Some of my favorite books from 2023

It’s time for another book roundup! This has been a great year for us bibliophiles (aren’t they all?!). I shared my favorite reads from Spring and Summer and now from Winter. There’s something for everyone on this list - thrillers, romance, literary fiction, nonfiction, popular reads from the best seller’s list, and obscure titles you’ve probably never heard of. Hope you find something to enjoy! And please, share a book you’ve loved lately - I always love your recs!

I’m sharing links to Amazon and Indiebound today. The former is a great spot to find reviews and information, and the later is a great way to support local bookstores. And if you want to shop in person, you can find an independent bookstore near you here. Most of these books can also be read for free via your local library, either as a physical book or an audio copy (just download the Libby App and connect your library card!).

For the record, I listened to most of these books from the library. While I love reading a paper book (and do most nights before bed), I find listening to audio books the fastest way for me to get through them. I listen when I do the dishes, cook, paint, edit pictures, walk around town, and all number of other chores. I love how an audio book can turn a how-hum task into something I look forward to.

Without further ado, here are all books I’ve enjoyed lately…

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?, Crystal Smith Paul - This intoxicating debut from Crystal Smith Paul transports you to old Hollywood, complete with glamour, secrets, and lies. The book begins with the death of Hollywood icon Kitty Karr, whose unexpected bequeath leaves everyone with questions. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin - Sadie and Sam are childhood friends who run into each other one fateful day in Boston and a legacy collaboration begins. A love story that’s not really a love story, this is an addictive book! (amazon affiliate, indiebound)

The Golden Couple, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - this psychological thrilled had me hooked from the start. It follows a wealthy Washington DC couple, who appears to be perfect until infidelity leads them to an unconventional therapist. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)

Everyone in my family has killed someone, Benjamin Stevenson - Ernest Cunningham heads to a family reunion at a ski resort and gets trapped with his relatives (and a murderer) during a blizzard. This is a fun take on a classic murder mystery that keeps you guessing at every turn. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

Fire Keeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley - this very buzzed-about debut from Angeline Boulley was such a good read. It follows 18-year-old Daunis Fountaine, a Native teen who is thrust into tragedy and then an FBI investigation, just as she plans to embark on college. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Secret Life of Flora Lea, Patti Callahan Henry - heartfelt and whimsical, this is the enchanting story of sisters Flora and Hazel who are sent away to the English countryside during WWII. Flora goes missing and Hazel blames herself. Decades later, Hazel discovers a book at a rare bookstore with connections to her missing sister and embarks on a quest to find her. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Roughest Draft, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka - this was a light and oh-so-enjoyable beach read. Three years ago authors Katrina and Nathan were riding high on a cowritten best seller, but after dramatically ending their partnership, neither has had another hit. The two join forces for again and sparks fly. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Perfumist of Paris, Aka Joshi - technically part of a trilogy, I read this beautifully-written novel as a stand alone and loved it. Joshi transports you to 1970s France, where Radha is a perfumist living with her family while grieving a son she gave up long ago in India. When she travels to India for her first big assignment, her carefully-kept secret travels to Paris and nothing will ever be the same. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Candy House, Jennifer Egan (amazon affiliate, indibound) - This is a feast of a novel with incredible writing and such a unique plot I can’t begin to summarize it. So let’s let Amazon do the talking: “From one of the most celebrated writers of our time comes an “inventive, effervescent” (Oprah Daily) novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection.”. Also, I have it on good authority that Olivia Wilde is directing a TV adaptation!

A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey - Natalie hasn’t spoken to anyone in her family since the night she sent her brother and sister to jail. When her mother dies and leaves the family house in Santa Cruz to her 3 kids, it comes with a catch - they have to occupy it together. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Museum of Ordinary People, Mike Gayle - When Jess’ mom dies, she’s left with the task of cleaning out the family home. When she tells a friend that she can’t part with an old set of encyclopedias from her childhood, she’s introduced to the Museum of Ordinary People and her life is upended. A quirky and heartwarming novel, this was a fun listen. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Last House Guest, Megan Miranda - Avery and Sadie have been best friends for a decade of summers in a small Maine town before Sadie is found dead. Her death is ruled a suicide, but Avery knows more than she’s letting on. And she’s not the only one. This thriller left me guessing until the end. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)

Cassandra in Reverse, Holly Smale - Cassandra lives in a routine, predictable order…until chaos finds her. On the day her boyfriend breaks up with her, she’s fired, and her coffee shop runs out of her favorite muffins, she discovers she can travel back in time. One rewind at a time, Cassandra tries to right the wrongs in her life but ends up making a bigger mess. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

Bad Summer People, Emma Rosenblum - Jen and Lauren and their husbands, best friends since childhood, vacation together on Fire Island every summer. They rule the tennis courts and the gossip channels, until a dead body is discovered. Their friendship and marriages will never be the same. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

Same Time Next Summer, Annabel Monaghan - I loved Monaghan’s last book and this was just as sweet. Sam’s life is perfectly on track. She’s engaged to a doctor, has a great job, and heads to her family’s beach house to tour wedding venues.. But when she arrives, she runs into her first love, Wyatt, and the connection is still there. This is a light and enjoyable read, perfect for the beach! (amazon affiliate, indiebound)

Hunt, Gather, Parent, Michaeleen Doucleff - I’ve been shouting about how good this parenting book is to anyone who will listen. I only wish I’d read it sooner! When Dr. Doucleff became a mother she finds modern parenting advice unhelpful. So she turns to ancient cultures in the world. What can these cultures teach parents about the lost art of raising happy, helpful children? A lot, t turns out. (amazon affiliate, indibound)

The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese - this is a beautiful, epic of a novel that’s sure to become a classic. The novel transports you to South India where a family is cursed by water. In every generation, one person dies by drowning. Fair warning this is a long novel (a 31 hour listen) and I only got halfway before my library loan expired and I had to get back on the waitlist, but it’s worth it! (amazon affiliate, indibound)

Magic Lessons, Alice Hoffman - The prequel to Practical Magic, this novel traces the origins of the Owens sisters. We travel to Salem in the 1600s and find young and beautiful Maria Owens whose magical process gets her accused of witchcraft. Every book in this series is SO good and I couldn’t put this one down! (amazon affiliate, indibound)

What about you. Read any good books lately?