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Posted on by Debbie

My Top Reads for 2023 #WOYBS

Welcome to the final ‘What’s on Your Bookshelf’ post for the year

I use Goodreads to keep track of my reading throughout the year and always set a modest goal. I admit I read fast and I read a number of books at the same time – some I listen to, some are actual books but most are ebooks via the library’s BorrowBox app or through Kindle Unlimited.

I don’t buy many books these days but will get some as gifts, and I utilise street libraries too donating books back when I’ve finished with them.

I rate the books I read using the star rating:

Please note I’m fairly strict with what I give 5 stars to, so you can be assured that these are my favourites.

My personal rating code is:

  • 1* did not finish/terrible
  • 2* OK
  • 3* enjoyable
  • 4* really good
  • 5* excellent

So what books have received 5 stars from me this year?

I’ve looked at my records and 24 books have been given 5 stars which is pretty impressive out of my 138 books I’ve read so far this year. I won’t list them all but I will try and highlight a few.

Non Fiction:

I don’t tend to read a lot of non-fiction but recently I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few. Here are my top three.

  1. RecipeTin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi – a lovely cookbook from a good friend
  2. Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair – such a joy to read about where the colours came from
  3. Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova – recommended by co-host Donna
Remember quote

Audiobooks

As we do a bit of driving around this big country of ours we tend to listen to audiobooks and enjoy getting stuck into a good book together.

  1. None of this is True by Lisa Jewell
  2. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
  3. Homecoming by Kate Morton

Come to the book as you would come to an unexplored land. Come without a map. Explore it and draw your own map.

Stephen King

Historical Fiction

I do enjoy reading historical fiction – my top three plus my favourite classic this year.

  1. That Bligh Girl by Sue Williams
  2. Becoming Mrs Mulberry by Jackie French (recommended by co-host Sue)
  3. The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
  4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – probably not really historical fiction but it sort of fits this category and is a classic!

Favourite Aussie Author our co-host Jo!

No I’m not biased in any way!

  1. Christmas at Mannus Ridge by Joanne Tracey
  2. Philly Barker is on the Case by Joanne Tracey
  3. It’s in the Stars by Joanne Tracey

Mystery/Crime/Thriller

  1. Dark Mode by Ashleigh Kallgian-Blunt
  2. The Last Remains – Dr Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths
  3. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

Contemporary Fiction/Dystopian/Fantasy

  1. In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Hearn
  2. The Other Side of Beautiful by Kim Lock
  3. The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Books Nov:Dec 2023
Books Nov:Dec 2023

Have you read any of these books? Any favourites?

Currently I’m Reading…

📙 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens for our online Bookclub

📙 The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland and loving it! I’m listening to it as I drive/walk/iron whenever I can! It’s also a series on Prime Video which I’ll watch once i’ve finished the book.

What’s on Your Bookshelf link party

Did you know we all try to visit everyone who joins the linkup and we appreciate your support 🙂

If you’re into reading, please consider joining us, even if it’s just to leave a comment with what you’ve been reading. We’ve added a linkup (at the end of my post) so you can add your posts directly there and see what others have posted about for the month as well.

What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge (WOYBS)
brought to you by Sue, Donna, Jo and Debbie

#whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge

You can read more from my stunning co-hosts here:

Sue from Women Living Well After 50

Donna from Retirement Reflections

Jo from And Anyways

Happy reading – I’m going to try the 52 Book Club 2024 Reading Challenge next year so I’ll see how I go! From all the comments in the groups there are some very keen people out there who get very organised, very early!!! That’s not me.

2024-Reading-Challenge-Checklist
2024-Reading-Challenge-Checklist

Hopefully you can join us, I’d like to know what you’ve been reading lately?

Wishing you all the best over the holidays and looking forward to having you back with us as we continue this linkup into 2024 and beyond.

Deb xx

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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All my WOYBS posts can be found here – we started this series in August 2021 and it continues to be a great success among our readers.

You can see all my reading challenges and books here on my Book Page

You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.

Everyone has a story to tell!

Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here

Copyright © 2024 debs-world.com – All rights reserved

44 Replies to “My Top Reads for 2023 #WOYBS”

  1. I have to say Secret Lives of Colour looks like a really interesting read. I’ve plugged away at the 52 books challenge this year, and won’t finish, which is fine with me, but I like that it pushes me to try at least a couple of books I might not have considered otherwise. So I’ll be working on the 2024 version of the challenge too. See you there!

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  6. Hi Deb you certainly zoom through the books and we share a love of similar genres as well. I’m so pleased you are doing the 2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge. I found it interesting but like you, I haven’t planned out what books will fit the prompts yet – some people have too much time on their hands LOL 🙂 Thanks for being a wonderful co-host and sharing your love of reading. I love our Stunning Book Club! x

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    1. Hi Sue, yes I zoom through books and I’m keen to see what I can read for the challenge next year. Some people certainly have too much time on their hands 🙂 I really enjoy our monthly linkup and seeing what everyone else is reading, I like that we have similar tastes in books too! xx

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  7. Hi Debbie, Thank you for sharing your Top Reads with us at #weekendcoffeeshare. I’ve read The Lost Flowers a couple of years ago; also read Richard Osman and Elly Griffiths but not the same titles. I’m currently reading The Raging Storm by Anne Cleeves.

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  8. Before I forget…I loved the Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club books! This last one was certainly twisty, wasn’t it? I’ve read all kinds of books this year and have even beaten my Goodreads challenge! I’m thinking about doing the 52 books challenge for next year, but I’m not sure I want to be tied to picking a certain genre or subject.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. Yes Marsha the Richard Osman books are great fun and good to see older characters being so real! The 52 book challenge sounds like it could be good but I’m going to be loose with my choosing books for each prompt.

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  9. Pingback: The Boys in the Boat [Book Review] #WhatsOnYourBookshelfChallenge #BookBlogger #Blogger #BookX #WOYBS #FridayFavorite #Nonfiction - Reading Ladies

  10. I don’t typically pick books with the 52 challenge in mind but read a book and then see where it fits in until at least June or so and then I’ll start ordering books to fit certain (usually harder) to fit spaces. Sometimes I have to get a little creative… but no one really polices the challenge and some of them can really be open to interpretation. Out of your 5 star reads I think I’ve only read a few– I enjoyed None of This is True too and have read To Kill a Mockingbird a couple of times.

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  11. It’s been great joining you, Sue, Donna and Jo this year, and I’ve discovered so many books. I’ve been busily reading books due out in 2024, including one in July! One thing I’m going to take from you is reading more genres, as I get a bit stuck in my comfort zone. Merry Christmas!

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    1. Thanks for joining in Gail, it’s so good to hav such a wide range of bloggers join in the monthly linkup. Yes my plan for 2024 is to read more genres too. Looking forward to seeing you next year for more books! Merry Christmas x

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  12. The secret lives of colour is sat on my “to read” shelf (along with way too many other books.

    This year my top 5 most recent reads have been:

    – The House in the Cerulean Sea – TJ Klune
    – The Sentence is Death – Anthony Horowitz
    – A Running Grave – Robert Galbraith
    – A Line to Kill – Anthony Horowitz
    – Gallant – VE Schwab

    I’ve just listened to A Christmas Carol narrated by Hugh Grant and I’m currently listening to Anne of Green Gables (I feel the need for something soothing on the run up to Christmas!!!)

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    1. What could be more soothing that Anne of Green Gables! I’ve read 3 of your recent reads and think Horowitz is quite clever the way he writes. Thanks for sharing your books and enjoy your Christmas.

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  13. I thought it was next week! So will have to do a big post in January
    We are still travelling
    I’ve looked at The Lost Flowers so need to download that
    I’ve just finished a Sally Hepworth one The Family Next Door which I really enjoyed
    Now reading Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd Robertson .
    Merry Christmas once again 😂

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    1. Hi Ali, I enjoy most of Sally Hepworth’s books and I read The family Next Door a few years ago. I’m really taken with The Lost Flowers and the TV show as well. Hope the travelling is going well and we look forward to seeing you next year!

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  14. HiDeb, this is a great wrap of your year. I’ve read a couple of your five stars, but the others are going on that ever growing TBR list. I read Tale of Two Cities many years ago but remember that I loved it. That’s on the list too for a re-read. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is wonderful. I was happy to hear that you’re joining the challenge in 2024. I’m looking forward to reading about the books you choose for the prompts. I’m very relieved to hear that #WOYBS will be back next year. Thank you for all you do to provide this space.

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    1. Thanks Jen, I’ll be contacting you for help if I need it during the year! I’ve not read a Tale of Two Cities before so it’s completely unknown to me. I’m also currently reading Devotion by Hannah Kent which I think you recommended ages ago, I’m loving it! Thanks for your kind comments about our linkup, we all thoroughly enjoy it so it’s definitely coming back in 2024!

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  16. I have no idea how I’m going to find the time to read all of the book suggestions I get from the WOYBS challenge and other blog lists. I’ve seen The Last Devil to Die recommended several places so that’s on my TBR list for sure. I didn’t know about The Lost Flowers being a Prime series, so that goes on my list too.

    I added a WOYBS link to my post about The Measure. I see that you enjoyed it too. It generated a lot of great book club discussions.

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    1. I know what you mean Janis, so many book recommendations and so little time!! I’m still reading the Lost Flowers but have watched two episodes of the series so haven’t got ahead of the book yet, I’ll try and finish it first!
      I enjoyed your post on The Measure, it was a fabulous book to read – lots of discussion I bet!!

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  18. You’ve done a lot of reading, Debbie. I recently finished None of This is True, which really sucked me in. I am currently reading Things I Wish I Told My Mother (fiction) and Humankind (nonfiction), both of which I would recommend.

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    1. Hi Christie, I’m glad you too were sucked in by None of this is True, it was a fabulous read! Humankind sounds very interesting as does Things I Wish I told My Mother, I’ve looked up both on GoodReads and the reviews are mixed so might be worth a closer look! Thanks for joining us 🙂

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  19. Hi, Debbie – You’ve listed some great books here. I am delighted that you enjoyed ‘Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting’ by Lisa Genova. I also love the Lisa Genova quote that you shared – it is so true. From the books that you have featured here, I have also read ‘Homecoming’ and of course ‘Little Women’ and all of Jo Tracey’s books. Like you – Jo’s books stand amongst my absolute favourites!

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    1. Hi Donna, I’m telling anyone who will listen about Remember by Lisa Genova. Jo’s books are fabulous and she highly deserves to be read more widely! Thanks for being a great co-host for #WOYBS 🙂

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  21. I liked the Lost flowers too. I looiked at the cover and thought it would be terrible but was very surprised. Keep hearing about Lisa Jewell. Maybe need to try it out….

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