I read 100 books in 2023, here are the ones I would recommend

Since 2020, I’ve read at least 100 books a year and this past year I finished #100 3 hours before the ball dropped. People ask how I have so much time to read, and while I don’t want to always say so I look like I’m way busier than I sometimes am, I just don’t watch as much TV, and overall, prioritize reading because it’s always been something I’ve loved. I also bring my Kindle or book with me everywhere (subway, coffee shops, Ubers, etc) and typically read 2 books at once- one physical and one Kindle. I wanted to do a little round-up of the top books I read last year.

The Winners- Fredrik Backman: He has proved to be my favorite writer in the last two years. My grandma has read all of his books, so whenever I go to my grandparents house, she would give me a new one to read and I just fell in love with his writing. His style is different than any other author I’ve read before and while it’s not for everyone (as I’ve been told), it’s so poetic and lovely. His character development is just on another level. This is a 3 book series where every page is just so good. *Start with Beartown, then Us Against You and then The Winners is the third book in the series.

Britt-Marie Was Here- Fredrik Backman- Another one that was just incredible. You will absolutely love every single one of his characters I promise you.

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry- Fredrik Backman- And another by him…this was so full of imagination and so many hidden meanings you really have to read this one slowly.

This Time Tomorrow- Emma Straub- I’m fascinated by books about time travel and that whole trope and this was very well-done and set in NYC which was a plus for me. There were a few really good life lessons in here too.

Remarkably Bright Creatures- Shelby Van Pelt- This gave me a similar feel to Fredrik Backman’s stories and his writing. One of the main characters was an octopus which made it so entertaining and fun.

Happy Place- Emily Henry- I’ve read all 4 of her books and this was my favorite. (Honorable mention for Book Lovers though) It has an easy flow with entertaining characters that go well together.

New Yorkers: A City and Its People In Our Time- Craig Taylor- Ever since moving to New York I’ve been wanting to read different types of books either set here, focusing on the history or about the city in general. This book had interviews from over 75+ different people in the city. It was fascinating and really just shows you how unique this city is and all of the different people in it.

The Summer of Broken Rules- K.L. Walther- A total summer read. I didn’t have any expectations going into this book and saw it randomly on Kindle Unlimited and could not put it down. I really enjoyed the storyline and how well done it was. (It could get cheesy but she did a good job of keeping it realistic). There were a ton of characters but it wasn’t overwhelming and you got a strong feel for each one.

The House in the Cerulean Sea- T.J. Klune- I haven’t read a lot of fantasy in the past couple of years (I did growing up with Harry Potter and all) and had seen this recommended on a TikTok so I went to Barnes and Noble and one of the girls working there said it was “Harry Potter vibes” so I was sold and 100% fell in love with this book and story. The characters were just amazing, and SO different. A sequel is coming out this year and I cannot wait.

The Five-Star Weekend- Elin Hildebrand- She is one of my favorite authors of all time and I’ve read probably 15+ of her books. This was the newest and I had looked forward to reading it for a year and it did not disappoint. I loved the storyline, as it was a little different than her others. Most of her books are set in Nantucket, that’s her niche, and some tend to be similar to others but I felt a difference in this one and really flew through it.

The Wishing Game- Meg Shaffer- Hands down in my top 3 books of the year and in my all-time favorites too. So beautifully written, a really fun, unique story line that was super nostalgic and a sweet ending. I wish this was 100 pages longer I could have read a lot more of it.

Fourth Wing & Iron Flame- Rebecca Yarros- A new fantasy series that was getting so much hype so I decided to give it a shot. I wasn’t super into this genre before but from Chapter 2 I was so hooked and read this 550 page book in a week and could not stop thinking about it for weeks and weeks after. I devoured Reddit threads, TikToks, podcasts, etc. Luckily the sequel came out 4 months after I finished Fourth Wing and read it ASAP. To be honest, Iron Flame did take me 3 weeks because it was a LOT and I just could not do it all at once. There were too many characters and the plot was pretty confusing for most of the book, but the ending was insane and I’m so excited for Book 3.

The Spectacular- Fiona Davis- I always enjoy a good historical fiction book, especially one that takes place in New York. This one focused on the Rockettes in the 50s and was super exciting and I loved all of the little old NYC details. Fiona Davis is such an amazing author, I’ve read most of her books too!

The Little Village of Book Lovers- Nina George- This was my final book of the year, and the one that was the most beautifully written. Such stunning prose, I highlighted SO much because I loved the way it sounded. My grandma got me this book for Christmas (she really does know best) and I just really enjoyed it.