Favorite Books of 2023
To the 2023 bibliophiles, if I’m being quite honest, this has been one of the hardest reading years I have had in a long time. I I think just because this year was difficult for me in general, that it made reading difficult for me to get into or feel enjoyment from.
Being a young adult who had her first real job this year, I will admit, it was challenging for me to find time to read when I felt like I had to figure everything out with work. I barely made time to read, and if I did, I would always tell myself to read “easier” books because I didn’t want to get too into a book and not write a proper review about. Or I didn’t want to read a book I felt I would like or would like to thoroughly process, so I told myself to save that book for later when I could fully focus on enjoying the book. When I say “easier” book, I mean light-hearted romance and not something high fantasy or a series that I knew I wanted to get into—romance or fantasy. So reading something that I genuinely enjoyed was hard for me when I felt like I couldn’t really enjoy reading.
Then somethings happened in life that put my mental health in a very heavy space, so even more so, I didn’t feel like picking up a book because I knew I wasn’t in the right mindset to read. Even when I started to feel a bit better from my heavy headspace, I didn’t feel as excited or passionate to read—or to do much in general. When you’re in a negative headspace, I don’t think forcing yourself to do something is the best idea unless you want to feel negative about what you do. And I didn’t think that would be fair of me to read possibly a really good book and for me to only dislike it because I wasn’t feeling romance or fantasy. I just wasn’t feeling much.
Sometimes I feel things like that and that’s something for me to process and go through.
If I’m being quite honest, this is my ninth year of being a full-fledged bibliophile if you will. I mean, I have been reading ever since I could pick up a book, but there are two instances I remember where I truly felt like a reader—-in second-grade and in eighth-grade. When I was in eight-grade I was fourteen and I picked up a book that genuinely changed my life.
And here I am nine years later, still reading books. Definitely more adult-ish books, but still a fond love for words fictional characters who I wish existed, and fictional worlds that I wish were real. That love never stopped. As much as this year was a hard reading year for me, I am grateful for it because this year reminded me that it’s okay to not be in love with something at the moment but still have love for it.
I still love reading.
I will always love reading.
Heck, if I don’t read something each day I feel like something is wrong 😅.
But I know going into next year, I really want to prioritize reading more books for me and buying books instead of unnecessary things that I used to think made me happy. I want to spend more money on books—that sounds weird to say 😅—so I can actually read content I want. I want to get back into fantasy books and series because gosh knows many series have come out that I haven’t read because I haven’t made the time to read. But you know, hot girl reading summer, I am coming for you 👏🏼. I just want to fall in love with myself and my passions again.
Because next year will be my ten year anniversary of becoming a bibliophile, and what better way then to start my year off with a book haul and a good book 😊.
Although I didn’t read a plethora of books this year, I did read a lot of books that I enjoyed and had the giddy fangirl feelings for. Many of he books I read this year were romance or contemporary romance because I didn’t feel as compelled by the fantasy books I tried to read. I don’t know, I tried to start some new fantasy book series, but to be real honest, those books didn’t live up to the hype I thought they would because honestly they were dull 👉🏼👈🏼. OOOPS. I’m not going to list any of those fantasy books here because obviously I’m just one reader and other people enjoyed those books, but to me, not my cup of fantasy-tea 😉.
Without further ado, here are my top ten books I read this year as well as some honorable mentions 😊💕!
10. Loveless by Alice Oseman
Ever since I discovered Alice Oseman, she is definitely someone who is going to be in my top list anywhere 💜.
I’ve never actually read any of Alice Oseman’s books that was not a graphic novel until I read Loveless. I think Loveless actually comes later in her written book series, but I just was intrigued by the cover and the premise and had to read it. And honestly, I really enjoyed Loveless. I loved the chapter titles and the sense of finding out more about what you like and what you don’t like.
I also liked the conversations in the book because I think we think that everyone must love someone, when sometimes not everyone does or not everyone wants that kind of love. And I really liked reading about what those who are asexual and/or aromantic might feel or think. I did love how Alice highlighted how someone might be asexual and/or aromantic but still have healthy relationships with people in life because love can be everywhere not just with people and not just romantically 💜.
9. Wildfire by Hannah Grace
I just recently read this so everything is fresh in my membrane. But what a book 🧡.
I recently discovered Hannah Grace’s books and I honest to gosh just love how she really takes a male written by a woman to a whole new level because Russ Calgarian???????!!!!??!?
PREACH 🙏🏼.
I mean, a shy, thoughtful, sweet, and considerate man???? Who would have thought 🤪.
I thought Wildfire was stronger in plot and had more depth with the characters that I could relate to better than with Icebreaker. I still liked Icebreaker, but I loved the sweet moments in Wildfire a bit more. So wholesome.
8. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I know this book came out last year, but a sis read Book Lovers this year, and now I understand why it won a Goodreads award ( I think?).
I have to say Book Lovers is my new favorite Emily Henry book—her books keep getting better and better.
I just loved how Emily Henry took this character who people thought was a shark and really explored the depths of her genuineness and care, I think it was just beautiful to peel back the layers of the main character to understand everything she ever did was out of love for her sister.
Also, I am a sucker for a book about people who love books because DUH I love books 🧡.
7. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
I have heard nothing but good things Love and Other Words for years but never really wanted to touch the book because of the hype.
But gosh, soooooo worth the wait to read.
I am a friends to lovers loser 🤪. Every. Single. Time.
And don’t even get me started on the then and now perspective. If there’s something I love more than friends to lovers is a then and now perspective that really builds up a relationship and reveals what went wrong for there to be a now. Gosh, this book was gold.
I just loved how we grew up with the main characters and seeing how innocent and real their love was and to figure out why things didn’t work out for them. You know, I truly do believe that if you were meant to be with someone they will always find their way back to you.
I loved loved loved this book 💕
6. Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
Okay hear me out.
If you know me, I am not a fan of enemies to lovers because sometimes it just feels like there are two characters who absolutely loathe each other for no reason and then they mess with each other in a way that is borderline cruel, that I never understand why they fall in love. I just think some enemies to lovers are forced or are not done right.
But can I just say when Ana Huang said Twisted Hate, she said ENEMIES TO LOVERS DONE BEST ♥️♥️♥️!!!!!!
Like everyone needs to sit down and take some notes from Ana Huang because a queen said this is how you make them enemies and how you make them lovers 👏🏼!!!!
My gosh.
No, but for real, the way Ana Huang built up Jules and Josh’s hate for each other in the other book and lead to the absolute masterpiece of them hating each other even more but loving each other harder?????
Brilliant.
I mean, Twisted Hate was angsty, it was spicy, it was smutty, it was sweet, it was wholesome, it was healing. It was perfection.
5. Too Late by Colleen Hoover
Oh Colleen Hoover book that isn’t number one on my list?
Trust me, this was a hard choice.
I’m not going to lie and say that Verity and Layla were my absolute favorite CoHo books. I mean I liked Layla more than I liked Verity, but when it comes to CoHo thrillers, hands down does Too Late go to the top of that list.
As much as I was in a reading slump by the time I read Too Late, I was so enamored by this story that I literally couldn’t put it down. It’s been a while since I’ve felt like that with any book I’ve read. Ever page was so twisted, so dark, so cringey, so terrifying, so GOOD.
Like the worst thing you could think would happen, would happen and then it would get worse. And I would freak out because COHO?!?!? Cut this girl a break 😅.
There was just a different energy when I read this book. I just felt hopped up on danger or something because I was addicted.
Too Late was too gritty and I LOVED IT 💜.
4. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Now now, you might be wondering why is this not my top three?
I loved loved loved Rule of Wolves, but my top three were books I felt like I loved more. And that’s okay. I loved how we got to see the Crows and the Shadow and Bone characters kind of collide—our their worlds collide in King of Scars and Rule of Wolves.
What I loved most about Rule of Wolves was the sense of healing and closure you get for both series. King of Scars felt more like battle and militia talk to lead up to Rule of Wolves. I also really enjoyed how Nina found healing with everything that happened after Crooked Kingdom; I love the life that she created for herself. I love the nod to the Crows that we would see—honestly, my favorite moments in the book.I also loved seeing old faces made new or how the characters found themselves in new situations that allowed them to grow.
I also can’t forget our dragon queen, Zoya. I loved seeing her strength and vulnerability because it made me understand her more. I also loved digging deeper into Nikolai and how he wasn’t always the happy, golden prince but someone with a lot of darkness and pressure on him who just wanted to be seen and loved.
Anyway, I thought Rule of Wolves really closed both storylines well ♥️ .
3. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
Top three, top three, top three 🧡
I’ve read the Once Upon a Con series by Ashely Poston—her young adult novels. This is my first new adult Ashley Poston novels, and it most certainly won’t be my last 😊.
I genuinely love The Seven Year Slip.
I read this in October when I was on fall break from work, and I can’t even explain to you how much I loved this book. I just feel like sometimes you read a book at any time to read a book, and sometimes you read a book at the right time when it resonates the most with you.
I read The Seven year Slip at the right time when the storyline and ideas resonated with me the most.
I resonated most with being at a certain age and having all these aspirations and dreams , only to grow up and to have those dreams change and feel differently; that sometimes what you dream is only a romanticized version of what you originally thought and when you actually live that dream, sometimes the reality changes because you’ve changed or your ideas about it changed. It’s okay for a dream to change or for people to change because gosh only knows we aren’t who we are seven years ago or even a year ago.
I loved the magical realism of an apartment that sent Clementine back in time to when she met this guy Iwan who she stumbled upon in the future seven years earlier. I loved the little bubble they created together, but also what life past that bubble meant. Or heck, what life meant to them past this time slip.
I loved the sense of renewal, love, and hope that The Seven Year Slip had. What I loved most is the sense that it’s okay for love to look different with time, but to still have that initial love somewhere there 🧡.
2. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
I obviously have read a multitude of new adult romance this year.
So what makes a new adult romance better than the last?
Honestly, it’s up to the reader, but for me, when you read a lot of the same genre, the plot structure blurs together. Or the same ideas sound the same. Girl feels insecure or is going through a crisis, unexpectedly meets cute guy, falls for guy but thinks she can’t be with the guy, throw in some family trauma and issues, then they she falls in love with a guy, big romantic moments, then a big fall out, grand gesture and heart-to-hearts to heal, and wholesome epilogue of a proposal or marriage or kids 🙃.
What I look for or love more than ever when I read a new adult romance is something different.
Hook, Line, and Sinker was so different and I loved it 💛.
I mean, yes, it has the same ideas of romance and falling in love and all that, but what made Hook, Line, and Sinker was the obvious communication that Fox and Hannah had. I loved how they were friends first and how Fox tried his best to value and respect his friendship with Hannah, all the while doing such cute and thoughtful tings for her that obviously showed how much he loved her. I loved how their relationship never felt forced, but there was such a nice natural build to it. I loved how even when they did get together, there wasn’t this big fanfare or expectedness that they would just have sex and then everything would turn raunchy and fun.
I loved how we got more meaningful moments even after they realized they loved each other. I loved the insecurities they felt. I loved how we got to see Fox’s vulnerabilities in being a man who is sexualized and had this certain reputation. I really felt for Fox because we see hot main characters, but it was nice to see this main character want to be more than a pretty face people underestimated. I loved everything in the details because Hook, Line, and Sinker was nothing short of memorable 💙.
1. The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
My number one read not a fantasy book?
Who am I? 🙈
As I said, 2023 was the year of new adult romance.
Honestly, I could tell you all the new adult romance books I read and some of the fantasy books I read and didn’t like. I could tell you all the books I did like, but when I was thinking of what my number one read was, there was just one title that immediately popped into my head.
A number one book is something you just know. A number one book is a book that lives with you long after you read it.
For me, The American Roommate Experiment was the book that lived rent free in my head for months after I read it, and still lives in the back of my mind 💙.
I LOVE The American Roommate Experiment.
After I finished reading The American Roommate Experiment, I really didn’t know what to do with myself other than go on the ground and pray that I meet someone like Lucas Martin 🙏🏼.
LIKE WHAT A SWEETHEART.
I LOVED Lucas.
I mean, he was sweet, thoughtful, caring, gentle, helpful, funny, and charming. He could cook, he could dance, and he could serve looks. I just loved the way he was so kind to Rosie when she was going through an awkward situation, and he was so patient and willing to help her or support her.I loved that he never made her feel pressured. I loved how he gave her space to write and how by spending time with him, Lucas became her muse to write again. I loved their sweet conversations.
Honestly giddy feelings all around. And jealous feelings because Lucas Martin is everything I feel like I look for in a partner. Like what a dream. OH MY GOSH, don’t even get me started on how he planned this whole date to re-meet Rosie and then he had lights and a slideshow and then it started to rain. PERFECTION.
Honest to gosh the absolute love and giddiness I felt after reading The American Roommate Experiment is what a new adult romance book should make you feel and I could not–and will not—forget the love that I had from reading this book 💙
🌿✨ Honorable Mentions ✨🌿
New Favorite Authors
Ana Huang
I think this is no shock considering Ana Huang has been in my top ten favorites the last few years. But I only just started the Twisted series at the end of last year, so it was too soon to say that she was one of my new favorite authors. But now I can thoroughly say that Ana Huang is one of my new favorite authors.
Can I just say my new favorite smutty author 😉.
I mean, you know the authors you read because they have amazing prose, certain comedic punch, or hot-fire romance. Ana Huang is definitely not for the faint of heart. Even though her books are spicer than your average new adult fiction, there is a level of drama and depth that I also enjoy; so not only is Ana Huang a spice queen, but a queen of words.
Ashley Poston
I re-fell in love with Ashley Poston this year as a new adult author 🧡.
There genuinely is something about The Seven Year Slip that felt timeless as it was wholesome and captivating . I loved every second of reading The Seven Year Slip, and that’s definitely not just because of the incredible plot, but the way the story was executed.
I can’t tell you how many times I read an incredible plot and was so excited for what the story might bring, but was left feeling disappointed by how the story never lived up to what the book promised. The Seven Year Slip was written so well with such a nice flow, and had me thinking about what the characters were going through in relation to my life. I think a good book takes you out of the real-world for a while, but a better book makes you feel like you can take on you reality a bit better after having read the story.
New Favorite Series
⛸🍁🏒Maple Hill Series ⛸🍁🏒
I don’t know what it says about me that two of my new favorite series this year are hockey romances 🙈.
I have good taste in men, that’s what 😂.
I just started the Maple Hill series and I really love everything about it. I really love how romance authors are starting to create bigger worlds with the side characters in a book because when I read books even five years ago, creating a spin-off with the side character was something authors didn’t really do. They would just write about the two main characters of that book and be done. But I would always think to myself I wanted to know more about this person or this person because why create such a compelling and fun group of characters and not explore what they have to offer too?
It’s the side character surgence for me ✌🏼
I love the cast in Maple Hills from the Hockey bros JJ, Henry, Russ, Nate, Robbie, Mattie, Bobby, and Kit; to the basketball boys like Ryan and Xander; and the powerful women like Stassie, Emilia, Lola, and Aurora. I have an ultimate soft spot for Russ and Henry because sweethearts 🥺. I also love Ryan and would love his story one day because Ryan deserves a happy ending 👏🏼. JJ and Xander are hilarious and give me the same energy; I would love to see them in a room together one day with Nate.
Having such strong characters with different personalities, is honestly, book gold.
🏒🧦🥅 Off-Campus Series 🏒🧦🥅
The same sentiment goes for the Off-Campus series.
I read The Deal in 2018, but didn’t get around to reading the rest of the series until this year, go figure. But I love all the hockey boys and the strong female leads. Can’t lie but say Hannah and Garrett will always be my top favorites followed by Grace and Logan.
♥️✨ 👑Twisted Series 👑✨♥️
Again, this series is unsurprisingly on this list.
I again, just adored the cast of characters and their relationship.I loved how in each book we get to see tidbits of the characters from previous books while building of these characters we met in book one. I think the female lead who was the most interesting to me was Jules, and the male lead who was the most interesting was Alex because he was an enigma but deep down very passionate about people he loves.
I need to read more Ana Huang books.
All in all, I didn’t have the best reading year yet again, and that’s okay. It’s been a rough couple of years and sometimes you don’t have the best reading year or the best whatever year. But there will be a good year for something and that’s what we have to hold onto hope for. I am glad to have read what I did this year even if it wasn’t a lot. I loved getting into different romantic worlds because honestly, I am a hopeful romantic and romance books truly give me hope. And they set my expectations through the roof for men, sooooooo good luck 😂.
Hahahaha, for real though. You can’t tell me that you read romance books and don’t feel like you now have high expectations that a man will make you a moonlight dinner on a rooftop while you dance under the stars and then kiss you in the rain until he carries you back to his room and . . . . fade to black. Or that you won’t meet the love of your life on a farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere and he’s going to be gloriously riding a horse, all sweating looking and then he will stop to look at you after he tilts his cowboy hat down and gives you a smile with his dimpling lips and his woodsy tree scent?????? HAHAHAHA.
I’m a goner 😂.
Honestly, there’s no hope for whoever ends up with me 😂. I’m joking.
No, I have realistic expectations—high, but realistic.
But in all seriousness, my only goal for reading in 2024 is to read if it makes me excited. I don’t want to read just to read and feel like a reader, but to actually read something because I want to. I actually do want to get into more fantasy books as I keep telling myself every year, and no, sis you are going to read all those V.E. Schwaab books you bought. OH MY GOSH!! You know what I DETEST? I bought all these V.E. Schwaab books a few years ago because I wanted to read them, and now they came out with the series in a more beautiful cover!!!!! I am BROKE 😭. Either way, I want to read different genres again too like mystery or thrillers because Too Late really had me going. I also want to buy books again.
That sounds like the dumbest goal ever but this year I didn’t buy as many books because I had a tighter budget that I really have no idea what most of it went to. But I want to spend my money on books rather than frivolous things I truly don’t. Books are a need.
Anyway, here’s to hopefully having a better reading year (and blogging year) in 2024 💕.
Thank you to all the authors, publishers, editors, and illustrators who make life so much more interesting and less empty with your beautiful and relatable words 💕.
I wouldn’t be a reader without you.
As always, with love,
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