My Favourite Books of 2023: Part 1 😊

The story of Ancient Greece told through the eyes of its greatest heroine.

I generally don’t like myth inspired books, but I thought I’d give this one a go. And I’m so glad I did. It is an unbelievably amazing book. I was hooked from the very first word until the very last. This is the jewel amongst all the mythological fictions.

A reimagining of Gruoch – the real-life Scottish Queen who inspired one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.

How to fully give credit to the magnificence of this work? Who gave her the right to write a book as fabulous as this? I read it in one sitting, it is absolutely glorious and I would recommend it to everyone.

The story of a writer in a world where writing is banned. But she won’t go down without a fight. She will continue to write.

If I had the money I would buy everyone a copy of this book. It is a rollercoaster of emotions. It is a love letter to books, to words, to stories, to art, to family to friends, to children, to our strengths, to our flaws, to the world, and to ourselves.

A policewoman and an AI figure must pair up to find two missing teenagers. It will test her to her very limit, especially when the fight gets personal.

Let me tell you, if you want to do anything with your day, then don’t start reading this, because you’ll be unable to put it down until you’ve finished it. It poses some uncomfortable questions but is overall a very powerful and enjoyable read.

A queer retelling of Pinocchio, this tale looks at the heart of a family assembled from spare parts.

This isn’t an adaptation of the Disney film. This is an adaptation of the darker and grittier original book. What I love about Klune’s books are they are so full of love and full of being comfortable about love, being allowed to love who you want and that’s so warming and so needed in society.
There isn’t anyone quite like him writing today.

One moment could change everything. The day Scarlett dies feels like the most important one of her life. But now? She’s still here. Watching the ripple of her death.

To say this book was a lifesaver may sound extreme, but I’ve got no other way to give it the credit it deserves.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over the feeling it had. It felt like MY book.

Caz boards a cruise ship with her boyfriend. The next morning, she wakes, and finds out everyone else has disappeared. And that’s just the beginning.

All I can give you to review this book is 100 different adjectives for BLOODY AMAZING.
This is unlike anything I’d ever read before. It is chilling, atmospheric, terrifying. Will is the master of dark, creepy, twisted thrillers.

Athena Liu is a literary darling, and June Hayward is a nobody. When Athena dies, June steals her unpublished manuscript. But as her newfound success is threatened, we discover what she’ll do to keep her secrets.

By chapter 3, I had to stop to take a breath. Every single word is so intensely magical and beautiful. I’ve never felt like that before so early on in a book.

An epic tale of the tragedy of war and the forbidden romance that blooms in its grip.

This is one of the best books I have ever read in 30 years. For me, this is a love story set during the war, rather than a war story that involves love. In the words of Mary Poppins, it is “practically perfect in every way”.

At 79, the last thing Arthur’s family expects is for him to announce he’s gay. But at 21, his grandson Teddy is also gay, but he’s not quite ready to make it public yet.

There’s nothing that I can think of that feels more heartwarming than this book. It’s just perfect; like sunshine in a book. It just exudes happiness and kindness and love.

Clover Brooks is a death doula who has forgotten how to live. But then she meets Claudia: a feisty old woman who has one last wish . . .

For what could potentially be quite a morale lowering book – what with all the death – it’s incredibly life affirming and hopeful and joyful. It’s very strong but also light. The journey the characters go on – physically and emotionally – is just beautiful and they felt so human, so real, so like you and me.

If I carry my baby to term, I will almost certainly die.
If I proceed with treatment, my baby will not live.

The words…they’re like poetry, like silk moved on the page, like smooth melted chocolate – it’s just so poetic and elegant and eloquent. It’s not an easy read. If you’re like me, you’ll cry within the first few pages. It’s a hard story but a beautiful one.

1940, Amsterdam. You’re 19. The war has stolen your future and your country is under siege. Will you stand aside, or do you unleash your fury, joining forces with your enemies’ enemies, plotting to strike? Soon, they will all know your name.

Like most people I imagine, I had never heard of Hannie Schaft, otherwise known as The Girl With the Red Hair. It is absolutely thrilling, gripping, and exhilarating. It’s full-on, full of action and adventure, fights, danger, injury and death, but it’s also full of love and compassion, bravery, friendship and love. 

The islands of Prospera lie in a vast ocean:
in splendid isolation from the rest of humanity, or whatever remains of it. . .

This is an expert at his craft. I’ve never read a book so sublimely created and executed as this. At times, it felt like I wasn’t even reading a fictional book, it felt so real, the words lift off the page and into your heart. There’s no real way of describing this without using really corny language, because there are no words that fully encapsulates what he’s created.

Edie Budd arrives at a shabby West London boarding house in 1958. Tommie who lives on the 2nd floor harbours and addiction to seedy Soho. Phyllis, the landlady hides a past under her fierce bravado. As Tommie gets caught up in Edie’s web of lies, the three women have to make decisions that will change everything.

The main thing I can say about Julie Owen Moylan is that she excels at writing women. In a time period where women were meant to be subservient and quiet, these are powerful women who deserve to be in charge of their lives and their loves.

After a bereavement and job loss, Autumn stays with a friend in the Lake District to help re-discover her creativity. She is swept up by the beauty and magic of the stunning landscape. But when she meets Dane, who is escaping for his own reasons, will she let down her walls to let him in?

I have never hidden my love for Jessica Redland’s books. For me, this is my favourite of her books so far, and her best written. There was just something in this, an extra layer, a spark, that just spoke to my heart. I was either smiling or crying, sometimes both. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

6 minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. They are forced to shut the doors. The plane sinks to the bottom of the ocean with 12 passengers still inside. Their only chance of rescue is a professional diving team on the surface. But time is running out. And so is the air.

Okay, let me just prepare you by saying this book is absolutely amazing! For me, this packs a serious punch. Not only is it thrilling and scary and all of those things that we want, it is unbelievably emotional and moving and touching.