With a goal of reading 30 books this year, I was only able to get to 18. Nonetheless, I read some new favorites, and reread some of my all-time favorites, making 2023 a pretty good year in books.
To put a bit of context into how my ranking system worked, these were the five categories: New Favorite, Would Recommend, Meh, Questioning Life Choices, and No…Just No.
The “New Favorite” category was reserved for the six out of five star reads and the books that I could not stop thinking about.
“Would Recommend” books are pretty self explanatory. These are four to five star reads that I would recommend to fellow bibliophiles.
Thirdly, the “Meh” category was for books that had a good story with potential, but either were not written well, fell below my expectations, or not memorable whatsoever. Ultimately, these books are less likely to be reread in the future.
“Questioning Life Choices” was for the those that were a bit of a struggle to get through. They were predictable, too cliche or just not my cup of tea.
Finally, “No…Just No” is the category that no author wants their book to fall into. Luckily, none of the books I read this year landed themselves there.
Explanation
If I had to choose a winner, it would be “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. This psychological thriller was a unique page turner that had me hooked from page one. Also, the book made me happy as both a reader and a writer (it was written very well and used stylistic techniques I had never seen before).
The book that let me down the most was “You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty” by Akwaeke Emezi. I had high hopes for this book due to its enchanting title and gorgeous cover. The only thing that I can remember from this book is the gold in the main character’s hair and the awkwardly large age gap between the protagonist and the love interest. I don’t regret this read, however, as I believe that every book is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and the world.
Reading goals for 2024
Taking a look at the books I read this year made me reflect on the kinds of books I want to read in 2024. Most of what I read fell under the genres of fantasy, romance, and literary fiction. While I still enjoy romance novels, I want to be less inclined to read the most popular ones that are displayed all over social media. Emily Henry, however, never disappoints and I will continue to pick up her books as they are released. On the other hand, I believe I’m reaching the end of my fantasy phase. Sarah J. Maas had a good run, but her long series can no longer keep me satisfied.
In 2024, I want to read more historical fiction and try my hand at science fiction, classics, memoir and other genres that I don’t tend to gravitate towards. In 2023 I found my footing in literary fiction and look forward to continuing to read novels from that genre. One author in particular that I look forward to reading in 2024 is Sally Rooney, who is well known for her literary fiction/romance novels, “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends.”
Macey Heys, Managing Editor