My Favorite Books of 2023

my favorite book of 2023!

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Hey it’s time for my favorite video of the Year where I tell you all my favorite books out of the 86 that I’ve read so far in 2023 I’m hopefully going to hit 90 before the end of the year but these were my favorite these were the

Best of the best the ones that I recommend to people the ones I’ve probably made my friends in real life read and ones that if you were to DM me on Instagram like you usually do and ask for a book recommendation I’d probably give you one of these which I love when

You guys do that don’t get me wrong but I would just reference this video here we go okay let’s just Dive Right In This is a Trilogy that I read and I think that even if you have never read this genre before you should give this one a try

Because admittedly it’s actually the only adult sci-fi book I think I’ve ever read but that is the Red Rising trilogy there are books after this Trilogy that are considered a continuation of this one but also you can just read these three books and it’s completed and the

First book Red Rising by Pierce Brown is very beat up because I made one of my friends read this book and they took it to the beach apparently I always just try to convince people to read even the first chapter of this book because it

Will build you up and tear you down so quick quickly and I’ve heard people say that this series reads more like a fantasy book and this one is even compared to the Hunger Games just a much more confusing Hunger Games I do agree it does kind of read like a fantasy

Series does it take a little bit more brain power sure is it worth that brain power in my opinion 100% it’s so worth it like top reading experience that I’ve had almost ever my reactions to these books were insane I couldn’t believe it I forgot that I was even reading a book

Time just went away time was not a concept while reading these books and it’s just rare to experience that so read this Trilogy next we have a book that is very popular and I feel like it’s kind of this cycle where it becomes people’s favorite book of 2022 so then

Up bunch of other people read it in 2023 and then it becomes our favorite books 2023 and the cycle continues but that is tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zan this is a literary fiction book that blew up I never really read literary fiction before this year so I

Just assumed that this would be super boring to me it’s also described as these two friends who are building a video game together so I was like what does that even mean I have no interest in that it’s only like 400 something pages and it feels like a thousand Pages

Because of how much information that you get but it is a story of friendship of love never realized and it’s genius I just think Gabrielle Zan’s writing is so unique and it’s not something that you can just get more of in the world it only comes from her which is just

Amazing I wish I could write like her and at first I gave this book like four stars and I don’t understand what my thinking was at that point other than maybe it’s a kind of a longer book to get through but it left such a lasting impact that I continue to think about

This book for the entire enire year no matter what book I read this one stood out in my mind as a unique story and when I would flip back through the back of the book and read certain quotes from it it would just bring me right back to

That reading experience and I love this book so much it’s definitely not a happy book but it is definitely one worth reading and then much later in the year I picked up another book by Gabrielle Zan which is the story life of AJ ficker this is also one of those books that had

A kind of vague synopsis about a man working at a Bookshop and a big twist happening in his life that’s just the kind of synopsis that makes no sense s to me and makes me put off reading a book for a really long time but then

When I finally picked it up it is so much better than I could have ever dreamed of it has romance it has a plot twist it pulls at your heartstrings it makes you cry it makes you gasp it’s funny above all you just need to read Gabrielle Zan’s writing for once in your

Life because I think you’ll really enjoy it even if you can’t really put your finger on why I’ve just never read writing like this and I’m obsessed this one’s also really short so opposite reading experience of this one so if you’re a little bit nervous about going

Into this genre or this author I would start with this one cuz it’s like a little bit over 200 pages and there’s a movie so if you feel like you had no idea what’s going on which that shouldn’t happen it’s a very easy book to understand I think you can just watch

The movie and that was also fun too okay just took a little Chipotle break come back this next book was so good I feel like I watched it and if you read books you probably know what I mean the fact that this is not a TV show and that I

Only read this with my eyeballs is insane because it just came alive right off the page no but it it actually did and that is K SoDo was back by Taylor Jenkins Reed oh wow this is about a tennis player who is already a world Champion but she retires and then

Someone else is about to take over her world record and so she’s older now but she wants to come out and reclaim it and the reason this book is so good is because her personality is unlike any protagonist I’ve ever read about she’s extremely cocky does not care what

Anyone thinks and anything you think a character will say she says the exact opposite it had my mouth dropping and laughing out loud multiple times during the reading of this book and then it also had me crying a tiar or two towards the end so it does make you want to put

On your little tennis skirt and find the new tennis court after reading it which is also very fun this next book I like particularly on audio because Merill stre narrates it great actress perfect voice for this book and it is perfect because I’m actually partnering with

Spotify to make this video if you do not have Spotify Premium you are going to want to get it immediately because they just upped the value of having it so much more they’ve added over 200,000 audiobooks for free if you already have premium so here’s the book that I’m

Referencing that I really liked it’s called Tom Lake and right here in green it says included in premium which which means I would have to do nothing I just click play don’t have to purchase the thing I can just listen to it and I’ve done that with countless books I’ve yet

To find a book that I’ve wanted to read that is not included on premium I think it’s actually like the craziest thing to ever happen for people who read books people who don’t read books who want to get into it and want to listen to books

On your way to work it is genuinely the most worth it thing in the world and if you don’t know what to listen to I highly recommend Tom Lake by Anne Patrick this is another literary fiction book which is shocking for me but it’s great on audio because it’s a mom

Telling the story of her life becoming an actress going to Hollywood and dating these famous actors and she’s telling it to her three daughters when they come home to help her on the farm and quarantine together which that is not that much part of the story it’s just

Kind of like the background setting but it’s mostly the narration from the mom which is why Merl Street talk in my ear telling me the story made me feel like I was one of the daughters listening to my mom who became a famous actress and then

Gave it up to live on a little Cherry Farm it’s heartwarming and entertaining and I got a lot of laundry done while listening to this book next up we have Hello Stranger by Catherine Center this is a fun light-hearted romantic comedy and I just love this author she writes

The most fast-paced books I’ve ever read in my entire life I will pick hers up thinking I’m just going to read a chapter and before I know I’m halfway through the book this one follows a character who gets hit by a car in the first chapter of the book and then has

Facial blindness where she can’t recognize a face and she’s already entered into this competition to draw a portrait that’s going to create some conflict if you can only imagine I captured my reaction towards the end of this book in this video and I highly recommend watching it because one of the

Biggest reactions I’ve had to a book this entire year was this one so if you want a fun time I highly recommend this is another book that will probably give you very big jaw-dropping reactions and it’s a thriller book none of this is true by Lisa juel this is her new

Release of 2023 she has tons of thriller books and I’ve read another one of them and absolutely hated it and this one I absolutely Lov so I guess that’s a testament to giving authors Second Chances if you haven’t liked one of their books previously but this one is

So interesting it follows two women who have the the same birthday and they meet each other at a restaurant when they’re celebrating their birthdays one of them has a very successful podcast where she interviews other successful woman and this other character feels like she is

Living a life that she is trapped in and wants to break free of and she convinces successful podcast lady to start documenting her life because she’s about to make a very big change so you start off with that and then you have an alternating timeline where it shows you

These like transcripts from a Netflix special made about these two girls lives so clearly something Sinister happened for Netflix to do a special on them and you just start following these two women Secrets come out things get weirder and weirder and weirder and the second you think you’re starting to understand you

Actually don’t and I loved it this is my favorite Thriller of the Year by far okay this next book is a little bit obvious because it’s basically the Super Bowl for me every time that Emily Henry comes out with a new book this was not my favorite book by her but I definitely

Gave it an auto five stars and I thought I would just mention it I mean every time her book comes out like in the summertime it’s the best two days of my life and then it’s over so quickly I kind of for forgot everything that happens which means I get to read it

Again I’m going to mention this series quickly I made an entire video out of it if you want to go watch that and that is the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Mass but in particular crown of midnight second book Queen of Shadows and Empire of storms were my favorite books from

The series fantasy romance if you haven’t heard of it that’s shocking I loved it I’m just like everybody else this next book is shockingly I think one of my favorites of the entire year and not because the book is groundbreaking but I love a good heartwarming cozy Ro

Antic light-hearted fun time and this book did that for me perfectly the sevene slip by Ashley poon Poston when I saw that this book got released I saw it on the shelf and I said I’m never reading that book looks boring and then my friend Destiny read it and gave it

Almost five stars and I was like okay that’s pretty shocking I guess I should read this book it’s about this apartment in New York City that can travel back 7 years into the past so it’s a bit of magical realism it’s not going to get into the nitty-gritty of how this is

Possible it’s just a thing that it does and you’re never going to get an explanation for that it’s just supposed to be whims Musical and fun but when this apartment travels 7 years into the past there’s someone else living there a certain man and this man is just a

Golden retriever his heart is sunshine and her name is Clementine does that make any sense no but I love that name and every single word choice made in this book makes it so sunny and bright and happy and just sweet and cute and heart-wrenching I don’t know I feel like

This book is easy to miss the beauty of it was one of those books where I wanted to read it slow to just really enjoy every word that she chose it just gives you that like heart clench feeling I love this book so much it’s not anything

Groundbreaking like I said if you just want a sweet wholesome fun magical realism romantic time pick up this book for sure it’s also the most unique romance book I’ve read in 2 years probably so hello if you’re a man watching this video you’ll probably enjoy my next three book recommendations

Listen I know my demographic okay there’s not many of you but I’m talking to the girlies as well okay Bailey Summers by Stephen King was my first Stephen King book ever and that is because it is not horror because I am scared of that genre this one follows a

What do they call him an assassin it follows this man who uh gets paid to kill people but he’s taking his last assignment ever that’s all fun and well until 200 pages into the book when you meet a new character and the book becomes something completely different

That you don’t get told on the back of the book so I’m not going to tell you either this book is graphic so look into some trigger warnings because it’s not for the faint of heart it’s definitely for an older audience but the subtleties and how Stephen King shows you what a

Character is feeling rather than telling you I think is genius and it made me obsessed with him I continued to watch hours and hours of content of interviews with him on YouTube which he tells mostly the same stories in every interview so now I know all of them and

I was crying at the End of This Book it’s so good if you’ve never read a Stephen King book don’t like horror I highly recommend this one which led me to read his Memoir on writing it’s not only a memoir like the first 100 Pages goes through his life but then it

Becomes his tips for writing and he goes very in depth with things as simple as like like he hates words that end with ly so every time I read a book that has an adverb I think about Stephen King hating it so that kind of ruined a lot

For me I feel like you would really be inspired by this book even if you’re not going to be a writer if you make YouTube videos or if you write screenplays or I don’t know I’m trying to think of something that’s not specifically writing a book I think it’s inspiring in

General and will kind of Kickstart whatever project that you’ve been putting off for a while cuz it definitely did that for me I think this book is a gem it’s crazy how much value he puts into it I feel like he could put this into like a master class and charge

So much money for it and so many Stephen King fans would buy it but instead he gives us this book it’s a very generous book in my opinion last Stephen King book I’m going to be talking about is 112263 there’s no way I can read this

Massive book and not brag about the fact that I read this massive book that’s like half the fun of reading long books the thing about it though is that it didn’t even feel that long it felt well the middle felt a little bit long I won’t lie about that but he was amazing

And very worth it and it has time travel involved in it which makes it very fun and very weird at the end the subject matter is very sad the premise is basically if you could go back and try to stop the JFK assassination how would that work could you make it happen and

Would you do it and there’s a little bit of romance in here I’m going to start tearing up highly recommend you read Stephen King if you’ve never read him before and two quick honorable mentions if you are of the younger demographic I think you would love this book it’s very angsty

This is a young adult romance book and it is if he had been with me by Laura nin the writing in this one is very simple almost poetic it’s very emotional and it’s very angsty and this made me feel like I was in high school again

While reading it but I loved it a lot and then the stolen erir by Holly black because I love every single fairy tell Whimsical book that she ever writes this comes after the cruel Prince trilogy but I do believe you could read it by itself if you really wanted to and I just

Remember why I love reading whenever I read one of her books so if you like fantasy I highly recommend this one oh I almost forgot to mention this because I’m listening to it right now and I have four hours of it left which feels a little bit premature but I loved every

Second of it so far and that is Finding Me by Viola Davis it’s her Memoir I think this is a must listen she actually narrates the book and this audio book is the 2023 winner of the Grammy for Best audiobook narration and storytelling recording so in other words if you’ve

Never listened to an audiobook before this is the one that you need to listen to it was free on Spotify Premium it is graphic because she’s telling the truth about her life but it is also inspiring eye openening and it makes me want to watch every movie that she’s in and read

More Memoirs so yeah those are my favorite books of 2023 let me know what your favorite book of the year was I’m so excited to keep reading and I’m glad that you guys enjoy too cuz it’s just the best best little thing on the internet I’ve ever experienced okay love

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