My favorite posts of 2023

At the beginning of the new year I love to look back on where we’ve been, and blog happenings are no exception. Yesterday I shared the most popular posts of 2023, as determined by numbers alone. Today I’m sharing my decidedly more subjective favorite posts. In many years, there is zero overlap between these two lists, but that’s not entirely true in 2023.

This has been an interesting year on the blog. (I imagine you’ll hear more about this in my What Worked for Me post coming next week; as always, my What Didn’t Work for Me post is coming to the newsletter, so make sure you’re on the list.) I’ve spent a little more time here in 2023, something that’s been possible in large part thanks to our MMD Editor Leigh, who handles many of the logistics that I’m happy to not have to think about.

With that in mind, let’s talk favorites! My favorite blog posts tend to fall into a few distinct categories. When I think “favorite,” the first posts that spring to mind are the essays that are close to my heart, that I’m excited to share, that often, I labored over, as I sought to process something important or notice something small but meaningful. Some of these posts are ones I can point to and still think about years later: Say what you mean to say, Double up the dental floss, Sometimes it doesn’t get easier.

You’ll see several of that sort of post among this year’s favorites list (which I’m sharing below in easy-to-scan list form). My What’s Saving My Life posts tend to adopt this posture, as does the occasional book list. Something else noteworthy about these reflective posts, the ones that stick with me for years and go on to shape my own life and thoughts long after I write them? I revisited several of them here on the blog in 2023, checking in publicly with the Anne of ten years ago about things she wrote in, say, 2012.

A good example of this is Making It Yours, a post I wrote as a way to work out my thoughts about something over ten years ago. Now, with a distance of more than ten years, I can reflect on how that hypothesis has played out over the years: how have my thoughts evolved, how have they played out in my life, what do I know now that I didn’t know then? (The short answer: SO MUCH.) This year I also took the long lens to posts like On Parisian café culture and the joys of being a regular and A little interaction goes a long way.

If you’ve been around for a minute, you know reflective essays are far from the only thing we do around here. Book lists are a staple of our weekly editorial calendar, and we shared some good ones in 2023! I’ll confess (again) that writing book blurbs is not the thing that brings my writerly heart the most joy week in and week out. But I love curating interesting book lists on unexpected themes, or topics that don’t get the attention they deserve on the wider web. It’s always interesting to see what resonates with you and what’s popular; this year two of my favorite posts didn’t quite make the most popular list but they were close: Historical fiction that isn’t set during World War II and 20 epistolary novels that will sweep you away. These were so much fun to put together, and they kicked off comments sections that were both incredibly fun to peruse and remarkably helpful to many readers.

Speaking of comments: sometimes I consider a post a favorite because of the quality of conversation it generates. In 2023, this is true for posts like Every bookstore has its own personality, My best travel tip, What book has made a big impact on your relationships? Sometimes I write a post that taps into a previously hidden interest like gardening or birdwatching, and I think back fondly on such 2023 posts, like when I wrote about my hummingbird feeder to kick off our Raving Fans series this summer.

Something that’s tough about elevating specific posts is it’s easy to overlook the recurring features I love most around here, like Links I Love. One of my favorite parts of my job is putting together this collection of interesting reads and favorite things for you each week. This year two MMD team members stepped in as guest curators while I was traveling; those posts were especially fun for me to read upon my return. Read Leigh’s guest Links I Love appearance here and read Baylee’s guest Links I Love here.

Speaking of our team: this year we published more posts by team members. These were a joy to read, to edit, and to share with you. I included Shannan’s Science Fiction/Fantasy for beginners in my list below, but I’m going to sneak in Ginger’s 20 Dark Academia novels for moody fall reading and Brigid’s Baker’s dozen of cozy mysteries. And I have to mention our Raving Fans series here: it’s pure joy to discover what our team members tap as their surprising objects of devotion—and then to read all about it! We have more posts in this series coming your way in 2024 (including at least one from me that I cannot wait to write). Stay tuned! (P.S. To get these posts in your inbox, make sure you’re signed up for “All blog posts” on our subscribe page.)

I often share a simple list of my favorite posts; I hope you enjoyed this little walk through how I actually think about them. But I won’t leave you without a list:

My favorite posts of the year

In no particular order …

1. My favorite subgenre: emotionally resonant fiction.

I’ve been stewing about this one for ages! One of the rare posts that was also included on the most popular posts of 2023 list.

2. On Parisian café culture and the joys of being a regular.

Reflections on café life and changing routines, inspired by our family’s trip to France and Spain. I would like to go back immediately and sit at a café for hours every day, please and thank you.

3. An ode to an unattractive $9 piece of plastic that brings me oodles of quotidian joy.

I love whenever someone reveals themselves to be a raving fan of something I haven’t thought much about. This was one of mine!

4. What’s saving my life in a strange season.

Spoiler alert: it’s my couch, because I started this year with some weird health stuff. This is another one that also made it onto the popular posts list.

5. Historical fiction that isn’t set during World War II.

We wrote for all the readers who have expressed some version of “Not another WWII novel!” to me these past few years. This one’s for you.

6. 9 (mostly) little things I’m loving for late summer.

I told you how much I enjoy curating Links I Love each Friday. I feel the same way about these infrequent collections of the small things bringing me an outsized amount of joy in that season. They’re so much fun—and so life-giving—to put together, you enjoy reading them, and the comments always put a giant smile on my face.

7. Making It Yours.

A wistful reflection on family, travel, and making memories.

8. Science Fiction/Fantasy for beginners.

Team member Shannan wrote about her foray into SFF and everyone came through with even more recommendations in the comments.

9. Every bookstore has its own personality.

No two indie bookstores are alike. The comments section is a goldmine of bookstore love!

10. My best travel tip.

It’s all about making memories. Plus: planning and packing. And gelato! I got so many good ideas from the comments.

11. What book has made a big impact on your relationships?

I shared two nonfiction books that deepened my understanding of my most important relationships. Another comments section that’s worth checking out!

12. 20 epistolary novels that will sweep you away.

Reading an epistolary novel is like being let in on a good secret. Our book lists aren’t meant to be exhaustive: they’re a starting point. Readers really came through with additional suggestions on this one!

Thanks so much for reading, friends!

P.S. For more superlatives: check out my favorite books of 2023 and my favorite audiobooks of 2023.