Opinion
I read forty-eight books this year, so far. I am working on number forty-nine, The Maid by Nita Prose right now. I intend to finish fifty-two books this year, solidifying my one-book-a-week goal. I have been an avid reader for my entire life. In full transparency, there’s a high possibility I peaked during the days of AR reading and library book challenges in elementary school. During the initial COVID-19 pandemic, I challenged myself to read thirty books in thirty days. I succeeded. Rereading childhood favorites such as The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and The Selection was exactly the escape I needed. That is what reading has always been for me: an escape. I could place myself in a book, never as a main character, or a character at all, but as an additional best friend of the protagonist. In my reading delusions, the hero would confide in me; I was the undercover omniscient narrator. In real life, my actions held no weight and could be overlooked, but in books, I was important.
I use my few credentials: twenty-something teenage girl, almost college graduate, and book lover to share with you all my book recommendations. In each of these recommendations, I physically walked into the book, alongside my favorite characters, and sometimes, shed a few tears about leaving them behind. I read a little bit of everything: romance, fantasy, fiction, memoirs, self-help, non-fiction, academic, young adult, and everything in between. This list is far from comprehensive, but it is my sincere wish that you find a good read out of this post. Because I’m a realist, however, I even out my praise with warning. The last books are some of my least favorite reads of 2023.
Lily’s Favorite Memoir of 2023: Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner is a singer in the band Japanese Breakfast. Before reading her “about the author”, I had only heard of Japanese Breakfast from a good friend of mine, Naya. Zauner is Korean-American and grew up in a small town outside of Portland. A common theme throughout her memoir is a search for that coveted sense of belonging. Not quite Korean enough for her mom, too Asian for her classmates, and too American for her extended family; Zauner discusses these insecurities candidly and raw-ly. Her memoir is based around her and her mother’s relationship and death. Her heartbreaking account of losing her mom left me unable to read another book for several days. It felt like a betrayal to leap into the next book without properly grieving and honoring the life-altering effects of Zauner’s freshman novel. A five-star rating from this author to Zauner.
Lily’s Favorite Series of 2023: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is no stranger to recognition. This series, colloquially known as ACOTAR (pronounced ack-oh-tar), swept through BookTok and brought in a new generation of fantasy readers. I am a victim to the bandwagon, but so wholly grateful for it. The first ACOTAR book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, follows Feyre Archeron on her journey from the slums of Pyrthian to the Faerie lands north of “the wall.” If you want an excuse to get into fantasy, this is the best offer you’ll get. The second book in this series, A Court of Mist and Fury, very possibly might be my favorite book I read this year. Another five-star rating for Maas from another grateful victim of BookTok.
Lily’s Favorite Fiction of 2023: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of the best authors of this century. Her other books, Daisy Jones and The Six, Malibu Rising, and Carrie Soto Is So Back, are all highly acclaimed and currently sitting on my “To Be Read” shelf. Reid takes readers on a journey through the life of Evelyn Hugo, separating each stage of life by her respective husbands. Evelyn, the daughter of Cuban parents, makes it big in Hollywood, but not after giving away parts of herself. An unbelievable twist at the end kept me rereading the last chapter at least a dozen times. This book could get anyone out of a reading slump, and I recommend it to anyone who feels “they’re not a big reader” or “I don’t like reading.” A six out of five star rating for Ms. Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Lily’s Favorite Non-Fiction of 2023: African Texans by Alwyn Barr
As a Texan by chance, not necessarily by choice, I was raised on the biased education of cultural and generational southerners. I was taught Africa was a historically poor continent, the Columbian Exchange benefited Africans, and no Afrians knew North America until they were “graciously” brought here as slaves. This book, a required reading for my Texas History class, flips the narrative on everything I was taught about African “discovery” of the Americas. A quick one-hundred or so page read, I highly recommend for anyone interested in real history.
Lily’s Favorite Romance of 2023: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Although I initially read this book last year, I did promptly reread it this year. Tessa Bailey is one of the most underrated romance authors right now. Her character building is some of the best and, as a result, I have fallen in love with these characters countless times. This book, in particular, is best described as “Schitt’s Creek turn love story.” Wealthy, out-of-touch, and out-of-control Piper Bellinger is sent to live in Westport, a small fishing town in the Pacific Northwest. Piper is forced to tough it out in less-than-ideal conditions and with the help of a *shocker* very attractive ship captain. This book revived my love for reading and is a supermodel on my bookshelf, plus it came with a sequel, Hook, Link, & Sinker. I highly recommend this elevated romance novel; it’s five stars on my GoodReads.
Lily’s Least Favorite Book of 2023: Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
Just like people, ideas, and how-tos, there is no completely bad book. Everyone and everything has a redeeming quality. For this novel, it’s the cover artwork. However, I really struggled to get through the book. I could not connect with the characters well: an apprehensive and suspecting graduate student obsessed with murder mysteries and a golden retriever, elementary school music teacher, slash next door neighbor. (Aside: I considered using “/” in the previous sentence in lieu of writing out the word, but I ultimately decided “slash” looked, and read, better.) Honestly, I do not think it’s worth your time, but I encourage my readers to prove me wrong. I give this standalone a pitying two stars.
Lily’s Biggest Book Regret of 2023: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
This book is all over TikTok and is marketed as another life changing romance novel capable of causing women to wake up and leave their boring boyfriends in search of the “real deal.” In reality, I feel Lucy Score did an extraordinary job of making readers forget the beau we fall for is a forty year old man who uses real-life fist fights to solve problems. The protagonist, Naomi, is mostly boring and, I imagine, has the “keep calm and carry on” screensaver every Millennial saved from pinterest in 2014. In this 600-page romance, I guarantee you will cringe, smirk, and block out the off-putting characteristics of this couple. Truthfully, the second and third book: Things We Hide From The Light and Things We Left Behind, were much better. I recommend this book as a required purgatory to better conditions: books two and three. Above all, I recommend watching @newlynova’s TikTok about this book. Her analysis is far better than anything I can detail.