This is one of my favourite things about the end of the year, but I haven’t done it since 2020! Since the blog was pretty quiet this year, I’m skipping the blogging section, and just focusing on books read and plans for next year. This annual survey was created by the incredibly talented Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.
2023 Reading Stats
Number of Books You Read: 121
Number of Books You Re-Read: 5
Genre You Read The Most From: Romance
1. Best Book You Read in 2023?
Oof, impossible to pick just one — but the book that I have yet to stop thinking about is Caught Up by Liz Tomforde.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I’ll go with my most recent disappointment, All I Want for Christmas — I adored The Holiday Swap, but the ‘manager’ in this book was just too icky combined with the miscommunication and it wasn’t the sweet Hallmark type story I was expecting.
I also have to mention Happy Place by Emily Henry – she was an auto-buy author for me, but after purchasing this one in hardcover, and unhauling it after I finished, I’ve decided that I’ll be borrowing her next book from the library because I’m super hesitant.
3. Most Surprising (in a good or bad way!) Book of 2023?
The Edens series by Devney Perry — I am not a binge reader, and I’m not sure if it was because this was my first Kindle Unlimited series, or if it’s just Devney’s writing, but I tore through the books one after the other, unable to stop!
4. Book You “Pushed” the Most People to Read (and they did) in 2023?
It’s a toss up between the Chestnut Springs series and the Windy City series … if you have not yet read Elsie Silver or Liz Tomforde’s work, please add both to your 2024 TBR lists!
5. Best Series you Started in 2023? Best Sequel of 2023? Best Series Ender of 2023?
ALL OF THEM. Chestnut Springs, the Windy City, Kings of Sin, the Edens, and the Empyrean!
6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2023?
Again, all of them: Elsie Silver, Kennedy Ryan, Liz Tomforde, H.D. Carlton, and Devney Perry.
7. Best Book From a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone?
Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood — I usually stay away from novellas, preferring a full length novel, but these were so good on audio – and the second one was the best of the three! But also an honorable mention to Haunting Adeline – a book I wouldn’t have picked up if it weren’t for bookstagram, and I absolutely loved it.
8. Most Action-Packed, Thrilling, Unputdownable Book in 2023?
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding — I got to attend her book launch party and meet her, and she’s absolutely lovely in person. I tore through the book, unable to put it down, and am eagerly awaiting her new book next year.
9. Book You Read in 2023 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
When I have no more of Elsie Silver’s books left to read, I’m sure I’ll be rereading on audio.
10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2023?
While not the most stunning cover ever, I have to document the search for the sprayed edges copy during the initial hype over this book and the PANIC induced purchase of three copies within an hour!
11. Most Memorable Character in 2023?
Elliot Page’s memoir, Pageboy, taught me so much about gender dysphoria and I found myself thinking about his story long after I’d finished it — I don’t think I’ve had a memoir stick with me as long as his did.
12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2023?
I didn’t really read any literary books this year, but I’ll have to go with The Land of Stories because of how it intricately wove fairytales together and the audio production with the sound effects and music in the background was stunning.
13. Most Thought-Provoking / Life-Changing Book of 2023?
Still Beating was my first foray into dark romance (and I read quite a few after it), and it taught me how healing these books can be.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read?
Now that I’m fully on board the indie romance train, I’m just sad I didn’t buy a Kindle earlier — I am so ready to read ALL THE THINGS on KU!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2023?
I need to be better at writing down quotes when I hear them, but I’m sure if I had written things down there would be something from Elsie Silver’s books that I could share because I love her writing!
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2023?
How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.
Longest — Christmas in Chestnut Springs (43 pages)
Shortest — Cursed Fates (886 pages)
17. Book that shocked you the most?
I usually gravitate towards thrillers for this question, but I’m going to go with Credence by Penelope Douglas this time — it’s a romance about a girl and her step-cousins. I knew it was going to be a bit taboo, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I also have to mention the Cat and Mouse duet by H.D. Carlton – this book was shocking and dark, but also hopeful and healing at the same time.
18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!)
Kai and Miller – two months have passed and I am STILL thinking about them.
19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?
The girls’ friendships in Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan or That First Night/Date by Jenn McMahon — I love a good girls’ group and the love they share.
20. Favorite book you read in 2023 from an author you’ve read previously?
Probably The Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score — I think this may have been my first grumpy/sunshine book — and Knox set the bar HIGH for grumpy!
21. Best book you read in 2023 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else?
All of the books that I picked up for the It’s (Most Likely) Spicy Book Club would fall into this category, but so many others! The Ali Hazelwood novellas were a friend’s recommendation. I picked up both Still Beating and Credence after I started following tierney.reads on Instagram. You, With a View and Same Time Next Summer were two favourite summery romances that I saw all over bookstagram.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023?
All of Elsie’s heroes (but definitely Cade) and Liz’s too (but definitely Kai) — apparently I have a thing for the single dads?!
23. Best 2023 debut you read?
Maame by Jessica George — this book was another that I was influenced to pick up, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to see what Jessica writes next.
24. Best worldbuilding / most vivid setting you read this year?
The Land of Stories – I was absolutely amazed at how well the author blended together all of the fairytales into this incredible vivid world.
25. Book that put a smile on your face / was the most FUN to read?
The Bone series by Jeff Smith – my son asked me to read them, and it was so much fun to discuss each one with him after I finished it! I’m already planning to dive into another of his favourite series in 2024 so that we can do the same thing.
26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2023?
The entire last chunk of Caught Up – my friend warned me it was coming, but I still cried through the last handful of chapters.
27. Hidden gem of the year?
I’ll go with my last book of the year – Love Warrior. When I started it a couple of months ago, I wasn’t super in love with it the way I had been with Untamed, I think because it was going into all the painful parts of Glennon’s past. But by the end of the book, Glennon’s writing was reminding me of all of the things that I loved about Untamed – I love the power and feminine energy in her writing and I ended up loving the book.
28. Book that crushed your soul?
Only because I’m back to waiting for more after I read it in a single sitting, Heartstopper vol. 5.
29. Most unique book you read in 2023?
Divine Rivals – I didn’t five-star-love-it like nearly everyone else I know, and I found the audio better than the book itself, but it was so unique and different. It reminded me a bit of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, which is also one of the most unique books I’ve read.
30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Britney Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me. I wish we’d talked more about PPD so that she would have had more mental health support when she was a new mom.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2023 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2024?
ALL the Devney Perry backlist, plus continuing to try out some new authors that are coming to BB4E!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2024 (non-debut)?
SO MANY! House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas, The Women by Kristin Hannah, Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, Wild Love by Elsie Silver, Crossroads by Devney Perry, This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune, The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, Play Along by Liz Tomforde and (maybe if we’re lucky) Silverborn by Jessica Townsend.
3. 2024 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
I haven’t seen any that caught my eye yet…
4. Series Ending / Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2024?
House of Flame and Shadow is definitely my #1 – less than a month to go!
5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging in 2024?
Continue to mood read the crap out of 2024 — this year was one of my best reading years ever, and I think it was because I stopped with TBRs and ARCs, and just read what I wanted with no obligations. I am definitely still easily influenced by reading whatever is popular online, which led to a lot of book buying last year. In 2024, I’d like to make use of KU for more of those impulsive reads rather than rushing out to buy the book, and leave the purchasing for my auto-buy authors and books that I’ve read and loved on KU but that I need to add to my physical collection.
If you filled out this survey, please leave me a link to your post and I’ll stop by! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to visit my little corner of the internet.
Writer Grrl Reads 