I polled my Instagram followers and they said they would love to see a blog post about what books I’m reading this year. My reading journey began back in 2018. That year, I challenged myself to read 12 books. In 2023, my reading goal is 45 books. My passion for reading has really enhanced these last few years and I’m keeping it going. Reading is a great “break” from reality for me. I listen to audiobooks during my commute or on walks. I read physical books during my “down” time between school and coaching and always before I go to sleep. Not every book I’ve read this year might be for you! Many times I truly judge a book by its cover or I read certain ones in books club. Also, the genres I love might not be the same as yours and that’s okay too!
When I find a book I want to read I always utilize my library card first. If it is not available or has a long wait time I then go and support my local book stores. In Atlanta I support Virginia Highland Books, Bookish Atlanta, Eagle Eye Book Shop, and A Capella Books. My last resort is to use Kindle/Amazon/Audible. I have linked them below just as a reference so you can see the covers and descriptions. Always support local if you can!
January:
#1 Mad Honey:
This was a fantastic read to start off the year. Jodi Picoult always does a fantastic job intertwining large social issues in her books but breaking them down for people to understand. The plot line kept me on my toes and the ending is not something you will predict going into it! 4/5 stars.
#2 These Silent Woods:
A picturesque thriller with so much backstory that you truly need to read it quickly to help with the suspense. Everyone’s story is different and you never know the true story until you get to know someone outside their “real” world. The ending will have you shocked and have your faith restored in humanity. 3/5 stars.
#3 Mary Jane:
The description of this book doesn’t encompass the true joy of the main character throughout the novel. I highly recommend the audio book as there are a lot of singing scenes and the voice actor does a fantastic job. It’s crazy to think people like Mary Jane’s parents still exist in our world today. We can only hope books like this will continue to change peoples minds about traditional stereotypes. 3.5/5 stars.
#4 The Soulmate Equation:
This book was a cute and cheesy rom com that was a great palate cleanser. Many of the plot points are predictable and there is a lack of character development but it was a cute concept. 3/5 starts.
February:
#5 Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up:
I’ll be honest, I had to google who Selma Blair was again before I read this book. I only knew her as Vivian from Legally Blonde. This was a very well done memoir and one of my favorites so far this year. When authors read their own memoirs for the audio book, it really takes it to the next level. In it you could hear her happiness, fear, and sadness throughout which made it raw. I learned so much about Selma Blair and I hope everyone reaches for this non-fiction choice this year! 4/5 stars.
#6 One Italian Summer:
I saw a lot of people read this book last year and share about it on social media. The book was just okay for me. I understand the meaning behind the plot line but I also feel it could have been shortened by 50 pages. I do like that the book was intentionally researched as these are all actual places one can visit in Italy. 2/5 stars.
#7 Love on The Brain:
We chose this as our “love” based novel for our book club. It was even cheesier than The Soulmate Equation. There were many gaps in the plot that truly just didn’t make sense to me along with its predictability. I think I need some thriller-like twists in my love stories I’ve discovered. 2/5 stars.
March:
#8 The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times:
I’ll be honest I didn’t love this book mainly because I feel like it wasn’t as advertised. In the first few chapters, Michelle talked about giving the tools you needed to navigate these times. At the end, I felt like I left with just a ton of anecdotes. I love her anecdotes and the amazing storytelling power she has, but it didn’t wow me as much as I thought it would. 3/5 stars.
#9 Carrie Soto Is Back:
This is probably one of my least favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid books. I knew automatically who it was inspired by, which isn’t a bad thing but it wasn’t something I was excited to research about after the fact. I did like the way it was set up similarly to her other books. 3/5 stars.
#10 The Book of Boundaries:
I actually started this book in January and it took me so long to complete. Melissa’s back story is very unique. I’ve actually followed her on social media way before the creation of this book. The premise is good for many people who don’t think about boundaries. By the end of it, it got very repetitive. There are many chapters you can skip based on where you are in your life. It would be a good book to reflect back on if certain circumstances come into play in the future. 3/5 stars.
#11 Girls Like Us:
An interesting thriller with a semi-predictable ending. In the beginning I got lost with the amount of characters and distinguishing them all. The end wrapped it up in a bow like most thrillers do, but it felt very rushed to me with minimal character development. 2/5 stars.
April:
#12 Remarkably Bright Creatures:
I heard about this book from a blogger last year and she ranked it her top book of 2022. When I finally got it off hold on the Libby app I was so excited. It exceeded my expectations! A fantastic fiction book that intertwines family connections, with animals, and the hardships of life. 4.5/5 stars.
#13 Summerland:
I’m a big Elin Hilderband fan and have read many of her novels. I found this book at a little free library in my neighborhood. After reading the first 100 pages, I thought this was going to be a very predictable ending. It is a long book but I promise the ending is worth it. Her classic New England setting always makes me want to visit in the summer. 3/5 stars .
#14: Rock Paper Scissors:
This thriller was on my list for a while and I finally got to read it during my family vacation. I really liked the setup of the story and for me it was a good thriller when I have to flip back to see if I read it correctly. The ending definitely had a unique twist. 3/5 stars.
May:
#15 Moloka’i:
This book we decided to read in the historical fiction genre for my book club. I’ll be honest, when I saw the 19 hours for the audio book and I was worried. Thankfully, I finished so thrilled with our choice. Moloka’i dives deep into the leper community on the island in the late 1800s and 1900s. Mentally prepare yourself for a lot of tragedy but it left me wanting to learn more about this community and how they were treated. 4/5 stars.
#16 Wrong Place Wrong Time:
This was another book club book I was supposed to read earlier in the year but I just got around to finishing it in May. I enjoyed the unique format of it and I did have to flip back when the twist happened in the book. I don’t think it was as good as Rock Paper Scissors but still a solid read. 2.5/5 stars.
#17 Happy Place:
For my last read for May it technically was our June book club book, but I finished it early. I have now read all of Emily Henry’s books and unfortunately Happy Place ranks pretty low. If the whole climax of the book is a conversation that could have happened on the first page, it just doesn’t do it for me. 2/5 stars.
June:
#18 Black Cake:
I’m not sure where I heard about this book from and it was a very refreshing novel especially the way it was told. It weaved together family trauma with cultural identity and loss into a heartbreaking but closing family story. It really makes you think about your loved ones and what you want to say to them when you are alive. 3.5/5 stars.
#19: November 9
I read this book for a new book club I started with some friends. Colleen Hoover always has some great click bate like books and November 9 is no exception. Was is cheesy? Yes. Was it unrealistic? Yes. Did I binge the whole book in about one day? Yes. This is a great love story summer book. 3/5 stars.
#20: Drowning
It is crazy that I finished this book on a Sunday and the news broke about the 5 people from the Titanic submarine were lost that next day. Drowning follows the story of a tragic plane accident and how a small group stays inside it under the ocean to then be saved. Just when you think the book will end a certain way it will twist on you the last moment. 4/5 stars.
#21: Two Truths and A Lie
This was one of my least favorite books I’ve read this year. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t connect with the characters or the really sad ending, but I just didn’t love it. As I always say, don’t let my recommendation deter you as everyones tastes are different! 2/5 stars.
July:
#22: A Court of Thorns and Roses
This book is the start of a very famous series by Sarah Moss. It has been all over Booktok and Instagram and many of my friends read it and said they were hooked. The first 25% of the book was really hard to get into but I blame that on me not being a big fantasy person. The second half of the book the plot did pick up but it felt very young adult. I thought about reading the rest of the series but I haven’t felt the need to pick it up. My book club and I talked about how all of the fantasy novels were grew up with were all combined to create this novel. 3/5 stars.
#23: The Five Star Weekend
Elin Hilderbrand did it again and I couldn’t put this book down. I always read her books in the summer and her newest book was the perfect summer read as I headed to the beach. The concept of the weekend and how she always ties in local spots is my favorite part! 4/5 stars.
#24: The Boys in the Boat
Carly Ridoran recommended this book years ago and every time it would come to the library it was never the right time. I ended up finding the physical copy at at a little free library. Then I got the audio book free from Libby right when I started my road trip. Obviously we know exactly the result of the book based off the title, but the backstories of the rowers is the meat of the book. The journey these men went on less than a hundred years ago is unbelievable. 3/5 stars.
#25: One to Watch
If you have ever seen the Bachelor/Bachelorette, this book is for you. Even if you didn’t love the show, the book is even more for you. The main character is everything we wanted to make the show more diverse. It is cheesy but yet realistic and a great summer read. 4/5 stars.
#26: Yellow Face
For the first time ever, I walked into a bookstore and asked a worker what to read based off what I liked. She recommended this book as it is a diverse women author to support. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. The main part of the plot line is a catch 22 as you want the author to get caught but then again you don’t. It’ll keep you guessing until the end! 4/5 stars.
#27: How I’ll Kill You
I always seem to find the thriller love story combos in the literature world. This book is so messed up on so many levels but I couldn’t put it down. The world is very weird and twisted and sadly I feel like this could happen in real life. 2/5 stars.
#28: Meet Me At The Lake
Another cute summer read, but a little too cliché for me. I’ll be honest writing this blog post back now a few weeks after finish it, nothing comes to mind other than the predictable plot ending picked up at the beginning. 2/5 stars.
August:
#29: Dark Matter
We read this book for book club and it was not what I expected. It was a little bit creepy because of the context of the story, but I felt like there was a lot of holes in the story as well. It took me a minute to get into the book but once you figured out the plot line it was easy to breeze through. 2/5 stars.
#30: Solito
I started this book on my drive back from my road trip, and it took me around 3 weeks to complete it. It is a hefty book and I think everyone should read it. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States and their is a reason for it. What Javier had to endure at such a young age is truly traumatizing but it is still happening today. 4/5 stars.
September:
#31: Stone Cold Fox
This book was recommended by Knox from the podcast I listen to, The Popcast. The plot line had many flashbacks which I have mixed feelings about in books, and it was very sexual which I wasn’t prepared for when listening to it. I didn’t quiet understand the purpose of it at the end because of the way they wrapped it up. 2/5 stars.
October:
#32: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs
This book was recommended by Jamie from the podcast I listen to, The Popcast. There were times when reading it felt a little cliché, but then other times the author said things that really resonated with me. She is correct that there isn’t another book written about this topic on the market, so I do think it is very important for women in their 20s and 30s to read this as many friendships change during this time in your life. 3/5 stars.
