALLS – Patrick Ness

My family has been singing the praises of this book (and movie) for years. This year I finally read it and oh. my. Well worth the read but I had to leave my office during my lunch break and cry in the bathroom. This book will break your heart. I normally dislike books that make me sad but this one has so much heart to it. I’ve never read anything that paints grief so truthfully. Seeing a pattern of how many of these reads of 2023 have made me cry.

THE ONLY ONE LEFT – Riley Sager

I don’t read mystery/thriller books because they make me anxious and I do not enjoy the experience. (I google all the characters that will die in pretty much any book I read with even the tiniest pinch of suspense.) When your friend whose taste you trust recommends a book to you sometimes you cave and try something new. Glad I did because I AM OBSESSED With this book. In an effort to give an accurate review if you read a ton of mystery/thriller books, this might not blow your mind as much as it did mine, but I don’t so everything in this was new and exciting to me.