Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
At the time of writing this, there’s only a handful of days left in the year, and I haven’t yet finished all my reading. But I’m only planning on finishing the three books (one audio, one ebook, one physical) I have for reading challenges, and right now, although I’m really enjoying them, I don’t think any of them will top my favourite reads from the last year. I always find favourites hard to narrow down – I have already picked out one from each month for the first half of the year, and I’ll have the second part up soon, but for now, here are ten of my favourite books from 2023.
Top Ten Favourite Books of 2023
The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Adult
Format: Paperback
Published: January 1st, 1992
I love this series, the graphic novels are great, and I’m really keen to continue on with it, when I can actually get hold of the next one anyway! They’re the kind of books it’s hard to fully shake off, and this one especially is incredibly memorable.
Genre: Non-Fiction – Literature – History
Age: Adult
Format: Hardback
Published: May 15th, 2013
This was an excellent book not just about the gothic genre in Wales, but about Wales as a country; the struggles to promote our own culture, the relationship with England, and the attempts to convey how we see ourselves alongside the portrayals of Wales by England. It’s a fascinating read and definitely one I think about a lot.
Small Town Girl: Love, Lies and the Undercover Police by Donna McLean
Genre: Non-Fiction – Memoir
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: February 3rd, 2022
This is a really impactful book about one woman impacted by the Spy Cops scandal. It’s another one I’m not going to forget in a hurry, and really exposes the lies and deceit of the police involved in this, as they infiltrated activist groups by forming relationships with women.
Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: May 25th, 2023
Lee skilfully blends fantasy with dystopia with Arthurian characters, giving us a very modern take on Kay, Lancelot, Merlin, Arthur and more, in a version of the UK that is desperately in need of heroes. This is the kind of novel that doesn’t hold back, and it’s a great example of British satire and dark humour. Well worth picking up if you like fresh, funny social commentary in your fantasy.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: Audiobook
Published: June 23rd, 2020
This book was delightful! I absolutely loved every moment between Dani and Zafi, and I think this was the book that really underscored that yes, I love the fake dating trope!
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: April 11th, 2023
This was another fake dating romance I absolutely adored, though this one was also a sports romance. Despite not being a sports fan, I find myself oddly drawn to sports romances! They can be really fun, and this is no exception.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Fantasy – Paranormal Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: August 23rd, 2022
This book and these characters totally captured my heart – I was a bit slow in getting around to reading this one, and it’s something I regret. It’s truly a wonderful book with a firm place in my heart.
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: July 18th, 2023
This book is haunting in both the best and worst possible ways. The horror here comes from a very human source, and the creeping dread gets worse as the story unfolds. Absolutely excellent.
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: Paperback
Published: August 1st, 2023
Found file horror – and it’s brilliant. The format of the book is done incredibly well, and it’s really easy to get totally caught up in the story Voleur presents to us. If you’re looking for horror that’s a bit different, pick this up.
Garth Marenghi’s TerrorTome by Garth Marenghi
Genre: Horror Comedy
Age: Adult
Format: Audiobook
Published: November 3rd, 2022
This book is pure genius. Do yourself a favour and check out the audio version, read out by Garth Marenghi. It’s a witty send-up of 80s pulp horror, and it works so, so well.
Like I said above, I do find it difficult picking favourites, but these are the ones that really stand out for me from the last year, though there are some books (These Burning Stars, The Supreme Lie, and The Foxglove King, to name a few) I really loved, but unfortunately didn’t have room to include here. These ten, however, are definitely ones that, I think, all offer something different, and I would recommend all of them, too.
Unwrapping Words 