This year I read a total of 65 books! I read books that made me cry, books that made me laugh, books that I can’t stop thinking about and books I can’t remember at all. 2023 was the year I also embraced audiobooks. I’ve always been a physical book girlie but adding audiobooks into the mix allowed me to enjoy books in a whole new way. I loved getting lost in characters and worlds while out on long walks, running a 5K, or doing mundane tasks like cleaning my apartment.

For my list of favourites, I’m sharing the only books that I rated 5 stars this year. Whether its the storytelling or writing; characters that I wanted to befriend or universes I wished I could explore; these twelve books are books that will stick with me for a long time.
* The books below are listed in the order I read them*

1) Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

A powerful story about two individuals navigating their recent seperation. The story navigates feelings of grief and trauma. If you enjoy love stories about people finding their way back to each other then this one’s for you! There are one dimensional characters in this story, no unnecessary miscommunication tropes, it’s just a beautiful, raw, heart-warming read.

2) Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
Genre: Non-fiction, Feminism, Essays

This was a transformational book for me. I’ll even go as far as saying, this should be necessary reading for everyone! Reading ‘Sister Outsider’ felt like a soul awakening. Lorde’s writing feels like being baptized in words that were meant to find you and make you squint at the world with fresh eyes. It feels like finding new meaning to loving and living and being.

3) Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
Genre: Fiction, LGBT, Contemporary

‘Butter Honey Pig Bread’ is an interconnected story about three Nigerian women: Kambirinachi and her twin daughters, Kehinde and Taiye. This was a beautiful story about family, love and forgiveness. It’s a story about irreversible hurt, deep loss and new beginnings. It’s a story about food as a form of comfort and care, as an act of service, and means of healing. This was truly perfection.

4) Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

This book right here, THIS is how you do ‘enemies to lovers’! I absolutely devoured this book. I went into it with the lowest of expectations and I was hungry for more by the end. It has such well-written characters, the perfect mix of angst, emotion and adventure. I truly did not know I could enjoy a book about dragon riding young adults this much!

5) Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction

After reading ‘Homegoing ‘a few years back, I was excited to pick up another Yaa Gyasi book. This one was a heartbreaking and devastating read that dove into: what it means to be okay, the conversations we don’t have with eachother, and the devastating effects of addiction.

6) Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

A spicy and cute romance following two college students who bump into eachother after a one night stand. What could easily be an awkward summer together ends up being one of the sweetest and charming romances I’ve read in a minute. There were no cheap communication/conflict scenes; instead you got to see two characters find genuine comfort in each other, learn how to set boundaries, and learn how to trust and be open.

7) Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces by Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir, Canada

In ‘Son of Elsewhere’, Abdelmahmoud recounts navigating growing up as an immigrant – leaving Khartoum, Sudan as a twelve year old boy and ending up in Kingston,Ontario. The immediate realization of being the only Black Muslim kid in a sea of white people, being fully aware of your Blackness for the first time and navigating what that means. This was a truly captivating read and a beautifully written memoir. The feeling of familiarity and longing this book conveyed and evoked is unmatched.

8) Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

This book made me a Ali Hazelwood stan! It follows two teens who are enveloped in the world of chess. One is world #1 and the other just needs a part time gig to help out her family. This was a perfect slow burn – the subtle flirting, the aching need, the growing desire, you could feel it throughout the whole book and I loved every minute. So cute and charming.

9) Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life by Roxie Nafousi
Genre: Non-fiction, Self Help, Personal Development

This is definitely a book I’ll be cracking open again and again. I’m usually skeptical when it comes to the ‘self-help’ genre and even more so around the subject of “manifesting”; but this was a pleasant surprise. It’s detailed, practical and provides a wide breadth of information around taking control and putting in the work required to change your life.

10) The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism

Orquídea Divina is dying and she has asked her family to come and claim what is theirs. From the beginning of the book, it is clear that Orquidea is no ordinary woman. She holds so much magic and power within her, and she will do anything to protect her family. This is a beautiful story about discovering your roots, embracing your heritage and standing in your power.

11) Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir

Oh, this book! This is possibly my favourite read of 2023. Alderton shares her adventures and lessons on life as a teenage girl all the way into adulthood. Written in short essays, she captures the essence of girlhood, female friendships, love, adulting, and more. This felt like reading a journal I had written many years ago, so many sentences left me feeling seen and understood. It made me laugh out loud repeatedly. I want to read everything Alderton writes, forever.

12) How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Africa

My last 5 star read of the year, and what a heartbreaking one it was! This story follows the plights of a small village in Africa that has been suffering at the hands of an American corporation. This is a story about colonization, oppression and resistance. It’s impossible not to root for the people of Kosawa despite knowing their fate, it’s impossible not to be inspired by their hope and resilience.

That’s a wrap on my 2023 favourites, I hope you found your next read in this list 🙂