The Top Five Books I Read in 2023
Every year I recap the most memorable books I read in some form or another: an Instagram post, a blog, a melodramatic dinnertime monologue or perhaps a podcast-length rambling audio message to a dear (and patient) friend. This year I am BACK on the blog train!
Unlike some readers/writers who have stayed pretty steady with their reading over the years, the number of standout books I have read each year has waned. I blame this on a combination of periodically resuming “the student life” and other years having lived in smaller towns where the library was not as abundant with five-star novels.
This year WOULD HAVE been one of those less-than-stellar years had I not suddenly turned it around with one fateful purchase. Let me set the scene…
I was planning a long-awaited trip with a friend & some family members to Italy. (Yes, I was one of those stereotypical Canadians who went full-throttle three years after 2020 with an epic Euro vacation.) And, it must’ve been only a week until my departure flight, when I awoke in the middle of the night with a thought: “I can’t pack a book in my carry-on. What am I gonna do??!!” You see, I’m a carry-on loyalist, but I’m also a bookworm through and through. So, my head and heart were pulling me in two different directions.
Naturally, I did what seemed the only logical option: I dashed over to the nearest Indigo the next day to inquire about e-readers. Despite the lack of time on my hands, I asked the person working at the till every question I could think of to assess the best e-reader for my purposes. (The poor guy! I really put his Kobo knowledge to the test!) After mulling over my options up until the eleventh hour, I settled on the Kobo Clara 2E (no, this is not sponsored! I just like to sprinkle all of my writing with excessive detail.), and I rapidly began downloading books for my trip.
*Side note: If you travel often and have great vision, go with the Kobo Clara 2E, otherwise I would recommend the Kobo Libra 2 which has a larger tablet interface!
To my surprise, on my 3-week vacation abroad, during which I was extremely active (hiking, biking & sight-seeing), I clocked a total of SEVEN books!! I thought, surely this was due to the wild excitement I felt at having a new, shiny gadget at my disposal. But, to my surprise, my reading didn’t slow down when I got home and the novelty of my Kobo had worn off.
Had I, *gasp*, overcome my reading dry spell?? A miracle!!!
All that to say, I absolutely CRUSHED my yearly GoodReads challenge in just a few short months. (This is the part where you issue me a heartfelt congratulations! Hehe.) But, more importantly, it got me back into the habit that makes me feel most calm, most content and most at home: reading. And, this sudden resurgence of reading spurred me on to select some great books this year… so prepare yourselves, because you’re going to want to add ALL of these books to your TBR list…
This is it. If there was one book I would tell all young aspiring writers to read it would be The Secret History. It is the blueprint, the manuscript, the book of all books. To think Donna Tartt started writing this book at just 19 both blows me away and haunts me. What was I doing at 19? Going to university? What? Not writing the next earth-shattering masterpiece that would define a genre (dark academia, that is)? How unsavoury of me!
Now, why is this book so good? That’s probably what you are wondering. Without unfurling every technical detail of this book and how Tartt enacts them so masterfully, let me just say this: if I could provide one example that perfectly executes every piece of advice, technique and overall definition of what makes for “good writing” that a professor has imparted on me over the years it is The Secret History. The craftsmanship of this book is astounding. It really ought to be read more than once: the first time to discover the fantastic story for the first time, and the second time to marvel at the construction itself.
Read it—however long it takes you! It’s a masterpiece.
This book is a hoot! It is a fictional behind-the-scenes look at SNL from the perspective of a sketch writer, our lovely protagonist Sally. Sally is not especially unlucky in love. It is just that she has had a rejection in the last few years that seems to have taken a rather large clip out of her wings. With that, her pessimism about love jostles its way into her sketches week after week… until her comedy, her ideas, and, well… just her…catches the attention of a certain celeb guest.
That’s all I will say so as not to spoil any details. But if you are a a light reader and are looking for a book to get you out of a reading slump, this is the one for you!
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
I fully forgot I read this book this year… it feels like a million years ago! Yet, its impact lingers. I had such a fun time reading this story. The glitter and glam of the old Hollywood setting really draws you into Evelyn Hugo’s world. The book is a story within a story. The protagonist, a young writer, is asked to meet legendary Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo under the guise of writing an article about her gown collection. Really, she divulges her entire life story to this young writer, taking her time to answer the question on everyone’s mind: who was the love of Evelyn Hugo’s life?
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an excellent author who seems to do lots of research from book to book. I find the writing strong while also being commercial enough that anyone can enjoy it. As an added bonus, I loved the 2SLGBTQIA+ representation in this book! It’s always so awesome to see representation on such a high-profile scale with a major #BookTok hit!
We Were Liars was one of those books I had on my radar for years but could never seem to get around to. Well, in 2023 I made it happen!
The story follows Cadence, a member of the wealthy Sinclair family who lives on her family’s private island each summer. Growing up, Cadence spends every waking moment during those summers with her cousins and crush Gat. But, after experiencing a mysterious head injury, Cadence can’t seem to figure out what really happened to cause her injury in the first place and why her friends and family are keeping so many secrets.
Now, I’ll prepare you… this book is sad as hell! I was anticipating a twist but was completely blown away by how much it caught me by surprise. It’s short but stunning; fast but wretched; glamorous but heartbreaking. I walked away blasted senseless by the unveiling of the truth, and utterly impressed by the author’s carefully laid clues from the very first page.
I love to keep a pulse on what Reese’s Book Club is up to. They rarely miss with their selections. And, when I read their review of The House in the Pines, I thought, “That sounds perplexing. I ought to give it a try!” Sure enough, it did not disappoint!
Here’s the premise: Maya is trying to move forward with her life years after the death of her childhood friend when a mysterious death under the same circumstances is brought to her attention. Not only did this new person drop dead out of nowhere just like Maya’s friend, but they were also in the presence of Maya’s ex-boyfriend. With history seemingly repeating itself, Maya sets off to uncover the truth about her friend’s passing.
It’s a strangely unique mystery novel that will grip you from the first page. Definitely give it a go!
And, there you have it! The top five books I read in 2023. With full transparency, I read WAY MORE than this list encapsulates. I read about 16 or 17 books this year, but I wanted to highlight the best of the best for you to have a knockout reading guide!
I hope you loved this list! Happy reading!
Carly