Reading has always been a huge part of my life, and this year was no exception. I’m proud to say that I was able to devour 22 books in total – some would say that’s not much, but for me it’s a great accomplishment. Each book that I read was unique and captivating in its own way, ranging from novels that kept me at the edge of my seat to epic works of fantasy that transported me to another realm entirely. Historical fiction also made a prominent appearance in my reading list, and I was astounded by how each book was able to transport me back in time and immerse me in a whole new era. I have to say, some of these books were so gripping that I couldn’t put them down until I turned the final page. Others, I savored slowly, taking my time to fully enjoy every word. All in all, this year’s reading journey has been nothing short of a thrilling adventure.
If you need some book recommendations, here’s a list of the books I’ve read in 2023:
1. The Embroidered Book – Kate Heartfield
‘Power is not something you are given. Power is something you take. When you are a woman, it is a little more difficult, that’s all’
1768. Charlotte, daughter of the Habsburg Empress, arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Her sister Antoine is sent to France, and in the mirrored corridors of Versailles they rename her Marie Antoinette.
The sisters are alone, but they are not powerless. When they were only children, they discovered a book of spells – spells that work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.
In a time of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, they use the book to take control of their lives.
But every spell requires a sacrifice. And as love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.
Brimming with romance, betrayal, and enchantment, The Embroidered Book reimagines a dazzling period of history as you have never seen it before.
Kate Heartfield’s book ‘The Embroidered Book’ was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 14-02-2022.
2. The Ivory Tomb – Melissa Caruso (Rooks and Ruin Book 3)
The Rooks and Ruin series concludes with this epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic as Ryx fights to defeat the demons and save everything she loves.The Dark Days have returned. The Demon of Carnage mercilessly cuts through villagers and armies. The Demon of Corruption rots the land. The Serene Empire and the Witch Lords race towards war. And in the middle of it all stands Rxyander, the Warden of Gloamingard.
Burdened by conflicting loyalties and guilt, Ryx searches desperately for a way to defeat the demons before the world she loves is completely destroyed. To find answers, she’ll have to return to where it all started…the black tower at the heart of Gloamingard.
By blood the Door was opened and only by blood will the Dark Days end.
Book 1: The Obsidian Tower (Rooks and Ruin Book 1)
Book 2: The Quicksilver Court (Rooks and Ruin Book 2)
3. The Wood Bee Queen – Edward Cox
Somewhere in England, in a small town called Strange Ground by the Skea, Ebbie Wren is the last librarian and he’s about to lose his job. Estranged from his parents, unable to make connections with anyone except the old homeless lady who lives near the library, Ebbie isn’t quite sure what he’s supposed to do next. His only escape from reality is his deep interest in local folklore, but reality is far stranger than Ebbie can dream.
On the other side of the sky and the sea, the Queen of House Wood Bee has been murdered. Her sister has made the first move in a long game, one which will lead her to greatness, yet risk destruction for the entire Realm. She needs the two magical stones Foresight and Hindsight for her power to be complete, but no one knows where they are. Although the sword recently stolen by Bek Rana, small time thief and not very good at it, might hold a clue to their location . . . and to stopping the chaos. But all Bek wants is to sell the sword and buy herself a better life. She’s not interested in being a hero, and neither is Ebbie.
But someone is forcing their hand and playing for the heart of the Realm. Ebbie and Bek are destined to unite. They must find a way to stop the destruction of House Wood Bee, save the Realm, and just maybe save themselves in the process. All victories come at a price. The Oldungods are rising. And they are watching…
4. Child of Light – Terry Brooks (Viridian Deep Book 1)(impossible to put down)
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The electrifying first novel of an all-new fantasy series from the legendary author behind the Shannara saga, about a human girl struggling to find her place in a magical world she’s never known
At nineteen, Auris Afton Grieg has led an . . . unusual life. Since the age of fourteen, she has been trapped in a Goblin prison. Why? She does not know. She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions. All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison, and rumors say that the adult version is far, far worse. So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands. And it is here that Auris’s journey of discovery begins, for she is rescued by a handsome yet alien stranger.
Harrow claims to be Fae—a member of a magical race that Auris had thought to be no more than legend. Odder still, he seems to think that she is Fae as well, although the two look nothing alike. But strangest of all, when he brings her to his wondrous homeland, she begins to suspect that he is right. Yet how could a woman who looks entirely Human be a magical being herself?
Told with a fresh, energetic voice, this fantasy puzzle box is Terry Brooks as you have never seen him before, as one young woman slowly unlocks truths about herself and her world—and, in doing so, begins to heal both.
5. A Fire Sparkling – Julianne Maclean
After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a much-needed escape, but when she finds an old photograph of her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, Gillian’s life gets even more complicated. Rattled by the discovery, Gillian attempts to unravel the truth behind the photos, setting her off on an epic journey through the past…
1939. England is on the brink of war as Vivian Hughes falls in love with a handsome British official, but when bombs begin to fall and Vivian’s happy life is destroyed in the blitz, she will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…
As Gillian learns more about her grandmother’s past, the old photo begins to make more sense. But for every question answered, a new one takes its place. Faced with a truth that is not at all what she expected, Gillian attempts to shine a light not only on the mysteries of her family’s past but also on her own future.
This gorgeously written multigenerational saga is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of one woman’s struggle to survive, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky.
6. Sycamore Row – John Grisham
Seth Hubbard is a wealthy white man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and defense attorney Jake Brigance into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County’s most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.
The second will raises many more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?
7. The Omega Factor – Steve Berry
“Dan Brown fans will want to check this one out” (Publishers Weekly): The Ghent Altarpiece is the most violated work of art in the world. Thirteen times it has been vandalized, dismantled, or stolen. Why? What secrets does it hold?
Enter UNESCO investigator, Nicholas Lee, who works for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO). Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts—anything and everything from countless lesser-known objects to national treasures.
When Nick travels to Belgium for a visit with a woman from his past, he unwittingly stumbles on the trail of a legendary panel from the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 under cover of night and never seen since. Soon Nick is plunged into a bitter conflict, one that has been simmering for nearly two thousand years. On one side is the Maidens of Saint-Michael, les Vautours—the Vultures—a secret order of nuns and the guardians of a great truth. Pitted against them is the Vatican, which has wanted for centuries to both find and possess what the nuns guard. Because of Nick the maidens have finally been exposed, their secret placed in dire jeopardy—a vulnerability that the Vatican swiftly moves to exploit utilizing an ambitious cardinal and a corrupt archbishop, both with agendas of their own.
From the tranquil canals of Ghent, to the towering bastions of Carcassonne, and finally into an ancient abbey high in the French Pyrenees, Nick Lee must confront a modern-day religious crusade intent on eliminating a shocking truth from humanity’s past. Success or failure—life and death—all turn on the Omega Factor.
8. The Shadow Bound Queen – Book 1 Court of Ravens and Ruin, A Brides of Fae and Mist Novel – Eliza Raine
A defiant human woman. A dark fae Prince. Two enemies bound to a marriage that could destroy their world.
Reyna was born a valuable slave to the Gold Court, imprisoned her whole life in a glittering palace by sadistic, greedy fae.
When the palace is raided, she takes her opportunity to escape. But the raid is led by her worst nightmare. The Prince of the most feared fae of all; the Shadow Court. And he wants one thing.
Her. The copper-haired, rune-marked human.
Reyna doesn’t know why the Prince has kidnapped her. But when he announces her as his betrothed, she knows that she must escape before she is eternally bound to the monster behind the mask.
Only, when he takes the mask off, he isn’t what she expects. He’s lethal, beautiful and exudes sin. And he needs her.
Drawn into a deadly world shrouded in secrets, and desperate to keep her own hidden, Reyna must find a way out. If she doesn’t, she risks more than just death. She risks giving everything to her intoxicating captor.
This is the first book in the Shadow Bound Queen series, and is inspired by Norse mythology and Vikings. Sexy fae Vikings. It has Hades and Persephone, Beauty and the Beast vibes, and is slow-burn enemies to lovers fantasy romance with a burn-the-world-down-for-her hero. The series builds in steam and is filled with magic, myth, and delicious tension.
Brides of Mist and Fae is a brand new world from Eliza Raine, unconnected to the Dark Gods of Olympus.
9. The Shadow Bound Queen – Book 2 Court of Greed and Gold, A Brides of Fae and Mist Novel – Eliza Raine
The threats are mounting in the Shadow Court, not just for Reyna, but for the mysterious shadow-fae Prince who has kidnapped her. Undead monsters, an insane Queen, magical curses and ancient secrets are all vying for the honor of ending their lives.
Forced to work with the famously monstrous Prince, Reyna soon learns that the fae warrior is dangerously different from the rumors. Passionately, fiercely, different.
And when the stakes are raised, she will discover that he is not the only one hiding who he really is.
This is the second book in the Shadow Bound Queen series, which is an adult fantasy romance inspired by Norse mythology. It is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, packed with magic, mystery and above all – delicious romantic tension.
10. The Shadow Bound Queen – Book 3 Court of Monsters and Malice, A Brides of Fae and Mist Novel – Eliza Raine
Reyna’s friends were supposed to be safe in the Shadow Court, but she has enemies everywhere. And unless Mazrith forgives her, he will join that number.
As hard as she wishes it were not true, Reyna’s desire for the Prince grows as fierce as her need to win the games and find the staff that will set him free.
But she’s about to find out who he really is, and what he has been keeping from her – and that will change everything.
This is the third book in the Shadow Bound Queen series, which is an adult fantasy romance inspired by Norse mythology. It is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, packed with magic, mystery and above all – delicious romantic tension.
*This blurb is as spoiler-free as possible!
11. The Shadow Bound Queen – Book 4 Court of Serpents and Secrets, A Brides of Fae and Mist Novel – Eliza Raine
Reyna’s secrets pale in comparison to what Mazrith has been keeping from her. And now that she knows what he is, he has nothing to lose.
With the balance of power tipping, both Reyna and Mazrith will be forced to make choices. Save each other, or stop the monsters from ruling Yggdrasil.
But love can turn even the sanest crazy, and if they can’t save each other, they may just become the monsters that threaten their world.
This is the fourth and final book in the Shadow Bound Queen series, which is an adult fantasy romance inspired by Norse mythology. It is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, packed with magic, mystery, and, above all, delicious romantic tension.
12. A Prince So Cruel – Book 1 – Ingrid Seymour
He needs my help, but he’ll be my downfall.
A prince by morning.
A cretin by noon.
A beast by nightfall.
There is a curse on his blood, an ailment that, if revealed, could destroy his kingdom.
The only one who can help him is me, a human with average healing abilities. It’s what the Envoy told him, and her word is law.
I’m his only hope.
He sends his blue-blooded friends to kidnap me so I can join their quest to Mount Ruin, the only place where I can heal him.
The path is terrifying, and the prince is lying, hiding things from me. To make matters worse, he isn’t always nice. A Fae prince isn’t supposed to lust for a human, especially when she’s his prisoner. And a human girl isn’t supposed to burn for someone so out of her league.
The quest might kill me, but it’s my heart I’m worried about.
—-
Featuring a troubled prince, a strong heroine, and an amazing supporting cast. This is an enemies-to-lovers series suitable for 17+ that grows spicier with every book. For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout
13. A Cage So Gilded – Book 2 – Ingrid Seymour
The prince would choose to save his realm.
But the beast would follow his heart…
To me.
After I saved his life and kingdom, Kalyll let me go, choosing duty over the passion that burned between us.
Though his death was written in the stars, I found a dark, impossible way to pull him back, to anchor his soul to the world of the living. Still, that wasn’t enough to win his heart.
Now, the force that lives within him gives way to his darker nature, and for a second time, I’m kidnapped and made prisoner—this time in a high tower in the Seelie capital of Elyndell.
With good and evil fighting within him, both his kingdom and heart stand at risk. He can’t have it all, and his attempts to do so may be the end of all he and I hold dear.
—-
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast featuring a troubled prince, a strong heroine, and an amazing supporting cast. This is an enemies-to-lovers series suitable for 18+ that grows spicier with every book. For fans of Fantasy Romance.
14. A Court So Dark – Book 3 (final) – Ingrid Seymour
In a void suspended in time, I find myself trapped in an abyss of darkness and despair.
With every ounce of strength, I fight to free myself from this suffocating sleep, while Kalyll, consumed by a fierce determination, searches tirelessly through the realm. His sole mission: to exact revenge upon those responsible for bringing me to the edge of death. No one shall escape his wrath, for everyone in his path will suffer the consequences.
Yet, the fate of his kingdom teeters precariously as his treacherous brother, Cardian, schemes to plunge the realm into all-out war. Cardian’s alliance with the heartless and ambitious Unseelie King threatens to shatter the fragile peace that remains.
In a cruel twist of fate, Kalyll falls into the clutches of his enemies, leaving the specter of war looming ever closer.
As time runs out, can I wake from my dark slumber and restore the light before the darkness consumes us all? The final battle looms, and our love hangs in the balance.
—-
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast featuring a troubled prince, a strong heroine, and an amazing supporting cast. Enemies-to-lovers series suitable for 18+.For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
15. See You Soon – NC Marshall
A gripping read combing mystery, suspense and romance…
What is true friendship really worth?
When Emily receives an email from her estranged childhood friend, Ali, she instantly looks forward to reading what it has to say. She hasn’t seen or heard from Ali in a very long time and hopes that they can begin to rekindle the perfect friendship they once had. But when Emily opens the email, she finds it isn’t the friendly message she had hoped for. Instead, it is a desperate plea for help from Ali to tell Emily she could be in danger.
Growing increasingly concerned for Ali’s safety, Emily is forced to return to the seaside town where she and Ali had grown up. The same town that she had fled from over fifteen years ago, when she had sworn she would never return.
Once back there, Emily is quickly thrown into a game of cat and mouse, where she must follow the clues to help her old friend. But time is against her and she is constantly looking over her shoulder. It appears Emily isn’t alone and must hurry before her past finally tracks her down…
16. Beyond the Moonlit Sea – Julianne Maclean
From the bestselling author of These Tangled Vines comes a gripping novel about one woman’s search for answers when her husband vanishes in the night.
Olivia Hamilton is married to the love of her life, Dean, a charismatic pilot who flies private jets for the rich and famous. But when he vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia’s idyllic existence unravels. After years of waiting, Olivia must eventually let go of the fragile hope that her beloved husband might still be alive.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. But her research interests falter when her mother dies in a tragic accident. Struggling to reboot her life and career, Melanie begins a forbidden love affair with her therapist.
When a shocking discovery shows Olivia’s and Melanie’s paths are intertwined, it casts Dean’s disappearance in a new light. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
Full of spellbinding twists and turns, Beyond the Moonlit Sea is a vivid, emotional novel about the stirring power of love lost and found—and the incredible strength of one woman who fights for happiness in the wake of tragedy.
17. The Alice Network – Kate Quinn – Reese’s Book Club
Books have always been a source of comfort and adventure for me. With so many options out there, it can be tough to choose which one to read next. That’s why I was excited when Reese’s Book Club came into my life. I trust Reese Witherspoon’s taste in all things, so I knew her book picks wouldn’t disappoint. And I was right! The first book I chose from her club was simply marvellous. From the first page, I was hooked. The writing was engaging, the characters were relatable, and the story was one I didn’t want to end. I can’t wait to dive into more of Reese’s Book Club picks and discover new literary gems.
In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.
1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.
Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth…no matter where it leads.
18. The Lost Bookshop – Evie Woods
The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.
‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’
On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.
But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.
19. The Echo of Old Books – Barbara Davis
A novel about the magical lure of books and summoning the courage to rewrite our stories by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Keeper of Happy Endings and The Last of the Moon Girls.
Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance.
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.
20. Foe – Iain Reid
*Now a major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal*
A taut, psychological thriller from Iain Reid, “one of the most talented purveyors of weird, dark narratives in contemporary fiction” (Los Angeles Review of Books).
Severe climate change has ravaged the country, leaving behind a charred wasteland. Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable if solitary life on one of the last remaining farms. Their private existence is disturbed the day a stranger comes to the door with alarming news.
Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm, but the most unusual part is that arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won’t have a chance to miss him. She won’t be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.
Told in Iain Reid’s sparse, biting style, Foe is a “mind-bending and genre-defying work of genius” (Liz Nugent, author of Unraveling Oliver) that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
21. Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop – Rebecca Raisin
The trip of a lifetime!
Rosie Lewis has her life together.
A swanky job as a Michelin-starred Sous Chef, a loving husband and future children scheduled for an exact date.
That’s until she comes home one day to find her husband’s pre-packed bag and a confession that he’s had an affair.
Heartbroken and devastated, Rosie drowns her sorrows in a glass (or three) of wine, only to discover the following morning that she has spontaneously invested in a bright pink campervan to facilitate her grand plans to travel the country.
Now, Rosie is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, and the chance to change her life! With Poppy, her new-found travelling tea shop in tow, nothing could go wrong, could it…?
A laugh-out-loud novel of love, friendship and adventure! Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Holly Martin.
22. Counterfeit – Kirstin Chen – Reese’s Book Club
Money can’t buy happiness… but it can buy a decent fake.
Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home—she’s built the perfect life. But beneath this façade, Ava’s world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn’t been used in years, and her toddler’s tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point.
Enter Winnie Fang, Ava’s enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business—someone who’d never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences.
Swift, surprising, and sharply comic,Counterfeit is a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind. Peering behind the curtain of the upscale designer storefronts and the Chinese factories where luxury goods are produced, Kirstin Chen interrogates the myth of the model minority through two unforgettable women determined to demand more from life.
These were my reading adventures in 2023. I can’t wait to see what literary adventures await me this year. Have you read any of these books? I’d love to know which one resonated with you the most.
Leave a Reply