Throughout 2023, I read many books and collected a few favorites along the way. Although your To Be Read list may be long, these books are worth adding to your lists.
1. Daisy Jones & The Six
As anyone who is familiar with BookTok knows, the book Daisy Jones & The Six was all the rage at the start of 2023, at the time its TV show adaptation began streaming. In January, I decided to read this book before I watched the show. I couldn’t put it down.
This book by Taylor Jenkins Reid is written in documentary style, narrated by the fictional band Daisy Jones & The Six’s members and people who knew them. It follows their rise to fame in the 1970s and their ultimate breakup after an infamous concert. This book was all the rage in the beginning of 2023 and became one of my favorite reads, which is why I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read this book yet.
2. One True Loves
I read Daisy Jones & The Six so I could read the story before watching the show, but also because I had been a bit obsessed with novels by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read two other novels by her, Malibu Rising and the BookTok famous The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo a year before, and absolutely loved them. While browsing Target’s book aisle, I saw another Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and after reading the back, I put it in my cart. The book I picked up is called One True Loves and it became my new favorite book from Taylor Jenkins Reid.
One True Loves is a shorter book that was easy to read and that I couldn’t put down. The story follows Emma Blair throughout a journey of love and loss. Emma is married to her high school sweetheart Jesse and lives a happy life until he goes missing in a plane crash. Two years later, she runs into an old flame named Sam, whom she falls in love with and begins to plan the rest of her life with. Sam proposes and Jesse is found alive on an island, and now Emma must choose which man is right for her.
This book wasn’t your typical love-triangle story; it’s much deeper, as it focuses on the ideas of identity, change, and the process of grief. I absolutely loved this story and the ending, and I think this book is worth the read.
3. The Silent Patient
I was recommended the novel The Silent Patient by multiple people, so I caved and decided to read it one night. I read this book in a few hours and was so obsessed I had to re-read it the next week, as well as talk it through with those who recommended it to me. This psychological thriller was a darker read for me, but I absolutely loved every minute of it.
The story follows a woman named Alicia Berenson who seems to live a perfect life until she shoots her husband and never speaks another word. Now institutionalized years later, a psychologist named Theo Faber is determined to help her and get her speaking. I was on the edge of my seat wondering why Alicia would not speak and what had truly happened the night her husband died, and the ending was shocking. I highly recommend The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides as your next read.
4. The Summer I Turned Pretty
I had never seen the TV show The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP). I recently decided that I wanted to read the book before watching the show, which was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I purchased the trilogy of three books by Jenny Han, which includes It’s Not Summer Without You and We’ll Always Have Summer.
Han is the author of the TSITP trilogy as well as the To All the Boys I Loved Before trilogy, which has been adapted to movies that can be streamed on Netflix. I read the To All the Boys I Loved Before trilogy a few years ago and absolutely loved it, so it’s no surprise that I loved reading TSITP and can rank it as one of my favorite reads of 2023.
This book follows 15-year-old Belly as she heads to her family friend’s beach house for the summer, where her family and the Fishers stay. Those staying at the beach house from Belly’s family are Belly, her brother Steven, and her mother. The Fishers include Susannah, who is like a second mother to Belly, and her sons Jeremiah and Conrad (whom Belly has had a crush on forever). This summer is different from her previous summers, as Belly notices changes in Jeremiah, Conrad, and herself. I couldn’t put down this book about Belly’s summer at Cousins Beach and all the changes she goes through as she grows up.
5. the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Last but certainly not least is one of my all-time favorite novels, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (TBOSAS). Although this was a re-read for me, it definitely deserves a spot on this list. I first read this book back in 2020 and absolutely loved it, so naturally after watching the TBOSAS movie adaptation this November, I had to re-read the book.
This novel by Suzanne Collins is a prequel that follows a young Coriolanus Snow (the future President of Panem) as a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games, along with his fellow classmates at the Academy as they all attempt to win the Plinth Prize. Snow mentors the female tribute from District 12 named Lucy Gray Baird. Readers see young Snow as a mentor who will do anything to keep Lucy Gray alive throughout the 10th Hunger Games, and the start of his life after being a student at the Academy.
There are many connections between this prequel and the original trilogy, and seeing into a young Snow’s mind keeps you intrigued. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the Hunger Games books and/or movies!
There were many great books I read throughout this year, and the books I mentioned are just a few of my favorites. For anyone looking for a new book to read, I hope you take inspiration from the best books that I read in 2023.
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