This year was a great year for reading (mostly thanks to BookTok on TikTok). I went hard in the romance category (cartoon covers or bust), but managed to also get some historical fiction, dystopian, a classic, mythology, and a memoir in there. I surpassed my reading goal of 24 books ending the year having read 33 books. I also consistently rated each book I read this year, which was new for me. I even have a new favorite book EVER after this year. Previously it was Looking For Alaska. Keep reading to find out what it is now!

2.5/5 Star Books

Window Shopping

• I really did not like this book. The only reason it wasn’t a DNF (did not finish) was because it was less than 200 pages. The spicy scene from the guy’s perspective was SO cringey I almost stopped reading the book right then and there. I love Tessa Bailey, but I did not love this book.

3/5 Star Books

Rivals (American Royals #3)

• I really like this series, but this one was eh. The “drama” felt really juvenile. The ending sets it up for another book, but felt too out of left field and SO dramatic compared to the pretty tame rest of the book. I don’t think I’ll be reading the next installment.

Book Lovers

• So many people LOVED this book and it was just eh for me. The ending was pretty predictable and I don’t even try to predict endings because I like to be surprised.

Funny You Should Ask

• Based on a GQ interview with Chris Evans. I kept getting the book mixed up with the real life interview. I could have done without the news articles and interviews interspersed. It’s a good book, just not a great book.

Alone With You in the Ether

• I’m either not smart enough or not mentally ill enough to “get” this book. I found it hard to get through even though it was only 200 pages. It’s kind of a similar style to Sally Rooney’s Normal People (except I liked Normal People).

Malibu Rising

• Slow first half, but once the party started, it was a quick read. Didn’t love it, didn’t dislike it. There were so many characters to keep track of. I always love the intermixing of characters TJR does though.

Where the Crawdads Sing

• I’m not huge on descriptions in books. I often have to make myself reread pages because I only read the dialogue and nothing else, so this was not my preferred type of book. I read it in 2 days because my mom wanted to go see the movie. Otherwise I wouldn’t have read it. The ending was the only part I really enjoyed because it made my jaw drop thinking back on the book after the ending.

American Queen (New Camelot Trilogy #1)

• Not my typical type of romance novel and not a style of romance I enjoyed reading. Some of the spicy parts had me saying, “Oh I don’t like that.”

The Song of Achilles

• I went in with high expectations because I love mythology and loved Ariadne last year, but those expectations were not met. I never found myself really invested in the story and I wasn’t even familiar with Achilles’ story. I enjoyed it from a mythology/history standpoint though.

Little Women

• I don’t typically read classics, but I wanted to watch the movies, so I read Little Women. Definitely not a page-turner, but a cute story. It was just so dang long and I didn’t even really like the movies.

4/5 Star Books

Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1)

• Really good read! Slightly predictable and some behaviors at the end set off red flag warnings in my head, but otherwise I enjoyed it! I’ll definitely be reading more by Lucy Score!

The Love Hypothesis

• After seeing it on TikTok 100 times, I caved. It’s a really good story, but I felt like the spice came out of nowhere.

If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1)

• Super cute book! VERY similar to the book One To Watch with less focus on the leading lady being plus size. Recommend if you’re a Bachelor fan.

Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women #1)

• I originally rated this one 5 stars, but after reading the 2nd book (which was hands down 5 stars) I had to bump this one down to 4. It’s a perfect mix of romance, great characters, and historical fiction.

Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3)

• Not my favorite of the series, but still a decent read.

In a Holidaze

• I usually don’t love “Groundhog Day” style books, but this was an exception! So sweet and got me in the Christmas spirit!

People We Meet on Vacation

• Such lovable characters! This was such an easy, enjoyable read. I could have read 300 more pages of Alex and Poppy!

Daisy Jones & The Six

• I love that TJR books don’t necessarily have a happy ending, but I’m always satisfied with the ending. Listening to this on audiobook like everyone suggested was the perfect way to do it! It’s more like a documentary of a rock band than a “regular” book.

The Grace Year

• Feminist Hunger Games/Handmaid’s Tale-esque. The end of this book made me audibly gasp multiple times because I was so shocked. Not at all how I thought it would play out.

One True Loves

• LOVED the concept and the way TJR writes makes me never want to put it down, but this was just too short. I wanted more back and forth rather than a relatively quick decision.

Love & Gelato (Love & Gelato #1)

• Groundbreaking? No. Cute? For sure. I probably would’ve given it 3 stars, but it’s set in Florence and made me feel like I was studying abroad again, so I gave it 4 stars for nostalgia’s sake. The movie was so bad I couldn’t even finish half of it.

The War That Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life #1)

• I read this book to my 5th graders as a read aloud. It’s a historical fiction WWII book, which I’m always a sucker for. It was a good alternative to Number the Stars (which my students read in 4th grade), but it is quite a bit longer. The main character has a disability too, which is a nice way to bring in more diversity.

The Other Boleyn Girl

• I’d never read historical “fiction” written about real people like this before. It’s the story of Anne Boleyn told through her sister. It was long, but kept my interest the whole time. I’ll definitely read more by this author!

4.5/5 Star Books

It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters #1)

• After reading the sequel, I have to bump this one down to 4.5 stars, but I really loved this one. Such an easy, enjoyable read! While it may be predictable, the characters are just so dang lovable. It also made me laugh out loud, which doesn’t happen often while reading!

Every Summer After

• Very much Summer I Turned Pretty vibes, but for like 18+ readers. It’s like a YA summer book with some spice, which is right up my ally. One of my favorite reads of the summer!

Tis the Season for Revenge

• This one was ALL OVER BookTok in December for the holidays. After a streak of not great books, I needed this one! You know when an author prefaces a book with a playlist that’s 50% Taylor Swift, it’s going to be a good book. It’s very Legally Blonde-esque. It was an easy read, very spicy, funny, and a holiday book! The perfect combination!

5/5 Star Books

Icebreaker (UCMH #1)

• Easily one of my favorite reads this year. This was also my 24th book of the year and that was my reading goal! It gave Elle Kennedy The Deal vibes. I absolutely LOVED everything about this book – the plot, every character, the relationships! College sports romance novels are definitely my favorite romance genre! One of my favorite aspects of this book was the author’s ability to make the book very modern without trying to be “woke.” She wove in LGBTQ+ characters and very modern relationship styles so effortlessly without it being a big deal. This was only her debut novel, so I can’t wait for more from this author!

Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters #2)

• I heard this sequel was better than the first book and IT WAS! The golden retriever, charming playboy is very much my type, so I easily fell in love with the male lead.

God Bless This Mess: Learning to Live and Love Through Life’s Best and Worst Moments

• I’ve always been a Hannah Brown fan. This really is a tell ALL! She doesn’t leave anything to the imagination. I also learned so much more about her as a person, not just a public figure. Definitely recommend listening on audio because she does a great job narrating!

A Rogue of One’s Own (A League of Extraordinary Women #2)

• Absolutely obsessed with this one! I’m a sucker for a player turned loyal male lead (shocker lol).

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

• MY NEW FAVORITE BOOK EVER! This will be a book I recommend to everyone I come across. It is absolutely beautiful. I read it while in Indianapolis for the National Championship game and I couldn’t put it down! I was walking around the city reading it on my phone hoping I wouldn’t trip!

The Hating Game

• I loved this book so much! Truly a perfect enemies to lovers romance and the movie is good too!

Ban This Book

• I read this book to my 5th graders every year. It revolves around real books that are frequently challenged by schools and subsequently banned. My students are always shocked how many books (specifically that they’ve read) are considered “inappropriate.” They also love to follow up Ban This Book by finding those frequently challenged books in my classroom library and reading them!

I can’t wait to see what books 2023 brings me!