My top 10 Books Read in 2023

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Welcome back, friends!

This post is for all of my fellow readers. On this week of More Than Medicine, I will be sharing my top 10 books read in 2023!

Please know these books are ranked based on my own opinion, and no other contributing factors. For those of you that don't already use this platform, I recommend Goodreads to help log the books you've read, set a reading challenge goal for the year, and keep track of your rating for each book. You can also follow your friends, family, and authors to see what they're reading too! WARNING: Be prepared for your to be read (TBR) list to grow exponentially in size if you join!

For those of you that may not know, I published a list of the top 10 books I read in 2022. If you haven't read that blog post yet, make sure to check it out to get some great book recommendations! Please also make sure to send these posts to your friends who may be book lovers, too! Share the love!! 🙂📚 Just like last time, no need to worry because these brief reviews have no spoilers!!

MY TOP 10 BOOKS READ IN 2023

10. Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids by Taylor Wolfe (4.56 Stars on Goodreads)

For those who know me, know I am not really a crier. I will joke around and say my "wires are switched" because I really don't cry when I'm sad, but will cry when I'm frustrated and mad. This book made me cry sad tears. This book resonated with me on a personal level as it discusses Taylor, the author's, journey through her early 20s, figuring things out, and having her dog by her side. If you are a fellow woman, in your mid-to-late 20s, with a special pet, still trying to figure things out, this read is definitely for you. This is the last book I read in 2023, finishing it on New Years Eve. Let me tell you, I was BAWLING at the end of this book. I literally could not contain the tears. This book is funny, sad, relatable, and has so many things inside of it that you will love. But if you do read it, have some tissues on standby.

10. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (3.91 Stars on Goodreads)

Yes, I know there are two #10 books on this list, however, I read a lot of books last year so I had a really hard time picking just ten. I finally decided to give myself a break and decided to have 2 books tie for the #10 spot. This book is one I'm sure all the Britney fans were waiting for. Hearing Britney's side of the story, how her fame impacted her and her family, and the pressure she was under when she was still trying to grow up and find herself is eye opening. She talks about past relationships, her conservatorship, and her relationship with her family. Britney's story is inspiring and sad all at the same time. I always admired her for her strength, but after reading her book and getting her personal first hand experience about what she went through, that admiration became so much stronger.

9. Regretting You by Colleen Hoover ( 4.14 Stars on Goodreads)

CoHo does it again, of course. This isn't her typical love story. Instead, this story dives into the relationship between a mother and daughter when tension is placed on their family and ultimately, their family life as they know it is thrown upside down. With this book, the different types of love and relationships are explored. It is a book that once you start reading, is hard to put down.

8. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy (4.47 Stars on Goodreads)

I listened to the audiobook which Jeannette narrates herself. I feel listening to the story coming from Jennette makes the words so much more powerful than what can be conveyed through reading the words on a page. Jennette's story is eye opening, raw, and inspiring. She has so much strength to tell her story to millions of people, and I think she is so brave and inspirtational for having the courage to do so. Her book is one I immediately finished, and essentially told everyone to I knew to go read it. Her book is a combination of sad, funny, and REAL. It's a book you simply can't get enough of.

7. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid (4.05 Stars on Goodreads)

I finished reading this book in less than a week. It is not your typical love story, and definitely a unique scenario. What I love about the book is the fact that it is different than the other typical love stories you will find. Most love stories play on a "one true love" situation. Taylor, plays into the fact that in your lifetime, as you grow and your life changes, you may not experience just one true love, but multiple. It is a beautiful story that is very well written. There's equal ratios of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, but in the perfect amount. It's a book I would read over and over again.

6. Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover (4.25 Stars on Goodreads)

This book is easy to read any time of year, but I do think it would be a great beach read. It is a book about two teens meeting in the summer after high school before starting college. It's a book I finished in a day! I often find Colleen Hoovers books addicting, intriguing, and a story you can't seem to get enough of. This book, of course, is no different. It is a book that is emotional and will hit you straight in the feels. A teen love story that truly, never will get old.

5. Confess by Colleen Hoover (4.10 Stars on Goodreads)

This is a unique love story that starts with defending and validating young love, learning to cope with loss, and moving on in the best way that you can. Throughout the story the main character does what she can to get by, but finds an unexpected new love along the way. Confess is one of Colleen Hoover's love stories, but I will say it is different than all the others, and in the best way.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (4.42 Stars on Goodreads)

I read this book after it was hyped up for quite a while. I don't know exactly what I was expecting when I first picked up this book, but I got so much more than what I was bargaining for. Maybe others have, but I didn't predict what was coming. I think the storyline is beautiful, heartbreaking, complex, and unique. Not your classic love story, but still so beautiful. Taylor definitely has a way of making her stories come to life, adding a good amount of complexity and depth to the characters, and yet, never making it feel over the top. If you are like me and late to reading this book, I definitely recommend reading! Don't wait!!

3. The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden (4.26 Stars on Goodreads)

The second book to the housemaid I would say is equally as good as the first. I find it is hard to make sequential books as wonderful as the first, but Freida has a way with her words and story telling that did not let me down. The Housemaid's Secret continues the story of the main character from The Housemaid, but Freida adds another nail-biting, cannot put down story. There is a third book coming in this series in 2024, and I have a feeling she will keep the streak of a good story going.

2. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (4.33 Stars on Goodreads)

I finished this book in THREE Days!! Like most books on this list it is addicting and hard to put down. This book is a psychological thriller filled with plenty of mystery along the way. There are some plot twists and turns that are constantly keeping you guessing. If you are looking for an authentic, jaw-dropper, this book is definitely for you! This book will be popular and talked about for years to come.

1. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (4.22 Stars)

Yet, another book I finished in 1 day. This is a beautiful story about kids who grow up together, and fall in love. Another great summer read, this book primarily tells its story about coming to the lake in the summertime. Themes in this book are love, mistakes, forgiveness, and living with our choices. "Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right." The story is easy to read, captivating, and will have you invested within the first few chapters.

A total list of books I read in 2023 that I chose my top 10 from: (with my own personal ⭐️ rating)

Confess by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy ⭐️⭐⭐️

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reed ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen's ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Wild Ride: A Memoir of I.V Drips and Rocket Ships ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Social Experiment by Addison Moore⭐⭐️

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna by Mario Giordano⭐⭐️

Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaraies and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick by Jen Sincero⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Never Never by Colleen Hoover⭐⭐️⭐️

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Club by Ellery Lloyd⭐⭐️⭐️

Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Live Learn Love Well: Lessons from a Life of Progress Not Perfection⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Beast Within by Serena Valentino⭐⭐️⭐️

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Before She Dies by Mary Burton⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Maid by Nita Prose⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Coworker by Freida McFadden⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters by Joanna Gaines⭐⭐️⭐️

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twisted Love by Ana Huang⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Twisted Games by Ana Huang⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano⭐⭐️⭐️

Alex Cross Must Die by James Patterson ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids by Taylor Wolfe ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you everyone for reading this weeks post! In the comments, please share your top 10 books from 2023, your book recommendations, or even let me know what you thought about the books I listed!

XO,

Manny ❤️