Books I’ve Read So Far in 2023

There might not be many things I love more than buying a new book, snuggling up on my couch or bed, and reading in peace and quiet without any interruptions. My daughter rarely lets that happen, so I cherish those moments when I get them. 

I’m currently reading a few books — Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl. Both very different stories. I hope to finish them before the new year and add them to my Goodreads. 

Below are all the books I’ve read so far in 2023. There’s a good mix of autobiographies, mysteries, romance, and more… so there’s something for everyone.

Spare by Prince Harry (4/5 stars)

Spare is split into three sections: Harry’s childhood, adolescence and 20s, and recent years with Meghan. I thought the most interesting section was about his childhood and dealing with the death of his mother. The middle section was a bit slow at times and focused heavily on his time in the military. The last section about his recent life was nothing new if you’ve watched his docu-series. All that said, I still really enjoyed it. 

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (5/5 stars)

Love and Other Words is a typical romance novel, but with a really captivating plot. It’s a sweet story about rekindling a childhood love. Romance can sometimes drag on, but the switch in timeline between then and now kept things interesting. There is a slight twist at the end that was unexpected.

The Inmate by Freida McFadden (4/5 stars)

The Inmate is a quick, easy read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The rave reviews don’t lie. What an insane story about a woman who sends her high school boyfriend to prison for killing her friends and attempting to hiss her. She reconnects with him when she starts working as a nurse at the prison he’s in. But maybe he didn’t do it? This story is told in present time and in the past. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend if you love a good thriller/mystery.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (4/5 stars)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is another good mystery that kept my attention the whole way through. This is a story about a girl named Andie who was murdered 5 years prior. Everyone knows this guy Sal did it. But did he? Pippa isn’t so sure so she takes on the case for her final year project and starts to uncover secrets about the case. The chapters are really short on this one, which I love. The only reason I gave this 4 stars is because there are a lot of characters to keep up with which makes it hard to follow at times. 

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton (4/5 stars)

Haunting Adeline wasn’t a typical read for me. It’s categorized as “dark romance” and it definitely is dark. It kept my attention and had a mystery aspect on top of the romance. Highly recommend reading the trigger warning in the beginning before starting. It’s about a young author named Adeline who moves into her family’s home following the death of her grandmother. She’s stalked by Zade Meadows, the leader of an underground secret organization which aims to end human trafficking. Keep in mind that this is part 1 of a 2-part series. 

Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton (4/5 stars)

Hunting Adeline is the second part of the Adeline series. This book focuses very heavily on human trafficking and sexual abuse. Like the other book, definitely read the trigger warnings before starting. This isn’t an easy book to read by any means. The themes are very dark. There is a romance aspect woven in (very spicy at times) so I can see why BookTok loved this series.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (4/5 stars)

The Housemaid is yet another Freida book. She never disappoints. This was a psychological thrilled and reminded me a bit of Verity by Colleen Hoover. The story is about a housemaid who gets hired by a seemingly picture perfect family. You end up learning that the family has a bunch of secrets. The twist was unexpected, and there’s a slight romance component. This is part of a series, but can be read on its own.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (3/5 stars)

The Only Survivors fell a bit flat for me. The story is about a group of friends who survive a car crash 10 years earlier when they were in high school. There were too many characters to keep track of and the big secret at the end was kind of meh. Overall not a bad read, but just not my favorite.

Happy Place by Emily Henry (3/5 stars)

BookTok loved Happy Place, but I thought it was just okay. I’ve read better. It’s an easy beach read and the characters are likable. Lots of romance. I love how Emily Henry paints such a vivid picture of Maine, where the story takes place.

Ward D by Freida McFadden (4/5 stars)

Ward D is another great book by Freida! I love her writing style and her chapters are very short, which keeps the story moving. This one, as expected, was a psychological thriller with a good twist at the end. It’s about a medical student named Amy Brenner who is forced to spend the night in a locked Ward D, where horrible things take place. It wasn’t too dark so I recommend it if you like books with a little mystery.

Call It What You Want by Alissa Derogatis (3/5 stars)

Call It What You Want was another book that TikTok raved about. It’s the author’s first book and it missed the mark for me entirely. It’s loosely based off her real life dating experiences. There wasn’t any character development and the plot was very rushed. If you want a quick read, maybe give it a shot. Otherwise, I’d skip.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (4/5 stars)

Little Secrets centers around Marin who had a perfect life until her song Sebastian is taken. A year later, Marin and her husband’s marriage is falling apart and the case has gone cold. She hires a private investigator to look back into the case but finds out her husband is having an affair, among discovering many other secrets. Some parts were predictable which is why I knocked a star off, but otherwise perfect novel.

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole (4/5 stars)

A Thousand Boy Kisses is such an emotional book that will get you hooked from the first chapter. Be prepared to cry. The storyline wasn’t anything new, which is why I removed a star from my rating, but it’s very well written and kept me engaged. I read this in a couple of days and could barely put it down. If you don’t like sad books, this might not be for you.

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (4/5 stars)

A Flicker in the Dark is about a woman whose dad goes to jail when she was a child for a series of child abductions and murders. In recent time, there’s a series of copycat murders. She has to figure out who is behind them while learning all the secrets from her childhood. If you like a book with many twists and turns, I highly recommend this one.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (4/5 stars)

The Woman in Me was another quick read (under 300 pages). I thought it was really good and eye opening. If you followed a lot of the news of her conservatorship ending, nothing was too shocking. Learning more about child stars is always so fascinating to me. I wish the book was longer and went even more into her childhood and early parts of her career. 

Thicker than Water by Kerry Washington (2/5 stars)

Thicker than Water had great reviews, but I just didn’t love it. I like Kerry Washington as an actress, so I was hoping for a lot more with this. When I read autobiographies, I want to come out of it with some sort of life lesson or inspiration. This was very surface level for me. I’d pass on reading.