Let’s talk about books, baybee.

A new year means another hefty pile of books in my TBR! I can’t wait to dive in.

Ain’t that sign the truth, though? So many books, so little time.

I wanted to share my top 5 (OK, 6) books of 2023. These books left a special mark and lasting impact upon finishing, and I can’t stop thinking about them! Hoping I can convince some of you to pick them up, eh? You can see my full 2023 book list here.

The Fragile Threads of Power (Threads of Power #1) by V.E. Schwab

I absolutely devoured Schwab’s Darker Shades of Magic trilogy in 2022, so when I saw that she would be continuing the story in a new series I just … I just about lost my mind.

It took me a few months to pick up this book because I admittedly was a little nervous about being let down, but it ended up being my favorite book of 2023!

A few things I loved about this book:

• The new characters: YESSSS! They are so interesting and I cannot wait to see where they end up.
• Lila. Bard. She just continues to be one of my favorite, morally gray, stubborn MCs in all fantasy books.
• The writing: I absolutely despised Addie LaRue, but reading Darker Shades and this book has opened up my eyes to how talented of a writer and storytelling Schwab is. She is such a captivating writer.
• The plot: This just was nonstop action, interesting dialogue, intersecting storylines. It was all so so good.

If you haven’t read Darker Shades of Magic, please read it. It’s just so gosh darn good. A perfect escape into some dense fantasy.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Let’s talk about a book that absolutely gutted me and healed me at the same time. Told through two different perspectives, readers follow the stories of two women in Kabul who are married to the same man. You will be entranced with this book, but please, get the tissues ready!

This is a book about resilience, sisterhood, motherhood, you name it. It’s just so good and I look forward to reading The Kite Runner in 2024.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

This book came to me at the right time. It’s a story about a mother telling her three girls about her experiences as an actress and dating a future movie star. It is springtime during the pandemic, and the family lives on a cherry farm. When they aren’t picking cherries and taking care of the orchard, the girls listen to their mother’s story. The book goes back and forth between the mother’s adolescence/young adulthood and ends where they are now.

It’s such a good book about young love, married love, sisters, family … as a mother of almost 2 girls, some of the lines made me cry so hard. So good.

There There by Tommy Orange

There There was such a masterpiece and I am so mad at myself for not reading it sooner. The novel follows twelve characters, Urban Indians living in Oakland, California, whose stories intersect at a powwow during the climactic end of the book.

I found each story as powerful as the next and was surprised to not be lost in any of the storylines. Orange did a great job keeping the novel concise while also telling each story to its fullest. The ending was shattering, and I wish we knew more, but that of course is Orange’s intent. I think it was so poignant and important and everyone should read this book.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

After reading and LOVING The Poppy War series and Babel, Kuang will always be an auto-buy for me, knowing that I will love her books. Kuang is such a talented writer and storyteller I just love her work!

Yellowface is such an impactful and infuriating book. The MC, June Hayward, plagiarizes an own-voices book from a friend who passed away and then rebrands herself as Juniper Song, positioning herself as an Asian American when she is anything but. Her actions have consequences, and Kuang once again writes a main character that readers cannot like. It’s so fascinating.

Yellowface highlights important conversations about diversity, racism, cultural appropriation, and the silencing of own-voices authors.

HONORARY MENTION!!!

OK, so … I finished a book on Dec. 30 (after I wrote this blog post) that deserves a place on this list:

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

My. Goodness. Gracious. What writing. What storytelling. I was hooked from the very beginning. I read about 25 pages one day, and then on the 30th, I was sick at home and finished the book in one day. I could absolutely not put it down.

This book is brilliant. Lawhon is a master storyteller, plot weaver, and writing magician. It’s just so so good. You can read more about it in the review I will post next week.

WARNING: Lots and lots of triggers in this book, including rape, violence, attempted rape, stillbirth, death of young children, and more. Give yourself grace while reading this book; I did.