The Best Books of 2023 So Far | Q1 Top Reads & Stats

[@PokhrajRoy.]

WE STAN THE STATS QUEEN, Mara! Let us all rejoice in the Sermon on Statistics.

[@historydragonsandmagic]

I’m a new follower. I’ve been following a few booktubers and they led me to you. I’m a fellow autoimmune warrior girl. I was diagnosed with Lupus at 15 and still rocking despite the odds. I’ll be 50 this July!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Autoimmune baddies unite!!

[@monica_has116lentilsand2cats]

best of luck to you! my sister was recently diagnosed and it really helps to hear that. thank you! ❤

[@megwithbooks]

I get soooo excited when I see a video where I know you’re gonna gush for Wrong Place Wrong Time😂

[@bookslikewhoa]

I am so so thankful that you pushed me to read it!! Such a big hit & not sure I would have read without your endorsement 👯‍♀️

[@amberhensley2999]

I love that you added Seven brides for seven aliens!!! I loved this sweet series. I agree about your ratings! This series made me smile!

[@bookslikewhoa]

I agree!! Such a cute series 🥰

[@amandaandronnie]

I’m so glad you loved wrong place wrong time. I thought it was an excellent book!! So many good recommendations. I can’t wait to read some of them this year! Really looking forward to the writing retreat and the Taylor Adams book!

[@k4hdr5]

I like this quarterly best of the best:)

[@chelsey8737]

It's because of Mara that I created a spreadsheet for all of the series that I've read since I started tracking my reading in 2021. It's not even that I necessarily care about finishing series, that's not a goal of mine, but I was so interested in having the stats and it was a win for sure. It is so much fun to whip out the statistics of my ratio of finished vs DNF vs unfinished series in book conversations and watch everyone freak out a little 😂

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yessss we love a stats queen! 👑

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I love a spreadsheet

[@KatieColson]

You talked me into reading Wrong Place Wrong Time and I really enjoyed it. The second half is so much better and more thrilling than the first half.

[@Madam_Vader_Reads]

Love the stats! Frantor was my favorite of Seven Aliens and working my way to the TKingfisher. Love her writing!

[@danielleoliver1734]

I couldn’t even make it to the retreat part in the Writing Retreat, thank goodness for the library so I can try random books for free

[@ohladysamantha]

I am in the middle of Go Hex Yourself and really enjoying it!

[@karaa2507]

You sold me on Wrong Place Wrong Time and it was SO GOOD :

[@bookslikewhoa]

YYYAAAAYYY glad you enjoyed!!

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

I've got to get around to Wrong Place, Wrong Time! I've only heard amazing things about it

[@robyn1525]

Period

[@teganj9512]

Just picked up wrong place wrong time and loving it

[@paperbacksgalore]

my goal is to start reading robin hobb this summer and I'm so excited (:

[@CherylanneFarley]

Woohoo! Always so good. many thanks. Somehow fell into weirdly well done Spec Fict highly recommend--author did her Mythos werk!-- called Molly Malone and the Angel of Death. I mean Fur REALZ what if the Afterlife is just basically a very well run Swiss/German company and heavenly host need to pass classes/follow rules EXCEPT that one time that ONE doesnt. Little mushy in the middle but ORIGINAL good work. PS thanks so much for many good recs. ON IT!

[@danichiong6727]

I’ll be starting the liveship traders series soon, I’m excited excited and scared lol

[@bookslikewhoa]

YAY I hope you enjoy!!!

[@CherylanneFarley]

Actually not a bad response. Found those books so immersive and interesting got lost. Choosing not to read RH anymore for a while. Really impressive writer

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Have you read any Bujold yet? Cause I was instantly reminded of Kingfisher and her character banter style when I picked her up this month! Also it was pulpy/campy scifi

[@bookslikewhoa]

No I haven’t! Definitely an author I’m thinking about doing a “trying a new author” video with because I’ve heard such good things

[@readknitwithcheryl]

I've heard that ruby Dixon was at a book signing recently and the person said that she isn't Jessica Clare. Don't know how true that is, but I thought I'd let you know. According to the person who went to the signing, Ruby Dixon is an author not known for other books.

[@bookslikewhoa]

True I need to remember to add allegedly until it’s publicly confirmed by Ruby herself … though the Library of Congress copyright trail definitely leads to Jill Myles which is a known pen name for Clare so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@verysmalltroll]

Robin Hobb is my jaaaaammm

[@lexi8445]

Mara, are you familiar with Star Trek? there's a Star Trek book called Ceremony of Losses that explores the society of the andorians. It's not a romance and I'm not sure how readable it is if you're not at all familiar with Trek but its themes seem up your alley for scifi

[@asdfghjklasdfghjkl321]

I remember, geeze how many years ago was it, that I bought Elatsoe on your recommendation, would you ever read A Snake Falls To Earth, her second book? I know that it's been out for quite a while 👀

[@bookslikewhoa]

We shall see!

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I think I only had 2 five star reads during the last quarter. If anyone has any recommendations (my taste is fairly similar to Mara's), definitely let me know!

[@fttoma]

💗💗

[@monica_has116lentilsand2cats]

who? who here‘s hating the stats? 🤨

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

exactly! Most readers are probably nerds to some extent lol, I know I am

[@remyhocage9854]

Really like the color pie charts. Interesting to see you were reading from "1900 - 1979." Sorry I'm being a jerk. 😃