Let’s Read: Bookclub List 2023

*A note about my reviews. I don’t give away plot or details. I never want to spoil a good book! Also I like to tell you something I loved and something to be aware of in each review I do.*

Year in review book list.

By: My bookclub ladies 

This list will not be books that came out exclusively in 2023. I’m sure most of the lists you might find online this time of year would be just that, best of 2023. But instead I asked my favorite readers to tell me a book they read this year with the only stipulation being that it was memorable and they would recommend it. That being said I have not read all of these books on the list! So instead, I will give you a couple bullet points for each of them.

Let’s get to it!

First up is, The People We Keep by Allison Larkin. I read this one! My bookclub read it and we all really enjoyed it. This story is about finding your people, making family along the way. It is a coming of age story with loss and heartbreak and then redemption and hope. Set in the mid 90’s a young girl who loves music sets out to find her way in the world.

The Push by Ashley Audrain. This has been on my list for months since I heard it’s description from my friend. She said ‘it’s dark and weird.’ I said, yes tell me more. It is described as a page-turning psychological drama about a family. The experiences of motherhood and the chilling fears we live with and possibly create. I am intrigued!

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. A lonely shopkeeper decides to solve a murder. This is described as a mystery that captivates! Fun, entertaining and a must read if you like a female sleuth book.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read this! I loved it, I grew up in Southern California so it was a really sweet reminder of some places I love. This is about four siblings and a yearly party they throw. Set in the 80’s, there is high drama as secrets begin to unravel during the night of the party.

Tell me Everything by Minka Kelly. This memoir has great reviews, it received a few awards for best celebrity memoir. It is described as powerful and page-turning. Her story is one of resilience as she overcame a childhood of living on strangers couches and bouncing around the country with her mother.

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood. Another quirky older lady solving a mystery on her own! It has great reviews that say it is clever, entertaining and beautifully written. Set in London, Judith brings along some sidekicks as she works to solve her neighbors murder.

Start with Hello by Shannan Martin. This book has been on my to read list all year. I am in the middle of it and it is special. It is about living in community, seeing our neighbors, actually looking out for one another. Shannan talks about inviting others to live life with us. She has story after story of her own life and family, and practical ways we can do this in our neighborhoods.

A Beautiful Terrible Thing by Jen Waite. This memoir is a bestseller about a woman who finds out her marriage is built on an illusion. It is called inspiring and harrowing. The book is split up in a before and after format as it tells her story of betrayal and loss.

Everyone in My family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. This book is noted as a page-turning mystery, perfect to curl up with. There are witty twists, and it is a blend of classic and modern murder mystery.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I am currently reading this and loving it. I cannot wait until next week when I finish all my school work and I can cuddle on my couch to finish it! It made the best books of the year list. It’s about family, the ones we are born into and the ones we make on our own. The story takes us through the highs and lows of life and what you decide to do with it.

There are plenty of other books I could have added to this quirky list but I like that it is random and weird and from some of my favorite people. Tell me if you have read any of these and what you thought.

 Something I loved: That this list has no logical order

Something to be aware of: My bookclub is obviously always up for a funny mystery, a family drama or a sad memoir.