Happy end of 2023 everyone!

As you all probably know, I am a huge book nerd and love to share a roundup of all the novels I read over the course of the year. My original reading goal for the year was 35 books, and I’m pleased to say that I in fact surpassed this target and ended up reading 44 books!

I’m really grateful that I was able to read so many amazing books this year – I honestly wasn’t sure if my zest for reading would fall to the wayside given that I was back in school for the whole year. Hence, why I only set myself a goal of 35 instead of 50 like last year. I lost touch with my love for reading while overwhelmed with schoolwork in undergrad and didn’t get back in a reading groove until a few years ago. Despite being in a full year of grad school, I was determined to continue to keep up with my reading as a form of self-care! I definitely fell behind during a few months throughout 2023 and had to play catch up on a few unfinished novels before the end of the year. However, I’m extremely proud of myself for surpassing my original goal – it’s definitely a personal accomplishment I wasn’t expecting!

I am excited to share with you all the amazing books I had the pleasure of diving into this year! There was definitely a breadth of genres, from mysteries to informational to romance and everything in between, so there’s something for everyone. Let me know if you also loved any of these novels or have recommendations for me in the new year – I’ll also include a list of my top overall picks at the end of this post!

Without further ado, here is my 2023 reading list:

Fiction/Historical Fiction

• Carrie Soto is Back
• Stone Blind
• Counterfeit
• Yellowface
• Big Gay Wedding
• The House in the Cerulean Sea
• The Three of Us
• Cobblestones and Ice Cream Cones
• The Cat Who Saved Books
• Dykette
• Memories, Lies, and Other Binds
• The Unfolding

Nonfiction

• All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions
• Accidental Czar: The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin
• Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel, Nazi Agent
• The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
• The Woman in Me

Romance

• Happy Place
• The American Roommate Experiment
• Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
• Summer Reading
• Love in the Time of Serial Killers
• Back in a Spell

Mystery/Horror

• A Line to Kill
• The Cloisters
• Killers of a Certain Age
• Such a Pretty Smile
• A Dowry of Blood
• Mastering the Art of French Murder
• Murder Your Employer
• Charlotte Illes is not a Detective
• Silver Nitrate
• How to Sell a Haunted House

Informative

• White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better
• The Power of Cute
• States of Neglect: How Red-State Leaders Have Failed Their Citizens and Undermined America
• Being Present: Commanding Attention at Work (and at Home) by Managing Your Social Presence
• The Churchill Complex: The Curse of Being Special, from Winston and FDR to Trump and Brexit

Graphic Novels

• Cryptid Club
• Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend
• Virtually Yours
• Sweet Paprika
• Bonding: A Love Story about People and Their Parasites
• Boys Weekend

While I did read a lot of amazing books this year, there were a few standouts that I highly recommend everyone read:

• States of Neglect: How Red-State Leaders Have Failed Their Citizens and Undermined America
  • I’d consider this book a must-read for any Americans. It does deep dives into the long-term policies in red states that wreck harm on constituents, while also critiquing the shortcomings of blue states. It’s a very important and provocative look at modern-day America.
• Happy Place
  • I am forever an Emily Henry fan, and while this novel was imbued with her classic creativity and humor, there was definitely a lot more seriousness to the lost loves featured in the book.
• Accidental Czar: The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin
  • A fascinating and easily digestible way to learn about Putin’s life and current mindset. Written by an expert in the field, this was a very informative and necessary read.
• Yellowface
  • An intriguing study of jealousy, plagiarism, racism, and privilege set in the context of two young female authors. When one, a woman of color, dies unexpectedly, her white friend steals her work and passes it off as her own. Part ghost story, part social commentary, this haunting tale of competition and justifying unsavory actions is definitely a page-turner!
• Big Gay Wedding
  • A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming tale of family and love set in a small, rural southern farm town. Honestly this was such a fun read and the cast of characters were delightfully memorable!
• Being Present: Commanding Attention at Work (and at Home) by Managing Your Social Presence
  • Another must-read book that really allows you to be more attuned to your own presence and that of those around you. It dives into how we can better navigate social situations and maintain strong relationships in the age of technological distraction and prevalence.
• The Cat Who Saved Books
  • This work, translated from Japanese, is incredibly sweet. It focuses on the story of a boy who took ownership of his recently deceased grandfather’s bookstore. Through a series of encounters with a magical talking cat, he grows in courage and confidence.

Please reach out if you have questions about any of these books or if you’d like to tap me for book recommendations – I read a little bit of everything and love to share recs! Also, please let me know if there are any books you read this year that I should add to my TBR list for the new year!

Happy reading!

XOXO

Parisa