2023 book report
I set a goal to read 40 books for my 40th year of life, and ended up reading 54! I always thought it would be neat to read 52 books in a year, and when I realized mid-year I was on track for that, I pushed to make it happen!
In order to stay on top of my goal, I created a spreadsheet so I would always have my next book ready to go. If possible, I get the physical book, audiobook and ebook of every book I read at the same time so I can bounce between the different versions and read while showering, driving, folding laundry, laying in bed, etc. I love our local libraries and that I can read this much and spend very little money on books. I also love tracking my progress on Goodreads!
MY TOP 5 BOOKS OF 2023
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
“These Silent Woods” by Kimi Cunningham Grant
“The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise” by Colleen Oakley
“Untangled” by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.
RATINGS GUIDE
⭐️⭐️ = Didn’t even want to finish it, but I did
⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Enjoyed it, but it didn’t wow me
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Was delighted while reading and would definitely recommend it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = A masterpiece or must-read
THE 54 BOOKS I READ THIS YEAR
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The creativity in this book absolutely blew me away. A sweet story about work, love, life and death. Highly recommend if you like video games. It’s deep and intellectual with a dash of nostalgia. I am eager to read more by this author!
“Love and Other Words” by Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had too high of expectations for this one. It was just OK. It’s a love story that bounces back and forth between now and then. It has a very similar plot to the “The Summer I Turned Pretty” series and “Every Summer After,” and I personally enjoyed the others more.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a masterpiece. An absolute delight. I feel like I am stingy with ratings, but this gets five stars. The two main characters are a 70-year-old woman and the octopus in captivity at the aquarium where she works. It immediately sucked me in. It’s charming, clever and endearing with a side of mystery. Great narrator. Likable characters. And as a Norwegian, I appreciated the names (Erik, Tova, Lars … all of which are in my family) and mentions of lutefisk.
“Mercy” by Jodi Picoult ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jodi’s books can be intimidating, as they are twice as long as many of the other books I read, but I appreciate her storytelling. In this book she weaves a story about mercy killing, bonsai trees, betrayal and virtual reality. I appreciate her as an author, but this was not my favorite of hers. The characters and storyline just didn’t grab me.
“Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book came out in 2017 and I remember a lot of hype about it back then. I love this type of book … smart, deep, clever. Books where I have to look up words because I don’t know what they mean. The main character struggles with brain health which comes out over the course of the book. It’s currently being made into a film!
“The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Add this to your list. I was surprised by how much I liked it, considering I didn’t love the other two books I’ve read by her. It’s a really cute, witty, quick romance, but also has some depth. If you like Emily Henry, you’ll like this book. Are there flaws? Sure. But something about this one hooked me and kept me interested the whole way through. If you know of any Katherine Center books that are as good or better than this one, please tell me. I’m sad it’s over!
“Nora Goes Off Script” by Annabel Monaghan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super short/quick book — you can read this in a day or two! The hype was high for this one. I could have used more detail, but it was fun! Quite similar to “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center.
“This Time Tomorrow” by Emma Straub ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book involves time travel, which is not something I would have thought I would enjoy, but I liked it! The main character turns 40, which was very relatable for me this year. It offers good perspective on aging, choices, joy, spending time with loved ones, appreciating your parents, saying goodbye, loss/grief, etc. It made me think. It made me feel. To top it off, Marin Ireland is one of my favorite audiobook narrators.
“Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was heavy. It’s a heartbreaking look at how years of bullying can lead to a school shooting. I didn’t love the ending (it didn’t seem realistic to me). I’m glad I read it, but personally need to balance Jodi’s books with lighter subjects.
“The Measure” by Nikki Erlick ⭐️⭐️⭐️
An interesting look at what might happen if people could know how long their life would be. I enjoyed it, although it does make you think about death a lot. My favorite quote: “Living long is not the same as living well.”
“Beartown” by Fredrik Backman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A book about hockey that’s not about hockey. It’s about morality, friendship and patriarchy. I thought this was going to be a feel-good book, but it’s definitely not. It’s heavy, and a little repetitive, but overall I liked it. My first by this author, and I’d like to read more!
“The Stranger in the Lifeboat” by Mitch Albom ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A short book that can be read in a few days. Mitch Albom writes faith-based books, and while I don’t think his books are for everyone, I enjoyed it!
“The Maid” by Nita Prose ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A murder mystery about a maid with autism who finds a guest dead in his hotel room. The main character is heart-warming and reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant. I was excited to hear it’s being made into a movie!
“A Thousand Boy Kisses” by Tillie Cole ⭐️⭐️
A young adult romance, which admittedly is not my favorite genre. It’s sad and a little spiritual. I would not particularly recommend the audio version (I didn’t care for the male narrator). I found myself skimming the last third of the book.
“The Flatshare” by Beth O’Leary ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A cute, predictable romance. I enjoyed the book overall, and I appreciate that it touches on emotional abuse, but I was not a fan of the writing style for Leon. Will for sure watch the TV series when it comes out!
“These Silent Woods” by Kimi Cunningham Grant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, this one is beautifully written and different from anything else I read this year. I didn’t want it to end! The audiobook narrator is excellent. Of course, I also loved that one of the main characters is named Finch.
“One to Watch” by Kate Stayman-London ⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The Bachelorette” in book form. Fun, light, easy. Frankly, I want a spin-off book like the show does!
“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is by the same author as “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.” It’s a thoughtful book about a widower who owns a bookstore and one day finds an abandoned toddler in his store. There is also a movie on Amazon Prime, which was OK. The book is better!
“The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
If “Knives Out” was a (young adult) book. I am planning to read the next one in the series. It’s also going to be a TV show!
“Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would not have guessed two different people wrote this book. It switches perspectives between a boy’s mom and his girlfriend. One of the timelines moves forward and the other moves backward. This was my fourth book by her. If you’ve read “Nineteen Minutes,” Jordan (the attorney) is also in this book. Jodi’s books are very well researched and usually have a twist at the end. I loved that this one is about transgender, but I didn’t find the twist realistic. Both my kids’ names were in this book, which I’ve never seen before! I’m still waiting for any Jodi book to be better than “A Spark of Light.”
“Meredith, Alone” by Claire Alexander ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A book about childhood trauma, sisters and friendship. The main character, Meredith, hasn’t left her house in more than three years and reminded me of “Eleanor Oliphant” and “The Maid.”
“The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A quick read. Slightly disturbing. Very similar to “The Last Mrs. Parrish” by Liv Constantine. I’m very curious to read the sequel!
“Before I Let Go” by Kennedy Ryan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had heard such good things about this book. Sometimes when that happens I feel let down when I actually read it. There are themes of therapy, grief, divorce and depression, all with a side of spice.
“Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is being made into a TV series by Oprah and Mindy Kaling, which sounds to me like it actually might be better than the book itself. Vera is a quirky character! I liked it, but didn’t love it.
“A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A collection of stories about a man named Ove, who is a bit of a curmudgeon. I liked him as a character and loved how it all wrapped up. The movie (“A Man Called Otto” on Netflix) was really good, too!
“Happy Place” by Emily Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I can’t even begin to count all the things I love about this book. First, it’s set in Maine (one of my actual happy places) at a lake house, and you get that contented, relaxed feeling of being there … like time is canceled and nothing else exists. Emily Henry is possibly my favorite author. She references some of her other books’ characters in this book, which is always fun. I also loved the mention of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the friendship storyline as well as the romance. Could have done without the drugs.
“November 9” by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book takes place over five years and has an interesting premise. It’s a fast read that hooked me immediately and skyrocketed into my top three by CoHo. If you’re doing the audiobook, the male narrator is better than the female.
“Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The main characters in this book make an appearance in “November 9,” so if you are going to read them back to back, maybe read this one first. I think this has taken over as my favorite book by CoHo. Great story, likable characters, quick read.
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not my usual genre (fantasy), and it took me a while to get into, but it had great character development, and I enjoyed the audiobook with different voices for each person.
“Wrong Place Wrong Time” by Gillian McAllister ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The time travel element kept me thinking and trying to figure this one out. It reminded me of the movie “Groundhog Day” with the time loop / butterfly effect / deja vu themes.
“We Are Not Like Them” by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A deep story about race and friendship. It’s about two friends — one white and one Black — and how their relationship is affected after a tragic event. I expected to love this, but I just liked it.
“The Happy Ever After Playlist” by Abby Jimenez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A super quick, fun, light romance. Finished it in a weekend. My first book by her but it remains my favorite.
“The Golden Couple” by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t love mysteries, but this book had some interesting twists I didn’t see coming.
“The Housemaid’s Secret” by Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The sequel to “The Housemaid.” Super short chapters, and you can read it in a day or two. So many twists but it’s honestly not well-written in my opinion.
“The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise” by Colleen Oakley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Truly delightful. Bonus points for the sprinkling of women’s soccer.
“Finlay Donovan Is Killing It” by Elle Cosimano ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A mystery that’s not scary. This is the first book in a four-part series and probably earns more of a 3.5 rating. A fun series to dive into if you’re looking for something different!
“Part of Your World” by Abby Jimenez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My second by this author, and now I want to read them all. They are a series but don’t necessarily have to be read in order. The opening scene takes place not far from my hometown, which she refers to as “the middle of nowhere” (and she’s not wrong). If you’re from Minnesota, you’ll appreciate the location references.
“Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead” by Elle Cosimano ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The second book in the series. It’s a mystery but funny … like there are (bad) people being murdered, but you’re laughing along the way. The ending was unrealistic, but I still enjoyed it!
“Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun” by Elle Cosimano ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I kept going with this series because I wanted to jump into something quickly and skip the character development stage. I tend to get tired of a series by the third book and I’d say that is true here, but I am planning to read the fourth book when it comes out in March!
“Someone Else’s Shoes” by Jojo Moyes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My first by this author. Barely three stars; maybe more like 2.5. I had high hopes but I feel like nothing really happened?
“Love, Theoretically” Ali Hazelwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A combination of feminist vibes and romance. There were a lot of science terms I didn’t know mixed with spice. My first by this author, and I’m excited to check out more.
“The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett” by Annie Lyons ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The female version of “A Man Named Ove.” It’s a sweet story!
“Thank You for Listening” by Julia Whelan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This novel was written and narrated by Julia Whelan, a popular audiobook narrator. I love audiobooks so I enjoyed learning a bit more about the process through this story.
“The Mountain Between Us” by Charles Martin ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A slow romance without any spice. This was definitely not what I expected. A man and a woman survive a plane crash in a remote mountain area, and the story unfolds from there. This book was also made into a movie.
“Untangled” by Lisa Damour, Ph.D. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The only nonfiction book I read this year. Highly recommend for parents of preteen girls! I bought a copy, highlighted several sections and plan to reference it often over the next few years!
“I’ll Show Myself Out” by Jessi Klein ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I didn’t know much about this book or author going in, but it’s a collection of essays and is pretty funny. If you ever feel like you’re a “bad mom” or someone who isn’t cut out for motherhood, you’ll relate. My favorite quote about living with a toddler: “Imagine that every time you want to leave your house, you have to get in a bar fight with someone.”
“Confess” by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am hot and cold on Colleen Hoover, but she sure has a lot of books, all with different premises. If you’ve ever read PostSecret, this has similar vibes. This one made me want to read her entire library once and for all.
“Never Lie” by Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Freida’s books are never my favorite, but I like that I can read them in just a few days.
“One Night on the Island” by Josie Silver ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enemies to lovers, and the nontraditional ending was sweet. I wish this island was an actual place I could visit!
“Yours Truly” by Abby Jimenez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not my favorite by her. This one has dual point of view and I found myself getting frustrated at their lack of communication. I will still read all her books, though :)
“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another STEMinist novel. I didn’t like this one quite as much as “Love, Theoretically,” but will still read more by this author.
“Evidence of the Affair” by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My only TJR this year, and it hardly counts as a book. It’s a short story that you can read in an hour. It’s an interesting concept as the entire book is a collection of letters. I would love for it to be expanded into a full novel!
“Maybe Someday” by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐️⭐️
More Colleen Hoover. One of the main characters is deaf, and I love that she tackled that subject. This is the first in a series of three, and I plan to finish the series!
“Maybe Not” by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 1.5 in the “Maybe Someday” series. A spicy spinoff that is more of a novella. You can read it in a day or two!
2024 READING GOAL
I will admit I got burnt out a few times with reading this year and didn’t feel like I could spend as much time doing other things I enjoy (podcasts, blogging, Netflix), so I won’t put pressure on myself to read as much this year. Of course, I still love to read, so my goal for 2024 is 41 books! My “to be read” list seems to grow longer every day. So many books, so little time!
Do you have any book recommendations for me?