*Peeks out from behind a corner*
Sooooo it’s been a while. Turns out keeping up with a blog is hard when you don’t have motivation, your job is mentally exhausting, and you spend all of your free time trying to regenerate enough energy to make it through the next day/week/month. However, I’m back for my annual top reads list. This year though, I read half of the books I did last year (100 per year is just not sustainable) so instead of a top 10 filled with mediocre picks, I’m going with my top 5 (all of which are fantastic and five star reads…you’re welcome).
#5 Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Date Read: July 30, 2023
If you’ve read my other blog posts, you’ll know that in addition to my yearly reading goal, I tried to do my own personal reading challenge that I created. One of those items was to read a “cozy mystery.” If you’re unfamiliar with the genre, it has all of the intrigue of a regular thriller/mystery with a little bit of a lighter tone; often authors include humor and romance as a way to lighten the mood. I’d heard good things about this one, so I decided to go for it. One of my better decisions because this book was delightful.
The premise is that the main character, down-on-her-luck Finlay Donovan, accidentally finds herself caught up in a murder-for-hire plot. She spends the rest of the book trying to cover it up and figure out what is going on with the shady figures who tried to hire her. Needless to say, she uncovers more than she bargained for. The novel is enjoyable, funny, and keeps you interested the entire time. It’s a fantastic read for people who like mystery but are not a fan of all of the heaviness of the suspense genre. Bonus: the book is set in Northern VA as that is where the author is from, and she does such a good job of creating an accurate picture of the places that she chooses to write about. I was personally geeking at the mention of a spin class in Tyson’s Corner.
#4 Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
Date Read: May 24, 2023
My God. I don’t even know where to start with this book. It was my Book of the Month pick for April and from the summary and reviews I’d read online, I was expecting a heavy read; many people who’d read it were disappointed that it was billed as a romance, but was decidedly not at all a romance. In my opinion, the summary on BOTM didn’t paint it that way, but I digress.
This book isn’t a romance. That’s correct. But, it is a book about love. All the beautiful, ugly, and messy parts of love. Adelaide meets a man whom she is certain must be her soulmate. He is everything she’d ever hoped and dreamed for and their connection is off the charts. He’s perfect…until he isn’t. His inconsistency starts to show soon in their relationship, but for all of the pain it causes, she just can’t let go. Anyone who has experienced even something close to this back-and-forth situationship can attest to its tragic nature. Unfortunately, Wheeler captured this perfectly, and the book was both heartbreaking but also cathartic as it ends with some sort of resolution even if not a happily ever after.
It tore me apart, but it was absolutely worth the read.
#3 The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Date Read: January 19, 2023
I was on the late train with this one, but a casual book purchase at Target turned out to be one of my favorites of the year! I’m not quite sure what it was about it, but I loved every second of it.
The story centers around Catalina who is a big shot at her job, much to the chagrin of her co-worker Aaron Blackford. In the midst of all of her work drama, she now has to attend her sister’s wedding in Spain but has been putting off finding a date. Of course, she could go solo, but that would mean outing herself as the family member who doesn’t have her life together, which, ok she doesn’t, but she would very much like everyone to think she does. Turns out, Aaron can help with that. Catalina’s desperation outweighs her hatred and thus, she reluctantly agrees.
Cue the tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, wedding setting, vacation setting, shared bed etc.
Y’all I had so much fun reading this book and Aaron Blackford is my new book boyfriend (sorry to Charlie from Book Lovers). He just made me swoon idk. Definitely worth the read for fans of romance as it’s loaded with tropes and spice.
#2 Happy Place by Emily Henry
Date Read: May 9, 2023
I am of the firm opinion that Emily Henry can do no wrong. She has not written one thing that I don’t like and up until recently, this was my number one pick for the year (more on that in a minute). Henry does this thing where she writes a happily-ever-after romance but fills it with depth and character development. This sets it apart from its other romance counterparts as many romances tend to be surface-level (which absolutely has its place; we don’t genre shame here). Happy Place was no different. In fact, it might have been deeper than her others.
The book follows a group of friends who are going on their annual friend trip to a place that Harriet has always seen as her personal “Happy Place”. The problem is that Harriet and her fiance, Wyn, have been separated…and her friends have no idea. Instead of telling her friends and risk ruining the trip, which it turns out is their last, they must fake it until the trip is over and they can go their separate ways. That is…unless they don’t.
I cried reading this book. I don’t even know why, I just felt like it was beautiful. In all its messiness, love prevailed, which somehow makes it all the more sweet. Henry captures all the ups and downs of love through flashbacks and the internal monologues of the main characters. And as always, she balances reality with a happily ever after (even though for most of the book it most definitely doesn’t seem like it’s coming) so that you too can have hope in your own story no matter how hopeless it seems.
#1 Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Date Read: November 20, 2023
Let me tell you something. This was the surprise of the decade here. Romance book as my top pick? Expected. Literary fiction? Not completely off brand. But a fantasy book? Over my dead body.
I was somewhat forced into reading this book through my book club. They were reading the second installment (Iron Flame) and I’d not read the first one. So, of course, I had to embark on a journey into a genre I typically hate. Two massive books worth. And if it wasn’t already bad enough, the hype that usually deters me was something I’d just have to suck up.
Now, I stand by the fact that I dislike traditional fantasy, however, this one isn’t traditional fantasy. Yes, it has magic and dragons, but it’s not so far removed from reality that it bothers me. No fairies and trolls and shit. It feels more like Hunger Games and Divergent than Lord of the Rings (sorry LOTR fans; not for me).
The overall premise is that Violet Sorrengail is forced into her first year at Basgiath War College on the rider path rather than the scribe path that she expected to take. She fights everyday just to survive (a luxury not afforded to all cadets), and along the way, she forms an unlikely friendship with wingleader, Xaden Riorson. As she and Xaden grow closer, secrets about their world start to emerge that Violet finds that she can no longer ignore.
I so enjoyed this read and it was absolutely worth the hype. It’s been so long since I’ve found a series that I really liked, and it puts me to mind of the feeling I felt when reading Twilight or Hunger Games for the first time. That renewed love and passion for reading is probably what puts it at my number one. Well, that and Xaden. He’s fucking hot.
Honorable Mention: The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Date Read: July 15, 2023
This was a hard one to eliminate. Book of the Month almost never fails! Turns out, Riley Sager is actually pretty well known in the horror community and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of his stuff. Although he writes horror, this book was definitely more thriller.
The concept is that caretaker, Kit, has been sacked from her caretaking job because of a mysterious mistake she made. As a last chance from her boss, she is assigned to a mute, elderly Lenora. The very same Lenora who is the only survivor from the infamous Hope family murders years earlier. Kit is sure that Lenora knows who really killed her family, and she’s sure it wasn’t Lenora like so many suspect. But the last caretaker who investigated mysteriously disappeared. Will the same happen to Kit? And will the truth about that night finally be revealed?
This was just a well-crafted novel. The author uses flashbacks, letters, and other plot devices to further the plot in a way that makes sense and is engaging. The final twist is one that I did guess, but vacillated back and forth on which for an avid reader means it’s just about as good as a twist that you didn’t see coming. If I didn’t like the other books as much, this one would have definitely made the top 5.
So there you have it. My annual top 5 list. I promise it won’t be 11 more months before the next post...I think.
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