 Hi everyone, a big welcome back to my channel. It's time to talk about the best books that I read in 2023. I've got six books to talk about today. I just like to focus on whichever books stand out to me as being the best rather than picking an arbitrary number. We have literary fiction, poetry, translated fiction, and romance. So many releases, some are backlist. Please, let me know down below in the comments if you've read these books. Did you love them? Also, please, of course, let me know what your favorite read of the year was. As I always do with your comments, I will be going through and checking out the books that you recommend and adding them to my TBR if they sound of interest. So please do share. So in a vague order of least favorites of the favorites to most favorites, first up, we have Carla by Colin Walsh. This is an Irish literary thriller set in a coastal town following three estranged friends, Helen, Joe, and Mush, as they meet again in their 30s. Back in 2003, they were part of a tight-knit friendship group with the reckless charismatic Carla at the center before Carla went missing. Now, bodily remains have been found in the woods, and two more local girls have gone missing. And the characters must confront their past to avoid the town's violence repeating itself. This is the perfect combination of literary fiction combined with a raring page turning plot. It is gripping and addictive and ultimately so satisfying. The murky seaside setting is absolutely gorgeous. It fits the vibes and sets the scenes so perfectly. The prose crackles with energy throughout, and the structuring is perfectly chosen and brilliantly executed. The chapters shift between timelines and character perspectives filled with cliffhangers, allowing you to slowly piece together the bigger picture. I found all of the character perspectives to be strong and engaging, which is quite impressive. I actually part listened to this one on audiobook and I would highly, highly recommend. The different voice actors really brought these characters to life, especially Mush's character in that deep Irish accent. So good. This is so current and fresh and just an exhilarating ride. So many people would love this. Next up we have The No Show by Beth O'Leary. This is actually my first read of 2023, I think. I loved it when I read it and it has stuck with me throughout the whole year. This is a contemporary romance novel following three different women who were all stood up on Valentine's Day by the same man. We have Siobhan, a life coach, Miranda, a tree surgeon, Jane, a voluntary charity shot worker, and the mysterious Joseph Carter. This is the first time ever that a straight-up romance novel has made it onto my best books of the year list. Beth O'Leary is one of my favourite romance writers. Her novels are delightful with playful, endearing plots and authentic charming characters. I just devour her writing and this is her at her best. This novel is so fun and sweet and heartwarming. I loved following all three of the women's perspectives and their intertwining plots, learning about their different lifestyles and personalities, as well as romance. The book explores themes of friendship and loss and self-acceptance. The ending is so smart and satisfying. The intrigue is built up really well throughout and I didn't see the resolution coming. I will read every single thing that Beth O'Leary brings out. If you like this kind of thing, this is perfection. Next up we have The Thing in the Gapstone Style by Alice Oswald. This is Alice Oswald's first poetry collection, first published in the 1990s and it is a passionate ode to nature and love. I first came across Alice Oswald's poetry in an anthology a year or so ago and I immediately sought out this collection and now she's one of my favourite ever poets. These poems just make complete sense to me and give me everything I need from poetry. On a surface level, this poetry collection is just beautiful to experience with vibrant, luscious imagery and lyrical, vivid language. I do have to admit that for some of the poems in here, a wonderful surface level experience was all I got, but that was more than enough. Some of the poems, however, really made me pause and reflect. I wanted to reread and delve deeper into what it could be saying about myself and the world. There is so much emotion in this collection, it is filled with a deep sense of feeling and energy that is so necessary for strong nature poetry. This collection really spoke to me, it is one that I will treasure and reread for years to come. Next up we have My Men by Victoria Kjelland, translated by Damien Sells. This is a Norwegian historical literary novel set towards the end of the 19th century. It is a fictionalised account of Bell Gunnitz, a Norwegian servant girl who fled to America after a failed love affair and ultimately became one of America's most notorious female serial killers with a body count of 14 men. This is a stunner captivating and gritty and delicious. I could not put this down. The novel is super introspective throughout. You follow Bell's inner and outer journey every step of the way. As she experiences trauma in her formative years, oppressive and rigid moral codes, the trappings of class and gender, and as she ultimately yearns for a love and recognition that she never receives. The book is told through the most immersive silky prose that just sucks you in. There is a real terrifying sense of inevitability, a real feeling of uncontrolled tumbling in this book. You can't quite put your finger on where the violence begins, but by then it's too late. Reading this novel is an experience. It is masterfully put together and translated and I just ate it up. My penultimate favourite book is Feminine Gospels by Carol Ann Duffy. This is another poetry collection, this one from the early naughties and it is all about women. It explores the lives and stories of all sorts of women from real to mythical, from royals to the girl next door. Carol Ann Duffy is another favourite poet of mine. She just hits every single time. This collection explores many components of women's lives through quite a range of different styles of poetry. There's wide-reaching metaphorical poetry in here and more personal romantic poetry. The poems are historical and witty and somber and erotic. Carol Ann Duffy's trademark sass and scathing societal and historical and gender commentary pierces through. The collection is so wonderfully varied but ultimately so recognisably Carol Ann Duffy. As always, this is in equal parts, challenging and entertaining. I just love her. Every time I read her poetry I grin and then run off to read it out loud to Cameron. I am totally in awe of this collection. And finally, my favourite book of 2023, Demon Copperheads by Barbara Kingsolver. This is a modern-day retelling of David Copperfield set in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, USA, during the heart of the opioid crisis. From the day he was born to a teenaged mother in a trailer park, this tells the story of the birth, childhood and coming of age of Demon Copperhead. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize and the Women's Prize for Fiction. It will no doubt be on so many people's best of the year lists. Every now and again a book like this comes along and its brilliance just cannot be denied. This book is a masterpiece and all-consuming social commentary and an engaging sweeping tale of family and poverty and love and loss and addiction and hope. This book also includes one of the strongest characterizations I have ever read. I've said it before and I'll say it again. How Barbara Kingsolver so expertly and utterly convincingly encapsulates this young boy's voice? I will never know. The characters in here just jump off the page at you. They live and they breathe. I know this book is going to stay with me for a very long time. I already can't wait to reread it. You need to experience this novel for yourself. Trust me. Also, if any of you wanted to leave a comment down below telling my husband Cameron to get on with it and read this book, I would appreciate it. So there we have it. Those were my absolute favorite reads of 2023. I love these books so much and I love how varied they are. I would love to know if you guys have read any of these books and what you thought of them and of course don't forget to tell me what your favorite read of 2023 was. Thank you so much for watching everyone. I appreciate it more than you know. Looking forward to chatting it down below and I will hopefully see you very soon in another video. Bye guys.