Who doesn’t love a book list at this time of year? Here’s my top picks for 2023.
I’m big on goal setting and one of my goals was to read 20 books in 2023. I would love to make it 23 in 23 but I know my current time limitations so I’m realistic about how many books I can actually get through.
I’m also a list person so I keep a handwritten list as well as tracking them over on Goodreads. It turns out that I was able to read 2 books not including research or work-related books. I read 1-2 per month. Of the 20 that I read, there are a few standouts this year.
I have a huge TBR pile so the books that I read are not necessarily new releases, some may be years old. Also, I tend to go with my gut. My favourite might be because I loved a particular character or because the story drew me in.
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Book of the Year – The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson
This gripping novel had me hooked from the first page. I’m ashamed to admit that I’d never heard of the Bangka Island Massacre. The atrocities of war should not be forgotten lest they be repeated. While I admit I did get the two main characters mixed up during the first few chapters, after that their personalities shone through. The true stories that Anthea was able to weave into her fiction were expertly accomplished. In parts, I had goosebumps and in others I was teary. It is a story that will stay with me for a long time and that is why it is my pick of the year.
Highly Recommended – Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty has created a captivating story that will evoke powerful emotions in those who’ve experienced what her characters go through, and those who haven’t will get a realistic glimpse that enables them to “walk in another’s shoes”. The story is absolutely gripping and I spent a lot of late nights reading because I just had to find out what happened.
Worthy Mentions
There are a few that warrant a mention because they were fantastic reads. The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital by Joanna Nell and The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper were both fabulous reads with distinctively different writing styles and themes but both had me enthralled.
The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital was the perfect read after I’d finished Big Little Lies. I needed something lighter, less speculative, less murdery. Joanne Nell delivered. While it was dare I say, fluffy, there were some important themes. Aging, self-doubt, loneliness, and mental health – all topics that are covered in such a way as to make you really care about what the characters are going through. It’s a lovely novel that will make you feel warm and fuzzy.
The Butterfly Collector was the first of Tea Cooper’s books that I’d read and it was a Mother’s Day gift from my children. Back in my comfort zone of historical fiction, this novel had all the right elements – a bit of real history mixed with a mystery and a love story. Perfect!
So, those are my top picks for 2023! I’d love to hear what your faves were or if you’ve read any of the above, what were your thoughts? What books are on your TBR list for 2024?