It’s been another amazing year in books—although I’m terrified that some of them might be lost forever. For reasons February Anne was presumably very clear on but December Anne doesn’t remember AT ALL, I have a six-week gap in my reading log from late 2022 to mid-February 2023. It’s inconceivable that I just didn’t write them down, but why aren’t those books in my reading journal(s)? What method did I use to capture them and why can’t I remember it now? I have no idea, but if you see a “supplemental 2023 favorite books” post hit the blog come March, you’ll know it means I figured it out.
Assuming I read an “average” (for me) number of books during that lost six-week period—which seems fair since I always read heavily around the new year—I’ve read about 220 books (so far) in 2023. Taking into account how many books I have in progress right now, I expect to come in right around 230-235 for the year. This feels like a good number to me. It’s slightly more than last year, when I read 220 (also a good number). For comparison’s sake, in 2021 I read just over 250 books, which is probably the outward bound of comfortable, and in 2020 I read 300, which was too many. (I tell you why in that year’s favorite books post.)
Once again I’ve split my favorites between “favorite books” and “favorite audiobooks.” This is in part to give me leeway to choose more favorites without overwhelming you, or me. The struggle is real: 220 books is a big number, and I consistently have a tough time choosing favorites, in books or anything else. I initially thought I’d done a terrific job of being both choosy and decisive with my 2023 picks because last year my favorite books list held 15 titles and this year’s only holds 12 … but then I realized this year’s favorite audiobooks post holds 12 titles compared to last year’s 9 favorites. Let me do the math for you: the total number of favorites is unchanged from last year.
I’ll publish my favorite audiobooks of 2023 tomorrow. The only thing differentiating today’s list from tomorrow’s is the format; there’s no hierarchy between the two lists. They are quite different in their composition, however, and I have a theory as to why. For reasons I’ve previously talked about, I listened to a ton of audiobooks in 2023. And because of the rhythms of and demands on my reading life, in the third quarter of 2023 I noticed an interesting distinction emerge in my reading: without intending to, I’ve begun reading the majority of my forthcoming titles in print, and a large percentage of backlist titles on audio. Backlist lovers, fear not: while the majority of the titles on today’s favorites list were just published this year, my list of audiobook favorites is heavily populated with backlist titles.
Honestly, I could have chosen 75 favorites between print books and audio because it was a great reading year. Lucky for me, I have ways of cheating and sharing more favorites with you: check out the 2023 MMD Summer Reading Guide and especially the Minimalist 2023 MMD Summer Reading Guide for books I adored and wanted to shout from the rooftops. As I put together this list (below), I prioritized titles that were not included in those two outlets, which means you’re really going to want to go check those out if you haven’t yet.
I also whittled down my list by sticking to my definition of “favorite”: here I’m sharing books I loved that delivered memorable, enjoyable reading experiences. I’m drawn to books with emotional resonance, I appreciate craft, I give high marks to books that linger with me long after I turn the last page. If a book was technically brilliant and objectively well done but I didn’t necessarily relish the reading experience, it’s not on this list. (I’m looking at you, The Bee Sting.) These are my favorite books, not the ones I think are “best.”
Another important note: some of my very favorite books that I read this year aren’t actually coming out until next year, and those do not appear on this list. Stay tuned for our 2024 Spring Book Preview (happening on January 25) and—would you believe it?—our 2024 Summer Reading Guide for those titles. (It’s early December: on the one hand, I’ve only read one book that I expect to be in the 2024 SRG. But on the other, I’ve already read one book that I expect to be in the 2024 SRG!)
I track my titles in the My Reading Life book journal, and put a simple star by especially noteworthy titles. Despite my best efforts at record-keeping, I’m probably forgetting a favorite here, because I always do—and that’s without a six-week gap in my reading journal! Luckily I’ll have plenty more opportunities to talk about books I love: our first What Should I Read Next episode of 2024 on January 2 is devoted to my “best” books of 2023, and our team’s annual Best Books of the Year event is on the calendar for January 9.
I hope you enjoy perusing my roundup, and I would love to hear your favorite books of the year in the comments section.
All books featured here were chosen because I loooove them. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. More info here.
Another one I read twice this year: this is the novel I didn't know I was longing to read, with its tender familial relationships, Michigan cherry orchard setting, and insider look at summer stock theater. When Lara is nearing sixty and the pandemic is just beginning, her three adult daughters return home for the summer. The girls have long romanticized their mother’s once-upon-a-time romance with a megastar actor, and now, all together again, the girls direct Lara to tell them the whole story from the beginning. She unspools her story slowly, over three long weeks harvesting cherries on the family property. I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending, but this story? Absolutely gorgeous. More info →
I thought The Soulmate Equation was fine but I was surprised to ADORE this standalone follow-up set in the worlds of entertainment and publishing that features a romance writer whose love life is in shambles. After another relationship ends badly, Fizzy realizes she’s in a terrible slump, in love and in writing. Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Connor gets unwelcome news from his overbearing boss: he won’t get funding for his next nature project until he films a big money-maker… like a reality show. The two reluctantly unite to create a one-of-a-kind dating show that relies heavily on romance tropes, and also requires them to work closely together. This is one of the seasoned writing duo’s best efforts, with palpable chemistry, serious tension, winning humor, and a satisfying resolution. I couldn't put this down; it made for such happy reading! More info →
At our September Fall Book Preview! I said you would see this 2023 release on my Best of the Year list—and here it is! This compulsively readable literary mystery begins when a father vanishes in a D.C. area park—and the only witness to his disappearance is his 14-year-old autistic son, who doesn’t speak and thus lacks the means to verbally communicate with his family about what happened. What begins as a missing persons case quickly develops into an even more ominous investigation. First-person narrator Mia, a college student at home in 2020 due to the pandemic, takes us deep inside the workings of her Korean-American family as she relays all that unfolds during the bewildering three days following her father’s disappearance. Kim incorporates elements of music, numerology, language therapy, and more into this riveting blend of family saga and ticking-clock procedural thriller. More info →
I read this book pre-release, before anyone I knew had read it, with zero expectations or preconceived notions and it blew me away. Propulsive, urgent, honest, transportative, evocative, powerful—all the adjectives apply. The plot doesn't sound terribly exciting—a servant girl escapes a Jamestown-like colonial settlement and tries to survive on her own in the wilderness until she can make her way to something resembling safety—but WOW. This very interior novel hews to the perspective of one young woman, but Groff has more up her sleeve. This is also a bigger story about colonial America and how we as people live with each other and move through the world, and how our actions are dominos that have consequences we do not and cannot anticipate. I finished this book and couldn't wait to talk about it with my fellow readers. I even spoiled it for my husband (with permission) because I had big thoughts I needed to get off my chest. All the stars. More info →
This book is LONG, in the 600-page range, and that almost kept me from starting it. But I love a good family saga, and I REALLY love the story of two young people who find each other in young adulthood and click and build a life together. I'm so glad I gave it a shot! Jack and Elizabeth fell in love during college, when they were both eager participants in the thriving art scene of 1990s Chicago. Twenty years later, they’re far from the idealistic dreamers they used to be, disillusioned with life and marriage to the point that they're considering taking drastic measures to shake things up. Hill's expansive and warm exploration of modern marriage and parenthood in the age of diet culture, Facebook, therapy, and cults is moving and often funny, with a little bit of gentle satire. The hopeful ending, if a touch abrupt, still hits the right notes. Lovers of complicated marriage and family stories, this one’s for you. More info →
I've been meaning to read this follow-up to cult classic 84, Charing Cross Road for over a decade, and finally read it in London this summer during our family's big trip to Europe. The success of 84 enabled New Yorker Helene Hanff to finally travel to London; this is her memoir about that visit. Upon arrival Hanff encamps at the Hotel Kenilworth on Bloomsbury Street and is treated so graciously by her London hosts she dubs herself "Duchess." While in London she meets the family of the bookseller with whom she shared a lengthy correspondence (as captured in 84), visits historical sites, makes loads of friends, dines and lunches and walks in the gardens, and generally has a ball. This was exactly the right book at the right time. More info →
This historical mystery is based on the life and diary of Martha Ballard, an actual 18th century midwife who delivered over a thousand babies in her career and never once lost a mother in childbirth. As midwife, Martha keeps careful written records of every birth she attends, as well as many of the community’s happenings. When she cares for a woman following a sexual assault, she records the details in her diary and resolves to do what she can to see justice served. Four months later, a body is found in the frozen river, and there’s reason to believe the two crimes are connected. The existence of Martha’s diary makes her a key witness in the upcoming trial, placing her at the center of the biggest scandal the small community has ever seen. This book is a MOOD: tender, violent, and utterly gripping. More info →
I bumped this February release from longtime Southern Baptist teacher and speaker Moore to the top of my TBR after hearing from multiple readers of varying faith backgrounds that they considered it best-of-the-year material, and now here it is on my own favorites list: this superb memoir is filled with candid conversations about hard things, relayed with humor and warmth. Going in I was especially interested to hear her speak about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child and her more recent break with the Southern Baptists (though the two are very much related), but there is so much more in these pages. She is a consummate storyteller throughout, right up to the deeply satisfying ending. More info →
Because this was a Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club selection, I've happily read it twice! The premise of this 2023 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide selection is rooted in real life. In 2003, Anne Berest’s mother Lelia received an old postcard addressed to Berest’s deceased grandmother. The card is blank except for four names written in a shaky hand: Ephraim, Emma, Noemie, and Jaques. These names belong to her grandparents, aunt, and uncle, all of whom were murdered at Auschwitz. Anne was about to give birth so the postcard was put away and then forgotten. But when Anne remembers the postcard nearly two decades later, she becomes determined to find out who sent it and why. This sweeping French novel deals with history and memory, hope and grief, past and present French culture, and trauma. Translated from the French by Tina Kover. More info →
When I was reviewing all the books I read and loved in 2023, this one stood out as an oddball pick: one that's so different from my regular reads that it stood out as a delightful surprise. I enjoyed its zany cast of characters, snappy dialogue and heartwarming plot. The action begins when Francie lands in Roswell, home of the original UFO crash, steeling herself to talk her best friend out of marrying a UFO true believer. But before she can make any progress she's abducted by a tumbleweed-shaped alien and forced to drive like the blazes across the New Mexico desert. Along the way the duo acquire a merry band of misfits including a charming con man, a little old lady with a secret, a Western-loving retiree, and a UFO-chaser. This was the perfect summertime escape. More info →
In this superb poetry collection, the author of How the Word Is Passed (one of my favorite books in 2021) turns his attention to family, fatherhood, and community care. The first entry “All at Once” establishes the tone for poems that capture the fullness of fatherhood, setting quotidian moments of joy alongside the existential fear and dread that are part of parenting—especially parenting Black children in our world. (“There is a funeral procession/in the morning and a wedding/in the afternoon. The river that/gives us water to drink is the/same one that might wash us away.”) Smith addresses gun violence, climate change, and raising Black sons—and also the detritus at the bottom of his double stroller, the sand on his baby’s feet, and (gulp) Zoom school. A standout, and not just for parents. More info →
I’ve read James McBride differently since I heard him say writing is like music for him; this story is nothing if not a dance. Here he paints a rich portrait of Pottstown, PA’s Chicken Hill neighborhood in the early 1930s, populated mostly by Jewish immigrants and Black residents who comfortably coexist, despite the ominous proximity of the Klan. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is the neighborhood’s beating heart: residents gather to shop and gossip, welcomed by its beloved Jewish owner Chona, who treats all with kindness and freely extends credit to anyone in need. When a government inspector brings trouble to their community, the residents band together to protect their own. An exuberant, intricately-plotted tale with a wide cast of beguiling characters. More info →
Wow! That was my number 1 favorite read of 2023! I can’t adequately put into words my love of this book. It perfectly reflects a young boy’s perspective as a reflection of his adult self. So good.
I love that book abd author – and I highly recommend his second book, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams. It’s excellent on audiobook.
I had to laugh when you said the plot of The Vaster Wilds doesn’t sound very exciting. Because reading your description, I’M ALL IN. Historical survival story? Give it to me! 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation. Off to place a hold.
And maybe I need to get the Roswell book, too, as a true blue New Mexican should!
Try North Woods by Daniel Mason. Coincidentally it also begins with a Puritan couple escaping into the wilderness, then follows a few hundred astonishing years.
I’m not quite ready to pick yet! (Especially because I am reading This Tender Land currently and I think it may top the list.) But I know Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz will be on it, probably The True Love Experiment (so good!), The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, probably Beth Moore’s book as well.
I read a number of truly stand-out books in 2023 and I’ve narrowed them down to the following:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Crosby
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Agree re: Demon Copperhead, I have Some Questions For You, and The Covenant of Water. I also have to add This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (written in 2020), The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (2021), and The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson. Amazing tales that stayed with me long after they were over.
I loved “Demon Copperhead” too! I also really enjoyed Ann Patchett’s book of short stories, “These Pecious Days” as well as her “Tom Lake”. Interesting my 20 something year old daughters did not enjoy Demon or Tom Lake. I also loved “Hello Beautiful.” A lovely surprise was “What You Can See From Here” by Marianana Leky. Delightful! I also really enjoyed “West With Giraffes” and “The Dictionary of Lost Words.”
I was jumping on to say Demon Copperfield…my first five star read of this year. Such an amazing feat: being both plot and character driven, with a great structure and serious social issues to beat. I didn’t pick it up right away, due to the length, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.
Vaster Wilds was one of my top choices this year for sure. It felt like a grown-up, dark, slightly horror-tinged version of My Side of the Mountain and I am ALL IN for that. Also The Postcard and I’ll add Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.
I loved Tom Lake, Winter Solstice and Remarkably Bright Creatures too. Also finally read Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence, which surprised me and made me remember the pandemic in ways I had forgotten. I guess I should give Shark Heart a try 🙂
The Sentence was particularly impactful for those of us who live in the Twin Cities and dealt with the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd concurrently. Louise Erdrich really nailed all the emotions.
My best of 2023 are Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe; Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, and The English Experience. The last one resonates more with me because I am an English teacher.
My favorite book of 2023 was The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. It was suspenseful and surprising in all the best ways…what a page turner and tear jerker combined!
How can you read so many books in a year? Do you read entirely or part enough to get the plot? As a retired librarian I find about 100 works for me. Just curious how you trained yourself. Thanks and happy reading
If I “count” it it’s because I read the whole thing. (I probably DNF’ed another hundred or more.) Because of the line of work I’m in, I give myself lots of reading time (and my natural reading speed happens to be on the faster side). That’s not the balance everybody wants or needs but it works for me.
I too find it amazing that you have so much time to read. Are these a combination of audio and reading books? And if so, what is your ratio of reading vs. listening?
I loved Demon Cooperhead and The Heaven and Early Grocery Store.
This is a great list —I have some similar favorites as well as new titles to add to my TBR.
As someone who reads around 30 books a year (and is comfortable with that number) I am curious how you manage to read over 200! I realize that it’s part of your job and easy to factor in the time, but what does a typical reading day look like for you?
This is a great question! You’re right, because reading is such a big part of my job I do devote more time to it than most would find necessary or maybe even desirable. The anchors of my reading routine are audiobooks for chores and driving + an hour before bed nearly every night. Plus the occasional three-hour spurt on weekend afternoons. 🙂
The Maid, Nita Prose
A Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell
How to Stay Married, Harrison Scott Key
You could Make this Place Beautiful
The Lioness and Hour of the Witch, Chris Bojhalian
Ken Follet Pillars of the Earth Series (3 Huge novels)
At a book event, the presenters were asked to recommend a funny book for someone battling cancer. They couldn’t come up with one! I wanted to leap up on the stage and shout: The Road to Rosewell!!!!!
THE LITTLEST LIBRARY by Poppy Alexander
THE IMPULSE PURCHASE by Veronica Henry (order thru Hatchard’s)
CORONATION YEAR by Jennifer Robson
SUMMER READING by Jenn McKinlay
THE TWELVE BOOKS OF CHRISTMAS by Kate Carlisle
THE BUTTERFLY CAGE by Rachel Zemach (non-fiction / memoir)
ACT LIKE A LADY THINK LIKE A LORD by Celeste Connally
MURDER IN THE BOOK LOVER’S LOFT by Ellery Adams
THE SECRET RECIPE OF ELLA DOVE by Karen Hawkins
CATCH ME IF YOU CANDY by Ellie Alexander
THE ENGLISH BOOKSHOP by Janis Wildy
MY ROGUE TO RUIN by Erica Ridley
WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO? by Linda Corbett
THE WASHING AWAY OF WRONGS by G.M. Malliet
JANE AND THE FINAL MYSTERY by Stephanie Barron
THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING by Rhys Bowen
One of my favorite books of the year is Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom. I have seen very few people talking about it. It was released this year and has not received the attention it deserves. It is so good. It deals with tough topics, but it is so well done.
Oh wow – I was looking for another book by Kathleen Grissom recently, but I didn’t find that one! Thanks SO much for mentioning it! I adored The Kitchen House and its sequel Glory Over Everything. I’ll jump into Crow Mary at the beginning of January!!
Tom Lake and True Love Experiment were two of my favorites too. I also loved The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane and The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson. I really want to read Vaster Wilds this month.
My favorites:
The Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay
The Mystery of Henri Pick, David Foenkinos
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
Bel Canto, Ann Patchet
Last year I had 9, so only 4 for this year makes me a little sad (I read around 120-140 per year). But definitely excited to check out Tom Lake.
Interestingly, my first 3 books of 2023 were very ho-hum, so maybe it set the pace?
Happy Holiday reading everyone!
Bel Canto may be my all-time favorite, at least neck and neck with A Prayer for Owen Meany. You have given me the impetus for a third try for Project Hail Mary.
And, I could not get into Tom Lake even though I love Ann Patchett’s books. I wanted to like it. I think it might be because I am 80 years old. I am starting to find that there are books that I simply cannot relate to any longer.
Pam,
Did you try it on audiobook? I listened to it and I might not have loved it so much had it not been for Meryl Streep’s voice. She was SUPERB. That might have something to do with why other people seem to love it more than you did. I couldn’t get into Heaven and Earth Grocery Store because I didn’t like the narration. Go figure!
I can relate. I’m also 80 and find my reading life has changed. For one thing I’m more fussy with what I read. If it doesn’t click by 50 pages I drop it and pick up something different. At this age I realize my time is limited so I want every book to be worthwhile for me. Thankfully, I have a huge TBR list so will never be without a book to read.
My top reads for 2023:
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helen Hanff
Runners Up:
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Postcard by Ann Berest
(funny coincidence — all Ann!)
I’m still finalizing my list, but it includes:
Hello Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano
The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece, by Tom Hanks
The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett
Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune
Goodbye Earl, by Leesa Cross-Smith
The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman
I will finish the year at about 230, also. That is the most I’ve read in a year, ever. I’m retired, so I do have a lot of time to read. I’m also a fast reader, and audio has increased my numbers as well.
The War That Saved My Life will forever be a book I recommend. I read it with my then 5th grader and we both still love it. I can’t wait for another year or two when my youngest will be old enough to read it together. I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!
So far, my 2023 favorites include:
In Memoriam (Alice Winn). Hearbreaking but so beautiful
No Two Persons (Erica Bauermeister). As a book lover, how could I not love this one?
The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O’Farrell)
Symphony of Secrets and Violin Conspiracy (Brendan Slocumb)
and for fun: Starter Villain (John Scalzi)
Interesting that all these were audio
Appreciated but didn’t really enjoy
Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver). I KNOW this is an excellent book but didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped to
The Vaster Wilds (Lauren Groff)
Using your definition of emotionally resonant books that linger, my favourite this year was A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe (which was published a while ago here in the UK but only recently in the US I think). It’s about a young man who goes to help in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. No book has ever hit me with so much emotion in the opening chapter. A beautiful, heart-wrenching but ultimately hopeful book.
This has been a year of much less reading focus for me, in part due to big life events/mental distractions, so I feel off my reading game. But, I still have a list! My favorite reads this year include: All My Knotted-Up Life; Hello Beautiful; The Secret Life of Bees (an old favorite re-read); Modern Miss Mason; The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters; You Carried Me by Melissa Ohden
(I’ve been finding that memoir might just be my favorite genre.)
I loved ALL MY KNOTTED UP LIFE! I listened to it and then read the book so that I could be sure I didn’t miss anything. I would love to discuss it with a group.
Will someone please explain why Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was so good? My description was that it sounded like a reading of the minutes to a long meeting, read by someone who likes to embellish. It’s one of the 2 worst books I read this year. I was shocked when I saw it being called the number one book.
It wasn’t a favorite of mine this year, but I liked it. He has a very unique style of writing and it is obviously not your cup of tea, which is fine. It’s sort of messy and chaotic but there is a through line. I also really like his characters.
I had a hard time getting into it and I tried three times! I think it was because I listened to it on audio. I re-signed up for it at the library again though after reading the comments here. Maybe in 6 months when it comes across my ears again, I’ll be ready to plow further in!
I just finished Hello Beautiful and while I found it kept my interest, I just felt like REALLY? 😑 I felt like slamming the book cover but it was on a Kindle ; )
Hello beautiful was sooooo slow for the first third of the book. But I really did end up liking it. It is NOT for plot driven people though. I also tried Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and couldn’t get more than three chapters in. Eh- just couldn’t figure out why to keep going. Clearly I’m missing something!!! It is wonderful and amazing to know that there are so many books for all different people- and also amazing that authors know how to hook us in!!!
Such a great list! Currently reading The Vaster Wilds and it’s already a fave.
Here are a few of my most enjoyable reads, off the top of my head, that more people should try!
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (wonderful on Audio)
There are at least 4 books that made a major impact on me this year:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Permanent Astonishment by Tomson Highway
The River by Helen Humphreys
Still Life by Sarah Winman
The first three are nonfiction and all have to do, in part, with appreciating the natural world. As our planet lurches toward devastating climate change I find I want to immerse myself in what we are about to lose.
Favourites: The Rachel Incident, The Bee Sting, Birnam Wood, Tom Lake, Love Marriage, Talking at Night, Killers of the Flower Moon, Search, Romantic Comedy, Demon Copperhead, The Covenant of Water. That’s 11!
I cannot fathom reading over 200 books. I have read 50 so far this year.
My favorites this year:
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight
The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
I have a few of the books on your favorites list in my TBR pile already. I will have to check out some of the others.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by Stradal (such interesting characters)
The Gown by Robson (especially poignant after the Queen’s death)
New Kid by Craft (excellent graphic novel for middle grade–which I teach)
Tranquility by Tuesday by Vanderkam (best time management book I’ve read)
A Mother’s Rule of Life by Pierlot (spiritual framework for time management)
The Wild Places by MacFarlane (absolutely beautiful nature writing)
Wilding by Tree (restoring wildness to an English manor)
What a wonderful list of favourites! I think I’ve been officially convinced to try Happiness Falls now.
As for me, some of my favourite reads of the year are: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Talking at Night by Claire Daverley, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel.
so happy to see “The Road to Roswell” on your list! Connie Willis is one of my favorite authors, but sometimes it feels like she gets overlooked by readers (even though she’s won many awards)
My hands down fave for the year is Starling House by Alix Harrow. I also loved Demon Copperhead, but had trouble with everyone’s favorite, Tom Lake. Maybe it was my mood at the moment? Some books, I believe, just “fit” into Life better at different times.
Fave Fiction: Maame by Jessica George
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Fave Non-Fiction: Build the Life You Want by Oprah + Albert Brooks. Call me basic, but I really liked this book.
Outlive by Peter Attia
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett (yes, she gets 2. She’s that good.)
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (controversial but memorable)
Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman
Shark Heart is my current fav of the year, read at the same time as I was listening to Tom Lake, which dovetailed nicely, actually. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried so much reading a book. Who would’ve thought a story about a man turning into a shark would so beautifully illustrate what it means to be human?
I Guess I Haven’t learned That Yet
Funeral Songs For Dying Girls
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Romantic Comedy
Camp Zero
Bluebird
Banyon Moon
King of the Armadillos
I loved I Guess I Haven’t Learned That, too! I nominated it for my book club to vote on as a book for next year, but it may not get chosen. I would love to talk it over with a few people.
I was surprised to see that only 1 other person mentioned The Postcard. I loved it!
Favorite books I read
The Postcard
Hello Beautiful
The Seacher by Tana French
The Marriage Portrait
Cutting for Stone
Mercy Street Jennifer Haigh
Birman Wood Eleanor Catton
The Last Ranger Peter Heller
Foster Claire Keegan
Audiobooks
The Heirs Susan Rieger
Ask Again, Yes Mary Beth Keane
Romantic Comedy Curtis Sittenfeld
The Librarianist Patrick deWitt
Small Things Like These Claire Keegan
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
Horse Geraldine Brooks
Hands down, The Covenant of Water. Also, Beartown, Hamnet, Ordinary Grace (William Kent Kruger), Unlikely Animals, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, I Have Some Questions for You, and Demon Copperhead.
I agree with you. Covenant of Water was a stunning achievement. I think it’s my favorite Audible as it is read by the author and he wonderfully portrays the accents, even doing one for the Irish (or was he Scotish?) character. But my favorite is still Cutting for Stone.
I love the entire list and will be going to the library soon to get some of those. I DO NOT understand how a person can read 220 to 250 books a year. How does a person get that much time to read??? Or do they read a lot during the daytime? I am retired but stay pretty busy and I only get six or seven books read in two months. I only read at night before I go to bed. It seems I don’t have time during the day. Or should somebody be a speed reader?? I usually read slowly to feel that I absorb more and enjoy it more. I just pulled some old ones out of my bookshelves that I hadn’t read.
Here’s some that I’ve read in the last couple months:
Promises – Belva Plain
Season of Passion – Danielle Steel
America’s First Daughter – Dray & Kamoie
On the Night of the Seventh Moon – Victoria Holt
Mistress in Mourning – Karen Harper
Looking Back – Belva Plain
I hope someone has some suggestions how I could get in more reading. That is my favorite hobby.
Thank you for any suggestions. ❤️
Audio books (available to borrow for free at your local library) are the key. Then, you can listen for hours more each day while you multitask: walk the dog, do dishes, drive, cook, clean the house, etc.
I noticed you read a Victoria Holt book! I read a TON of her books back in my late teens-early adulthood. I saw Mistress of Mellyn as a Kindle deal recently and grabbed it!! Once I started having babies in 1979, I couldn’t concentrate much on novels – I read mostly magazines then (what a waste, but that was how my brain worked when I had babies and toddlers in the house). Victoria Holt was a favorite author during those years younger years!
Thanks for sharing some older titles. I am trying to go back and read some of the popular ones from the 80’s-90’s when I was too young to read them. I recently read Prince of Tides and was blown away!
“Foster” by Claire Keegan was short, tender and memorable. “The Stillness of Winter” by Barbara Mahany is so beautiful and always brings me into focusing what is really important in the chaos of December, and then warms my heart through the remaining cold and snowy days of the season.
Many of my favorites have already been mentioned and Mary Becker you could be my reading twin!
One I have not seen mentioned and really deserves more attention is a book titled “Leonard and Hungry Paul” by Ronan Hession. The owner of my favorite small independent bookshop (Hi Sandy!) Prairie Path Bookshop in Wheaton,IL is the one who brought it to my attention. It’s just lovely, the protagonists are two grown men who live at home with their parents simply because they like them and all enjoy each other’s company. I don’t want to describe it further but if what I have just described sounds good then you won’t be disappointed by this book. Great characters, great plot, outstanding voice! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
Lauren, I love the idea of a reading twin! I’m not familiar with the book you mentioned but it’s now on my TBR list. Also, I’m in NY state now but grew up in Springfield IL😊
Lauren, thanks for the recommendation of your favorite indie bookstore! I live about 30 minutes from there, and would like to go there sometime! There aren’t enough bookstores in the northwest and western Chicago suburbs!!
Well Anne, we often enjoy the same books, especially Lit Fic so I’m gonna give The Vaster Wilds another shot!
And I too adore an excellent family saga so probably need to give Wellness a shot!
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. That has been the runaway favorite of 107 books I read this year. Tom Lake was also in the running with Small Things Like These and Foster by Claire Keegan.
Off the top of my head, without looking back at my Goodreads, my favorites of the year have been:
The Postcard
Babel
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Latecomer (audio)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful
Happy Place
Ask Again, Yes
The Summer Place (audio)
The Change (audio)
I know, I know, it’s probably just me… but my favorite (unique) book of the year was “Jackie and Me” by Louis Bayard. A wonderful “what if, wink, wink” book about Jacqueline Bouvier. It was haunting.
One day, when I retire, I can tackle reading 200 books a year. For now, between physical books and audiobooks, I read about 85 a year.
My 2023 favorites are:
* Peach Blossom Spring – Melissa Fu (generational and historical fiction about Taiwan)
* The It Girl – Ruth Ware – suspense
* The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams – sweet story about the power of books
* No Two Persons – Erica Bauermeister – gorgeous book of interwoven stories about how one book affects so many people in different ways
* Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese – historical fiction masterpiece
* Remarkably Bright Creatures- Shelby Van Pelt – just a unique and lovely story
It’s been a wonderful year and I already have far too many books on my TBR for 2024 than I will be able to read; much to look forward to.
Happy Reading!
In no particular order, my 2023 favorite reads:
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
This Tender Land by William Kent Kruger
Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life by Sarah Clarkson
Finding Me by Viola Davis
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
I’m astonished and a little envious at the number of books, Anne. Then again, it’s your job. I set a goal of 52 books this year and pretty sure I met it, not too shabby given I work full time, serve on a board, and have two teens! I hope Covenant of Water makes your audiobook list tomorrow, Dr. Varghese did a great job reading his book. Towards the end of the year I discovered an old mystery series by Patricia Moyes and I am so hooked!
So many of my favorite books from this year were from the MMD Book Club selections, particularly the 2023 SRG. It’s no surprise, then, that I echo your sentiments about a few of the titles listed above, particularly Demon Copperhead, Tom Lake and The Postcard.
I am on track to complete around 85 books this year, up significantly from 62 in 2022 and only 38 in 2021! Here are a few of my favorite NEW RELEASES from this year (although some of the best books I’ve read this year are backlist titles). In no particular order:
*Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
*Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
*The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
*Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
*Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
I look forward to considering and posting on IG my final list for 2023 at the end of the year:)
So excited to read the Duchess of Bloomsbury Street… Did not know about that one, and 84, Charing Cross Rd. was one of my all-time faves. I even found the old movie starring Anne Bancroft and it was wonderful. I read about The film last year when I read Mel Brooks’s memoir all about me! because of course he was her husband.
All My Knotted Up Life
Hello, Beautiful
We All Want Impossible Things
and, The True Love Experiment – I was surprised at how much I loved that one! The focus on JOY in that book has really stuck with me – “Romance is about joy” – love that. And the banter was just next-level fun and sexy. So good.
My first book of the year was We all Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman and still stands as the best book I read this year. There are a few other 5 star books but mostly meh for the rest, don’t know if I was a harder grader or just a bad picker this year.
I think I will be meeting my goal of 115 books for the year—so far my favorites are:
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
The Hero of This Book by Eliz. McCracken
Abide with Me, by Elizabeth Strout
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Foster by Claire Keegan
Exiles by Jane Harper
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Henry
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
One Man’s Meat by E.B.White
Spare, by Prince Harry!
I need to sit down and decide which books I liked the best. But two that I have to put at the top of the list are ones I reread (after some years on the shelf). One was What Unites Us, Dan Rather, the other was The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Lisa See.
One of the new ones that I think will make the list is Anxious People, Fredrik Bachman.
The covenant of water was probably my number one favorite book this year, and maybe of all time. For those of you who are fans of the book, you should check out Oprah’s SuperSoul podcast where she interviews Abraham Verghese, and they dive into every one of the 10 parts of that long book. It was absolutely fantastic. He actually reads the book in the audio, and he has a beautiful narrative voice.
I resisted reading Tom Lake for a bit, but absolutely loved it. I think Ann Patchett can have troubles with ending books, and I know you did not like the ending much, but I did and it is definitely one of my top books of the year.
I also agree that The True Love Experiment was quite fun.
Other than that I don’t record my reading in any way, so if I rememeber a book, that means it struck me in some way.
On this list is The Secret Book of Flora Lea, The Thursday Murder Club Book #1, and Emma of 83rd Street.
Theory about the missing books–maybe they’re all captured in your spreadsheet or other prep docs for the 2023 summer reading guide? Maybe your amazing team has all that info?
Good luck, and thank you for this list–happy holidays!
Happiness Falls is also on my list! My other favorites this year:
Starter Villain by John Scalzi, Speech Team by Tim Murphy, The Intern by Michelle Campbell, We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, and I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
Oh, how I wish you’d listened to Beth Moore’s book. Listening to her tell her own story was so powerful. It will definitely make my list of favorites for this year.
This has been my best reading year ever, I think. I typically read 100 books/year and MMD has helped me figure out what I love to read. I have become much better selecting 4&5 star reads. These are not all the ones I’ve loved this year but I don’t think these have been mentioned here yet.
Some of my top books of the year:
True Grit by Charles Portis
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
Rough Draft: A Memoir by Katy Tur
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Halfway to You by Jennifer Gold
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin
And so many of those you all have already mentioned. Thanks for the recommendations here in the comments. I LOVE this post. Thank you, Anne, for all you do here in this community!
My favorite books of 2023:
The Winners by Fredrik Backman
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminski
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
Maame by Jessica George
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Starling House by Alix Harrow
The Postcard by Anne Berest, translated by Tina Kover
True Biz by Sara Novic
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Take my Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny
Mr Owita’s Guide to Gardening ,Carol Wall.
A wonderful compelling story about an open heart and friendship. A smidge about gardening. Best book I have read in years, also a best seller.
I LOVED The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. Stumbled upon this author totally randomly in December (it was the last book I read for the year). I found a 1973 first edition paperback at the Strand in NYC this weekend and it’s my new TREASURE. Conversely, I HATED The Vaster Wilds with the intensity of a trillion burning suns. And that is what I love about reading – is that each of our reading experiences are unique and completely valid.
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166 comments
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri.
I agree! And the mother’s Christian witness made me cry. 🥲
i read (listened) to this too- definitely on my favorites list!
Wow! That was my number 1 favorite read of 2023! I can’t adequately put into words my love of this book. It perfectly reflects a young boy’s perspective as a reflection of his adult self. So good.
Oops referring to Everything Sad is Untrue
We just read this for Bookclub and everyone loved it!
I LOVE that book so much!
I love that book abd author – and I highly recommend his second book, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams. It’s excellent on audiobook.
I had to laugh when you said the plot of The Vaster Wilds doesn’t sound very exciting. Because reading your description, I’M ALL IN. Historical survival story? Give it to me! 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation. Off to place a hold.
And maybe I need to get the Roswell book, too, as a true blue New Mexican should!
And now I’m laughing! I hope you love it.
Try North Woods by Daniel Mason. Coincidentally it also begins with a Puritan couple escaping into the wilderness, then follows a few hundred astonishing years.
I AM SOLD.
I read these two books back to back without knowing the connection. Book serendipity!!
I love when that happens!
I just finished Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon. Sweet, fun, suspenseful.
That’s good to hear, as it’s been sitting on my shelf for several months now!
My top book of the year is “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.
Is the list of favorite audiobooks posted somewhere else?
she will post it tomorrow!
Covenant of Water, Wellness, Ducks, and The Postcard.
Covenant of Water is unforgettable. One of my favorites this year.
Covenant of Water is my number one of the year! Followed closely by Hello, Beautiful and Tom Lake.
Oh, yes! I loved The Covenant of Water!
I’m not ready to say yet. Historically I get lost in an amazing book at the end of December. There’s some good ones here though!
Jill
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/
Starter Villain by John Scalzi was my favorite this year. Best written? Probably not but it sure was a fun read. I loved it.
“Fun” counts for a lot when it comes to favorites!
Scalzi writes interesting books fun to read.
I’m not quite ready to pick yet! (Especially because I am reading This Tender Land currently and I think it may top the list.) But I know Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz will be on it, probably The True Love Experiment (so good!), The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, probably Beth Moore’s book as well.
Good list! This Tender Land is one of my all time favorites
Enjoyed the Watchmaker as well!
I read a number of truly stand-out books in 2023 and I’ve narrowed them down to the following:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Crosby
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Agree re: Demon Copperhead, I have Some Questions For You, and The Covenant of Water. I also have to add This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (written in 2020), The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (2021), and The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson. Amazing tales that stayed with me long after they were over.
I loved “Demon Copperhead” too! I also really enjoyed Ann Patchett’s book of short stories, “These Pecious Days” as well as her “Tom Lake”. Interesting my 20 something year old daughters did not enjoy Demon or Tom Lake. I also loved “Hello Beautiful.” A lovely surprise was “What You Can See From Here” by Marianana Leky. Delightful! I also really enjoyed “West With Giraffes” and “The Dictionary of Lost Words.”
What a list!
I was jumping on to say Demon Copperfield…my first five star read of this year. Such an amazing feat: being both plot and character driven, with a great structure and serious social issues to beat. I didn’t pick it up right away, due to the length, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.
Vaster Wilds was one of my top choices this year for sure. It felt like a grown-up, dark, slightly horror-tinged version of My Side of the Mountain and I am ALL IN for that. Also The Postcard and I’ll add Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.
Kate, that’s an amazing description of The Vaster Wilds!
So far, my 2023 favorites are:
Happiness Falls
Go As A River
Leaving Eastern Parkway
Horse
Go As A River was a tip favorite for me and is going on my ALL time favorite list! Loved it so much!
I loved Shark Heart! And Tom Lake, Remarkably Bright Creatures. I also really enjoyed rereading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher-an old favorite.
I loved Tom Lake, Winter Solstice and Remarkably Bright Creatures too. Also finally read Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence, which surprised me and made me remember the pandemic in ways I had forgotten. I guess I should give Shark Heart a try 🙂
The Sentence was particularly impactful for those of us who live in the Twin Cities and dealt with the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd concurrently. Louise Erdrich really nailed all the emotions.
I like to re-read Winter Solstice every couple of years. It’s a good one.
Loved these 3 historical novels!
http://www.lindastoll.net/2023/06/3-exquisite-historical-novels-whole-lot.html
My best of 2023 are Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe; Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, and The English Experience. The last one resonates more with me because I am an English teacher.
My favorite book of 2023 was The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. It was suspenseful and surprising in all the best ways…what a page turner and tear jerker combined!
Anne, I wonder if that was when you were so very sick? Sometimes everything has to be tossed aside just to keep from drowning. Give yourself grace.
You know, that IS when I was sick—and I was reading up a storm! Noted on the grace and thanks for the kind words ❤️
How can you read so many books in a year? Do you read entirely or part enough to get the plot? As a retired librarian I find about 100 works for me. Just curious how you trained yourself. Thanks and happy reading
If I “count” it it’s because I read the whole thing. (I probably DNF’ed another hundred or more.) Because of the line of work I’m in, I give myself lots of reading time (and my natural reading speed happens to be on the faster side). That’s not the balance everybody wants or needs but it works for me.
I too find it amazing that you have so much time to read. Are these a combination of audio and reading books? And if so, what is your ratio of reading vs. listening?
I loved Demon Cooperhead and The Heaven and Early Grocery Store.
This is a great list —I have some similar favorites as well as new titles to add to my TBR.
As someone who reads around 30 books a year (and is comfortable with that number) I am curious how you manage to read over 200! I realize that it’s part of your job and easy to factor in the time, but what does a typical reading day look like for you?
This is a great question! You’re right, because reading is such a big part of my job I do devote more time to it than most would find necessary or maybe even desirable. The anchors of my reading routine are audiobooks for chores and driving + an hour before bed nearly every night. Plus the occasional three-hour spurt on weekend afternoons. 🙂
The Maid, Nita Prose
A Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell
How to Stay Married, Harrison Scott Key
You could Make this Place Beautiful
The Lioness and Hour of the Witch, Chris Bojhalian
Ken Follet Pillars of the Earth Series (3 Huge novels)
That looks like a great list!
My favorite of the year, Just a Regular Boy, by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I highly recommend!
This one wasn’t on my radar—thank you for sharing!
I read “Just a Regular Boy” last year and ADORED it!
At a book event, the presenters were asked to recommend a funny book for someone battling cancer. They couldn’t come up with one! I wanted to leap up on the stage and shout: The Road to Rosewell!!!!!
My favorites:
THE LITTLEST LIBRARY by Poppy Alexander
THE IMPULSE PURCHASE by Veronica Henry (order thru Hatchard’s)
CORONATION YEAR by Jennifer Robson
SUMMER READING by Jenn McKinlay
THE TWELVE BOOKS OF CHRISTMAS by Kate Carlisle
THE BUTTERFLY CAGE by Rachel Zemach (non-fiction / memoir)
ACT LIKE A LADY THINK LIKE A LORD by Celeste Connally
MURDER IN THE BOOK LOVER’S LOFT by Ellery Adams
THE SECRET RECIPE OF ELLA DOVE by Karen Hawkins
CATCH ME IF YOU CANDY by Ellie Alexander
THE ENGLISH BOOKSHOP by Janis Wildy
MY ROGUE TO RUIN by Erica Ridley
WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO? by Linda Corbett
THE WASHING AWAY OF WRONGS by G.M. Malliet
JANE AND THE FINAL MYSTERY by Stephanie Barron
THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING by Rhys Bowen
One of my favorite books of the year is Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom. I have seen very few people talking about it. It was released this year and has not received the attention it deserves. It is so good. It deals with tough topics, but it is so well done.
Oh goodness, I’ve had this on my shelf for the better part of the year. I’m glad you loved it. Thanks for reminding me about it!
This sounds so good- had not heard of it. Thanks for sharing!
I’ll have to check that out. Kathleen Grissom’s The Kitchen House was powerful.
It’s on our Book Club list this year!!!
Oh wow – I was looking for another book by Kathleen Grissom recently, but I didn’t find that one! Thanks SO much for mentioning it! I adored The Kitchen House and its sequel Glory Over Everything. I’ll jump into Crow Mary at the beginning of January!!
Crow Mary was one of my favorites also! It was so well told.
Tom Lake and True Love Experiment were two of my favorites too. I also loved The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane and The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson. I really want to read Vaster Wilds this month.
My favorites:
The Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay
The Mystery of Henri Pick, David Foenkinos
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
Bel Canto, Ann Patchet
Last year I had 9, so only 4 for this year makes me a little sad (I read around 120-140 per year). But definitely excited to check out Tom Lake.
Interestingly, my first 3 books of 2023 were very ho-hum, so maybe it set the pace?
Happy Holiday reading everyone!
Bel Canto may be my all-time favorite, at least neck and neck with A Prayer for Owen Meany. You have given me the impetus for a third try for Project Hail Mary.
And, I could not get into Tom Lake even though I love Ann Patchett’s books. I wanted to like it. I think it might be because I am 80 years old. I am starting to find that there are books that I simply cannot relate to any longer.
Pam,
Did you try it on audiobook? I listened to it and I might not have loved it so much had it not been for Meryl Streep’s voice. She was SUPERB. That might have something to do with why other people seem to love it more than you did. I couldn’t get into Heaven and Earth Grocery Store because I didn’t like the narration. Go figure!
I can relate. I’m also 80 and find my reading life has changed. For one thing I’m more fussy with what I read. If it doesn’t click by 50 pages I drop it and pick up something different. At this age I realize my time is limited so I want every book to be worthwhile for me. Thankfully, I have a huge TBR list so will never be without a book to read.
I’m so glad to hear this from you! I am 83, have always read so many books but now I’m putting a lot of books down at the half way point😩..
My top reads for 2023:
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helen Hanff
Runners Up:
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Postcard by Ann Berest
(funny coincidence — all Ann!)
I’m still finalizing my list, but it includes:
Hello Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano
The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece, by Tom Hanks
The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett
Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune
Goodbye Earl, by Leesa Cross-Smith
The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman
I will finish the year at about 230, also. That is the most I’ve read in a year, ever. I’m retired, so I do have a lot of time to read. I’m also a fast reader, and audio has increased my numbers as well.
The War That Saved My Life will forever be a book I recommend. I read it with my then 5th grader and we both still love it. I can’t wait for another year or two when my youngest will be old enough to read it together. I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!
So far, my 2023 favorites include:
In Memoriam (Alice Winn). Hearbreaking but so beautiful
No Two Persons (Erica Bauermeister). As a book lover, how could I not love this one?
The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O’Farrell)
Symphony of Secrets and Violin Conspiracy (Brendan Slocumb)
and for fun: Starter Villain (John Scalzi)
Interesting that all these were audio
Appreciated but didn’t really enjoy
Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver). I KNOW this is an excellent book but didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped to
The Vaster Wilds (Lauren Groff)
I am a big fan of No Two Persons. Finally, I have come across another person who likes it also.
I loved this book! One of my 2023
Favorites!
I love it too! My favorite bookclub book this year.
Using your definition of emotionally resonant books that linger, my favourite this year was A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe (which was published a while ago here in the UK but only recently in the US I think). It’s about a young man who goes to help in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. No book has ever hit me with so much emotion in the opening chapter. A beautiful, heart-wrenching but ultimately hopeful book.
This has been a year of much less reading focus for me, in part due to big life events/mental distractions, so I feel off my reading game. But, I still have a list! My favorite reads this year include: All My Knotted-Up Life; Hello Beautiful; The Secret Life of Bees (an old favorite re-read); Modern Miss Mason; The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters; You Carried Me by Melissa Ohden
(I’ve been finding that memoir might just be my favorite genre.)
I loved ALL MY KNOTTED UP LIFE! I listened to it and then read the book so that I could be sure I didn’t miss anything. I would love to discuss it with a group.
Will someone please explain why Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was so good? My description was that it sounded like a reading of the minutes to a long meeting, read by someone who likes to embellish. It’s one of the 2 worst books I read this year. I was shocked when I saw it being called the number one book.
I agree. DNF
I was about to stop, but then I could tell the intro was about to be explained.
It wasn’t a favorite of mine this year, but I liked it. He has a very unique style of writing and it is obviously not your cup of tea, which is fine. It’s sort of messy and chaotic but there is a through line. I also really like his characters.
Isn’t it beautiful to have the freedom to read what we like? I’ve got too much chaos in my life and read to refocus. Thanks for that explanation.
I had a hard time getting into it and I tried three times! I think it was because I listened to it on audio. I re-signed up for it at the library again though after reading the comments here. Maybe in 6 months when it comes across my ears again, I’ll be ready to plow further in!
I had the same thought. I DNF’d it. I really wanted to love it, though. I loved Deacon King Kong!
Same for me. I just didn’t connect with it. But I also didn’t like Go As A River or Hello Beautiful, so I am an oddball. 😉
I just finished Hello Beautiful and while I found it kept my interest, I just felt like REALLY? 😑 I felt like slamming the book cover but it was on a Kindle ; )
Hello beautiful was sooooo slow for the first third of the book. But I really did end up liking it. It is NOT for plot driven people though. I also tried Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and couldn’t get more than three chapters in. Eh- just couldn’t figure out why to keep going. Clearly I’m missing something!!! It is wonderful and amazing to know that there are so many books for all different people- and also amazing that authors know how to hook us in!!!
Such a great list! Currently reading The Vaster Wilds and it’s already a fave.
Here are a few of my most enjoyable reads, off the top of my head, that more people should try!
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (wonderful on Audio)
The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel
A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum
The Colony by Audrey Magee
There are at least 4 books that made a major impact on me this year:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Permanent Astonishment by Tomson Highway
The River by Helen Humphreys
Still Life by Sarah Winman
The first three are nonfiction and all have to do, in part, with appreciating the natural world. As our planet lurches toward devastating climate change I find I want to immerse myself in what we are about to lose.
Favourites: The Rachel Incident, The Bee Sting, Birnam Wood, Tom Lake, Love Marriage, Talking at Night, Killers of the Flower Moon, Search, Romantic Comedy, Demon Copperhead, The Covenant of Water. That’s 11!
I cannot fathom reading over 200 books. I have read 50 so far this year.
My favorites this year:
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight
The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
I have a few of the books on your favorites list in my TBR pile already. I will have to check out some of the others.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is the one book I wish I could read for the first time again. Such an amazing story.
I love Beth Moore! have bought the audiobook of her memoir. thanks for great list
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by Stradal (such interesting characters)
The Gown by Robson (especially poignant after the Queen’s death)
New Kid by Craft (excellent graphic novel for middle grade–which I teach)
Tranquility by Tuesday by Vanderkam (best time management book I’ve read)
A Mother’s Rule of Life by Pierlot (spiritual framework for time management)
The Wild Places by MacFarlane (absolutely beautiful nature writing)
Wilding by Tree (restoring wildness to an English manor)
I started Tranquility by Tuesday and had to return it before I finished. Might be one I want to buy.
I loved that book!
I love Laura Vanderkam’s short, weekly emails. I get so much from her little nuggets! And the Lager Queen is one of my all-time favorite audio books!!
The House of Eve
The Cheat Sheet
The Matchmaker’s Gift
What a wonderful list of favourites! I think I’ve been officially convinced to try Happiness Falls now.
As for me, some of my favourite reads of the year are: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Talking at Night by Claire Daverley, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel.
so happy to see “The Road to Roswell” on your list! Connie Willis is one of my favorite authors, but sometimes it feels like she gets overlooked by readers (even though she’s won many awards)
The Road to Roswell was my first time reading Connie Willis. What a great storyteller. I loved this book.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Van Pelt. Loved it.
My hands down fave for the year is Starling House by Alix Harrow. I also loved Demon Copperhead, but had trouble with everyone’s favorite, Tom Lake. Maybe it was my mood at the moment? Some books, I believe, just “fit” into Life better at different times.
Fave Fiction: Maame by Jessica George
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Fave Non-Fiction: Build the Life You Want by Oprah + Albert Brooks. Call me basic, but I really liked this book.
Outlive by Peter Attia
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett (yes, she gets 2. She’s that good.)
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (controversial but memorable)
Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman
Shark Heart is my current fav of the year, read at the same time as I was listening to Tom Lake, which dovetailed nicely, actually. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried so much reading a book. Who would’ve thought a story about a man turning into a shark would so beautifully illustrate what it means to be human?
Favorites Read in 2023 (so far):
I Guess I Haven’t learned That Yet
Funeral Songs For Dying Girls
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Romantic Comedy
Camp Zero
Bluebird
Banyon Moon
King of the Armadillos
I loved I Guess I Haven’t Learned That, too! I nominated it for my book club to vote on as a book for next year, but it may not get chosen. I would love to talk it over with a few people.
Warrior Girl- excellent!!!! She’s an amazing author. And both books are excellent on audio.
Loved Romantic Comedy too. I don’t love all her books but this was top shelf for sure!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (read it twice)
The Postcard by Anne Berest
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
I absolutely loved this book! I read it this year and was surprised to have never heard anyone talk about it before.
We Begin at the End was my top book of 2022!! It’s SO GOOD.
I LOVED These Precious Days by Ann Patchett.
I was surprised to see that only 1 other person mentioned The Postcard. I loved it!
Favorite books I read
The Postcard
Hello Beautiful
The Seacher by Tana French
The Marriage Portrait
Cutting for Stone
Mercy Street Jennifer Haigh
Birman Wood Eleanor Catton
The Last Ranger Peter Heller
Foster Claire Keegan
Audiobooks
The Heirs Susan Rieger
Ask Again, Yes Mary Beth Keane
Romantic Comedy Curtis Sittenfeld
The Librarianist Patrick deWitt
Small Things Like These Claire Keegan
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
Horse Geraldine Brooks
Also I should have mentioned Tom Lake, just listening to it now and love it !
Hands down, The Covenant of Water. Also, Beartown, Hamnet, Ordinary Grace (William Kent Kruger), Unlikely Animals, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, I Have Some Questions for You, and Demon Copperhead.
I agree with you. Covenant of Water was a stunning achievement. I think it’s my favorite Audible as it is read by the author and he wonderfully portrays the accents, even doing one for the Irish (or was he Scotish?) character. But my favorite is still Cutting for Stone.
I need to read Cutting for Stone next year. I loved the book and the audiobook of Covenant so much.
Cutting for Stone is excellent on audio. And you should easily be able to get it from the library! It’s heartbreaking in the absolute best way.
I love the entire list and will be going to the library soon to get some of those. I DO NOT understand how a person can read 220 to 250 books a year. How does a person get that much time to read??? Or do they read a lot during the daytime? I am retired but stay pretty busy and I only get six or seven books read in two months. I only read at night before I go to bed. It seems I don’t have time during the day. Or should somebody be a speed reader?? I usually read slowly to feel that I absorb more and enjoy it more. I just pulled some old ones out of my bookshelves that I hadn’t read.
Here’s some that I’ve read in the last couple months:
Promises – Belva Plain
Season of Passion – Danielle Steel
America’s First Daughter – Dray & Kamoie
On the Night of the Seventh Moon – Victoria Holt
Mistress in Mourning – Karen Harper
Looking Back – Belva Plain
I hope someone has some suggestions how I could get in more reading. That is my favorite hobby.
Thank you for any suggestions. ❤️
Audio books (available to borrow for free at your local library) are the key. Then, you can listen for hours more each day while you multitask: walk the dog, do dishes, drive, cook, clean the house, etc.
I noticed you read a Victoria Holt book! I read a TON of her books back in my late teens-early adulthood. I saw Mistress of Mellyn as a Kindle deal recently and grabbed it!! Once I started having babies in 1979, I couldn’t concentrate much on novels – I read mostly magazines then (what a waste, but that was how my brain worked when I had babies and toddlers in the house). Victoria Holt was a favorite author during those years younger years!
Thanks for sharing some older titles. I am trying to go back and read some of the popular ones from the 80’s-90’s when I was too young to read them. I recently read Prince of Tides and was blown away!
“Foster” by Claire Keegan was short, tender and memorable. “The Stillness of Winter” by Barbara Mahany is so beautiful and always brings me into focusing what is really important in the chaos of December, and then warms my heart through the remaining cold and snowy days of the season.
I liked HelloBeautiful more than Tom Lake. Thought about it for a while after finishing. also liked Bright Beautiful Creatures.
Many of my favorites have already been mentioned and Mary Becker you could be my reading twin!
One I have not seen mentioned and really deserves more attention is a book titled “Leonard and Hungry Paul” by Ronan Hession. The owner of my favorite small independent bookshop (Hi Sandy!) Prairie Path Bookshop in Wheaton,IL is the one who brought it to my attention. It’s just lovely, the protagonists are two grown men who live at home with their parents simply because they like them and all enjoy each other’s company. I don’t want to describe it further but if what I have just described sounds good then you won’t be disappointed by this book. Great characters, great plot, outstanding voice! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
Lauren, I love the idea of a reading twin! I’m not familiar with the book you mentioned but it’s now on my TBR list. Also, I’m in NY state now but grew up in Springfield IL😊
Lauren, thanks for the recommendation of your favorite indie bookstore! I live about 30 minutes from there, and would like to go there sometime! There aren’t enough bookstores in the northwest and western Chicago suburbs!!
Well Anne, we often enjoy the same books, especially Lit Fic so I’m gonna give The Vaster Wilds another shot!
And I too adore an excellent family saga so probably need to give Wellness a shot!
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. That has been the runaway favorite of 107 books I read this year. Tom Lake was also in the running with Small Things Like These and Foster by Claire Keegan.
I also thought The Bandit Queens was a great read and deserves more attention. It was surprisingly funny given the serious subject matter of the book.
Off the top of my head, without looking back at my Goodreads, my favorites of the year have been:
The Postcard
Babel
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Latecomer (audio)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful
Happy Place
Ask Again, Yes
The Summer Place (audio)
The Change (audio)
My favourites of the year (not including audiobooks) have been:
Love and Saffron
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
The Book Eaters
Run Towards the Danger
My Dark Vanessa
The Postcard
I know, I know, it’s probably just me… but my favorite (unique) book of the year was “Jackie and Me” by Louis Bayard. A wonderful “what if, wink, wink” book about Jacqueline Bouvier. It was haunting.
One day, when I retire, I can tackle reading 200 books a year. For now, between physical books and audiobooks, I read about 85 a year.
My 2023 favorites are:
* Peach Blossom Spring – Melissa Fu (generational and historical fiction about Taiwan)
* The It Girl – Ruth Ware – suspense
* The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams – sweet story about the power of books
* No Two Persons – Erica Bauermeister – gorgeous book of interwoven stories about how one book affects so many people in different ways
* Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese – historical fiction masterpiece
* Remarkably Bright Creatures- Shelby Van Pelt – just a unique and lovely story
It’s been a wonderful year and I already have far too many books on my TBR for 2024 than I will be able to read; much to look forward to.
Happy Reading!
In no particular order, my 2023 favorite reads:
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
This Tender Land by William Kent Kruger
Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life by Sarah Clarkson
Finding Me by Viola Davis
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
The Covenant of Water was my favorite of 2023, hands down. Possibly my favorite ever!
I’m astonished and a little envious at the number of books, Anne. Then again, it’s your job. I set a goal of 52 books this year and pretty sure I met it, not too shabby given I work full time, serve on a board, and have two teens! I hope Covenant of Water makes your audiobook list tomorrow, Dr. Varghese did a great job reading his book. Towards the end of the year I discovered an old mystery series by Patricia Moyes and I am so hooked!
So many of my favorite books from this year were from the MMD Book Club selections, particularly the 2023 SRG. It’s no surprise, then, that I echo your sentiments about a few of the titles listed above, particularly Demon Copperhead, Tom Lake and The Postcard.
I am on track to complete around 85 books this year, up significantly from 62 in 2022 and only 38 in 2021! Here are a few of my favorite NEW RELEASES from this year (although some of the best books I’ve read this year are backlist titles). In no particular order:
*Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
*Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
*The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
*Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
*Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
I look forward to considering and posting on IG my final list for 2023 at the end of the year:)
Covenant of water, Museum of Failures, West With Giraffes, If We’re Being Honest
So excited to read the Duchess of Bloomsbury Street… Did not know about that one, and 84, Charing Cross Rd. was one of my all-time faves. I even found the old movie starring Anne Bancroft and it was wonderful. I read about The film last year when I read Mel Brooks’s memoir all about me! because of course he was her husband.
I loved 84 but didn’t know there was a movie. I’ll have to look for it. Thanks for mentioning it!
I also loved Road to Roswell — surprised myself because its nit my typical pick. Added several others from this list to my leaning tower of books!
All My Knotted Up Life
Hello, Beautiful
We All Want Impossible Things
and, The True Love Experiment – I was surprised at how much I loved that one! The focus on JOY in that book has really stuck with me – “Romance is about joy” – love that. And the banter was just next-level fun and sexy. So good.
My first book of the year was We all Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman and still stands as the best book I read this year. There are a few other 5 star books but mostly meh for the rest, don’t know if I was a harder grader or just a bad picker this year.
I think I will be meeting my goal of 115 books for the year—so far my favorites are:
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
The Hero of This Book by Eliz. McCracken
Abide with Me, by Elizabeth Strout
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Foster by Claire Keegan
Exiles by Jane Harper
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Henry
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
One Man’s Meat by E.B.White
Spare, by Prince Harry!
I need to sit down and decide which books I liked the best. But two that I have to put at the top of the list are ones I reread (after some years on the shelf). One was What Unites Us, Dan Rather, the other was The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Lisa See.
One of the new ones that I think will make the list is Anxious People, Fredrik Bachman.
The covenant of water was probably my number one favorite book this year, and maybe of all time. For those of you who are fans of the book, you should check out Oprah’s SuperSoul podcast where she interviews Abraham Verghese, and they dive into every one of the 10 parts of that long book. It was absolutely fantastic. He actually reads the book in the audio, and he has a beautiful narrative voice.
Have you read Big Swiss by Jen Beagin? I found it hilarious, bizarre and touching. Possibly my favourite this year.
I resisted reading Tom Lake for a bit, but absolutely loved it. I think Ann Patchett can have troubles with ending books, and I know you did not like the ending much, but I did and it is definitely one of my top books of the year.
I also agree that The True Love Experiment was quite fun.
Other than that I don’t record my reading in any way, so if I rememeber a book, that means it struck me in some way.
On this list is The Secret Book of Flora Lea, The Thursday Murder Club Book #1, and Emma of 83rd Street.
Theory about the missing books–maybe they’re all captured in your spreadsheet or other prep docs for the 2023 summer reading guide? Maybe your amazing team has all that info?
Good luck, and thank you for this list–happy holidays!
Happiness Falls is also on my list! My other favorites this year:
Starter Villain by John Scalzi, Speech Team by Tim Murphy, The Intern by Michelle Campbell, We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, and I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
Oh, how I wish you’d listened to Beth Moore’s book. Listening to her tell her own story was so powerful. It will definitely make my list of favorites for this year.
After reading The Covenant of Water, other books pale in comparison, it is a masterpiece.
But for fun, I like the Thursday Murder Club.
This has been my best reading year ever, I think. I typically read 100 books/year and MMD has helped me figure out what I love to read. I have become much better selecting 4&5 star reads. These are not all the ones I’ve loved this year but I don’t think these have been mentioned here yet.
Some of my top books of the year:
True Grit by Charles Portis
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
Rough Draft: A Memoir by Katy Tur
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Halfway to You by Jennifer Gold
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin
And so many of those you all have already mentioned. Thanks for the recommendations here in the comments. I LOVE this post. Thank you, Anne, for all you do here in this community!
The immigrant’s wife by J. B. Harris is a must read. I picked it up recently and was hooked from page one. It is absolutely worth your time.
My favorite books of 2023:
The Winners by Fredrik Backman
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminski
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
Maame by Jessica George
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Starling House by Alix Harrow
The Postcard by Anne Berest, translated by Tina Kover
True Biz by Sara Novic
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Take my Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny
Mr Owita’s Guide to Gardening ,Carol Wall.
A wonderful compelling story about an open heart and friendship. A smidge about gardening. Best book I have read in years, also a best seller.
Without a doubt, “The Berry Pickers.”
I LOVED The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. Stumbled upon this author totally randomly in December (it was the last book I read for the year). I found a 1973 first edition paperback at the Strand in NYC this weekend and it’s my new TREASURE. Conversely, I HATED The Vaster Wilds with the intensity of a trillion burning suns. And that is what I love about reading – is that each of our reading experiences are unique and completely valid.
Heaven and Earth Grocery Store on my all-time favorites list!! Thanks for the recommendation!