My Top 10 Books of 2023

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Happy 2024, everyone!! Somehow another year has completely flown by and here we are…at the start of a new one! I am so excited to see what the new year brings…and I have some new reading goals and some incredible books to look forward to this year…but I will save that for another post! Today I want to talk all about my favorite books of 2023! It was an fantastic reading year for me. I set a goal to read 100 books and I actually managed to reach my goal this year and surpass it slightly with 108 books read! With 108 books it feels almost impossible to narrow down my favorites but I am going to try! 10 seems like a good round number so let’s roll with that! Here are my Top 10 favorite books of 2023! Let’s chat!

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

I don’t have any particular order for my faves of 2023 except to say that when I sat down to create my list…this book was the very first one that popped into my head. I have a full review here on the blog and have shared about this book several times on Instagram. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer was perfection. It is a book for book lovers and lovers of stories. It was so full of nostalgia for me. It gave me all of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibes…but bookish and for adults. It was a quick read and full of riddles, bookish love, secluded island settings, a little romance, and so much heart. I think if I could recommend 1 book for you to add to your 2024 TBR it would be The Wishing Game! You can also snag The Wishing Game on Book of the Month for $5 if you are new to BOTM and want to give it a try!!

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

Another book that immediately jumped to mind when creating my Top 10 list was The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. This book stole my entire heart. It was so powerfully and beautifully written and it simultaneously gave me so much joy and brought on some serious ugly crying. It tackles a very real and very serious topic…death…but it does so with so much love. I connected to much with our main character Clover and I loved following her story. Clover is a death doula and spends her days helping the dying have peace and comfort in their final days…which is something she wasnt able to do for her beloved grandfather. Clover meets a dying woman with one last wish…a wish that sends Clover on a road trip and pushes her so far out of her comfort zone. This was just an exceptional story and one that I will think about for a very long time!

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

2023 is going to go down as the year I discovered Rom-Com’s. I don’t know where they have been hiding my whole life but man do I love them! Practice Makes Perfect was a-dor-able and I mean that in all the best ways. It was SO charming…literally oozed with small town charm and I loved it. The book was such an easy read and felt like a best friend telling you a story. The main character Annie was a delight…an introvert with social anxiety…yeah I can relate to that! And Will…dear sweet Will…the perfect main male character. Loved him so much. You can read a full review here on the blog but definitely check this one out. I still haven’t read the first book, When In Rome, which takes place in the same small town but that is on my 2024 TBR for sure!

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir was easily in my Top 10 of 2023…probably Top 5. I have a full review here on the blog but I have to tell you it was an extremely disjointed review because the book had just hit me like a ton of bricks. I loved it SO much that I really struggled to put my thoughts into words. If you have ever read a book by Sabaa Tahir you will know that her writing is flawless. What a gifted storyteller. This book was raw and emotional. It is a story about love and loss, grief and forgiveness, friendships and family. This story broke my heart. I connected so much to the characters…they were so well written, real, and complex. Just a devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful book and I recommend it so much. It does have some content warnings that you can read about in my full review.

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

If you are a fan of historical fiction then please please read River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer. This was a moving and beautifully written debut novel. It was very easily a 5 star read for me. It was so heartbreaking to read but oh so wonderfully done. It is the story of a mothers journey. It is the story of Rachel, a slave at a plantation in Barbados. She flees in search of her 5 remaining living children who have been sold. The story follows her grueling journey…she knows that she must find the answers to what happened to her children or she will never be free. So powerful and a true story of a mothers love. I will remember this book for a very long time!

Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan

When I tell you that this book was one of the most atmospheric books I read all year I am not exaggerating. I was fully immersed in this book from the very first pages. Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan gives the most delicious Gothic Horror vibes and I loved every page. It was equal parts ghost story and family mystery and an absolute page turner from the get-go! The book was filled with the most lush descritpions of the sprawling Elizabethan Manor…ancient graveyard…garden with deadly plants…ghosts…check, check, and check. If you love a good ghost story with amazing character descriptions and an epic setting, definitely check this book out. I am so ready to read her next book!

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Meet Me at the Lake just might get the credit for being the book to make me fall in love with romance novels. I adored this book so much! This book was just so full of amazing chemistry and banter between the two main characters. I was rooting for them the ENTIRE book! Author Carley Fortune has such a lovely writing style and the book seamlessly brought together past and present storylines. I also have to say that I want to move to the Brookbanks resort and eat sourdough with Peter…who is THE best character! Read it at the lake, read it at the beach, read it in your livingroom with the perfect cup of coffee…but definitely read it!

River of Wrath by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

I cannot tell you how much I was looking forward to reading River of Wrath. This was the second book in the series and I LOOOOVED the first book. I am happy to report that this book was just as amazing as the first. This is another book that just oozes atmosphere. So incredibly written by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor. It has so much southern charm but also is so chilling and creepy. If you love books with mystery, suspense, secrets, and a dead body or two…then definitely pick this one up…be sure to read River of Ashes first! I am so looking forward to book 3! This is a definite psychological thriller so if those are your jam then be sure to add it to your TBR! Also, can we just talk about how gorgeous and creepy this cover is? I am such a sucker for a gorgeous book cover!

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Y’all…this book freaked me ALL the way out. The Last Word was my first book by Taylor Adams but I quickly sought out his others! From the very first pages I was in a full state of anxiety. Isolated setting, freaky characters, super creative and fast-paced plot….this had me looking over my shoulder the entire time. So, for my fellow Bookstagrammers and Book Reviewers let me just share a little tid-bit of the plot with you. Young woman is house sitting in a remote location and she reads a terribly written book…so she decides to write a scathing review…which then leads to an online argument with the author of the book. That is when all of the strange incidents begin happening. As she looks into the authors life she realizes that she may be in a lot of trouble! Fabulous book. Scared the bajeesus out of me but in a great way…if that makes any sense! If you love a fast-paced and twisty thriller than definitely check it out!

This Spells Love by Kate Robb

Last but certainly not least is This Spells Love by Kate Robb. This was another rom-com and I loved it. This was another Book of the Month selection for me…they have been knocking it out of the park with book choices! It was an utterly charming debut novel. I cannot wait to see what Kate Robb writes next because I absolutely loved her writing style. It was so easy to get lost in the pages and I obliterated this book in just over a day. It was funny, creative, heartwarming, and most definitely was on the spicier side for the rom-com’s I have been reading. The characters had amazing chemistry and I loved it so much! You can read my full review here on the blog!

Thank You So Much!

I just wanted to end this post by saying a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my long-winded book obsessed posts. It means so much to me to have you here! Talking about books is my favorite thing in the entire world and this blog has been such a great creative outlet to do that!

I am so looking forward to 2024. Is there anything special you would like to see here in the future? Things I could do more of or less of? I have lots of ideas and plans and really hope to keep up the consistency here!

I would love to hear from you! What books are you most excited for this year? Do you set any reading goals? Drop me a comment below or message me on Instagram @beachesandreads or email anytime!

Happy 2024!