What I read in 2023!

Doing it again!!! :) Favorites of the year are in pink purple. As you can see, I've read some winners this year! 

1. Miracle at Augusta- James Patterson (Eh, just okay. 2/5) 

2. Revenge- James Patterson- (One of the better ones by him I have read recently, but I was disappointed with the resolution of the main plot. The story kept me interested, though. 3.5/5) CW: drug abuse

3. The Return- Nicholas Sparks- (Wow, this one really surprised me, and in a good way! It started out a little slow, so I had to keep telling myself to stick with it,  but...fasten your seatbelts! A couple of surprising plot twists, one that literally took my breath away. Read the large print version at about 530 pages in just a few days! 4.5/5) CW: PTSD, death

4. All Good People Here- Ashley Flowers (HOLY WOW major WTF ending that was...WTF but left me hanging big time! Docking a star because of that. Otherwise a great read! 4/5) CW: death

5. Dark Sacred Night- Michael Connelly (Not bad, but it didn't "grab" me like his others have in the past. Some of the plot just seemed like filler. 3/5) 

6. Echo Park- Michael Connelly (Good story but to me there didn't seem to be an ending, as in no resolution to the main plot, so that was a little disappointing. 3/5)

7. The Silent Patient- Alex Michaelides (Wow!!!!!! I did NOT see that one coming. And that's all I'm going to say about that! 5/5) CW: murder/violence, drug/alcohol use, mental illness

8. Everything We Didn't Say- Nicole Baart  (A new author for me- thank you secret sister!! Bit of a slow-burn plot that jumps back and forth from past to present, but the reveal was worth it despite the slow pace. 4.5/5) CW: murder/violence

9. Angel Falls- Kristin Hannah (This was a good book. It really touched my heart. Reminded me that true love with "your person" is made up more of lots of small everyday moments rather than big feelings and passion which often fades over time.  5/5) 

10. After the Leaves Fall- Nicole Baart (This is her first book, I was curious since I read "Everything We Didn't Say". I liked this book overall, but the ending was a bit abrupt. There is a sequel, but I can't find it anywhere, so I guess I'm left wondering what happens... 😥 Good character development. 4/5) 

11. Bare Bones- Kathy Reichs (A Bones novel!!! lol. My hubby and I binged the series a few years ago and so when I came across Kathy Reichs I grabbed it just out of curiosity. This is one of her earlier books. I could not put it down. I want to read more of her. 5/5) 

12. House Rules- Jodi Picoult (A really good book but quite long! I learned a lot about autism/Aspergers. 4.5/5) CW: death

13. Far From Here- Nicole Baart (Hmm....Well. I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it, either. The relationship between the main character and "him" seemed forced, maybe even rushed. And I wasn't crazy about the main character's development either, she seemed to "just get over it". And the story was good but slow, slow in a lot of parts. But I loved the ending even with the "forced" relationship, and I love this author's writing style as well. 3/5) CW: infidelity

14. 206 Bones- Kathy Reichs (I loved Bare Bones so much I figured I would give this author another try. And....this one just didn't quite do it for me. The story was slow, slow, slow. BUT, the end was very plot-twisty which I liked. I'll still give this author a try though 3/5) 

15. The Appeal- John Grisham (I don't even really know how to rate this one. LOL. the large print version was 600+ pages and I kept reading waiting for something to happen....And nothing really happened. Such a bummer because there's a lot by him that I really like but this just didn't cut it for me at all)

16. Magic Hour- Kristin Hannah (I liked this one a lot. Very interesting and lovely story 5/5)

17. The Wish- Nicholas Sparks (Ohhh, I loved this book. So much. It was beautiful and sad. I didn't want it to end. Reminded me why he's still one of my favorite authors even if his stories are somewhat on the predictable side! 12/5) 

18. The Bone Code- Kathy Reichs (This was a good one....better than 206 Bones. But again, some of it was just a bit slow....May need to take a break on this author for a while 3.5/5)

19. Verity- Colleen Hoover (Ooookay y'all....This book was WILD. I'd heard a lot of buzz about it on social media which is why I decided to read it. I read it in 3 days. She is a great writer and I was absolutely hooked by the story. But make no mistake, this book is VERY dark and disturbing. PLEASE read with caution, especially if you have small children. And that ending? YIKES. 4/5) CW: child neglect, death, violence, graphic and disturbing content

20. Night Music- Jojo Moyes (One of her better ones...finally! I've been so unimpressed with what I've read of hers lately especially after the bar was set so, so high with "The Giver of Stars", which I read in 2020. But this one was good. Some of the characters were kinda crazy, but it was a nice story. 4/5) 

21. Faithful- Alice Hoffman (I picked this book up on a sheer whim....and honest to goodness it's one of the best books I've ever read. I loved it so much. I didn't want it to end. Cheered Shelby on the whole time. Give this one a read, you won't regret it! 15/5) CW: death, depression

22. The Orphan Collector- Ellen Marie Wiseman (A friend from church let me borrow this from her- thank you Stephanie :) wow....This was a great read albeit it a bit chilling and dark at times. Takes place during the Spanish influenza pandemic in 1918, so lots of parallels between that and Covid. Rooted for Pia the whole time! 5/5) 

23. What She Left Behind- Ellen Marie Wiseman (This was a great story. Absolutely gut wrenching at times. Thank goodness for the happy ending! Rating it 4/5 because a couple parts of the story left me hanging... 4/5) CW: death, self-harm

24. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine- Gail Honeyman (Okay....Gotta be honest. Initially, I had a VERY hard time with this book, specifically with the main character. I just could not connect with her. I didn't jive with her. I found her honestly obnoxious and even off-putting. Picture a female Sheldon Cooper. But the second half....Y'all, I was rooting for her so hard! This book did a complete 180 in the best possible way and I couldn't get enough of it by the time I finished it. Amazing. It's rumored that it is going to be a movie and I will be one of the first in line to buy tickets! 10/5) CW: depression, self-harm

25. Someone Else's Shoes- Jojo Moyes (Guuuuyyyyssss this book was SO WONDERFUL. I read it in 3 days. It was funny, it was fun, it dealt with real-life stuff so beautifully, it reminded me of the greatness of having kick-ass female friends, it was not at all what I expected but it was so much better than I expected. Well done, Jojo Moyes!! It is right up there with "The Giver of Stars" 10/5)

26. A Painted House- John Grisham (Not bad. Not bad at all especially considering I read one of his earlier this year and did not care for it at all. Very different from his usual legal thriller style, but found the story to be a little slow at times. But again, not bad. 4/5) 

27. The Marriage of Opposites- Alice Hoffman (Just okay in my opinion. I had the bar set a little high after reading "Faithful" by the same author but this just didn't quite hit the mark. It was a very interesting and fascinating historical story, but just....long, too long, especially the second half. The main character's mother was awful too. 2.5/5)

28. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook- Ellen Marie Wiseman (Very riveting but gut-wrenching story. Thank God for the happy ending. I could not put it down! 5/5) CW: some disturbing content

29. The Golden Couple- Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen (Okay, I have to admit, the only reason I checked this one out was because "Pekkanen" is a family name! :) But wow, this book sucked me in. Thriller without any gore/extreme violence and bad language- although there was some violence at the end. I read it in 3 days and was totally blown away by the ending! 5/5) CW: violence, infidelity

30. Everything I Never Told You- Celeste Ng (I liked the writing style of this book but it was just really sad and depressing. Like...So much pain in the family and yet no one knew. I felt really bad for the main character. It did have a somewhat happy ending, though. But it was just sad. 3/5) CW: suicide, infidelity

31. Wild- Cheryl Strayed (This reminded me of a book I read in graduate school.  It was a great story and I really enjoyed the author/main character's journey and transformation along the way, even with her at times very questionable life choices, but I feel like the story itself was just so, so long. 3.5/5)

32. It Ends With Us- Colleen Hoover (Yep, this one definitely lived up to the hype in my opinion. It's heavy, yes, but it's REAL. I loved the relationship between two of the characters, just the close friendship, but I also loved the relationship between the main character and her co-worker. I couldn't put it down. The ending was beautiful. I'm on the list for the sequel and I can't wait! I may not get to it this year, but we'll see! 10/5) CW: abuse, domestic violence

33. Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins (I liked this one! Very plot twisty with good mystery/thriller/suspense. A couple parts left me hanging, but otherwise still a good book! 4/5)

34. Maid- Stephanie Land (I loved this book. So invested in Stephanie's story, how exhausting it must have been supporting herself and young daughter with low wages, and frustrating dealing with all the red tape. It helps destigmatize poverty and government assistance and turns on its head the idea that people who use it are lazy or just "mooching". I rooted for her so hard, felt for her, was frustrated with her, and was so happy for her much needed and well-deserved happy ending! Everyone needs to read this book! 5/5)

35. Lessons in Chemistry- Bonnie Garmus (Although it took a bit to get going, and for me to warm up to the main character, this is legit one of the best books I have ever read. I loved the story, I loved the themes, and it's been a long while since a book actually made me laugh out loud. I was actually really charmed by Elizabeth's quirky personality. I can't recommend it enough!! 10/5) CW: brief death and s*xual assault

36. The Witch Elm- Tana French (This was not a bad read because once the story picked up, it went on a crazy ride, but it was quite long and a little, to be honest, boring at times. I didn't really like the ending either. 3.5/5) CW: death

37. The Last Anniversary- Liane Moriarty (New author! I thought this was a cute book. It was funny and sad in parts, and the end had me smiling! 5/5) CW: mentions of post-partum depression

38. The Book of Two Ways- Jodi Picoult (Overall I liked this book but it was definitely not my favorite by Jodi Picoult. I liked the characters and the story itself, but got pretty bogged down by all the Egyptian history, and I am not at all a history buff. I didn't care much for the ending either. 3.5/5)

39. Dreamland- Nicholas Sparks (I read this very quickly and while I loved the ending and "Beverly's" storyline, I was not all that impressed with the other storyline/relationship. It just felt off to me, like it was forced. Oh well! Still a good book. Also hold on to your hats for that plot twist! 4/5) 

40. Confess- Colleen Hoover (Between traveling and being on vacation it took me a bit to get through this one, but WOW. Such a good, beautiful book. So plot twisty but in a good way, and wrapped up perfectly in the end. Made my heart ache, but also in a good way. I. Loved. This. Book. 10/5) CW: death, brief moments of DV

41. Dune- Frank Herbert (Meh. Some of it was very interesting and a little exciting, but it was overall a very long, wordy book at almost 800 pages. I tried, but I just couldn't get excited about it. The plot seemed to jump around a few times too. However, I can certainly appreciate the imagination and creativity of the author 2.5/5)

42. Demon Copperhead- Barbara Kingsolver (After wading through "Dune", I was excited to finally land on this one since I've been on the waitlist since April!! And I'll say it was worth the wait! Overall I quite liked this book but parts of it were a bit slow. It's a long book, too, almost 600 pages. That said, again, I liked it. I LOVED the ending! 4.5/5) CW: addiction

43. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone- Lori Gottlieb (I was pleasantly surprised by this book, which I read on a pure whim. Although I question the accuracy of her patient's stories seeing it'd break all the confidentiality rules, I enjoyed journeying alongside her and her patients, but also sharing in her own personal therapy journey as well. If you want an insightful and funny book about therapy and just general life, check this one out! 5/5) CW: depression, death

44. All Your Perfects- Colleen Hoover (I have GOT to stop reading Colleen Hoover's books. They are just TOO good!!!! And real! And lovely and sad. This one was another winner! 5/5) CW: infertility

45. Class- Stephanie Land (I LOVED "Maid", #34 on my list, so I was really excited to see Class show up, which just came out last year. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short for me. I loved reading about the author's classes she took in college, and of course hearing her stories about the continuing struggles of financing higher education while in poverty as a single mom. However, I could have 100% done without the overly descriptive and GRAPHIC details of her sex life! Way too unnecessary. I have a lot more thoughts too.....But I won't share them here. I definitely liked Maid better. 2.5/5)

46. The Maid- Nita Prose (I liked this one a lot! Whodunnit murder mystery in an upscale hotel with a very likable but quirky maid as the main character. I added the sequel to my "to be read" list immediately after finishing this one! 5/5) 

47. Without Merit- Colleen Hoover (There were a LOT of negative reviews for this book...And I'm glad I ignored them! I really liked this book. It was sad, but powerful. Mental health issues are real and need to be talked about! It did start out a little slow but it was so worth it in the end. 4.5/5) CW: depression

48. Ugly Love- Colleen Hoover (Ugh. Again, so good, and sad. Amazing ending. She really can do no wrong!) 5/5 CW: death, s*xual content

49. The Husband's Secret- Liane Moriarty. I actually stopped 2/3 of the way in to read... 

50. It Starts with Us- Colleen Hoover (I did it!!!! I waited until August, waiting patiently for the sequel to It Ends with Us, and was sooooo happy to see this land in my loans. And it was the most perfect ending ever. Like getting a hug. I'm so, so happy L and A got their happy ending! 😀 5/5) CW: abuse

Back to 49. The Husband's Secret- Liane Moriarty (So. This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite either. I honestly just kept waiting for something to happen. I'll give her another try because I do like her writing style, and I did like the characters as flawed as they were. 3.5/5) CW: death

51. November 9- Colleen Hoover (Another by Colleen Hoover that I liked a lot! Very unexpected plot twist, and I don't know how CoHo does it but she just writes the best characters. 5/5) CW: trauma, death

52. Little Broken Things- Nicole Baart (I liked this one too, I just read it on a whim. Happy ending! 5/5)

53. Mad Honey- Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (Um.... So. I have lots of thoughts about this one. Was on the list since August, so was looking forward to it....It's quite a long book so it took me a bit to get through it...There's some things in it that I'm conflicted about. Although I didn't hate it, I didn't love it either. 3/5) CW: death