Best Book of 2023

[joelsgirl]

What did you read last year that you just really loved and what did you love about it?

This was my favorite:


It's by Shannon Harris, wife of "I Kissed Dating Good-bye"'s Joshua Harris, and she expressed a lot of the problems I see in the church and especially in evangelical Christianity.

[kristalund]

This was an unexpected wonderful read! I recommend to everyone.

[Kimberly27]

Yes on the Remarkable Bright Creatures! A fun read!!

I read so many good books last year...picking one is like picking a favorite kid.
Madeline Martin has some great historical fiction books that I loved...The Last Bookshop in London, The Librarian Spy, and Keeper of Hidden Books were all amazing!!

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr was a thrilling read...Historical fiction, thriller and art all in one.

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge was a beautiful story of 2 giraffes and their journey across the country. A historical fiction based on real events.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys is a YA historical fiction that I think should be required reading by anyone. It was an eye opening book about Romania in 1989 and the Communist Regime.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff this is a quick read set in WWII. A little mystery and suspense with a touch of romance and of course history

The Lost English Girl by Juila Kelly This was a beautiful story with lovable and unlovable characters about a little girl sent away due to WW2 and her mom's fight to get her back home.

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff She does an amazing job with research and facts to put together an amazing thrilling historical fiction novel

A Day Like this by Kelly McNeil This was another fast read that left me pondering and wondering...it is an edge of seat twisty story!

The Little War Time Library by Kate Thompson A book about the love of books and reading and keeping those books in the hands of people during hard times.

Noelle Salazar has three books that I loved...I read 2 this year and one several years ago...This years books were Angels of the Resistance and The Roaring Days of Zora Lily. Both amazing historical fiction reads.

Julia Heaberlin is a great thriller/mystery writer that does a lot of research for her books...The ones I and my husband read are We Are All the Same in the Dark, Paper Ghosts and The Night Will Find You All of her books are set in Texas. I even got to meet her in person at a book signing.

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland Historical Fiction about a theater fire in Richmond VA 1811. This book had me digging and wanted more research. I grew up in VA but had not heard this story. The book is a touch sad but based on real characters. She did a lot of amazing research on the characters and time period.

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros I came into the game late on this series but so glad I picked it up. Rebecca creates the most amazing fantasy world that you can visualize and see through her writing. I found it like a Harry Potter meets Hunger Games but with some spicy scenes...(there are websites that will help you avoid those pages or skip to those pages). I highly recommend these books just for the imagery and imagination that went into it.

There are more reads that were amazing but I won't take anymore space...

[bcgal00]

Kimberly - glad you liked Fourth Wing. I have it but hasn't read it yet.

[shellbyj]

These books are on fire

[lizziej]

I read a lot last year - 58 books, which is the most that I've ever read in one year. Usually I read 10, 12 books.

I'm behind the eight ball on some of these, but here are my favorites, and they are mostly historical fiction:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - I loved this book because I loved the way it was written, and it was a great story. It took a couple of chapters for me to get into it because there was a lot of info to absorb, but after that, it was a quick read.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - this was the first historical fiction book I've read about the Holocaust. I had a Jewish friend whose father was a prisoner in Auschwitz (he showed me the tattooed number), and they both encouraged me to read books about it (this was back in the mid 80s), and I've read probably a dozen books about it since then. This book, although fiction, really moved me. It's no wonder that it has so many reviews and is so highly rated.

The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh - a great, moving story about a honeymoon on a ship that took a terrible turn in the 1850s. It was inspired by a true story. It was written in 2011, and the author just came out with a sequel late last year. I can't wait to read it!

I like thrillers, and this legal thriller (not scary/nightmarish)was so good! An Invisible Client by Victor Methos. I am a litigation paralegal, so it really interested me, especially because I had no idea what an "invisible" client was.

I ended 2023 by reading Heartsong by Debbie Macomber. It was her first novel, written in 1984! It is such a good story, and a quick read.

I have Fourth Wing, and that is on my list to read this year. I did not have time to read it last year. It is fun going through all of your choices, as I'm sure many of them will wind up on my reading list.

[Robin Carlton]

I never make the time to read, but I love reading about books so this thread is making me insanely happy!

Lizzie you rock reading 58 books last year!! Katie is a HUGE reader, so she's aiming for a book a week this year. She has a list of challenges to try to inspire her to get it done in 2024!

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by lizziej

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - this was the first historical fiction book I've read about the Holocaust. I had a Jewish friend whose father was a prisoner in Auschwitz (he showed me the tattooed number), and they both encouraged me to read books about it (this was back in the mid 80s), and I've read probably a dozen books about it since then. This book, although fiction, really moved me. It's no wonder that it has so many reviews and is so highly rated.

I really like her books! The great alone and Winter garden are really good if you haven't read those yet


Last year I didn't really read (listen) a lot that stood out to me. I read two books by the author julie clark that I really liked though - The Last Flight and Lies I Tell.

I'm hoping to be inspired with the books I choose to listen to this year

[AmieN1]

I read (mostly listened to audiobooks from my library) A LOT last year- 160 books and A LOT of really great ones!

Here's my 5 star reads of the year:
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
California Golden by Melanie Benjamin
Watch Us Shine by Maria de los Santos
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris
Only The Beautiful by Susan Meissner
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Go As A River by Shelley Read
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

[amyjcaz]

Loving this thread! I absolutely SECOND The Nightingale and Fourth Wing! I am blown away Amie that you listened to over 160 books!!!!! I was proud of reading 51!!!! LOL

I really enjoyed these last year:
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - Thriller
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a bit younger age but wow this book was good
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer -- whimsical and magical and fun
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides--Thriller

Liz-- Have you Read The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger? I just finished it and it isn't anything that I expected but it was so so good! She was 16 in Denmark when the Nazi's came and took her and her family. About 1/3 of the book is her story as a prisoner and the rest is about her overcoming that trauma the rest of her life.

[lizziej]

Thank you, Robin! I did rock reading last year - by my standards. LOL There are others here that read a lot more than me, though, and they really rock!!

Kristin - I'm going to put those on my list. I'm trying to read her books in the order she wrote them. A coworker of mine is a HUGE Kristin Hannah fan, and she suggested that. She didn't really care too much for her early books.

Amie - wow!! That's a lot of books! I've never listened to any books, as I think I could easily get distracted. I just finished reading Tom Lake for my little book club at work.

Amy - how awesome that you read 51 books!! I read The Silent Patient back in 2020. What a great thriller read!! I have not even heard of The Choice: Embrace the Possible, so that is going on my list.

[Kimberly27]

Ok...I just finished The Women by Kristin Hannah. It got mixed reviews online but I have to say it was an eye opener on what life was like during Vietnam war esp for women. A wonderful read that I finished in just a few days.

[amyjcaz]

Oh, that is on my "need to read list!"

[lizziej]

That's in my list, too, but it will be a while before I read it, as I have others ahead of it.

[Leablahblah]

I don't read a lot but I really enjoy it when I take the time.



That said, I haven't been able to put down the Bridgerton inspired series by Julia Quinn. I started with this one (book 5) because my library does a free book program during the Summer and picked it, being curious since the tv series has been good so far. Well of course the books are so much better!!

[jumbbumble]

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, i loved this one book 1 and 2 are just translated to the Netherlands! I have read them with so much love