Best Books of 2023
As we say good-bye to the year 2023, I am reminiscing on my favorite books I read this year. Below are all of the books I rated with five stars. Each book also has a link to my original book review, in case you want more information. The books are listed in the order I read them.
Jo van Gogh Bonger: The Woman Who Made Vincent Famouse by Hans Luijten (My Book Review)
Jo van Gogh-Bonger: The Woman Who Made Vincent Famous by Hans Luijten provides an in-depth history of Jo’s life, from birth to death. It’s translated by Lynne Richards. I felt as though I could relate to Jo’s personality during her childhood. She spent a lot of time in solitude and loved reading. She even dreamed of writing a book.
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper (My Book Review)
I really didn’t know what to expect from Anderson Cooper’s book, Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, that he co-authored with Katherine Howe. I’ve known for a long time that his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, was related to the Vanderbilt’s and that Anderson always seemed to shy away from talking about his Vanderbilt roots. He addresses this in his book and I completely understand his perspective. Anderson provides a very in-depth history of this intriguing family. He covers the beginning of the family tree with Cornelius Vanderbilt, aka The Commodore.
Die With Zero by Bill Perkins (My Book Review)
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins is a must read book for everyone regardless of where you are in your career or retirement. The purpose of this book is to make the most out of your life experiences, regardless of your income, and to challenge the messages we have been taught about retirement.
Undone by Karin Slaughter (My Book Review)
Karin Slaughter is an impressive writer of detective stories. I have loved every single book I’ve read and Undone, the third installment of the Will Trent series, did not disappoint! I was so excited that Sara Linton’s character joined Faith Mitchell and Will Trent.
Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis (My Book Review)
Audible has awesome 2 for 1 credit sales. I usually find an audiobook book on my wishlist and another book grabs my attention. This is how I became aware of Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis. This is a very thorough biography that details Stevie’s upbringing and influential family members.
The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (My Book Review)
This is my first time reading a novel by Beatriz Williams. I have come to love historical fiction novels in the past few years and her books have piqued my interest, so I decided it was time to give her a try. I absolutely loved The Summer Wives!
Dying into Life by Ram Dass (My Book Review)
Dying into Life is an incredible audiobook! Technically, it’s recordings from a Ram Dass retreat in 1982. I purchased this from Audible and couldn’t be happier with this selection.
Be Love Now by Ram Dass & Rameshwar Das (My Book Review)
Informative and inspiring. Ram Dass and Rameshwar Das collaborated to share beautiful stories of transforming into a lifestyle of spirituality in Be Love Now. Rameshwar Das opens the book with an introduction detailing his journey to India and meeting their guru, Maharaja-ji.
Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich (My Book Review)
For a book that is filled with characters struggling to make it through life, hard core brutality, and greed, Brian Panowich delivers a beautiful story about love and loss in Hard Cash Valley. Panowich writes about people, places, and circumstances that are real. There are no healthy families living in pretty houses with white picket fences in his stories.
The Harvard Psychedelic Club by Don Lattin (My Book Review)
The Harvard Psychedelic Club by Don Lattin provides a history of Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (aka Ram Dass), Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil and their contribution to the use of psychedelics in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The book is structured in which each chapter focuses on one of the four key players at a time. There is a clever rotation so that I didn’t get bored learning about one person for too long before the author altered my attention.
Eternal by Lisa Scottoline (My Book Review)
Deeply intense! Lisa Scottoline’s first historical fiction novel is a masterpiece! I’m a huge fan of her work; therefore, I’m not surprised at all that Eternal lives up to the praise I’ve seen.
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis (My Book Review)
Fiona Davis brilliantly swept me back in time to 1956, New York City, Radio City Music Hall with her novel, The Spectacular. Dancer, Marion Brooks, is struggling to make life decisions that make her happy. She is anticipating a marriage proposal from her high school sweetheart. This is exactly what she has been taught to expect from adulthood; marriage and children. This is also what will make her father happy. Although, Marion is teaching dance lessons to little girls and would love nothing more than a career in dance.
Broken by Don Winslow (My Book Review)
When it comes to reading a book written by Don Winslow, I first have to decide if I’m going to read a physical copy or if I’m going with the audio version. Exactly how do I decide? It’s simple. If Ray Porter is the narrator, then my decision is made. Broken, is a collection of six short novels. Some of the stories are narrated by Ray Porter, and some are narrated by Kaleo Griffith.
Past Tense by Lee Child (My Book Review)
A rural town in New Hampshire. That’s where Jack Reacher lands for his next adventure in Past Tense, book 23, by Lee Child. Quite a few of the Reacher novels have left an imprint on my brain and this has become one of my favorites. The story line stands out as a different style in story telling.
Bodhisattva Mind: Teachings to Cultivate Courage and Awareness in the Midst of Suffering by Pema Chodron (My Book Review)
Pema Chodron was asked to come out of her own retreat to offer a weekend retreat to a group at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of Naropa, was one of her teachers, so of course she wasn’t going to refuse this request. Pema’s teachings over that weekend were recorded in front of the live audience and produced in audiobook format titled Bodhisattva Mind for everyone to enjoy.
Rememberings by Sinead O’Connor (My Book Review)
I decided to move this book, Rememberings, to the top of my TBR following the death of Sinead O’Connor on July 26, 2023. I love reading biographies and memoirs, as I’m intrigued by people’s intimate lives. I purchased the audiobook last year from Audible as I was curious to know more about Sinead O’Connor, whose music I listened to on the radio back in the early 1990’s.
Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent (My Book Review)
This story was excellent! Liz Nugent wrote an amazing psychological thriller. Lying in Wait completely exceeded my expectations. From the very beginning, the story is shocking and took me on an unexpected journey. I loved every minute of it!
Rebecca by Daphne DuMurier (My Book Review)
I am thrilled to join the club of readers who have enjoyed Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. The elegant writing and fascinating story were a true pleasure. The opening chapters were beautifully written and had me mesmerized while also curious about this place called Manderley. After I finished the book, I immediately read the first couple of chapters again. It felt fitting, as the beginning was just as significant as the ending.
The Good House by Ann Leary (My Book Review)
I love discovering new-to-me authors and that’s exactly what happened when I decided to read The Good House by Ann Leary. The novel is set in a small community outside of Boston. Hildy Good is a well-respected, successful real estate agent who knows everyone and what’s happening in town. She’s divorced with two adult daughters, and one grandson. Her daughters organized an intervention because they perceived Hildy as drinking too much. We meet Hildy upon her return from rehab.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (My Book Review)
This is my first time reading the classic story, Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Audible’s production is amazing! I was immediately struck by this wonderful story. I understand why so many readers express significant love for Anne and the gorgeous setting of Prince Edward Island. I truly adored Anne and her wild adventures.
Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger (My Book Review)
Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is an excellent holiday-themed thriller! At roughly five and a half hours of listening time, Christmas Presents is packed with suspense and layers of one woman’s life. I loved how the pieces kept falling together while leaving me with more questions and suspicions. The story is intense and frightening at times, while filled with hope, forgiveness, and love that are staples of the holiday season.
The Institute by Stephen King (My Book Review)
I never know where a novel by Stephen King is going to take me and that’s what I love about his story telling talent. In The Institute, readers first meet Tim Jamieson, a cop who is relocating to Dupray, South Carolina to escape a tragic life event. Next, we meet Luke Ellis, an amazingly intelligent young boy with a special gift. Luke’s parents are murdered in the middle of the night by a special operations team, and Luke is taken to The Institute. There, Luke meets other kids who also have special gifts of telekinesis and telepathy.
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
