MidYear Reading Recap: My Top 10 Reads of 2023 So Far

​As of today, I have read 64 books in 2023.  That is more than I have read in the past 3 years COMBINED (thanks to my new job and some life changes).  While I have given over 20 five-star ratings and reviews, there are 10 books that are still following me around and dancing in my soul.  I think about the characters or the story or the emotions they evoked and THAT is why I love to read.

​These 10 books have all taken up residence in my heart for 2023:

1. The Shadows of Pecan Hollow by Caroline Frost
2. Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
4. The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
5. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
6. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
7. Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean
8. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
9. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
10. The Night I Spent with Aubrey Fisher by Christopher M. Tantillo

If you want to feel sad or reflective:

1. The Shadows of Pecan Hollow:  Please check trigger warnings.  The generational trauma and emotional abandonment in this 5⭐️debut novel is heart wrenching and palpable. I sampled the audio but preferred print for this one. I look forward to reading more of Caroline Frost’s work!
2. Take My Hand (fantastic audio):  Based on true events set in Alabama in 1973, this story had me in a chokehold for 3 days.  Told from a nurse's perspective, I felt like this could have happened to me just a few decades ago.  The writing and THE NARRATION (I did audio) was phenomenal.  I don't want to give any spoilers, but I beg you to read this book.  It is so important that we learn from the mistakes others made and that we acknowledge this painful part of our American history.

If you want to remember what falling in love feels like:

1. Part of Your World:  There is something so sexy about a man who is not intimidated by a smart, successful woman.  This is one of the BEST romance books I have ever read.  Daniel is divine.
2. Before I Let Go:  Check trigger warnings.  The writing is gorgeous.  Loss, grief, and mental health are all handled with delicacy.  Having been through a divorce myself, this book brought out so many emotions I had shelved for years.  I also loved the connection between food, love, tradition, and family.  I love women bonding in a kitchen.  Yasmen's relationship with her teenage daughter was so relatable.  The spice was extra spicy but so tasteful and timely.  It was also FUN to read a book set in Atlanta.  I'm now a Ryan auto-buy fan girl for life.

If you want to smile and laugh:

1. The Vibrant Years:  I was immediately hooked into this intergenerational story of Grandma, ex-Daughter-in-law, and Granddaughter each trying to find love and purpose. This was full of laughs and heart swells, forgiveness, and self-discovery. I could not have loved it more!  
2. Vera Wong's Unsolicited advice for Murderers:  I loved this book so much!  I chuckled internally, snorted, guffawed aloud, and smiled a warm grin too many times to count. I am a sucker for any feisty Grandma character, so Vera had me in the first few minutes. Eunice Song’s narration is phenomenal. The loneliness that seeps throughout the story is raw and pervasive. 

If you want to feel like you belong:

1. Clap When You Land (audio was fantastic):  Family. Womanhood. Choice. Secrets. Betrayal. Loyalty. Love. Friendship. Reliability. Home. Truth. Effort. Tragedy. Rediscovery. Fear. Courage. Pain. Hope. The audiobook narration was divine. The writing style (verse) was perfection. I was on the edge of my seat with a lump in my throat, caught between smiling, laughing, crying, and brimming with belonging. I was enraptured. Harnessed. Arrested by Acevedo’s words. FIVE STARS and more. So much more.
2. Remarkably Bright Creatures:  I finished this audiobook in 3 days- I devoured it!  I loved the main characters, especially Marcellus.  Who knew a Giant Pacific Octopus would win my heart?  Cameron's lack of direction was so poignant and relatable.  Tova's introspection and practicality felt like looking in a mirror.  This found family warmed my soul and made me laugh, smile, and cry.  Bravo!

If you have some unresolved anxiety and you feel a book may help you process it:

1. Mika in Real Life:  If you have ever felt unlovable or like you don't belong.  If you have ever felt stuck and struggled with what your next move would be.  If you have loved and admired someone that told you that you are not good enough.  If that same person did not believe in you... and their actions did not align with love... you need to read this book.  This book made me cry, which is not an easy feat.  Simply endearing.  And true.
2. The Night I Spent with Aubrey Fisher:  This book will sit in your bones and seep through your pores. If you are a parent. If you have a sibling. If you have ever been a teenager. If you have ever been in love. If you have ever pined for another. If you have struggled with depression. If you’ve ever felt overlooked, unworthy, or alone. If you have felt overwhelmed with guilt.  Overcome with grief. If you like big words and beautiful writing and deep connections to a story. If you like Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow or Kevin Wilson’s Now is Not the Time to Panic, you will love this book. If you want to be reminded what it feels like to be alive.  What it feels like to be lost and then found. If any of the above speaks to you, you must read this book. Check the trigger warnings. It is heavy and intense but also accurate and handled with care. This is the author’s debut novel which blows my mind. The witty banter, attention to detail, and imagery are unmatched. Enjoy this gem. It is truly special.

I hope these recommendations have come to you at the exact time you needed them. 
Please comment below if you have read any of these! 
​I also review books regularly on TikTok
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Understanding BookTok in 2023

why i love YA: I remember being 20 years old

My love for grandmothers in books comes from my love for my grandmothers

reasons family drama in books helps me process my own emotions

why love in books helps: marriage is hard

why found family in books heals my heart

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