53 books in 2023
Hello hello everyone and welcome back to another end-of-year wrap-up where I tell you about all the books I read this year! In the year 2023, I read a total of 53 books. If you've been following me for the past couple of years you may notice that I have an affinity for matching the last digit of the number of books I read with the last digit of the year (i.e. 101 books in 2021, 52 books in 2022, and now 53 books in 2023). Can I explain why I like doing this? No. Consider it a quirk if you will.
2023 was a good reading year for me. I read 18, 5-star books, surpassing the 15, 5-stars I read in 2022. However I also read my first 0-star book this year, as in, it was so 'not for me' that I could've even rate it. I'll let you guess what genre that book is in 😉.
This year I also continued co-hosting the Useless Doctor's Book Club Podcast. For the uninitiated, the weekly book club consists of three members, all hopeful doctorate students, who choose books in a wide variety of genres and casually discuss them. All the books we've talked about this year can be identified below with this emoji (🎙) and I've linked the title to their respective podcast episode.
Below I've laid out my rating legend, and as always I will highlight books that I think are worthy of your attention. The genre breakdown is Literary Fiction, Mystery/Thriller/Horror, Science Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Romance.
The Rating Legend
🙅 - equivalent to anything less than 3/5 stars, so I probably shouldn't have continued reading it.
😐 - 3/5 stars - Nothing special to write home about.
🍪 - 4/5 stars - I had a nice time, but it just did not have that certain je ne sai quoi.
🍦 - 5/5 stars - Fabulous. Amazing. Stunning. Other similar adjectives.
🎙 - Featured on the Useless Doctor's Book Club Podcast
☕ - My review, aka "The tea"
* - Worthy of your attention
Now that the housekeeping has been done, settle down, grab a nice hot drink, and let's move onto the reviews!
Literary Fiction
☕ : A simple story about people living simple lives in a small town in Northern Michigan that is equal parts hilarious and equal parts heartwarming. I laughed, I cried, and I won't say anything further because you should give it a read. It's an absolute favorite of the year.
☕ : Unconventional friendships form through a love of literature. The setup was fantastic, and in theory should've been a book I liked. However, this book was overly descriptive in a meaningless way, the characters were unlikeable and uninteresting, and a twist occurs in the last third of the book that just turns this into a sad melodrama that was alas, boring.
☕ : An excellent exploration of grief, the significance of maintaining traditions across borders, and the complexity of parent-child relationships. And it's a debut! Will definitely be keeping my eye on this author's work in the future.
☕ : A woman in grief after losing her husband of 30-something years, learns of his infidelity. Miller begins with an intriguing setup, showing us the perspectives of the husband and wife, and their thoughts on each other. However, the narrative slowly devolves into "I'm so sad, woe is me", random insertions of past memories of sexual harassment, and a constant comparison between the husband's 'largeness' and the wife's 'petiteness'.
☕ : Lange's prose is great, however similar to her debut novel, the last 20% of the book is rushed and incoherent. Things are explained away a bit too quickly, and it results in the motivations behind certain actions making zero sense. Plus, I hate when characters are not held accountable for anything to make way for a "look we are such a happy family!" ending.
☕ : Brit Bennett really explores relationships between women in her novels so well. Her previous novel, The Mothers, explored female friendship excellently, and The Vanishing Half, taking inspiration from the classic, Passing by Nella Larsen, explores the complexity of sisterhood. I loved the characters and loved seeing the intergenerational impact of one decision. I finished this in one sitting and have been waiting for the on-screen adaptation ever since. HBO, I'm waiting!
☕ : Loved, loved, loved the first half and watching how our main characters' develop their friendship, their mutual love for video games, and their business ideas. But the second half was so wtf. There was a great opportunity to go deep and explore how past trauma and physical insecurity can be projected onto others and can influence relationships. But no, instead we just got some half-ass ending. It's such a shame cause the first half was really fantastic.
☕ : Ah. 2023 was the year I came to find Ann Patchett. The more you scroll down this list, the more of Ann Patchett you will see. This was the first book I read of hers this year, and I was floored. From the very first scene I knew I'd give this book 5-stars. It's hard to describe why from the visceral descriptions of heat during a summer christening party I knew this, but I knew. All I'll say is, read this book. Ann Patchett, you absolute legend you.
☕ : Absolutely flew through this book in one sitting on a train ride from D.C. to Jersey. Adebayo's writing style is phenomenal and has the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens. My only qualm with this book is its ending. It felt a bit too rushed and did not contain the emotional gut-punch the narrative was seemingly building towards. Regardless, would highly recommend this book and this author.
☕ : First, I have to applaud Silvia Moreno-Garcia for her genre range. She writes horror, historical fiction, fantasy, thriller, science-fiction, and adds a dash of Mexican folklore and mythology in each. However, I was honestly a bit bored throughout the book, despite it being heavy on the action. We are following two characters, one of whom is the literal Mayan God of Death, on a harrowing journey across Mexico, and I cannot remember a single thing that happened.
☕ : Oof. What a book. The story follows a group of friends who are gay and living in Chicago in the 1980s/1990s, the peak of the AIDs crisis. It has all the elements to be a really hard-hitting, emotional book, yet ends up not being hard-hitting nor emotional. The narrative drops you in the middle of the situation, and doesn't spend any time establishing the friendship. So, as a result, it's hard to feel attached to anyone and feel for them when something tragic happens. Regardless, I really did enjoy Makkai's writing, and as you will see as you continue to scroll, did go on to read more of her work.
☕ : The third and final installment of the Beartown trilogy. I was a bit wary that the third book wouldn't hit as hard as the first two and may have lost steam by the end. But Backman proved me wrong. The Winners serves as an excellent ending to an excellent trilogy. If you want to read an emotional story that explores the aftermath of a tragedy that occurs in a small town in Sweden that somehow manages to make you believe in beauty of community and humanity again, well here's your series.
☕ : A novella retelling of the Greek myth, Pgymalion. You know, the guy who carved a woman out of stone and then fell in love with the statue? A retelling of that story, except it explores the hypothetical aftermath that would happen to a man who falls in love with a statue because 'no other woman is worthy'. It's a great short read that is definitely a bit *out there*, but I was here for it.
☕ : A really beautiful story of a man growing up in Ireland and coming to terms with his sexuality. This book is heartwarming, emotional, and most of all, hilarious. Found myself empathizing with our main protagonist, Cyril Avery, throughout the book. Even when he made some really *questionable* life decisions. Overall, could not recommend this book enough. *Note - John Boyne is a relatively controversial author with a couple of his books attracting criticism for historical inaccuracies and transphobia. This book doesn't contain either, but still, something to be aware of regarding this author.
☕ : Another day, another excellent Ann Patchett novel. The Dutch House meticulously creates a portrait of your standard soap opera family, focusing on the close relationship between two siblings and how family dynamics complicate their life. Loved the close examination of childhood trauma, the importance of chosen family, and the parallels that are drawn between the significance of THE Dutch House and our main protagonists' life. Highly recommend.
☕ : This is a simple short novella that packs a huge punch. I honestly wish this was a novel that could keep me with these characters for longer and learn more about their motivations and their past histories. Regardless, loved the large questions regarding humanity, morality, and complacency that are pondered here.
☕ : Main character is weird, problematic, and slight menace to society, and it's evident that the author intended her to be that way. It's about a woman who is a transcriber for a sex therapist, and ends up falling in love with one of the patients as she's listening to the audio of their therapy sessions. The setup is intriguing enough, but the narrative lacks any cohesion and very much carries itself on *vibes* only. Was it somewhat entertaining? Sure. Would I recommend? No.
☕ : This book contains prose that reads like poetry and is just stunning. However, there is barely a plot here. It's told from the perspective of a son writing his mother a letter, but his mother cannot read. The letter, scattered and deeply emotional, serves as a way for the son to detail the thoughts and feelings that he is afraid to confront. There is not really a beginning or an end. It's simply the son's stream of conscious as he pours his feelings into this letter to his mother who will not be able to read it.
☕ : Another book that heavily carries itself on *vibes* rather than plot. This book was a difficult read. Our main protagonist suffers from an eating disorder and everything she consumes is meticulously detailed on the page. It's like half plot, half food diary. The writing is clinical in a way that is uncomfortable, which was perhaps the intention of the author, however I was not really a fan.
☕ : This book is a stunning exploration of the complex relationship between two young women in the 50s in Italy. Lenu and Lila are best friends and also each other's best rivals. Their circumstance brings out the best and worst in each of them. I love how the author tells the story retrospectively from Lenu's point of view, as she reflects upon her friendship as an older woman, and contemplates about how their lives diverge away from each other. A fantastic novel and I'd highly recommend.
☕ : The second out the four novels in this series continues exactly where the first book leaves off. Won't say too much to avoid spoiling the first book, but it was just as good and I cannot wait to continue in the series.
☕ : Bryan Washington is definitely an author I want to keep an eye out for. This debut collection of short stories is emotional, heartbreaking, visceral, and tender, all while managing to insert the reader into a specific atmosphere, a swelteringly hot Houston. Highly enjoyable and would definitely recommend this collection.
☕ : Each story follows a woman in a complex situation, whether it be receiving a call to rescue a woman she met twice or coming home to learn that her father is now engaged to her best friend. In this collection I really loved the stories 'Risk Management', 'Casino', 'Money, Geography, Youth', and 'Point of No Return'. Enjoyed Ohlin's writing and would recommend this collection stories.
☕ : Rooney does here what she does best. She creates unlikeable characters who are relatable, all while painstakingly examining the beauty and awkwardness of falling in love. My one qualm with this book is that the chapters in which the main protagonists are emailing each other seem pedantic and overly contemplative. It feels like Rooney just wrote down every thought she had on consumerism or climate change. Felt a bit out of place and I wish there was less of it. Regardless, thoroughly enjoyed this and Sally Rooney continues to be an author I love reading from.
☕ : Whatever direction you think this book is going, it's not going there. The book follows a man named William Waters and his complicated relationship with the Padavano family. The Padavanos have four daughters and their lives become intertwined after William marries the oldest, Julia. This book has beautiful writing and an interesting plot, but the motivations and reasoning behind certain actions never really made much sense to me, and the ending felt inconclusive. Regardless, I still enjoyed the narrative and the twists it had in store for the reader.
Mystery/Thriller/Horror
☕ : In standard Shirley Jackson fashion, this book is *weird*. She really does a great job of making you feel that something is out of place, but you don't necessarily what it is until it hits you in the face. The main protagonist, Katherine, is so unsettling as a narrator, which just adds to the overall tension of this book. Enjoyed the setup, the plot, and the building of tension. I completely understand why this is a classic.
☕ : This is the second Kaga mystery I've read and it was just as enjoyable as the first. Kaga solves the mystery of this novel pretty quickly, but he's more interested in learning why the crime occured in the first place. There are some wild twists and turns and honestly I'm very interested in seeing the on-screen adaptation of this series. A well-plotted, well-placed detective mystery novel.
☕ : The Silent Patient has an intriguing setup. A woman kills her husband, and then refuses to talk. Literally has not said a word since her husband died, and now stays in in a forensic psychiatric unit to work a criminal psychotherapist who tries to get to know her truth. The narrative keeps you on your toes, making you question everything and everyone. I definitely preferred this book to Michaelides's The Maidens, although this was his debut. The writing worked for me, but the ending felt a bit too rushed for my liking. It asked a bit too much from the reader in terms of believability.
☕ : I know I gave this book a 3-star, however this was kind of a fun, ridiculous read. Everyone is a terrible person and they make even more terrible decisions, which is typical of a May Cobb novel. Consider it like a reality series which leaves you screaming at your television about the really poor decision-making and lack of critical thinking going on. It was so much fun.
☕ : I will say that this was thrilling. The setting was a small village in England, and nothing says dark and mysterious like a creepy village. But the twists came out of nowhere and lacked the line of logic that makes a good mystery, well... good. Alice Feeney is an excellent writer, but I'd rather take a well-plotted mystery over outrageous twists.
☕ : The ending of this book is so ridiculous that it ruined the reading experience for me. I really enjoyed Gentill's The Woman in the Library, which similarly explores dual perspectives and creates a confusing, mind-bending reading experience. But this was almost too confusing to understand what was happening. I literally didn't know what was going on, and cannot tell you anything about the plot.
☕ : While this isn't a book I'd recommend to a wide audience, I really enjoyed reading this. Our main protagonist is invited to be the maid of honor for her childhood best friend's wedding. I wouldn't call this novel a thriller per se, it's more like a friendship story with some thrilling and dystopian elements. Our main protagonist was extremely unlikeable, but I found her to be super realistic. Her relationship with her best friend was complex, and it made the narrative arc so interesting. If you're not put off by unlikeable protagonists, I'd recommend this to you.
☕ : This started off so well, and then went in a direction that I didn't understand. There were whole sections where at the end I was asking myself, what just happened? This novel could have benefited from some condensing and simplification. There were too many plot lines, too many characters which, rather than adding to narrative, overcomplicated it.
☕ : I continue to grapple with my understanding of this book. It's incredibly well-written and considers some really important topics, however there are some discussions regarding sensitive issues that I believed required a bit more care and empathy. I also did not like how a sensitive issue was used as a plot twist, which I think is in poor taste. But, I do think the conversations that were being had were important to show.
☕ : 'Slow-burn' is the best word to describe this book. It's slow, its deliberate, and it makes you wait a long time to get any answers. Makkai is an excellent story-teller, and while this book deals with some heavy topics, it discusses them with incredible nuance. Our main protagonist is flawed, but she is realistic and does experience the consequence of her actions. I'd recommend (if you have the patience of course 😉).
☕ : This was overall pretty fun, over-the-top, and ridiculous. I know we are supposed to be rooting for the main protagonist, but honestly I found her nosiness a bit annoying and behavior quite cringey. Aside from her general behavior, the story is intriguing and I loved getting to know more about the entire cast of characters. I think Sutanto did an excellent job exploring each of their motivations for why they take the actions that they do. If cozy mystery is your thing, I'd recommend this for you.
☕ : This is a book that I would not recommend widely, but for some reason I really enjoyed. It wildly departs by Ashley Winstead's other two works, but idk, it works for me. Daughter of preacher befriends random outcast who has a lot of rumors circulating about him. They team up to find out about some town secret and things go *crazy*. It's so out there, I didn't understand the ending, but it gets 5-stars for the vibes from me.
☕ : It's such a shame that I didn't enjoy this book, because the concept is so intriguing and the beginning drew me in. A husband and wife go visit the wife's brother's hotel in Southern France, only to find the brother alone in the deserted hotel. Everything seems strange, especially the brother's behavior. I did not understand any of the character motivations, the plot lacked any semblance of cohesion, and that ending was very unsatisfying. But again, such a shame cause it was all set up so well. Overall, would not recommend.
☕ : I can see why this book has been a best-seller for so long. It drips with atmosphere, explores larger questions and assumptions beyond its basic premise, and features a cast of comlex characters. The book does require you to suspend your disbelief and wraps up a bit too neatly, however I'm happy to have read this book and will happily recommend it to a wide audience.
☕ : An excellent courtroom drama that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I could tell the author has a background in being a lawyer from how I was getting swayed by the both the defense and the prosecution. It's extremely well-written, pacing is fantastic, and I enjoyed some of the broader conversations that were being had. I will note that there is some negative behavior and language surrounding autism that I would advise people to be aware of. But generally, I'd recommend.
☕ : Incredibly clichéd, over-the-top, and dramatic in a ridiculous way and yet, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. A woman on a cruise ship sees someone get thrown overboard in the middle of the night. But in the morning, everyone is accounted for, so no one believes her. This is my third time reading Ruth Ware and I really cannot emphasize how good she is at building an atmosphere. Every one of her books carries a mood, and it just adds to the tension that continues to build throughout. Overall, a solid mystery.
Science Fiction
☕ : Fell asleep so many times while trying to finish this book. Dull, boring, could not care less about what happened to the main protagonist. Science fiction is not my thing, so really I cannot be objective with my review here. However, I would not personally recommend this book.
☕ : I'll say that I preferred this Weir book over The Martian, but I cannot say that I liked the book. I appreciate that the author is humorous, and maintains a light-hearted tone considering the plots are always some person in a harrowing, life or death situation. But again, science fiction really is not my thing and I try to avoid it with every fiber of my being.
Non-Fiction
☕ : I loved this book so much I read the whole thing twice. First from the library, and then I proceeded to buy the audiobook, and then after all of that I bought a physical copy signed by Patchett herself. Needless to say, I really love this book. It's a collection of essays that is reflective, personal, inspiring, hopeful, and heartwarming. The kind of book you read when you need a voice to tell you that things will be alright. Highly highly recommend.
☕ : I respect Marie Kondo and her work, however as a book, this was not for me. It was extremely repetitive and probably could have been condensed to a solid 20 pages. Fundamentally I think it is hard to argue against Kondo's main point, which is retain items that give you joy, get rid of the rest. Love this idea, agree with this idea, don't think it needs to be a book with 100+ pages.
☕ : Ann Patchett strikes gold again. Another excellent collection of essays. Although nothing, for me, can beat her previous essay collection This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, I thoroughly enjoyed every single essay in this one. The last essay of this collection is moving, thoughtful, and beautiful, detailing her friendship with a woman named Suki. Another book that I'd highly recommend.
☕ : This book is an excellent examination of relationships. Lunn explores platonic, romantic, and all other types of relationships in between, and how they are all of value and worthy of being recognized. She speaks to writers, psychologists, academics, doctors, and therapists, all as she reflects upon her personal journey in finding love in a partner, with her friends, her family, and through her children. Although I do think it gets a bit repetitive and there are some spots I felt could have been condensed or edited out, overall it's a solid collection that is worth the read.
Romance
It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us #2) - 🙅 (🎙)☕ : Yes this book has some cringey writing and the plot is nowhere to be seen, however its most egregious sin is that it's just plain boring. I can overlook all wrongs if a book entertains me. However here I was promised a romance and found myself reading about two characters who have zero chemistry. Would have never read it had it not been required by the podcast, and frankly would not recommend any book by Colleen Hoover in general.
☕ : This was a genuine surprise given my previous experience with Hazelwood. This book was fun! I enjoyed both protagonists as people. I even *gasp* blushed at their banter? I think the best part of any romance novel is when you actually see the process of how two characters connect. This book isn't perfect, but it delivered what it intended to. If you're looking for some light romance, I'd recommend this.
☕ : I hated the basic premise of this book, so I'm not surprised that I did not enjoy this. A woman meets a man, hangs out with him for 24 hours and then they never meet again. But then ten years later, serendipitously, they meet again and feelings are rekindled. Carley Fortune's debut novel featured a similar trope of second chance romance, but as I felt with that book, I never feel convinced that the two people actually like each other after all those years. Time changes people, so why are we assuming that the person we were at 18 is the same person we are at 28?
☕ : Katy Birchall wrote a book I gave 5-stars and this book, which I gave 1-star. While I'm still shocked that she wrote both books, I guess this displays that she has range? The female protagonist of The Last Word is dense, judgmental, and so very annoying. I don't understand why women in romcoms are always so judgmental of men, and then why is the narrative always that the male protagonist surprises her by having a decent personality? This book is so not worth your time. Read her other novel, The Wedding Season, instead.
☕ : Annoyingly cringe, problematic, and filled with every cliché known to woman. Should've stayed on Wattpad ngl. Is anyone surprised I gave this book 0 stars? Another book I would have never read had it not been for the podcast. Folks, I gave Colleen Hoover five tries and she has been 0 for 5, so perhaps it's time we do an author-reader break up?
☕ : The romance genre has not really been working for me in 2023 (which is fine btw), and my last romance of the year was in line with this notion. I liked the characters enough. The setting was autumnal and cozy. But I wanted more from this book. I wanted more banter, I wanted more action, I wanted more fun. Honestly, I wanted more of everything. If you're after the cozy, autumnal, magical vibes, I think you should just watch Hocus Pocus or Halloweentown instead.
Wishing you all a happy and restful new year, and hopefully I will be back here soon!
