My favourite reads in 2023

The books I most enjoyed reading and listening to this year

An illustration of a redhead woman in blue dungarees reading with an orange fluffy dog asleep beside her. Designed by Dall.e.

One of my favourite things to do at this time is to review the books I’ve read over the past year. It’s a joy to look back and reflect on the fictional worlds I escaped to and the knowledge I gained.

This year I beat my Storygraph reading challenge goal of 30 books with my total currently at 34 which equals nearly 12,000 pages.

I read more books than usual because reading/audiobooks became my refuge when I struggled with many difficult things this year.

I discovered the genre of cosy books (I needed happy places to escape to) and continued my foray into epic adult fantasy after moving away from YA. But overall it was quite an eclectic mix with less fantasy and more non-fiction than my usual mix.

Here are my favourite reads from 2023. It’s a long one so you might prefer to read it on Substack.

Fantasy

Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes is the ultimate cosy fantasy book. It’s essentially the story of what happens when a Dungeons & Dragons adventurer decides to settle down with a new career.

Viv, an orc fighter, sets up a coffee shop in a small town where no one has even heard of coffee. It is a simple but heartwarming slice-of-life story of friendship, coffee and baking, and working out who you want to be. Thimble the ratkin and Amity the direcat somewhat stole the show!

I just finished listening to an audiobook of Bookshops & Bonedust which is the recently published prequel to Legends. I also loved this so much. It had slightly more adventure/threat. It also features another ratkin, a rather sweary one at that who I loved!

The Final Empire & The Well of Ascension (Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson

I’m ashamed it has taken this long for me to read Brandon Sanderson. I loved these books so much, they gave me what I’ve found to be lacking in much of the fantasy I’ve been seeking out recently.

Complex, loveable and morally grey characters, a rich original world with possibly my favourite magic system ever. I haven’t started the third one yet as I don’t want the trilogy to end! But I’m sure I’ll be reading it in 2024.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

I’ve mostly left YA fantasy behind but a select few authors still have the power to bring me back. This includes Holly Black and her Elfhame books about the fae.

This is a sequel to her brilliant Folk of the Air trilogy set eight years later. I can’t say much without spoiling it but the end made the book for me.

Sci-Fi

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

It is hard to describe this book, it’s such a unique novella, especially for a sci fi. It was poetry, it was surreal, I have so many questions. I’ve never seen time travel done like this. It might be the only romance story I’ve fully enjoyed. This book divided opinions at my book club though!

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

An interesting novella set in a post-apocalyptic Earth in the near future where much of the remaining population is infected by a fungal parasite. Think Last Of Us but without the zombies. I found it quite a unique slice-of-life portrayal of surviving and finding hope and purpose in a world ruined by climate change.

The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers is a master of cosy space opera sci fi. Her Monk & Robot series are my favourite books of all time (combining tea, an eco utopia, nature and robots, I feel like she wrote these books for me!).

I finally got around to reading the rest of her Wayfarers series this year after reading A Long Way to A Small Angry Planet several years ago. They are all wonderful heartwarming stories with rich complex diverse characters set in well-crafted fascinating worlds. Humans, aliens, robots, they’re all in there!

Non-fiction 

Unruly by David Mitchell

This has been described as Horrible Histories for adults, which is the perfect description. I used to love history but studying it at university killed that interest.

This audiobook, about England’s kings and queens up until Elizabeth I, reignited some of my old passion. Learning about what happened and all the gory nitty-gritty bits of history and how it led us here is what got me into history at school. This book is exactly that. It’s also funny. I hope he writes more books like this!

An Immense World by Ed Yong

I don’t think I’ve had my mind blown by a book as many times as I did with this one. So many astonishing facts about how other animals use their senses and experience the world. It opened my eyes (see what I did there) to just how diverse and alien life on our world can be.

You Are Not Alone by Cariad Lloyd

I recommend this book to anyone experiencing grief or supporting a grieving loved one. This book helped me so much in the beginning of my grief and, yes, made me feel less alone. As well as guidance on grief and living with it, there are personal stories from Cariad and people she’s spoken to on her podcast. There is also a lot of humour and positivity.

My main takeaway to share is the fact that the six stages of grief theory that pervades our culture is a myth. It’s not accurate (it’s actually about people who are dying not the people they leave behind) and can be quite damaging for the bereaved. Grief is not a journey but something that those of us in the Club will carry for the rest of our lives (and that’s okay).

The New Rulebook by Chris Cheers

The main reason I listened to this is because it’s only 3 hours and that was all the time I had left of my audiobook free trial! But I’m so glad I did. It was a refreshing take on mental health and how to create a life that aligns with your values which is instrumental to being mentally healthy.

The Stubborn Light of Things by Melissa Harrison

This is a collection of Harrison’s Nature Notebook columns in The Times starting in urban London and following her to rural Suffolk. I love her beautiful nature writing and this has become one of my favourite nature books. Melissa Harrison also joined Substack this year!

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

This book is a fascinating look at cults and how it is their use of language that gives them power. It better explains the apparent ‘brainwashing’ that we see (which scientifically isn’t a thing). Montell also argues that many everyday brands, companies and communities in society are cultish and that this isn’t always a bad thing. (Though I learnt that Amazon truly is a dystopian nightmare).

Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg

I only realised I am neurodivergent about a year ago. I have spent much of the past year learning and exploring what this means for me. This book focusing on neurodivergence in women was helpful as I began that journey.

It explores the theory that sensory processing differences and high sensitivity is at the core of being neurodivergent. This explains a lot of my personal experience. A chapter about how this sensitivity interacts with nature was particularly powerful for me.

Murder Mystery 

The Maid by Nita Prose

I’m not a fan of murder mysteries but my Dad recommended this book. When I learned the protagonist is neurodivergent, I decided to try the audiobook. I quickly fell in love with Molly and I could see elements of myself in her.

It’s always magical and therapeutic when I can connect with a character like that. Which is why representation is so important! Despite being a murder mystery, it had Elenor Oliphant Is Completely Fine vibes and was quite a cosy read! Though, trigger warning, it did reach a dark place relating to grief which I did struggle with.

What were your favourite reads/listens in 2023?