Best & Worst Books of 2023

You know the saying that as we get older, the years go by faster? It seems as though yesterday was the New Year starting off 2023 and now we are at the very end. This year has been better than the previous 4 years for me, opportunities have opened for my blog, I’ve grown as a person and I’ve read many books, some great ones and some not-so-great ones. In this list I will talk about the top ten best and worst books I’ve read this year.

Number 10- Escape To Florence by Kat Deveraux

Category- Worst

Escape To Florence by Kat Deveraux is a dual timeline that goes back and forth between World War II Florence and the present day. After Tori McNair attends her grandmother’s funeral, she flees an emotionally abusive marriage to Florence Italy where her and her grandmother took vacations when Tori was a child. In World War II Stella Infuriati is the youngest partisan member at fourteen risking her life relaying messages, supplies & messages between the partisan groups. While I liked the idea and I came into this book excited, once again it was disappointing. The book seemed to have more of Tori’s story and less of Stella’s which makes me angry when books with dual timelines don’t even balance out the time periods. Its ashame because Italy has an interesting history especially concerning World War II but man books, I read that take place during World War II Italy are not done very well.

Number 9- The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson

Category-Best

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson is a magical realism story about a woman named Alice who writes a short story for her friend Gabby who is going through an awful breakup. As soon as Gabby reads the short story its as if by magic Gabby finds the man of her dreams. Gabby shows this short story to others that she knows and soon everyone wants Alice to write their story for her. There is one client Alice has a difficult time helping a woman named Madeline. In order to help Madeline, Alice has to let go of her own hesitancy to love. The characters were great, and I like how unique the plot is and how its not the same plot recycled twenty different times. The book is about opening yourself up to love and not being closed off. The story does seem to drag a bit but there were no other flaws other than that.

Number 8- I Love It When You Lie by Kristen Bird

Category- Worst

I Love It When You Lie The Williams Sisters are close as any sister can be, though they each have secrets that must be buried and they each have a man they can do without. Tara the pastor’s wife had been stealing church funds, June would do anything to have a child including stealing one from the hospital. (What’s scarier than this story is there have been true stories that it’s happened.) Clementine is having an affair with her married professor who has been accused of unwanted advances towards other women. Their sister-in-law Stephanie the outsider knows all their secrets. This past weekend their Gran died, and they must return home to bury her. Only their grandmother isn’t the only woman they are burying this weekend. I like the sister-in-law Stephanie and Clementine. I like that Clementine strives for better by going to college in New York and not becoming a stereotypical southern hillbilly. Unfortunately, while the idea had potential the execution felt flat and was buried beneath the dirt. The book could have been shorter, and the murder mystery didn’t come till the end. So no I did not like that this story told a lie.

Number 7- The Three Lives Of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester

Category-Best

The Three Lives Of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester was actually an early copy I received in the mail in late 2022 by her publicist and it came out back in January. One of the coolest things about being a blogger is reading an early copy of a book before its released. The novel is about a woman named Alix St. Pierre and it goes between the War years where Alix is part of the OSS in Switzerland doing her part to help the resistance and Italian partisans against the Nazis. The other timeline is shortly after the war in 1947 where Alix is a publicity director for the then unknown House of Dior. Alix also must deal with an old Nazi foe that pretended to be an informant only to betray her in the end.  I loved the storyline and I also love the characters, especially Alix, Anthony and Matteo. I can understand why Alix swooned over both men because I did too lol! I like how determined and hardworking Alix is and I like the fact that she’s hard working and determined to do the right thing. I also like the fact that the book confirmed what was true and what wasn’t, especially about a gown being designed by Dior for Rita Hayworth.  The only flaw it had was the fact the show down Alix was supposed to have against the nazi informant that betrayed her was a huge let down. Other than that, I enjoyed it and it was my first time reading anything by Lester. If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend this.

 Number 6- Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller

Category-Worst

Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller is the first book in a Disney series that is from the prince’s point of view rather than the princess’s. This one is of course from Prince Eric’s point of view from The Little Mermaid. While Prince Eric was still in his mother’s womb, a sea witch cursed Prince Eric because his mother refused to let an innocent child die in her clutches. Prince Eric must kiss his true love that has a pure voice or kill the sea witch that enacted the curse in the first place. If Prince Eric kisses the woman who isn’t his true love, he will die. One night during a sea storm he’s rescued by a beautiful woman with red hair singing the most beautiful tune before she vanishes. Like every Disney novel though, unfortunately it can be a hit or miss and Prince of Song and Sea was a miss. While I love fairytales, Disney movies and rewritten fairytales and the fact that this was from Prince Eric’s point of view, unfortunately those were the only pros but it didn’t save the story. The characters were either not very interesting or totally out of character. Grimbsy was made out to be an idiot trying to encourage Prince Eric to marry just anyone for the kingdom when he knows about the curse. Eric was written to be bland and too serious for my liking. Whoever was the editor for this book should have been fired because there were errors where one word was meant to be another word.

 Number 5- The Last Yakuza by Jake Adelstein

Category-Best

The Last Yakuza is a true account told about a yakuza like never before. Its part biography and part history book about the yakuza mainly told from the point of view of Makoto Saigo who has a Japanese American Mother and a Japanese Father. Saigo has two talents in his life which is being a hooligan and playing guitar. When Saigo fails to make it big in the music industry he turns to the yakuza and one wrong move could cost you your life. The book is part biography and part yakuza history book written by none other than the author of Tokyo Vice himself Jake Adelstein. The book covers Saigo’s story and why someone like him would join the Yakuza without excusing these same men. I also like that it speaks in detail about the yakuza and how it all began. There was a great timeline which explained things as well and I like that the doomsday cult Aum Shrinkyo started by doomsday cult leader Shoko Asahara & the curry poisoning by Masumi Hayashi was briefly mentioned. (Before reading The Last Yakuza I learned about both Masumi Hayashi & Aum Shrinkyo through YouTube videos, Masumi’s from the Youtube channel Briefcase & Watch Mojo discussed Shoko Asahara). It did drag in parts but overall, I enjoyed it. If the television series Tokyo Vice, goes beyond season 2 I would love to see the events of The Last Yakuza play out on the show in the future. I’m optimistic that we will see that. If you are a fan of True Crime, Japan and Tokyo Vice you will enjoy this one.  

 Number 4- Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff

Category- Worst  

After not being able to get into The Lost Girls In Paris I still wanted to give Code Name Sapphire a chance as it’s a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II. The book is a true story about a very real attempt to stop a train heading to the infamous nazi death camp Auschwitz. Madeline is the no nonsense resistance leader and I love her brother Matteo. I also liked that this book brings attention to an actual event not many know about. Unfortunately, the pros are where it stops. I took so many breaks reading this book and when that happens that’s a bad sign. So many things were too convoluted, stupid and far-fetched. For example, Hannah was visiting her cousin Lily in the concentration camp. I’m thinking to myself There are no visiting hours in a concentration camp. The love triangle with Hannah, Lily & Matteo took away from the story. While the historical fiction novel had promise unfortunately it meandered on and on and on and on and would have been better if it didn’t do that and if the characters were likeable.  

Number 3- The Keeper Of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Category- Best

The Keeper Of Hidden Books takes place during World War II Poland. Janina & Zofia are two different women with one thing in common, their love of books. When the Nazi’s start burning books, Janina and Zofia start a secret book club and risk their lives saving the stories Hitler & his thugs are trying to destroy. With Janina being Jewish, Zofia risks her life to save her and to join the resistance. While non-book readers don’t understand this, once you ban or destroy a book you not only destroy a story you also destroy a culture. If you enjoy historical fiction books, books about books and the importance, power and impact stories have you should read The Keeper Of Hidden Books.   

Number 2- Between Two Strangers by Kate White

Category- Worst  

Between Two Strangers is about a woman named Skyler Moore an artist and graphic designer who gets a three-million-dollar trust fund from the late Christopher Whaley who she later remembers was a one night stand from twelve years ago. Christopher’s family is suspicious as well as his widow. Skyler must find out why Christopher left her this money and who is stalking and harassing her due to it. Between you and I, this book was somewhat of a letdown. I like that Skyler is an artist passionate about her craft and wants a baby and at least the book was short and was trying to build up to something. Unfortunately reading this book was time I was not getting back. The book was building up for this great mystery and it was a let down. I’m glad I got a free early copy of this book. If I had to pay for this one the review for this book would have been much harsher.

Number 1- No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister  

Category- Best

At least we are at the number one best book of 2023. I read a copy of this book on Netgalley before it came out this year. No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is about the power of books and how they impact us all in different ways and how we all see things differently. There’s a bit of a magical element to this. Alice the main character wants to become a writer but her stories remain detached as though something was missing from it. When a personal tragedy strikes, Alice writes her debut novel. This novel helps so many people from a teenager hiding the fact that she’s homeless, an artist angry at the world, a bookseller searching for love, a grieving widower and a diver pushing himself to the brink. I love all the characters, my favorites being Alice the writer & her professor who wants to help her. Erica Bauermeister has a way with words, and I was honored that I did both a Q&A and a Behind The Book Q&A on this book. I can’t wait to read what else Erica will write in the future!