My reading goal in 2023 can best be described as “better luck next year”. Which is literally what Goodreads wrote below my goal, just over 50% complete. Uffda.
But I still did read! A lot of rereads. Some graphic novels. But also a few real gems. Here are my favorite new books that I read in 2023:
Fourth Wing (and Iron Flame) by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve already yelled about this book in previous posts. It’s as good as everyone says. I really don’t know why you’re not reading it at this very moment. The audiobook was fantastic too. It’s dragon riders and romance and high stakes and it grabs you by the throat in the first chapter and never lets go.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (the sequel to Ninth House). Dark supernatural academia. Entrances to hell in school libraries. The manifestation of my sexuality in the middle of a demon circle. Creepy and smart and surprising every step of the way.
The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson. My best friend’s sophomore middle-grade novel! We called it ‘ghost story’ when they were writing it. Eleven-year-old Simon and his siblings during the week they visit Nanaleen’s old house. Ghost hunting ensues. Sibling love, queer joy, the power of being known by the people you love, the power of bringing hard things out of the darkness and into the light.
The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas. I read this middle-grade series on a whim (saw it on the library shelf) at the beginning of this year and adored them. A young boy who lives as a thief the streets who becomes an apprentice to a wizard. It’s charming and whimsical and voice-y — I love a character with a strong voice and Conn has one.
Courage is Calling and Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday. I didn’t read much nonfiction this year, but I loved these two books from Ryan Holiday on two of the four virtues of stoicism (courage and temperance the other two books on justice and wisdom are not out yet). Holiday shares stories from historical figures while expounding on Stoic philosophy. They were both grounded and inspiring. Books you could keep coming back to.
The Darkness Outside of Us by Eliot Schrefer. This one was so surprising to me. Another book I randomly picked up while visiting a bookstore in Brooklyn since it was on a staff recommendation shelf. It’s a sci-fi that was suspenseful and surprising (the twist!) while also being a beautiful love story. Everyone I recommended it to who has read it also thought it was A+.
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune. Everything by TJ Klune, all the time.
We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian. A queer romance set in New York City in the late 1950s. Friends to Lovers. Joyful. Queer community. Leaning into the happiness you deserve. Blessedly happy endings.
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan. This is a stand-alone book completely separate from the Percy Jackson universe and instead is a retelling/sequel to Jules Verne’s Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Fast-paced, high-stakes, still has Percy Jackson vibes.
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. As I wrote back in February, this book punched above its weight class. A YA contemporary romance that tells the story of a boy band where two of the members fall in love. The right amount of stakes, emotion, and real chemistry between characters.
Here’s to more books in 2024.
With Love,
Natalie