Earlier this year I challenged myself to read 23 books for 2023. I know cheesy. But, it was a fun challenge to complete. Due to the demands of residency I had only read 6 or 7 books by October. But now that things have died down and I discovered Libby and Spotify Audiobooks, I am now up to 21 books. Read on for some of my favorite reads and what I'm looking forward to finishing this year.
1. One of us is Dead
After listening to the Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, I sought out more mystery/crime books and decided to give One of us is Dead a listen on Libby. One of Us is dead is a thriller that follows a group of friends in Buckhead Atlanta, and you guessed correctly, one of them ends up dead. I enjoyed the audio version because the characters came to life by different narrators. It allowed you to connect to the characters. I also loved that there was a plot twist in the end. It was about 8hrs long but could be finished in about 2 days with consistent listening.
2. Queenie
A lot was happening in Queenie. A LOT. From lots of casual sex, to depression and losing friends Queenie was definitely living the struggle life. At first it was a hard listen due to the accent and not understanding some of the British lingo but I ultimately was rooting for Queenie to get her ish together in the end. My favorite part of this book, was the text thread between Queenie and her friends. If anyone has a group chat with their friends, this was highly relatable. This was a 9 hr listen.
3. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
I always like to mix up my reads with something that will have me thinking and this 4 hr long listen was what I needed when I was in a creative funk. I think this book could probably be helpful for anyone, not just those who are creatives, but anyone looking to push the envelope a little.
4. Before I let go
Such a beautiful love story about a second chance that will definitely pull on your heart strings. This was my first read by Kennedy Ryan, and I must say I enjoyed this read. It was easy to connect to the characters, their stories and visualize the story as it went on. Very descriptive and efficient writing. It took me about 3-4 days to finish this one. It is worth the hype. Get the book sis.
5. Red at the Bone
Not sure if I am a fan of this style of writing. It looked at life at various moments from different family members. It was hard to connect with any character because the narration was always changing. You often had to guess who was speaking. Luckily, on the audio version there were different narrators, so it was easy to tell who was telling their story. I think if the story was told from one POV and there ws a clear protagonist in my eyes, I would have enjoyed it more. Very short listen. About 4 hrs long.
Other reads I am looking forward to: Tia Williams Perfect Find and In a Holiday by Christina Lauren. Both authors I have read previous books by and loved. If you are looking for a cute and entertaining love story to listen to, I recommend The Unhoneymooners and Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren (who is actually 2 authors writing under one name).
What is your reading goal for the new year? What books are you currently reading?