What was your favourite read of 2023? I read more than 130 books in 2023. Below are my favourites, in no particular order.
M/M Romance
In my opinion, this is Kelly’s best work. I loved how Cam and Vic came together, and I love how Kelly gave both characters the space to grow individually and as a couple.
The start of one of the best romantic suspense series ever. The MCs, Larking and Doyle, come with trauma and flaws, but together, they bring out the best in each other.
My first Nora Phoenix book (yes, I know I’m SUPER late to the Nora Phoenix train) and I loved everything about it. Intriguing storyline, great writing, complex characters, and a lovely romance.
I loved their strangers to friends to lovers romance, it was so stinking cute and I adore them. And a demisexual character to boot!
I loved the banter and the character development and the story. It was sweet and funny and sexy, and the demon goat provided tons of humour.
This was sweet and funny and just lots of fun to listen to.
Full of magic and whimsy and a very sweet romance, this was a lot of fun.
Alex and Eli are the cutest, most schmoopiest of characters, and they need to be protected at. All. Costs.
LGBTQ+ Young Adult
One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the various friendships between all of the characters. They were so real and tangible, adding a layer of depth not always found in YA. In his acknowledgements, the author says he pitched this as “Empire Records” but set in a retirement community, and honestly…that’s pretty damn accurate!
As it’s a debut novel, my expectations were low, but this was immensely enjoyable. The characters were so well-developed, the story was interesting, the pacing was perfect, and the romance was very sweet.
I am not okay after reading this. This sequel to Sixteen Souls surpassed my expectations and took me for a wild ride through York along with Charlie and Sam.
Fiction & Non-Fiction
This book was amazing; I never wanted to put it down. The story is so well crafted and kept me guessing until the very end.
Another wonderuflly crafted novel, Homecoming also kept me guessing until the very end. Told in dual timeline (1959 and 2018), this was spellbinding and mysterious and so addictive.
This was fascinating. Expertly read as well, since Tom is the narrator of the audiobook as well as author. It was an engaging listen. It was also interesting to hear anecdotes from his time as a child actor on movie sets until adulthood. This is quite the raw and honest book, taking into Tom’s mental state, into his family and friends, and into his thoughts and dreams.
Honourable mentions
Other books I read in 2023 that were memorable.
