All the Books I Read in 2023 📚👀
January
1. The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (2018)
A literary family drama that turns even sadder and more traumatic than you might expect.
2. I Want to Watch by Diego De Silva (2002)
A unique story that is hard to describe; perhaps the best book I read in 2023!
3. Farewell, Ghosts by Nadia Terranova (2018)
An interesting story of a woman having to face her traumas, but it should have been shorter.
4. Truth or Dare by Camilla Lackberg (2021)
Real struggles, but characters stayed the same and the ending disappointed me.
February
5. Wild Bees by Melina Tsampani (2021)
Loved the chance to see the background of the characters in one of my favourite Greek TV series, but there were no major conflict and no deeper investigation of their struggles.
6. Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo (2015)
The morally gray protagonist had a unique voice, but I wished we could have spent a bit more time with our main female characters.
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)
A deep and realistic coming-of-age story, but unfortunately, some parts felt underwhelming.
8. Of Dogs and Walls by Yuko Tsushima (1982)
Splendid writing that requires your full attention.
March
9. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1854)
Thought-provoking discussions about class, society, and change, but I needed more romance.
10. The Absolution by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (2016)
A fun contemporary thriller, but there were a few thoughts that felt wrong and unnecessary.
April
11. The Procedure by Harry Mulisch (1998)
An interesting Frankenstein retelling, but I don't remember much about it now.
12. The Melting by Lize Spit (2021)
If you liked The Discomfort of Evening, you need to read this.
13. The Murderess by Alexandros Papadiamantis (1903)
The fascinating short-story of a troubled old woman, struggling to survive in a male-dominated small community.
May
14. Realm of the Dead by Uchida Hyakken (1922)
Nightmarish short stories, but I wish there weren't that many.
15. Strong in the Rain: Selected Poems by Kenji Miyazawa (2007)
Amazing if you are into nature-focused poetry.
16. The Bride by Julie Garwood (1989)
A historical romance taking place in the Highlands that made me giggle and get into the romance genre, even though there were comments, especially about the bride's sister, that I did not particularly enjoyed.
17. The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol (1842)
A fascinating short story about life, work, and people.
18. Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (2020)
A fun story even though I felt that it was lacking in the romance department.
June
19. The Serious Game by Hjalmar Soderberg (1912)
A raw romantic story with a female protagonist whom I adored.
July
20. Paul by Daisy Lafarge (2021)
A truly interesting literary work, but I have to be honest and say that I was left confused about the protagonist's research failure. Note: do look up who Paul was, once you finish reading this book.
21. Voices in Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher (1984)
A romance/mystery book that left me underwhelmed mostly due to one-dimensional characters.
22. Plays by Anton Chekhov (2002)
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This collection included 5 splendid Chekhov plays: Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard.
August
23. Little Green Man by Simon Armitage (2001)
This was a book that I felt that it tried to be edgy and provocative, but it ended up being superficial and even boring.
24. Dear Child by Romy Hausmann (2019)
A twisting psychological thriller that, despite my criticisms, kept my attention all the way through.
25. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (2013)
A cute little romance and coming-of-age story that sparked the desire in me to write thanks to the protagonist's passion for writing, but there were some misogynistic comments here and there that didn't let me love this book.
26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Heartstopper
A cute queer love story that manages to make its readers feel joy, love and hope.
Note: I read volume 5 in December, but I thought that it would make more sense to include it with the rest of the series.
September
31. The First Amethyst by Melina Tsampani (2019)
A page-turner historical romance during the Greek Revolution with a lot of family drama.
32. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898)
An eerie Victorian ghost story that makes you stay for the vibes and the drama of it even though we don't get to see the ghosts much.
33. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (2015)
34. Understanding Literature by Robin Mayhead (1965)
A good book for introducing readers to the basics of literary analysis.
October
35. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (2017)
A literary thriller taking place in a small riverside village with many different characters.
36. You by Caroline Kepnes (2014)
Another psychological thriller with a unique stalker's voice.
37. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (1989)
A great book discussing various complex mother-daughter relationships of first and second generation immigrants.
November
38. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019)
A truly cute and bingeable love story between the Prince of England and the First Son.
39. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (2021)
A sweet and fun fake-dating romance at a university setting.
40. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson (2021)
A beautifully and poetically written book about being a Black artist living and falling in love in contemporary London.
41. Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter (2021)
I know that many people love this romance book, but it felt flat and superficial to me.
December
42. Solitaire by Alice Oseman (2014)
A young adult book that goes deep right from the start as it shows how it feels for Tori to live with depression, but I should say that I needed more scenes between Tori and her brother as he plays a pivotal role in her life and the story.
43. This Winter by Alice Oseman (2015)
It was nice to see the Christmas mentioned in both Solitaire and Heartstopper Volume 4 in more detail, but I was left feeling that we could have gone deeper into our main characters' psychological state.
44. Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Although it was refreshing and realistic to really see Nick and Charlie fight, I felt that the reasons that made Charlie worry and feel insecure were not adequately investigated.
45. Anadyomeni by Gregorios Xenopoulos (1925)
A love triangle in among aristocrats in the island of Zakynthos.
46. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (1961)
An immersive short read about the deep and long-lasting influence a teacher has on her female students.
These are all the books I read in 2023. What are the best books you read last year?
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