My Favorite Reads of 2023

Hello folks, and welcome to a new week and a new post of mine! How was your weekend? I’d love to hear about how you’ve been and what you’ve been up to in the comments.

Today’s post will list my favorite reads of 2023, as explained by the title of this post. I think that this year was a very amazing reading year, and I consumed many fantastic books. I contemplated not writing this post, due to there being so many books that I read and liked. However, I decided to narrow down my list a bit and was able to come up with the top seven books and series to talk about in this post.

This post won’t contain books that I read in previous years and reread this year. But, because I did reread some amazing books and series this year, I feel it only fitting to list a few honorable mentions– books that I didn’t read for the first time this year, but that I think y’all should. 😉 Those honorable mentions include Lovely War by Julie Berry, which I reread in February for Valentine’s Day. It is such a wholesome and sweet book set during WW1 and follows two different couples throughout the war; the story is quite bittersweet. The whole Hunger Games series as well as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins are amazing books that I will never stop recommending. I reread them every year and am still able to get something new out of them each time. One last reread from this year that I must mention is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, one of my favorite classics. The story of the four sisters and their lives as they grow up will always remain with me. I am currently rereading this book, and I am again realizing just how much this book means to me.

Okay, before we get into the real list of my favorite books of the year, I will also mention that this list will not include the nonfiction books I read this year. There would’ve been too many books if I were to include those, because of the fact that I made the effort to read more nonfiction this year, and enjoyed many of the nonfiction books I read in 2023. Don’t worry, though. I will probably do a post listing the nonfiction books I read this year on my other blog in a little while if I get around to it. Without further ado, let us move on to my favorite reads of 2023!

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The Heart of Betrayal and The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

This series…let me tell you: Pearson weaves a great tale of love and tragedy in her Remnant Chronicles book series. I was at first skeptical to read this series because of the first book’s title, The Kiss of Deception. This series led me to learn not to judge a book based on its cover (or, title in this case). It may be my favorite fantasy series now and for good reasons. I read the first book in the series late in 2022 and quickly ventured to finish the trilogy.

The series follows Lia, a princess who flees on the day of her arranged marriage to the prince of a nearby kingdom. In the village that Princess Lia flees to, she meets two strange young men–one of whom is the prince she was meant to marry, and the other an assassin sent to kill her. I sped through the first book, trying to find out which man was the prince and which one was the assassin (the reader, like Lia, is kept in the dark about the identities of the two men until the end of the first book, making for much speculation.) The following books follow the three of them, as many conflicts arise and treacherous situations make themselves known. These books had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, pages turning at a rapid pace.

Wolf by Wolf and Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

This alternate history duology by Ryan Graudin really surprised me, as I did not have many expectations going into it. I believed the premise to be quite weird sounding, and it took me a while to pick up the first book, which my sister highly recommended me to read. I am very glad that I listened to her words of acclamation toward the series. It was very interesting to read, so much so that I even wrote a book review for the first book here, if you want to know more of my in-depth thoughts on the book.

This duology is set in 1956 as if the Axis powers won WW2. It follows Yael, a woman who can skinshift (take on the appearance of others) and who is determined to kill Hitler. Each year since the Axis’s victory, they have hosted the Axis Tour, a motorcycle race across Germany and Japan. The victor of the race is given the reward of attending a special ball, where Hitler is present. Yael decides that she will win the Axis Tour and go to the ball, where she will assassinate Hitler. I found the alternate history setting to be very interesting, page-turning, and full of interesting and realistic characters.

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West

I bet you didn’t think that this list would have any Kasie West on it, did you? 😄 But, seriously, her books are so sweet and fun and quickly read, without any of the unwanted romantic scenes or other things that many other contemporary novels contain. This one was particularly charming, and I loved how it contained some of the characters from Love, Life, and the List.

This book follows the aspiring actress Lacey Barnes, who is dealing with the stress of starring in her first movie. When her father hires her a tutor, Donavan, she begins to confide in him about her troubles. Together, they try to uncover the mystery of who has been working against and sabotaging Lacey’s career.

Dance of Thieves and Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

This duology is set several years after the Kiss of Deception series and follows a completely different set of characters than the original trilogy, but it is set in the same world. These books were amazing as well, and I have nothing but praise for them. The characters, the plot, and the tie-ins to the original tilogy’s novels make it amazing.

It follows Kazi and Jase, two young adults with their own troubles. Jase Ballenger takes over as head of the Ballinger empire when his father passes away. Kazi, who works for the queen, is sent to Ballenger’s territory to investigate several “transgressions against the new territories” as the Goodreads synopsis puts it. While each strives to fulfill their own missions, they meet and are forced to work together. The plot is very engaging, and the characters are very human, two aspects of the novel that led me to put it on this list.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

This book was good, as I expected it to be. I haven’t ever read a historical fiction that took place on the Titanic, so this was a bit different than many of my other reads, but I really liked it. It follows Valora Luck, who risks everything to sneak aboard the Titanic to reunite with her twin brother, Jamie. Knowing how this book would end, with the sinking of the Titanic and the deaths of many aboard it, I knew that the ending would be sad. Still, that didn’t prepare me for the heartbreak that I would experience at the close of this book.

Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

Another Kasie West book! This one was very sweet, and it also made me want to travel. It follows Norah as her family goes on an RV trip with another family that is friends of Norah’s family, including her best friend, Skyler, whom she has not seen for years. Norah is excited to finally reunite with her friend, yet when his family arrives, he seems rather closed off and unfriendly. Through the summer, they both discover new things and form new relationships, with others and with each other.

Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, and Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery

Last, but in no way the least, is three of the Anne books. I really enjoyed reading more about Anne as she grows up, goes to college, gets married, and faces many struggles and heartbreaks, as well as the deepest joys of life. Alongside Little Women, this series is one of my favorite classics.

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Well, that’s all for today’s post. What are some good books you’ve read this year? Did you read any of the books on this list? What are some books you want to read in 2024? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

I hope that you liked this post about all of my favorite reads; I for sure had such a fun time writing about all of my favorite books of the year. I would love to hear all about your favorite books, what you’re reading now, and your plans for Christmas, which I cannot believe is just two short weeks away. Have a lovely week, and keep an eye out for a fun blog post of mine that will be published this Saturday!

~ Rebekah