My Top 5 Books from 2023
Every year I set a goal for how many books I want to read.
You can do this on Goodreads where you can also post reviews, track books you want to read, see what your friends are reading, follow authors, and so much more.
In recent years, I decided to simply go with the number of the year. It keeps it simple. And relatively do-able.
Or so I thought.
But late spring/early summer of 2023 saw me hit a reading slump. I don’t know if it was a head full of numbers from doing income tax returns. Or just a slump. I collected a great collection of books at yard sales and thrift stores.
By summer, I’d pick a book from the shelf in my porch and sit with a book by my side. Then I’d stare out at the lake, admiring the view. That was enough. I never opened the books.
And then finally the slump ended.
I began to read again. Luckily, I had started the year off with a few reads including all five of the Canada Reads contenders.
In the end, I struggled to make it to 23 books but I made it—finishing my 23rd book on New Year’s Eve morning.
This year’s list had much more mainstream reading selections than I usually do but I needed some easy stuff to get me back into reading.
So, here in a nutshell are my top 5 reads for 2023.
#5- The Silent Patient
I heard lots of criticism on this one but I found it pretty captivating.
#4 – The Maid
Another easy read. The characters seemed very believable. I loved the quirky maid who was the main character and the general atmosphere around the hotel seemed quite believable to someone who’s worked in the service industry. All in all, this story kept me reading and I was almost even sorry it ended.
#3- Ducks
This was the 2023 Canada Reads winner. It’s a graphic novel so basically think, it’s like reading a comic book. But it’s a terrific memoir and you actually forget you’re reading a comic book. The story is captivating and at times even a little disturbing. Everytime I see news about women working in these male dominated industries like the oil sands, i think of Ducks now. It’s powerful. Look for it at Thessalon Public Library–or your local library if you’re not near me.
#2- Lessons in Chemistry
I loved this book. And then they made a tv series which I couldn’t imagine them capturing the feeling of the book but they did pretty good. The weird main character made me smile. I know people didn’t like it and criticized things like the accuracy of the time period but hey, it’s just a story. And I loved it. I almost made it number one.
#1 – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
I grabbed this book in a bin at Salvation Army for .25.
It had a torn cover and looked like an old book but I’d heard of the title so I grabbed it for a quarter. However, I started reading with trepidation.
I expected a version of Elizabeth Taylor’s life but instead got the story, not only of an actress and her seven husbands, but also of a young reporter who’d fallen into writing the story of Evelyn’s life, not knowing she’d end up revealing a mystery that affected both of them.
Totally #1.
Tell me; what was YOUR favourite book of the year?