2023 was an incredible year, except it wasn’t the best reading year for me. Besides the reading slump, I have had so many DNF (did not finish) books. I was thinking back to other reading years, and honestly, I think this was a new record for me. While 2023 may not have been the best reading year, I think I read a few books that were absolute favorites for me, and I’m ready to spill the tea on the books that I wasn’t the biggest fan of. Let’s get into my 2023 End of Year Book Survey.

As a reminder, I utilize Perpetual Page Turner and their End of Year Book Survey, so check out their information if you want to do your own end-of-year book tag.

2023 Reading Stats

Number of Books I Read: 71

Number of Re-Reads: 2. I re-read the first and second volumes of Nailbiter.

Genre You Read the Most From Romance, does A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas count as Romance, or is that Fantasy? I would say most of my books were Romance.

Best in Books

Best Book in 2023

I had two books that I was going back and forth between. I decided to choose Book Lovers by Emily Henry. This was the first Emily Henry book I read, and it won’t be the last. Book Lovers details the romance between Nora and Charlie as they are rival literary agents who fall in love in a small town in North Carolina. I think what made Book Lovers such a good book is how it’s so much more than a romance story. It illustrates the bond between the two sisters and Nora confronting her grief over losing her mom. This book warmed my heart, and Nora and Charlie are so perfect together.

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik was a book that I thought would be a five-star read for me. It takes place in a magical school, where sorcerers are fighting to the death. I liked the world-building with all the dark creatures invading the school. With all of that being said, I struggled to read this book. There were a few reasons that I can attribute to why I felt this way. First, the chapters were really long, on average, twenty to thirty pages. I like to read before I go to bed, so I usually like to read 1-2 chapters in one sitting. With A Deadly Education, it felt like each chapter took forever to read, and it distracted me from the story. If that wasn’t enough, the main character was someone I couldn’t click with. She seemed extremely mean for no reason. I don’t need the main characters to be likable as I think it’s interesting to read about someone who has flaws and isn’t perfect. However, I need to care about what happens to them, and I didn’t feel this way while reading A Deadly Education.

When I purchased A Deadly Education from my local bookstore, the person who rang me up made a comment about how I have to have the sequel on standby. I was so looking forward to this book, which made it even more disappointing that this series simply isn’t for me.

Best Series You Started in 2023?

I reviewed every book I read, and the book that stuck out to me for this prompt was A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. This is the first book in the Veronica Speedwell series. I read this while in Europe this year, and it was the perfect book to read while on vacation. This series centers on Veronica Speedwell, a young woman who is defying social norms by refusing to get married. She’s attacked in what seems to be a random act of violence until she’s sent to live with Stoker, a man who’s been assigned to protect her. When Veronica’s acquaintance is found murdered, Stoker takes it upon himself to keep Veronica safe.

This series gives off Sherlock Holmes vibes, and the chemistry Veronica has with Stoker is FIRE. I’m looking forward to continuing in this series.

Most Action-Packed / Thrilling / Unputdownable Book of the Year?

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay was the other book I was considering as the best book I read in 2023. The Night Shift opens with a crime that occurred in 1999 at a Blockbuster. Years later, another murder happens at a local business, and some think the crimes are linked together. This book tells the perspective of an FBI agent, a woman who survived the Blockbuster massacre, and the brother of the suspect from the Blockbuster killing.

As I was reading The Night Shift, I felt like I was reading an episode of Criminal Minds. Keller is the FBI agent, and I LOVED her. She’s eight months pregnant with twins, along with being successful in her career. I would read a whole series of Keller investigating crimes. In my head, I pictured JJ from Criminal Minds (played by A.J. Cook) whenever I read the story from Keller’s perspective. I loved the other characters and how everything came together when it was revealed who committed these crimes. I did predict who the final killer was, but there were a few other shocking moments that threw me for a loop.

Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2023?

I think whoever illustrates Sarah Penner’s books needs a raise. I have read both The Lost Apothecary and The London Seance Society, and both of the covers are stunning.

Book You Read in 2023 That You Read Solely Based on a Recommendation From Someone Else?

If there is one book series (besides Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros) that has a strong fan base, it’s Sarah J. Maas’s books. I felt like I was missing something by not reading her books, so I figured, why not test the waters by reading A Court of Thorns and Roses? I had no expectations when it came to this series, and I did like the first book. I liked the world that Sarah J. Maas built, along with the fae not being able to remove their masks. It’s funny, once I finished the book, I read online that this book was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and my brain did not put that together while reading the book.

I plan on continuing this series as I think the story and the world that Sarah J. Maas has built are intriguing to me. Apparently, some of the characters evolve into different people (Tamlin becomes the villain and Rhys is someone Feyre falls in love with, ummmmm what??????) and I want to see how that goes.

Book that was the Most Fun to Read?

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is such a cute book. It’s basically if a Dungeons & Dragons campaign had a coffee shop and the players had to run the coffee shop, that’s what this book is about. This was such a soothing read, and I like how there are more low-stakes fantasy books out there to read.

Your Blogging and Bookish Life

Favorite Post I Wrote in 2023

My Europe Comics Haul was easily my favorite post I wrote in 2023. It was cool to visit some comic book stores overseas. I think my favorite store that I went to was Gosh! Comics in London. Gosh! had a big selection with a lot of local comics printed in the UK. They made the best souvenirs from our trip.

Favorite Bookish-Related Photo I Took in 2023

This photo perfectly describes what it’s like to own a cat. Athena loves being in the background of my photos.

Most Challenging Thing About Blogging or Your Reading Life This Year?

The toughest part for me was all the DNFed books that I read this year. In total, I DNFed four books this year, which is a record for me. I’m usually pretty good at picking books that I know I will like. I think this was a great reminder that if I do not like a book that I’m reading, it’s okay to put it down and move on to something else.

Looking Ahead

Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2024?

I think the book I’m looking forward to reading is The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead. Ashley Winstead knows how to write thrillers, and I have heard nothing but good things about The Last Housewife. I have heard that it’s really dark, so I might need a breather after reading it.

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish In Your Reading / Blogging Life in 2024?

I want to get back into a regular routine when it comes to reading. This includes creating TBRs (to be read) posts, so I can pre-plan what I read in the next month. I want to keep utilizing my local library, as that’s helped keep me motivated to keep reading. Finally, I want to make sure that I DNF a book as quickly as possible, rather than trying to force myself to read a book that I’m not interested in.

As always, Happy Reading! Let me know if you end up participating in this end-of-year book survey.