As an avid reader and someone who isn’t afraid to share her many opinions, I’m often asked what books I recommend reading and/or avoiding. At the end of 2021, I published a blog echoing the notes I jotted down in a handwritten journal about every book I read that year, which came in quite handy whenever someone would ask what to read next. Since then, I’ve failed to accurately remember most of what I’ve read, and I often find myself absentmindedly recommending books I’ve likely just finished, which isn’t nearly as helpful. In 2024, I plan to get back into the habit of keeping a journal I can again publish at the end of the year, but for now I thought it might be helpful to at least share my top 10 favorite books of 2023 for your reading pleasure.
The following books may not be on your radar or appear on another much more reputable list (especially since a few were published prior to 2023), but they’re my personal favorites based on the 40 or so books I read this year. I hope you enjoy them as much as me and consider giving them a shot if you haven’t already in 2024. Please note that I am at my happiest when reading a good mystery, which is why several books from this genre are included on my list. Happy reading!
1. Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
Kate’s Thoughts:Lessons in Chemistry is not only my favorite book of the year, it’s also one of my favorite books of all time. Protagonist and chemist Elizabeth Zott is both a pioneer and a fictional superhero, and if you haven’t already read this incredibly witty, sometimes devastating, always insightful novel, I strongly recommend you make it the first thing you do in the new year. As an unapologetic feminist who is constantly rooting for ALL women to succeed in whatever it is that is meaningful to them, I found myself quite humbled by the things we as women are able to legally do now thanks to the many real-life trailblazers Elizabeth’s character represents (you know, like keeping our jobs when pregnant and other little stuff like that). This novel is fast, fun, and empowering, and I’m confident I’ve never read a fictional book that made me feel as good and as thankful to be a woman.
Amazon Summary: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.
2. Solito, Javier Zamora
Kate’s Thoughts: I'm not sure I've ever listened to an audiobook more captivating and profound as Solito, a memoir about author Javier Zamora's migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of 9. In it, Zamora provides a rare glimpse into both the terror and humanity of a journey and a life the majority of us will never, ever know. While I'm sure this story is just as gripping in written form, I strongly recommend listening to it as Zamora’s narration provides an even more impactful meaning to his harrowing experience. When I finished listening I quite literally sobbed for well over 30 minutes because I was so overwhelmed by and grateful for the story I had just heard. This novel is a gift – a true gift – and I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for Zamora to recount this story as an adult. Solito is brave, dear and, quite simply, important.
Amazon Summary:Trip. My parents started using that word about a year ago—“one day, you’ll take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”
Javier Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.
At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.
A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.
3. The Latecomer, Jean Hanff Korelitz
Kate’s Thoughts: This novel is exquisite. From its various layers to its multidimensional characters, The Latecomer is a story about three disconnected triplets whose lives are disrupted by the late arrival of a fourth sibling, and its telling is what it means to weave a seamless novel. One of the things I always look for as a reader is how well-understood each character is by the author. In The Latecomer, every character is equally sympathetic and unlikeable, and clearly both loved and reviled by Hanff Korelitz whose writing is nothing short of superb. Although the book isn’t considered a mystery, there are a variety of familial mysteries in this novel that are revealed at just the right time, which is what makes it even more special. I related to and loved this family despite having absolutely nothing in common with any of its members, and I truly believe that what this novel achieves is nothing short of extraordinary.
Amazon Summary:The Latecomer follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna, under tragic circumstances, to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings—Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally—feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to have a fourth child. What role will the “latecomer” play in this fractured family?
A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines, and plot twists.
4. The Social Climber, Amanda Pellegrino
Kate’s Thoughts: This is my most-loved mystery of 2023. I went into The Social Climber thinking it was another vapid tale about a girl reinventing herself among the Ivy League elite who have no idea she’s from middle-of-America nowhere, and came away from it completely in awe of its trickery and true purpose. Since I read so many mystery novels, it’s rare I finish one and think, ‘wow, I never saw that coming’ while simultaneously feeling satisfied as a reader and vindicated on behalf of the protagonist. The writing is effortless and exciting, and I found myself completely invested from start to finish. I’m not sure the title does this novel the justice it deserves because it’s SO much more than a cliche story about a New York social climber, so in case this one doesn’t appear on any other “must read” list of the year, trust me when I tell you it’s worth it.
Amazon Summary: It’s the week before her wedding, and all of Eliza’s meticulous planning is about to pay off. She’s become the exact type of woman who would marry into the prominent, blue-blood Walker family–Ivy League credentials, a high-powered PR job, and a designer label wardrobe.
But as the big day approaches, secrets from Eliza’s past attending an Evangelical college start to throw her true motives into question. Who exactly is Eliza Bennett and what does she really want?
Written in a breakneck pace, capturing the glittering, privileged world of the one-percenters, The Social Climber is a gripping novel of one woman’s determination to seek justice at any cost.
5. Murder Your Employer: McMasters Guide to Homicide, Rupert Holmes
Kate’s Thoughts:Murder Your Employer is an incredibly devious and fun FICTIONAL novel that takes place in the 1950s at the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, a fantastical academy dedicated to the study of murder where students young and old learn how best to “delete” deserving victims. I listened to this one on audiobook and I’m so glad I did because both narrators (one of whom is Neil Patrick Harris) do an exceptional job telling the story. I did, however, need to rewind the book more than once to pick up on a few details I missed, so actually reading it may not be a bad idea either. I’m also not sure I can explain as well as Amazon what this very fun novel actually entails, so if you’re interested (which you should be), be sure and read the following summary.
Amazon Summary: Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League” college—its location unknown to even those who study there—is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate…and where one’s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.
Prepare for an education you’ll never forget. A “fiendishly funny” (Booklist) mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever read.
6. None of This Is True, Lisa Jewell
Kate’s Thoughts: Lisa Jewell books can be hit or miss for me, but None of This Is True, is Jewell at her absolute best and probably my favorite from the novelist. This book centers around two “birthday twins” who initially meet on their 45th birthday and become close friends (colleagues is probably a better word) through the creation of a true-crime podcast. Based on the title alone, this mystery had me guessing until close to the very end. It is vindictive, ugly, unpredictable, and unreliable, and I loved every page. Unlike The Social Climber, None of This Is True appears on A LOT of “must read” lists, which are all absolutely spot on regarding how good this book really is.
Amazon Summary: Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.
Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.
But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.
Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?
7. Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
Kate’s Thoughts: First, I almost NEVER read science-fiction. Second, even though this novel is classified as such, I’m not sure it completely fits because, to me, it’s actually a love story, which is also a genre I rarely read. With that said, I loved this book, which is a combination of existentialism and time travel. It’s also engaging, interesting, and beautiful. Similar to Murder Your Employer, I have a hard time explaining exactly what this book is about, so I’ll quote directly from the publisher: “This is a thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.” After I finished reading, I wished I was smarter and understood anything – and I mean ANYTHING – about physics. For me, a book hasn’t made me think this much in a long time, and even though scifi and love stories aren’t necessarily in my wheelhouse, I enjoy a book that challenges me, and this one certainly did just that.
Amazon Summary:"Are you happy with your life?"
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend."
In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that's the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could've imagined - one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
8. Yellowface, R.F. Kuang
Kate’s Thoughts:Yellowface is one of those rare books in which the primary character – in this case Juniper – refuses to evolve despite the seemingly endless opportunities both we as readers and her supporting characters provide to her to succeed. A dark comedic novel that explores identity, cultural appropriation, and plagiarism, Yellowface is timely given our current social climate, yet timeless in its approach to the perennial concept of morality. I found this novel to be witty, infuriating, and very smart, and it’s another one you’re sure to see on a number of reputable “must read” lists for 2023.
Amazon Summary: Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.
So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.
But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently enjoyable.
9. The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz
Kate’s Thoughts: The only reason I stumbled upon The Latecomer (book number three on this list) was because I read The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz first and stayed for the excerpt at the end. Unlike The Latecomer, The Plot is definitely a mystery and a pretty suspenseful one at that. Quite simply, it’s about a story – a plot – too good not to steal, and the college professor/writer who takes it from his student. Like The Latecomer, the writing is superb, and I was quite satisfied with the ending, which is as interesting as the plot itself.
Amazon Summary: Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written—let alone published—anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then...he hears the plot.
Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: But it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that—a story that absolutely needs to be told.
In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised, and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an email arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says.
As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?
10. The Escape Room, Megan Goldin
Kate’s Thoughts: I love a good “eat the rich” story (which is probably one of the reasons I also really liked Saltburn), and The Escape Room is a perfect example of how to absolutely devour four competitive, overpaid Wall Street assholes in just one bite. I enjoyed the pacing of this book, especially as it relates to each of the VERY unlikeable characters and the revelation of their many secrets and perspectives. Be warned that this book has received extremely mixed reviews, with some referring to it as “boring.” I personally found it exciting and fulfilling, so you be the judge. I also liked Goldin’s Stay Awake, which is another great book if you’re looking for something else by the same author.
Amazon Summary: In the lucrative world of finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are at the top of their game. They’ve mastered the art of the deal and celebrate their success in style―but a life of extreme luxury always comes at a cost.
Invited to participate in an escape room challenge as a team-building exercise, the ferociously competitive co-workers crowd into the elevator of a high-rise building, eager to prove themselves. But when the lights go off and the doors stay shut, it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary competition: they’re caught in a dangerous game of survival.
Trapped in the dark, the colleagues must put aside their bitter rivalries and work together to solve cryptic clues to break free. But as the game begins to reveal the team’s darkest secrets, they realize there’s a price to be paid for the terrible deeds they committed in their ruthless climb up the corporate ladder. As tempers fray, and the clues turn deadly, they must solve one final chilling puzzle: which one of them will kill in order to survive?
