2023 was a GOOD reading year.

2022 was not a good reading year. I’m not sure why. Sometimes I just hit a reading slump and it takes me a month to finish a book and it’s not even a particularly BAD book but it’s just not grabbing me. I *try* to DNF books that I’m not super into, but there are some I’m *just* enough into to want to know what happens. It felt like all of last year was like that for me. Also, last year I had a newborn to contend with, and the accompanying broken sleep.

But fortunately, this year was filled with books I flew through. Part of it was because I was blessed by literally dozens of ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) of 2024 books from Netgalley, and guys, we have some STELLAR books coming out next year. Part of it was I think I was just a lot more intentional about what I chose to pick up. And part of it, of course, was the increase in nights without broken sleep.

My 2023 reading stats

Books read: 42

(Not my worst year, not my best. But better than I’ve done in a couple of years, which is encouraging. Someday I will get back up to my average of 52 books a year.)

Genres read: Thriller (50%) Fantasy (14%) Romance (10%) Literary Fiction (10%) Horror (4%) Historical Fiction (4%) Women’s Fiction (4%)

(Rough numbers; some genres overlapped, etc.)

Some highlights

The books you absolutely must make space for on your TBR, in no particular order:

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

Lauren returns home to her flat one evening and is greeted by a husband she can’t remember—but her apartment, her friends, and her photos on her phone seem to suggest he is, in fact, her husband. While she’s trying to figure out what’s going on, he goes up into the attic to change a lightbulb—and a different husband comes back down. Lauren realizes her attic is supplying her with an endless parade of potential husbands, and with them, potential lives she might lead if she’d just chosen slightly differently.

Holly is a fellow 2024 debut—one I actually got to have dinner with a couple of months ago, and she is lovely—but more importantly, this book is AMAZING. It’s hilarious and heartfelt and would be perfect as a mini series and you all need to read it.

The Hunter by Tana French

Surprise, surprise, I loved Tana French’s latest novel. If you’ve read The Searcher, you’re already familiar with the characters in this book. This is the continuation of the story of Cal, a retired cop who moved to rural Ireland for some peace, and instead finds Trey, a volatile teen going through something traumatic. There’s also the rest of the town, made up of people with secrets. In this book, Trey’s father comes back into town, bringing a whole bunch of trouble with him. This one starts off a little slow, but really picks up around the halfway mark, and then it’s unputdownable until the end. It’s great. The only downside is now I have to wait ANOTHER two years for a new Tana French.

Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R. X. He

Someone has murdered the queen bee of Sierton High School. People are looking to blame new girl Dawn for the murder, but Dawn is determined to prove her innocence. Meanwhile, all the queen bee’s friends, as well as her boyfriend, have a motive.

Cindy is a writer friend of mine, but I wouldn’t recommend her book if I didn’t genuinely love it. I flew through this book. What I loved about it is that it could be your typical YA thriller, but it’s really so much more. It’s an incisive, important work about bullying, and the affects it can have on young minds. Trigger warnings for bullying, suicide, and self-harm here.

The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young

June lives in rural North Carolina, and her only goal in life is to avoid passing on the “madness” that afflicts all Farrow women, so she ignores all chances at romance and children. But then her grandmother passes away, her grandmother’s best friend Birdie gives her some strange instructions, and a mysterious door appears in the middle of a field.

I don’t want to ruin it by saying too much—I went into this story having no idea where it was headed, and I think the story is best experienced that way. Just know that Adrienne’s writing is lovely and evocative and this story sucked me in and would not let me go. Also, she and I share an agent, which makes me feel like I know her, even though I don’t.

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung

This is the story about a mother fleeing communist China with her three daughters, after her wealthy husband and their family left all four of them behind, because the mother had not yet borne him a son.

Eve is another 2024 debut, and when she described her book, including the fact that it’s based on the true story of her own great-grandmother and grandmother, I knew I needed to read it. So much so that when Netgalley denied me an early copy—I get it, this is not my genre—I expressed my disappointment to Eve and she was kind enough to supply me with one.

I don’t read a ton of historical fiction—and yet, I inhaled this book. Knowing that the struggles these women went through were very much real, following their harrowing journey, watching this mother give absolutely everything to get her daughters to safety—I could not put this book down. These characters stayed with me long after I finished reading. I’ll be buying copies for my own mother and mother-in-law when the book comes out this spring, and you should absolutely preorder this book ASAP.

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

A girl wakes up on the side of the road, bruised and battered, with no memories. She’s taken to a police station, where soon a man barges in, claiming to be her father. He has all her documents, photos of her on his phone, and seems genuinely concerned about her. But when the girl heads back to the secluded cabin that is their home, some things aren’t adding up. Until her memories return, she can’t be sure she’s safe there.

In a town a few hours away, Drew is searching for his missing girlfriend—the one the entire town thinks he killed. But he’s determined to prove his innocence—and find his missing girlfriend. When their stories collide, it sets into motion some unexpected consequences—and I twist even I, the thriller writer, did NOT see coming.

This is one of those books you read in two days’ time. I could not put it down. It’ll be out in less than a week, and you absolutely must get your hands on it!

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang.

You’ve read this. You MUST have read this by now. But in case you haven’t read it, I’m including it here. It’s the story of a failing novelist who, upon her successful frenemy’s death, steals her next novel and publishes it as her own. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion, in book form. The main character is a horrible person who makes horrible decision after horrible decision, but you just can’t look away. It also has important things to say about appropriation. Read it!

House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig

One of the few YA fantasies I read this year, this book is a follow up to House of Salt and Sorrows—read that first, if you haven’t already. In that book, twelve sisters live in a castle by the sea—except they keep dying off, until only eight are left. I don’t want to spoil anything from that book, but Roots and Ruin is the story of Verity, the youngest sister, who is still reeling from the events of the first book, and who harbors a terrible secret. She escapes her cursed castle by the sea under the guise of being commissioned for a portrait at Bloem, a beautiful country estate with the most interesting and unusual gardens. But there are dark secrets around every corner at this fancy mansion, too. This book was twisty and luscious and unputdownable, and the ending made me yell WHAT out loud. Fortunately for us all, I think the author has a third book planned, because I absolutely MUST know what happens next.

There were lots of other good books I read this year, but I’d argue these were my absolute faves. How about you? Tell me what I should be reading in the new year!

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Current:

Read: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

Watch: I’m on a Vampire Diaries rewatch kick

Listen: This playlist. Love this time of year!

Eat: It is a busy time of year. I have been ordering copious amounts of paneer tikki masala from the local Indian place, and telling myself that’s okay

Project: Trying to finish my too-long YA dark academia thriller. It’s kind of a mess, but hopefully the good kind. Time will tell!