Looking for a book recommendation?
Normally I look back at my year of books in January, but here we are in March, woops… I read 39 books in 2023, which is a pretty low number for me, but it was a busy year!
Now that I’ve had time to reflect, here are my top 5 of the year. These are books that I would highly recommend, and ones that I would read again, which in my opinion is the sign of a truly amazing book. Here we go!
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – This story captured my interest right away. The main character Leni is relatable even though her circumstances are severe. Her life is beautiful one minute and violent the next, but her spirit and the choices she makes draw you in and make you root for her every step of the way.
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune – When I first read the back cover and saw the word robots, I was taken aback and thought, not really my cup of tea. But I loved his other books so I decided to give it a chance. TJ Klune has such a gentle and loving way of writing. He has the ability to make me cry and feel things unexpectedly. Every book I’ve read of his has been truly unforgettable. His characters have a way of touching your soul, and his stories have incredible depth while also being whimsical.
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama – Michelle is such an intelligent writer, but she is also extremely kind and down to earth. This book shows her resiliency and inspires me to work hard at everything I do. She makes me believe that it is possible to achieve greatness in both ordinary and extraordinary moments. That you don’t have to be a public figure to work hard, to know your worth, and to make a difference in the world.
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune – I have a really hard time dealing with death, grief and thoughts of the afterlife, but this book brought such peace and beauty despite the heavy topics it covered. Again, his characters are so special and the story is truly unique, you will enter this fantasy world that you never want to leave.
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux – I am a HUGE Little Women fan, and I always get in the mood to read it around the holidays, so when I stumbled on this book I got so excited. It delves into so many interesting topics, conflicting opinions, different adaptations of the book, Louisa May Alcott’s life, and why the book remains so popular to this day. Very interesting read.
Here are the other books I read:
- Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult (Suspenseful, unlike anything I’ve read before.)
- The Christmas Tree by Julie Salamon (An endearing holiday book.)
- The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments by Meik Wiking (Not my favourite of his, but a happy read.)
- The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (Easy historical fiction, but predictable.)
- Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Not my favourite…)
- Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan (Light and sweet.)
- The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling (It’s not Harry Potter, but it was fun to read sort of a kids book.)
- An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor (Light hearted series.)
- Spare by Prince Harry (An interesting perspective of a very complicated situation.)
- Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Peter O. Gray (I liked the idea of this book, but it was too extreme for me.)
- Welcome to the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (Again, can’t go wrong with Jenny Colgan.)
- Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (A quick but important read.)
- An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor (Another one…)
- Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World by Trina Moyles (An often unacknowledged topic… Told in brief case studies.)
- The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys (Not as good as I wanted it to be.)
- History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (Not really my cup of tea.)
- An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor (Yup, another one.)
- The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (Cute, quirky and fun.)
- The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (Again, not as good as I wanted it to be.)
- Keeping the Bees: Why All Bees are at Risk and What We Can Do to Save Them by Laurence Packer (Dry, but an important topic close to my heart.)
- Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah (Inspiring.)
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba (Inspiring.)
- Heart to Heart: A Conversation on Love and Hope for Our Precious Planet by Dalai Lama XIV (A sweet, but poignant book. Simple read with pictures.)
- Zarifa: A Woman’s Battle in a Man’s World by Zarifa Ghafari (Inspiring.)
- Scatterlings by Resoketswe Manenzhe (Challenging to get into.)
- The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (Any Outlander fans out there?)
- The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan (Yes, I read a lot of Jenny Colgan.)
- An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor (He has a lot of books…)
- Rules at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (I know…)
- Greenwood by Michael Christie (I am still digesting this book and am not really sure what to say about it yet… It’ll be on my “read again” list.)
- A Dublin Student Doctor by Patrick Taylor (Yup…)
- The Volunteers: How Halifax Women Won the Second World War by Lezlie Lowe (Dry and way less interesting than I thought it would be.)
I’m looking forward to reading more books in 2024 and am already off to a good start with some great reads 🙂 Stay tuned and happy reading, everyone!
Check out my profile on GoodReads if you want to see what else I’m reading, or if you need ideas!
