As 2023 begins to close, I have been reminiscing over the books I read/listened to this year. I am proud that I have read or listened to over 80 books this year. Audiobooks & my Kindle have been my go-to for 2023 and it helped inspire me to read even more throughout the year. Goodreads has also had a hold of me this year…I obsessively update my reading progress and review new titles I have finished. I know I’m not the only one.
When I started reviewing them on Goodreads I was able to keep track of all my 5-star reads and wanted to share my top 10 from the year. Now, this doesn’t mean they were releases from this year…just that I read them during the year and have rated them 5-star. I feel like I’m fairly hard on books and don’t give a ton of 5-star ratings so I feel like these are books I truly loved reading and wanted to share them with you.
Some of these are stand-alone and some are part of a series, I’ll make sure to share which in each little review. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 5-star Reads from 2023. PS no spoilers on these books & these aren’t full descriptive reviews -more just why I loved them.
Top 10 5-star Reads from 2023
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Caraval was my first real step into the fantasy realm of reading. This is the first book in the trilogy and I loved every minute of this series. I still think Caraval was my favorite because falling into the world of Caraval was just magical. I’ve already shared a little about this series in a previous post about Young Adult must read so I won’t go into too much detail here. But the imagery that Garber uses to tell her readers about the world of Caraval is incredible. She is so talented in her writing – you truly feel like you are there. That’s why it had to be a 5-star read for me.
The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden
Naturally, Freida McFadden was one of the authors who was prominent in my list of books from 2023. She took the social media world by storm and went crazy popular. I have a list ranking the books of hers I’ve read you can read here. The Perfect Son was one of my absolute favorite books of hers. I kept thinking I had it figured out but I never did. The twists were well timed and I enjoyed the way this book unfolded. This is a stand-alone novel so feel free to grab it at any time and read it.
Iris by Susan May Warren
Iris is part of a series. In fact, it is the fourth book of the Montana Marshalls and debuted this year. The whole series is awesome. Susan May Warren is an incredible writer and she weaves action, romance, and faith into her books flawlessly. Iris was my favorite of the series however, I just really resonated with the character. It has forced proximity and an adorable love storyline that made me smile so many times. Also, I think the book has some great lessons in it. The faith aspect while not overwhelming, we beautifully woven into the book. Iris is a strong and confident woman who I long to be like because of her charisma and relentlessness.
The Pretenders by Rebecca Hanover
The Pretenders is the second and last book in The Similars Series. While I loved the first book…this second one just left me speechless, so it instantly deserved a 5-star review. Let me tell you, the twists in this book had me flabbergasted. Like true jaw-on-the-floor type moments. This is a great YA read that everyone should check out. I loved the mix of normal YA mystery mixed in with a little science fiction. It is dark academia with mystery and romance. Truly, I cannot wait to read this series again.
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
This was my first FM read after The Housemaid and boy, was I in for a crazy ride. I love isolation in my mystery’s or thrillers. There’s something so interesting about locked room or isolated tropes. The book I told from multiple POV on dual timelines – something she does well. It’s crazy because the whole current storyline takes place all in like 2 days. It was a fast read and I truly didn’t expect some of the twists. I would say this is my top FM book so far. This is a great thriller and it’s done well in my opinion.
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
I read this after seeing it on a list that consisted of book recs that were similar to Caraval. I would agree that it was similar in the imagery that the books illicit. It’s also young adult fantasy but it also has a bit of suspense mixed into it. I included this because it was really unique. It took the beautiful creation of a world and the magic from Caraval but included some suspense and mystery like other YA tropes. I believe this is the authors debut novel and it is really well done, especially being the first. I soaked up this story and it was a fast listen for me. The audiobook was well done as well.
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
The whole Truly Devious series from Maureen Johnson was awesome. I really loved it and it was so exciting to read each one. However, I actually enjoyed the 2 spin-offs more than the original trio of the series. Box in the Woods and Nine Liars are my favorite MJ books by far. But Nine Liars had to make my top 10 5-star reads post because I honestly think of it all the time. Such a good YA mystery. It reminded me of the old classic Boxcar Children mysteries or Nancy Drew. However, it does leave you on a bit of a character cliffhanger, so be aware. But I won’t give any more than that.
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I went back and forth on whether or not to list this book or the last one of this series as part of my top 10 5-star reads because both were amazing. But The Naturals is what started me in the series so it won. This series is Criminal Minds meets YA and adds a little humor to lighten the mood. I am obsessed with this series- you must read it. If you enjoy something like Criminal Minds – you will enjoy this series. Now is it silly that basically high school students are allowed to solve crimes? Yes. Does it work for this series? Also yes.
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Riley Sager and I have a bit of a rocky relationship. I want to love all his books…but most that I’ve read have fell flat. Except this one. Now I’m in the minority here- I’ve seen many reviews that don’t love this one like I do. But that’s what makes the world go round, right? I absolutely loved this book. Dual timelines, isolated location, typical murder mystery location (summer camp) – what’s not to love? The way the story of both the past and the present unfold was so well done in my opinion.
Flicker in the Dark by Stacey Willingham
If I’m honest, I had to jog my memory about this book when I saw it in my list of 5-star reads from 2023. Because of that, I almost left it out. I thought if it wasn’t memorable, why mention it. But once I remembered what it was all about…I knew I had to include it. I remember thinking “man this book is so obvious, the twist is too easy,” well, it was easy becaue I had it wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the way this book played out. And I love supporting new writers in their endeavors and it seems like Stacey is taking the world by storm. Overall a great thriller that kept me guessing. And it managed to fool me!
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