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2023 Reading List
Engaging in a book is one of my favorite ways to spend time.
The world of Audiobooks is best. For one reason, it’s easier to commit to, but for another, it takes any task that used to be boring or tedious and makes it fun: cleaning, brushing my teeth, shoveling snow, painting, and driving. Books also accompany me when I cook and garden, two activities I enjoy, but sometimes enjoy more when I’ve got a companion book.
Yearly Stats:
- My 2023 goal was 52; 1 per week. I’d like this to be a habit for the rest of my life.
- I ended up at 60 this year.
- I also had a goal to READ 12 books, one per month, and to start creeping up to 50/50 over time. Sadly, that did not happen.
- I read the old-fashioned way just 5 times. I noticed I read mostly when traveling.
General observations about the books and their authors:
- I can only read a few John Irving books a year. I love them, but they take commitment. I’m in his characters’ worlds a bit more than my own!
- I cry reading every single Fredrik Backman book. He’s really good at that.
- I have a slight addiction to Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. I read one of these after a book I like less because I know I’ll love it.
- There are as many highly rated books in my “the rest” category as there are in my top three categories. Part of rating is based on the craft; part is taste.
- I read way more fiction than non-fiction books this year.
- Being in a bookclub is great for introducing me to books I wouldn’t otherwise read.
- Reading both Colleen Hoover and Lisa Jewel is like eating chocolate. I’ll consume them very quickly, love every minute of them, and feel a bit guilty.
- Something about the way Kelly Rimmer weaves stories is just magical to me.
- Favorite author new to me this year: Khaled Housseini (thanks, Dad!)
- Least favorite books: Yesternight, The Girls of Slender Means, and Trust (seems like others agree, as the ratings for these are lower too).
How my ratings and categorization works:
- For gold, silver, and honorable mentions, I list the books in order of my favorites. This is VERY hard to do, and I’d guess the list would be slightly different on any given day.
- For “the rest” I list these in alphabetical order by the author’s last name to make it easier to search for authors you know.
- I put the Louise Penny books in chronological order, as it really is best to read this series from start to finish.
- You can click each image to go straight to the Amazon page to purchase it if you’d like.