Best Read Books of 2023

One of my favorite activities as a kid was reading a book. I would hide somewhere and read so no one would bother me. One time my sister got the newest Harry Potter book and I didn’t, so I stole it from her when she was sleeping and read it at night. Since I’ve grown and had kids of my own, I still love reading, but it is harder to find the time to do so.

Enter audiobooks! A lot of my job on the farm is routine and physical, I can listen to audiobooks. And that is how I “read” a majority of my books. I borrow my audiobooks from the Hoopla and Libby apps with my library card.

This year I completed 64 books. Only 11 of them were physical books. So this year, it would be fun to do a post on my best read books. This might also give you a few new books suggestions!

Throughout the year, I wrote down every book and author as well as how many stars I rated it. I fully intend to do so again this year, but since I am switching to a digital planner, I have created a digital reading tracker to add to it. Check both of them out here.

2023 Reading Stats
68 books started
64 books finished
37 different authors
10 genres
58 fiction
10 nonfiction
20 rated 5 stars

It is hard to pick just one top book for the whole year, so here is book list for all the books I rated a 4 or 5. I will also mention a few of my absolute favorites below:

Marley and Me – John Grogan – Novel

No, Marley and Me is not a new book, and chances are, you have seen the movie. But let me tell you, like any book, this one is WAY better than the movie. Grogan had me laughing out loud at Marley’s antics and the story was even more personal than the movie made it to be. Highly recommend!

Meet Me in Paradise – Libby Hubscher – Novel

Need a heartfelt book and a good cry? This is the one for you. A story of 2 sisters and one’s journey to finding herself and love. I was bawling by the end of this book. And to think, I just found it on the library shelf waiting for me.

I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jeanette McCurdy – Autobiography

I really got into autobiographies this year, and while they were all in the running as good reads, McCurdy’s account of childhood acting and parental expectations on mental health is the one I suggest the most. If you listen to the audiobook version, it is read by the author. This really made it possible to step into her shoes and the struggles she went through.

Other autobiographies I suggest are Spare by Prince Harry and Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar.

Virgin River Series – Robyn Carr – Modern Romance

If you are a romance reader and haven’t read Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series, you are missing out. This series has like 20 books and each one is a good read. (I’m on 17 so far!) I started listening to them in July and they are my go too when I want a feel good read that I can get into and have my happy ending. Yes, they are also a Netflix series. However, the book series has different main characters for each book that aren’t all in the TV version. This coming year I will finish the series and might start it back over when I’m having a bad day.

Crave, Crush, Covet, Court – Tracy Wolff – Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Think Twilight, just a little more, um… intense? I think that might be the right word. Paranormal Romance is definitely an accurate description. Vampires, dragons, witches and werewolves dominate this series with a surprise paranormal showing up in the second book as the main character finds romance and discovers her place in the paranormal world she didn’t know existed.

Self-Help Suggestions

I got through a couple self-help books this year and I think they are always good motivation to get me back on track. This year’s top two were Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Time Saving Mom by Crystal Paine. Both have good suggestions I try to make a part of my daily routine and I already want to refer back to them from time to time.