Hi everyone and welcome to my 2023 End of Year Book Survey!
This survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner. All banners below are also hers.
**2023 READING STATS**
Number Of Books You Read: 67
Number of Re-Reads: 6
Genre You Read The Most From: My reading was about 50% fantasy + 50% romance
1. Best Book You Read In 2023?
I can’t choose just one, so here’s a top 3: Hell Bent – Fourth Wing – The Serpent & the Wings of Night
I’ll try not to mention these three too much below, but I can make no promises.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I was super excited for My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine, and while I did enjoy it overall, it also wasn’t exactly what I was looking for and unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping to.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was my first cozy mystery and it was hilarious and so much fun!
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I don’t think I really “push” people to read that much, but I do think I’ve been very vocal about my love for Lucy Score’s Knockemout series this year, so maybe people picked up on that 🙂
5. Best series you started in 2023? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2023?
Series starter: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. SO GOOD!
Sequel: Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. SOO GOOD!
Series ending: Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score. You guessed it… SO GOOD!
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2023?
A few new authors I discovered in 2023 that I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by in 2023 are Carissa Broadbent, Liz Tomforde and Lynn Painter.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I’m not usually that into mysteries, but The Maid by Nita Prose was a really good one, and I loved the POV of Molly the maid!
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
It has to be Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
9. Book You Read In 2023 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I read With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson in December and fell in love. This will be one of those books I’ll be re-reading often, I’m already sure of that!
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023?
I absolutely adore the cover for The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon.
11. Most memorable character of 2023?
I never thought I’d fall in love with Death (from Belladona by Adalyn Grace), but here we are.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2023?
There was just something so lyrical about Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, I loved the writing style.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2023?
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee – This non-fiction novella about mental illness was very unique and definitely made me think.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read?
Wait for It by Mariana Zapata has got to be one of my all-time favorite MZ books. I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner. And I still have so much of MZ’s backlist to get through!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2023?
“To me, you are a song to a soul that has never known music. Light to someone who has only seen the darkness. You bring out the absolute worst in me, and I become vindictive toward those who treat you in ways I don’t care for. Yet you also bring out the best in me—I want to be better because of you. Better for you.”
― Adalyn Grace, Belladonna
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2022?
Shortest book:
Mysteries of Thorn Manor
(192 pages)
Longest book:
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King
(665 pages)
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
I may have guessed some plot twists in Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, but I did not see the biggest one coming at all.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
I’m sorry, I can’t choose just one!
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Team Hell Heist FOR THE WIN!!
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2023 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
I love Christina Lauren’s books, but The True Love Experiment has just become one of my favorites by them!
21. Best Book You Read In 2023 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
I haven’t been reading a lot (if any) YA fantasy in 2023, but I saw a TikTok video by Chelsea Reads where she was raving about Belladonna by Adalyn Grace and I knew I had to pick it up too. And I’m glad I did, because I LOVED this one.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023?
With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson – I LOVE ASA WILLIAMSON WITH ALL MY HEART. That is all, thank you.
23. Best 2023 debut you read?
A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley was such a fun read!
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
A lot of worldbuilding was already done in the Shades of Magic series and it was awesom, but then The Fragile Threads of Powers just keeps expanding on it all and I am in awe okay? I love this world so much.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter was an absolutely adorable YA contemporary romance, and I was smiling almost the entire time while I was reading this one.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2023?
Happy Place by Emily Henry was just so relatable in so many ways – I cried sad tears from nostalgia and the pain that change can bring to lifelong friendships but also happy tears from all the hope and friendship and connection and romance.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson was AMAZING. I picked it up one day when I heard it mentioned on a bookish podcast and I hadn’t heard anything about it before and that’s just ridiculous because this was so good and deserves more hype for sure!
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Like previous years, I mostly stayed away from soul-crushing reads in 2023. I’m still preferring the light, happy, cozy reads or epic, action-packed fantasies and I’m not sure whether I’m already ready for heartbreaking sob-books. Maybe in 2024?
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2023?
I’m loving Ashley Poston’s brand of whimsical romance and magical realism and I though The Seven Year Slip was definitely unique in that way and another one of my favorite reads of the year.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
I got so mad for Britney Spears while reading The Woman In Me, but I’m glad she got the chance to tell her story on her own terms.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2023 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2024?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2024 (non-debut)?
3. 2024 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2024?
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2024?
Keep having fun with it and trying to avoid slumps (reading and blogging) and anxiety about something that’s supposed to be fun first and foremost.
Tell Me:
What’s your favorite book read in 2023? Favorite new author? Favorite OTP?
I really wanted to read The Serpent & the Wings of Night in 2023 but never got around to it so I have to remember it for this year!
I hope you’ll love The Serpent & the Wings of Night, Stephanie! 🙂
I wanted to like My Roommate is a Vampire more than I ended up, too! Happy reading and blogging in 2024, Lindsey!
I’m sorry My Roommate is a Vampire also did not live up to your expectations. I was hoping to love it a lot more too. Thanks and a happy reading-year for you too, Angela!
I loved reading your wrap up! It made me happy to see so many books I love on it. I totally get why Brit’s memoir made you mad. It did me as well!
I love that we have so many favorite reads in common 🙂 And yes, Britney’s memoir got me so mad indeed!
So many great books on your list! Funny Story is one I’m looking forward to also.
Thanks! Hope we’ll both love Funny Story!
I’ve had Belladonna on my list forever, but I haven’t heard a whole lot about it from reviewers. Glad to see it getting some love!
Belladonna definitely deserves so much more love in my view 🙂 Hope you’ll love it too!
Ok, I definitely need to read The Serpent and the Wings of Night sooner rather than later. I’ve heard so many great things about it.
It’s one of my faves, hope you’ll love it too!
A Letter to the Luminous Deep has a gorgeous cover! And, I love Rebecca Ross. I’m looking forward to Divine Rivals as well.
I do indeed love that cover for A Letter to the Luminous Deep so much! And hope we’ll both love Divine Rivals!
I love this format for an end of year wrap up! Things We Left Behind was one of my favorite series finales too. I love me some Suit Daddy, haha!
It is such a fun wrap up indeed! And ah, Suit Daddy definitely did not dissappoint, haha 🙂
I love this list breakdown.. i need to read so many of these!!
Thanks! Hope you’ll love any of these books you try!