My Top Five of 2023

by Georgia - December 31, 2023

Now that 2023 has drawn to a close, I thought I should start 2024 with a reflection of My Top Five of 2023.

I wasn’t sure how to organise my favourites – should I do top 5 of each genre I read, or should I just collectively pick my top 5 across all books I’ve read this year?

I decided on the second – choosing my top 5 out of all books I completed this year. My judging for picking my top five, is based on how much I loved the whole storyline and how much I want to be able to experience the book again.

Since I only started my book blog back in September, I decided it would be fair just to base my picks on books that have stuck with me after reading them.

Picking these top 5 hasn’t been easy, especially because I loved them all so much but for different reasons, but if I had to read them again, this is the order I would do it in.

1. Verity by Colleen Hoover – This just had to be the top spot, although I was torn between this and another book. I devoured this book and wish I could read it again. This was my first introduction to psychological thrillers and Colleen did not disappoint with the storytelling of this plot, even though many people would disagree (I’m choosing to believe their opinions are wrong and they have bad judgement). This book really has set the gold standard that I compare all psychological thrillers to. I am still searching for another thriller that will make my heart race with anxiety. I just wasn’t expecting the twist that came in this story and I’ll always remember this as the book that had me on edge. I really hope this book becomes an adaptation 🤞🏻, preferably with Blake Lively as Verity – one can hope.

2. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover – This HAD to be my second choice. This was the first ever book that had me bawling my eyes out and I was shocked. I never thought going into reading this book, it would have me crying – I didn’t think any book would for that matter. This book is one of those that will forever have my heart, the characters were just amazing and I have a soft spot for Kenna, I just wanted the best for her. Everyone can slag off Colleen Hoover all they want, but at the end of the day I love her writing and how they never fail to get me out of a slump. People say that her books are basic and just don’t hit, but personally for me, they smash and I can never be a Colleen Hoover hater. She’s been my top author since I read Ugly Love back in like 2016, my first introduction to her.

3. Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams – I mainly read for spice or an anxiety inducing experience, but this book was the very few I enjoyed that had NO spice at all and that I devoured. Can definitely say this book opened my eyes that I can enjoy cutesy, fluffy romances, where there’s not a single trace of smut. Previously, I would’ve been bored, but this had me quite literally giggling and kicking my feet at the main characters. This book reminded me strongly of Gilmore Girls which I loved – the whole concept of town meetings and neighbours bickering for the sweet, female theirs protective over. This was a book that fully pushed my enjoyment for small town romances, I liked them before, but this one took it to a whole new level. I love when stories have a side character that has you lolling and favouring them over the main characters. This book was just wholesome and has a very special place in my heart, which warms when I think of how much I enjoyed it.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – The saying ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ should rightly be changed to ‘Don’t judge a book until you’ve read it’. This book had been floating around on TikTok and I avoided reading it, just simply because other books took my interest more and I genuinely did not think I would enjoy it – even though I had NO idea what it was about, to judge whether I’d like it. I’m so glad I read it, especially before it becomes a screen adaption (I hope it happens). Yet another book that had me bawling, when I didn’t expect it in the slightest – the underdogs! You never expect the underdogs. Evelyn’s story was beautifully tragic and all she wanted to love, which she received, but later lost and ended up being solely alone. Again, Evelyn and her story will forever have my heart. *Future note to self – don’t judge a book by its cover or name, look into its synopsis!*

5. King of Wrath by Ana Huang – No link to this one as I read it before I created my book blog. I throughly enjoyed reading this book, I can’t remember much of it – but I do remember I really enjoyed the plot and the characters in it. It was a very high start to The King of Sin series and my favourite – eventhough I’ve only read the first two. I wasn’t overly impressed by King of Pride, so I’m hoping the third book of the series, King of Greed will pick up my interest after it took a dip. I have heard mixed reviews on it though, so I’m trying to not have high hopes so I’ll not be disappointed.

Narrowing down my 5th spot was very hard, particularly because I had a few other reads that I’d rated 5 stars, so choosing just one of those was tough. Other notable mention goes to The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden, I liked the sequel over the first book of the series, I rated this book 5 stars and I’m looking forward to The Housemaid’s Secret being released.