I love year-end wrap-ups and superlatives, no matter the subject. And I’m always fascinated to see what readers are drawn to. Maybe that’s why I can never resist a good “popular posts” list, and why I’m always so curious to see what qualifies as “popular” around here.
For our purposes today I’m defining “popular” strictly in terms of pageviews: these are the 12 posts that garnered the most pageviews during the calendar year beginning January 1, in order, most to least.
It’s always interesting to see what ends up on this list, because “popular” doesn’t mean “best.” Not by a long shot! So much depends on what people are searching for, and—even harder to predict—what Google prioritizes. (This may be too much inside baseball, but when Google changes their algorithm it changes our popular posts list.)
I’m always surprised to see what makes the list and what doesn’t, and hope you enjoy seeing what winds up on top.
Perennially popular posts on Modern Mrs Darcy
I’ll start with a few posts that have consistently anchored our top ten these past few years, mostly due to popularity in Google search. (Google search prioritizes old content: it’s no coincidence these posts are all at least several years old.) They are:
• 100 stocking stuffers that will actually be appreciated, don’t feel like a waste of money, and won’t be broken/destroyed/forgotten by New Years. This post consistently starts going gangbusters every October (which is just one reason we now update it each year).
• Unputdownable: 17 books I read in 24 hours or less (because they were just that good), because apparently readers are always on the hunt for pageturning mysteries and thrillers. (If you think this post could do with an update: I agree! I’d love to do that in 2023.)
• 9 books you should have read in high school that are totally worth reading now. Readers’ interest in “classic” literature isn’t going away anytime soon.
• What I learned from living with all-white walls for a year. Google search loves this post, written one year after we moved into our new-to-us 1912 home. (Funny thing: we painted a wall bright coral in 2023!)
• 20 short novels you can read in one day. Because apparently readers are always in need of an easy win for their reading lives, especially as the end of the year draws near and readers want to hit their number for their reading challenge.
• 25 fascinating true stories you didn’t learn about in history class. These nonfiction narratives read like novels, and will make you eager to know what exactly happened and how those events fit into your previous understanding of the event or era.
Now for the posts that are newly popular this year.
The most-read posts of the year on Modern Mrs Darcy
1. The 2023 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide.
Every year since 2014 I’ve released an abbreviated, essentialist version of the Summer Reading Guide featuring five (and in more recent years, six) titles that are hugely entertaining, have broad appeal, and cover a variety of topics, themes, genres, and perspectives. This year was different: the full 2023 MMD Summer Reading Guide went out to our member communities and a la carte purchasers, while the Minimalist Guide included TWELVE titles. I’ve found myself recommending these books constantly since I first read them.
2. 15 backlist books that feel like summer.
Our readers love to hear about new releases, and they also love books that have stood the test of time. These backlist selections hold big summer reading vibes! And best of all: much shorter library wait times.
3. 9 books readers can’t wait to get their hands on this winter and spring.
In this post I shared an abridged version of our 2023 Spring Book Preview, with nine hotly anticipated titles I read and enjoyed earlier this year, all of which published in early 2023. (P.S. We’re preparing for our 2024 Spring Book Preview right now!)
4. Unputdownable: MORE books I read in 24 hours or less.
Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop until you’re done! I shared 17 books I read in 24 hours or less several years ago. That post was phenomenally popular, and this year I decided it needed an update: this new version includes more unputdownable books I’ve read since the original 2017 post.
5. What’s saving my life in a strange season.
This themed post and gathering at the midway point of winter has been an MMD tradition for more than a decade. As the title captures, the midway point of winter found me at an exceedingly strange place this year, thanks to lingering lung and airway issues following a mild December virus. “Thanks to an adverse reaction to a medication that was supposed to make me better, for one terrible week I was unable to talk at all. I had no idea how much I would miss it, or how radically disruptive this lack would be for my family, friendships, and work.”
6. 15 standout backlist summer novels perfect for seasonal listening.
This post hit on two big 2023 trends: seasonal reading and audiobook love. These exceptional audiobooks all take place in the summertime.
7. 9 nonfiction books that will make you a better friend.
I find myself writing about and focusing on adult friendship more and more in recent years; that’s reflected in our blog content (and most regularly in our Links I Love posts). Making—and keeping—friends as an adult can be tricky, but these books can help.
8. Things I’ll wear 1000x this summer.
I love to write the occasional post about style or beauty. As one reader once commented, MMD is a site where you can find a great book AND a great mascara! When it comes to getting dressed, I’m a creature of habit. These are the summer wardrobe staples I rely on for easy style. (Though I turn to some of these items all year long!)
9. My favorite subgenre: emotionally resonant fiction.
I pondered writing something like this for ages before finally hitting “publish” in March of this year. These are my favorite kinds of novels: realistic stories that hold moments of piercing insight into what it means to be human. Don’t miss the comments section!
10. 8 fine arts thrillers you won’t be able to put down.
This post was inspired by a coincidental run of books I read in late 2022 and early 2023 set in the world of fine arts. These fast-paced mysteries feature art and drama, sculpture and dance, poetry and theater, and more.
11. 16 classic literature retellings, remixes, and reimaginings.
It has been well documented that I am a sucker for a good retelling. The best retellings add something new and unexpected to the stories we know well.
12. 10 contemporary love stories for bibliophiles.
You were in the mood to swoon! These bookish love stories will sweep you away.
P.S. For more superlatives: check out my favorite books of 2023 and favorite audiobooks of 2023.
7 comments
Happy Holidays MMD Team! Thanks for sharing reader and Googler habits. I am always curious to know how many guests visit your site, from where, their tenure, etc. I will start: daily visitor, semi-frequent commenter, most drawn to Friday Links posts for the variety of subjects and deep dives, cannot remember how I found your site but have been a delighted visitor since 2014ish. Thank you for all the great content by the team. This is the first place I go when I am perusing my WSIRN list, especially for audiobooks.
Anna, I am curious about those same things and thank you for sharing your own reader habits!
Anne, the nonfiction histories sound great! And I now have more books to add to the never ending and constantly expanding list of TBR books. But there’s one thing, or maybe problem I have. I have never quite understood how to use your book journal. All those little diamond shaped things…Would it be possible to see a page from your journal and explanation of what it all means? I’m sorry if this sounds intrusive, but I’d really like to write more of my books down so I can remember. Sometimes I walk into a bookstore or library and I remember a really good book, but can recall author or title…my mind just goes totally blank! Of course, there’s also the problem that when I finish a book, my hand is already reaching for the next one and taking time to write anything down…well, I’m busy now! I’ll do it later, says my mind to me. And of course, my mind is too busy reading to remind me later! Sigh. Reading sure takes up a lot of work!
Glen, I’m happy to help! Those diamonds are meant to be flexible: you can ignore them and simply treat them as pretty decorative bullets, or you can shade them in to indicate books you’ve read or books you’d like to read. I did a focused podcast episode on how to use the journal; perhaps it would interest you? It’s What Should I Read Next episode 305: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/305-episode/
Reading sure takes a lot of work, but I like to think it’s the best kind of work!
Take a picture of the book with your phone and put into a folder labeled “books I want to read”
This was an odd reading year for me. I only had one five star book. I still read a lot but the books just weren’t making me swoon. Here’s hoping 2024 is a better reading year!
I started off the reading year strong, but with a hectic fall schedule, I fell back into some reading coping habits that aren’t really satisfying in the long run. Here’s to a more balanced new year.