Hello, everyone! Today I have my first year-end list of top books, my favorite backlog reads of 2023. I’ve read so many books this year that it was impossible to narrow the list down any further than my favorite fifteen. I read all of these in 2023, but they were published prior to the beginning of the year. I’ll have a post with all of my favorite new 2023 releases sometime in the next couple of days. So, be on the lookout! All of the covers link to Goodreads in case anything catches your eye…

Spellbound by Allie Therin – This book (and series) had some great characters and cute romance. I loved the prohibition-era New York setting, and the magic was fun and included objects of power and people with various abilities. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author’s work in 2024.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt – I’m kind of obsessed with dark academia. It is one of my favorite things to read. So, of course I had to read one of the most iconic dark academia books ever. It came as no surprise that I loved it. It was pretentious with horrible characters that explored the worst of human impulses. I was hooked from the first page to the last.

Chainbreaker by Tara Sim – This book (and series) had magical clock spirits. It was such a cool premise, and I adored the characters and their forbidden romance. Sim’s writing always transports me away to a new world, and this book accomplished that spectacularly.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – This book, one chapter in particular, completely broke me. I was a sobbing mess. The character work was phenomenal, and each of them was messy and imperfect. It just made me feel for them even more. It was so, so good.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston – I’d been wanting to read this book/series for a while, and I’m so glad I did this year. It was so engaging and had such endearing characters. The mystery, magic, and awesome training academy vibes were all fantastic and kept me rushing towards the end to see how it would all play out.

Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar – This book had some of the best character work I’ve read in a long time. It also had gritty world-building and a mystery that kept me hooked. One of the main characters was a cop of some sort, and it was interesting to see his views on the system he served change as he learned more about the people and intentions behind it. There was tons of political maneuvering in this story, as well, which was fun to follow.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – Magic books? Of course this was going to be one of my favorites of the year. I’ve honestly been itching to re-read it for a while now, and it might just happen in early 2024. This was a really great YA adventure with characters I really loved and books with magic. What’s not to love. 🙂

Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake – This book cemented Blake as one of my favorite authors. It made its way on this list despite being the first book I read in 2023. So, it definitely held its own. The writing was beautiful, and it was a gorgeous love story about characters with mental illness.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – This book (and series) is now one of my all-time favorites. Ronan was my favorite character of the bunch. So, of course his book had to make this list. The writing in this series was so atmospheric, and the magic was fascinating and kept unveiling secrets until the very end. The entire group dynamic was a joy to read, and this is another series I can see myself re-reading really soon.

A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab – I loved the finale to this trilogy. It was action-packed with plenty of emotional gut punches. I still find the idea of multiple parallel Londons so fascinating, and I’m glad we’ll be getting to explore more of the worlds and their history in the sequel series.

The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons – This book, and the series as a whole really, was super weird but in the best possible ways. I loved the unconventional structure of the story, and the reincarnation aspects were really cool. There was plenty of action, imaginative world-building, and an ending that left my jaw on the floor.

The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso – This book was one of my favorite sequels of the year. It built on everything set up in the first book and established new characters that I loved. I really enjoyed getting out of the main kingdom and getting to know the neighboring realms better. The setting, in general, just felt really fleshed out in this story, and it was satisfying to experience it all. The blooming relationship between the lead and the crow lord was magnificent, and the two of them together was so much fun to read.

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros – I don’t often love ghost/possession stories, but I did enjoy this one. It had a good murder mystery and was grounded in the Jewish experience of the late 1800s. I liked visiting this time period through a queer lens, and the entire story was gritty and more than a little horrifying because of the discrimination faced by the main character as both a Jewish and queer boy.

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F.T. Lukens – I love pretty much everything Lukens writes, but this one is definitely one of my favorites. This story was so cute. The found family vibes were strong, and all the adventures with the magical creatures often had me cackling, especially the unicorn.

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang – There’s no way this book could be left off of this list. This entire trilogy was a masterpiece. It was emotional, brutal, and riveting. This second installment was my favorite just because of how devastated it left me. I know that probably sounds weird, but it hurt SO FUCKING GOOD.

There you have it. My favorite backlog reads of 2023! Do we share any favorite books in common? What were your favorite books of the year? Let me know in the comments!