Hey ya’ll, here’s a round up of my favorite books I read in 2023. None of this is sewing related, but as an avid reader I always like to share this post and many of you have said you enjoy seeing it, so I continue to write it. I always wait until the new year has actually begun because I’m reading up until the very last day of each year and want an accurate count for myself.
I finished a total of 117 books in 2023. I count both audiobooks and books I read in text in my total because 1) only including text books is ableist and 2) it actually takes me longer to finish an audiobook than a book in text. I’ll note in my short reviews which format I read the book with.
I don’t do Goodreads, but I do keep a Pinterest board to save all my reads which you can see here if you’re interested. Here are my faves from the year.
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Fiction:
Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver(affiliate link) – I love Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible is one of my all time favorite books. This update of David Copperfied 100% deserves the Pulitzer it won. It’s is also a great book to read in close proximity to my top non-fiction read of the year (see below). I read the text version of this book.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Gabrielle Kevin (affiliate link) – I’m not a gamer but I couldn’t put down this story of game developers over the course of their fictional careers. It’s described a love story, and it is, but it’s not a romance. I read the text version of this book.
Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt (affiliate link) – an octopus narrator is a fun twist on this heartwarming and otherwise kind of formulaic story. I read the text version of this book.
Non-fiction:
Empire of Pain Patrick Radden Keefe (affiliate link) – I had no idea about the history behind opioid marketing and this blew my mind. Good to read after Demon Copperhead too.
I Know Who You Are Barbara Rae-Venter (affiliate link) – the science and story behind how this researcher uses DNA to solve crimes. I previously read I’ll be Gone in the Dark about the Golden State Killer, and this book expands on the knowledge from that book as well as how the same tactics were applied in other cases.
Illegally Yours Rafael Agustin (affiliate link) – Jane the Virgin is one of my all time favorite TV series, and this is a memoir by one of the writers for that show. It’s deeply human with funny and engaging writing. I think it’s easy to view immigration to the U.S. as a black and white issue, and this story shows how much gray there is and how broken our immigration systems are. The main difference in his story vs. the stories of the many Dreamer students I taught is that he grew up to work with celebrities, where the real life Dreamers I know are all just trying to lead normal lives. I read the text version of this book.
Honorable mentions:
These are all fiction books I really enjoyed that I don’t think got the buzz they should have.
The Chosen and the Beautiful Nghi Vo(affiliate link) – a haunting and atmospheric retelling of The Great Gatsby from Jordan’s POV I read the text version of this book. You might remember last year I loved Beautiful Little Fools, another Great Gatsby retelling. This one takes more liberties with the source text but somehow that just adds to how much I liked it. Both books are worth a read, along with the original if you’ve never read it.
Killers of a Certain Age Deanna Raybourn (affiliate link) – a retired group of female assassins has to do one last job. It was fun to see so the author play with so many cultural and genre expectations about women and violence and age. I read the text version of this book.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise Colleen Oakley (affiliate link) – mismatched misfits, one young, one old, go on a cross country trip. Read this one for the characters. I read the text version of this book.
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