If you’re looking for some good books to add to your 2023 reading list, look no further. This article shares some of my favourite reads from 2022 and of all time; thus, I cannot help but recommend them. If your New Year’s resolution is to read more, then what better way to start 2023 than by adding some great books to your reading list? Here’s to a productive year filled with some fantastic must-reads, in my completely biased opinion.
ALMOND – SOHN WON-PYUNG
It seems only fair to start the list with my favourite read of last year. Almond by Sohn Won-Pyung eloquently tells the story of our main character, Yungjae, a boy born with a condition called Alexithymia: a condition that makes feeling certain emotions like fear, anger, and empathy impossible. The condition proves to be a tough affliction to live with, something that becomes especially apparent when a world-shattering tragedy shows up in Yungjae’s path, forever altering his life and condition.
Sohn Won-Pyung truly grasps your heartstrings with this novel, not only providing a gateway into being in the shoes of someone with such a rare condition but pushing you to look inwards and reflect on things around you to be grateful for. Reading this novel was a whirlwind of emotions, leaving me feeling equal parts satisfied with the read and empty from the loss of finishing it.
THE THREAD – VICTORIA HISLOP
This was one of the first books I’d read that I remember feeling such a strong urge to recommend. For as long as I can remember I have been actively and enthusiastically urging people to give this book a read, talking the ear off of anyone who will listen to me praise the plot, the characters, the author, or generally anything about the book. The Thread is a historical fiction set in 20th century Thessaloniki, Greece with Hislop’s imagined characters navigating the struggles of a civil war, Nazi invasion, and economic collapse. There’s not much that I can say about this book without spoiling anything but what I can do is try my best to convince everyone to pick up this piece or even just download the ebook and enter the world Hislop creates.
THE PERFUME GARDEN – KATE LORD BROWN
Moving on to one of my most-read books of all time, The Perfume Garden. This book is about a woman named Emma Temple who is drawn to an abandoned house in Valencia, Spain that holds secrets about her family’s past. As someone whose family is mainly located outside of Canada in war-torn countries, I relate to the main character’s desire to learn more about her history, despite it being a difficult topic for family members to discuss.
As Emma discovers her background and how her loved ones lived in 1930s civil war-torn Spain, as a reader you become increasingly emotionally attached to her and her family, and curious for more to be uncovered about the past. Each chapter shares something new, never leaving you bored or anything less than completely engaged with the plot as it unfolds before you.
Every year or so I find myself reaching for this book and giving it a reread. It truly is a wonderful story and quite easy to get through—perfect for a reading week activity or distraction during study breaks this semester.
ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART – JANE GREEN
Yet another novel I find myself rereading now and then is a lovely fiction romance by Jane Green. Unlike the regular genres I tend to look for, this novel is a complicated, heart-wrenching, but ultimately beautiful story of a woman struggling to fit into the life of her new husband and his two daughters. The dynamics and relationships between these characters are so raw and honest that it’s refreshing and makes you open up and relate to the things you normally wouldn’t admit out loud. I love the main character, Andi. I think she is such a well-written character and makes this book all the more interesting to read.
While Jane Green is not a new author for me to explore, this book sold her writing skills to me. If you enjoy this work of hers I highly recommend some of her others including The Beach House, Second Chance and Tempting Fate. She truly has a gift.
THE GOOD GIRL – MARY KUBICA
A novel I picked up completely by chance at a thrift store in Toronto, The Good Girl blew my mind. I have never been a mystery thriller kind of girl but I couldn’t help but become entranced with this story that follows Mia Dennett, a young wealthy woman who is kidnapped and held captive in a secluded cabin.
Kubica had me at the edge of my seat with this read, practically ripping at the pages to speed through and solve the mystery. The chapters switch between the perspectives of multiple characters including Mia, her kidnapper, her mother and a cop assigned to the case of her disappearance. With so many different points of view, you unconsciously begin to grasp at straws to put the pieces together and figure out what is going on and yet, even with all the pieces before you, the outcomes will shock you beyond belief.
TOMB OF SAND – GEETANJALI SHREE
One of the last books I read in 2022 was a contemporary fiction translated by Daisy Rockwell from the original publication by Geetanjali Shree.
Tomb of Sand is the story of an old woman who becomes depressed and isolated from her family and the rest of the world following the death of her husband. Suddenly, a good way through the book, she decides to take charge of her life and travel back to Pakistan with her daughter, where she will be faced with the emotional struggles of unresolved childhood trauma and the realization that she must re-evaluate what it means to be a mother, daughter, woman, and human altogether. This book is riddled with tragedy and seriousness, and yet presented in such a manner that does not feel heavy. Finishing the year with this novel was really nice and I think everyone should give this book a read in 2023.
While there were several fantastic books circulating the book world, going viral on social media, and even being released in 2022, I stand by these 6 recommendations. Whether you’re a book lover, a beginner, or a bored person looking to reduce their screen time, any one of these novels may be what you’re looking for. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!