*Imagery c/o Goodreads
2023 was the year of returning to my bookish roots and rekindling my bookish flame. As a child going through elementary school, I was the biggest bookworm. As I got older and I started having to read for school/college, I lost my love for reading just for fun. This year seemed like the perfect time to go back and remember why I fell in love with reading again. There were a few duds in the pack, but overall I really enjoyed a good chunk of what I read. Below you will find my thoughts on them.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Set in the 70s and very loosely based on Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours era, two strong-willed and strong-headed musicians are forced together. Billy Dunne and Margaret “Daisy” Jones become the frontman and frontwoman of the most famous band of the 1970s, Daisy Jones and the Six. There’s a whole lotta sex, drugs, and rock and roll in between. A whole lotta good times as well.
I highly enjoyed reading this book. I felt like I was reading a version of VH1’s Behind the Music. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of writing that just captivates and has you wanting more. I had to force myself to put this book down. I just want to add that now that there is a TV show, I highly suggest reading the book first.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Three women in very different situations somehow end up connected through history and circumstance. In the 1800s, Nella is an apothecary that caries natural ingredients that could or could not poison. She caters to an unusual clientele, mostly women. Eliza Fanning is the 12-year-old girl who walks into her shop one day picking up one of these poisons for her boss, Mrs. Amwell. Through this interaction, Nella and Eliza form a forever bond. In the present time, Caroline, a woman visiting London after she finds out her husband cheated on her, finds herself on an impromptu mud-larking adventure and finds a vial. Turns out, this vial belonged to Nella’s shop. This little vial leads Caroline on a very long journey to rediscovering her passion.
This wasn’t my favorite book, but it wasn’t a bad book either. I found it kind of boring to read up until the very end, but I did enjoy the history and the connection the women had through it. I just felt like there were a lot of unnecessary plot points and fluff in between.
Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life by Roxie Nafousi
In this book, as the title suggests, Roxie takes you through the seven steps it takes to master your manifesting journey.
This is the first fictional book I read this year and I highly enjoyed it. I really love listening to nonfiction versus just reading it, so I decided to get this book in two forms (kindle and audio). I learned a lot about the concept of manifesting from Roxie. She has a way of breaking it down into easy, digestible segments so you really absorb all the information you need in order to take your own manifesting journey. The best part is that Roxie doesn’t just spit out information to you. She backs it all up with examples from her own life and her own manifesting journey. She uses science and stories to really teach you how. Before reading this book, I had a small idea of what manifesting entailed and what it was. But after reading, I found that there was so much more to manifesting than I thought.
Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Trigger Warning: This book includes gun violence and other triggering topics.
Two kids, Sadie and Sam, meet in a hospital waiting room. Sadie’s sister is in the hospital and Sam is in because his foot was crushed in a car accident. Sadie and Sam bond over gaming and become friends. Some unfortunate circumstances cause a rift in their friendship and they stop talking to each other. Several years go by and they reunite in a Boston train station. It’s as if their bond was never broken. They develop a game together with the help of Sam’s roommate and friend, Marx. Eventually, this leads to building their gaming company. In between all that, there are hardships, love, heartbreak, friendship, etc.
You don’t need to know anything about gaming to enjoy this book. It wasn’t my favorite book, but there were elements I did enjoy. I liked the friendships and bonds that were formed. I did not enjoy all the big words the author used. It made it hard to read and I felt like I needed a dictionary at the ready. I enjoyed the timeline because you get a real feel for the characters’ lives.
There were some sad moments throughout the book which I did tear up, but mostly I wasn’t that emotional while reading. I do process books vs. tv shows/movies differently.
One of my favorite parts of the story was when Sadie was talking about a book she read that talked about how humans tend to create an AI version of their loved ones after they have passed. I personally have done this.
Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This is your classic enemies-to-lovers story. Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the President of the United States, Ellen Claremont, and Henry is the Prince of England. Alex has a misguided “hate” for Henry. Henry “indulges” this hate. When the two make a scene at Henry’s brother’s wedding, the two are forced to clean up the mess which involves them appearing together as “friends”. This eventually leads Alex to a journey of self-discovery and realization that he may have been the man who doth protests too much.
This was my most-read book of the year! I’m not exaggerating. I read it three times. The first read-through was for the first time in anticipation of the movie’s release (a couple of months before). The second time was about two weeks before the movie’s release. And the third because I wanted to annotate it.
It’s no secret that I’m a big romantic and love love. Red, White, & Royal Blue is not only a fun read, but it is the quintessential go-to for any romantic. The back and forth between Henry and Alex, in the beginning, is just enemies to lovers gold.
The chemistry and love in this book is palpable. I don’t just mean the literal love between the two main characters. What I also mean is the love and care that Casey put into this book. It just oozes from the pages. I immediately fell in love with the plot and the characters. It’s been a while since I read a book that I am so into that it has basically become my whole personality. The last time that happened, I think was when Harry Potter came out when I was in 6th grade. This book has made it to number one on my comfort reads list.
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sally is a comedy writer for the sketch show The Night Owls (TNO); think SNL. She has sworn off love. That is until Noah Brewster, the week’s guest/musical host, enters the picture. They are tasked to work together on some sketches and in doing so, Sally becomes smitten.
I originally gave this book a four star rating, but thinking about it much later I don’t believe it deserves that rating. I did enjoy the unfolding of the love story between Sally and Noah, but there were parts of this book that I found kind of boring.
The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
A group of women, The Hunting Wives, have caught the attention of Sophie O’Neill while at a party. While waiting in line for the bathroom at said party, the leader of the group, Margot Banks invites her to join. Sophie soon finds out why they are called the Hunting Wives. Not only do they meet out in the middle of nowhere and shoot skeet, but they also partake in some wild partying that involves flirting (and sometimes hooking up) with other men.
Sophie becomes swept into the appeal of the group and slowly slips away from the normal rural life with her family that she craved before meeting the Hunting Wives. Eventually, this leads to Sophie being right smack in the middle of a murder investigation. A teenage girl is found dead on the land where the group shoots skeet. At this point, Sophie’s life has spiraled out of control and she tries to find her way back to it.
This was not my favorite thriller book. I found that it took too long to get to the twist at the end and the murder. There was a lot of prose to set the story up.
The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
If you’re a The Office fan, then this is the book for you. In this memoir, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey recount all their memories of being on probably (in my opinion) one of the best comedy shows on TV.
I don’t say this lightly because opinions on books are always just that, but this was one of my favorite books I read this year. I love reading nonfiction books, especially when it’s about a subject I’m particulary interested in. This is one of those nonfiction books. I loved reading through all of Jenna and Angela’s stories on and off set. I have been listening to the Office Ladies podcast and rewatching the show. This book felt like an extension of both of those. It was a really fun read.
The People We Keep by Allison Larkin
April Sawicki is an aspiring songwriter who is just trying to find her place in the world and finding love (all kinds) wherever she can get it. Basically abandoned by everyone in her life, she packs up and leaves for greener pastures. Along the way, she meets all kinds of people who become her found family at different parts of her journey.
I found this book to be a slog to read. I don’t know if it was that I wasn’t in the right mindset to read this story or what. I didn’t feel connected to it and this almost became a DNF.
Human Design by Jenna Zoe
Another nonfiction on the list of books I read this year. Looking/interested in getting into the subject of Human Design? This is the book for you. Human Design is all the traits and innate stuff we’re born with. This book explains and lays out all those elements of your chart.
After reading this book and even before that, finding out my Human Design type, I had all the lightbulb moments. Everything seemed to make sense after. This book laid it all out so simply and in an easily understandable format. Jenna breaks each part of your design chart in a way that allows you to understand and apply it. This book was a game changer for me.
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
Ari is a budding and struggling comedienne. Josh is a world-renowned chef. The two couldn’t be more opposite in personality, but somehow they keep showing up in each others’ lives throughout the years. First as enemies, then as friends, and finally as lovers. Well, lovers once they get out of their own ways.
If you are a fan of When Harry Met Sally, then you will enjoy this book. I certainly did! I’m a huge fan of enemies to lovers romance (this is also kind of a grumpy/sunshine trope to0) books and this one is high on my list. I enjoyed reading Ari and Josh’s story and how they came into each other’s lives at different points in their careers and life. I felt like I was reading a more modern version of When Harry Met Sally.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Two young rival journalists, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, find themselves in the middle of a war while also falling in love. Iris and Roman both own two magical typewriters. Iris uses hers to write to her brother, or so she thinks, who is off fighting the gods’ war. Roman is actually receiving these letters and immediately knows they are from Iris. They form a deep bond in the process.
This is one of my favorite dystopian/romantasy books I’ve read in a long time. I was immediately invested in Iris and Roman’s story. I love a good enemies to lovers story, as evidenced by this list, and this book definitely served me. However, there are some aspects I had a hard time with. It was hard to figure out where and when this story took place. There was a mixture of English (as in England) references and American references (there is a mention of baseball). Also, I’m not sure what the time period is. I found myself getting confused a lot when it came to those elements.
Evergreen by Lydia Millen
Weaving her own experiences with research, she guides the reader to reconnect with nature through each season. She touches on topics such as trusting your intuition and comparison. She provides you the reader the tools you need to live a life more fulfilled and evergreen.
I actually solely listened to this book (hopefully I’ll get to own the physical copy one day) because it is not available in the states at the moment. I found that listening to it, I connected and got more out of the book. A lot of the time, I found myself shaking my head in agreement with a lot of what Lydia was touching on. Especially when she was talking about intuition and trusting it. I’ve been on my own journey with really connecting with my intuition this year and all of what Lydia was saying resonated with me.
Another section was about loss and I was in full tears. This was the first year without my dad and it’s been quite the journey with my grief. There are days where I’m perfectly fine and then the next I’m deep in that grief again. Lydia reassured me that it’s perfectly normal to be in that cycle of grief and joyfulness.
There was a definite trend in genre (romance/love) this year. This was a tough year for me and a lot of the time I was trying to find a tiny escape. Did I reach my reading goal? No. Did I enjoy my reading journey? Yes! And that’s all that matters. Now I want to know what you read this year and what you enjoyed, and didn’t. Let me know in the comments!
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