the BEST books of 2023!!!

[@arinalowery7167]

I, as a Russian emigrant, want to say thank you for not turning away from the Russian literature because of what is going on in the world today. I appreciate you are still reading Russian classic writers and actually loving them. Art should always connect us, not set us apart.

[@Antastesialit]

Most of us know well that governments aren't the people and that we should and could unite. Russia has so much to offer to the world 🌿

[@sqttttt]

This is such an important point to make and I'm glad you expressed it! I greatly appreciate many Russian authors, composers, chess players, etc, and I am glad I share this love for art with many other people.

[@maiko4130]

I love Tolstoi, love Russian composers and musicians. I learn so much from reading Russian literature and listening to Russian music and musicians. They deserve nothing but respect and love and I’m truly thankful that they exist.

[@pushpindersyal1888]

We in India have always loved Russian writers and still do.

[@Shysnapping]

Sad to think anyone would stop reading literature from a country based on geopolitics or government of that country. Who thinks like that? Seriously who?

[@andreas0101]

I discovered Hemingway myself this year. Read him for the first time back when I was 18 and didn't understand him at all. Now, 20 years later, I finally see why he is one of the greatest.

[@doaadikrallah]

my favorite book of 2023 has definitely been the brothers karamazov and i have to thank you guys for this! i would probably have left it unread for so many years if it wasn’t for your book club and now that feels like a crime cause i’m always battling myself to not reread it every two weeks now 😭 i think about it all the time and the characters and the story changed me forever. i’m so so glad i read it really! also another absolute favorite was virginia woolf, i’ve read mrs dalloway, a room of one’s own and orlando in 2023 and i fell in love with her writing and her stories she became my all time fave author! so this 2023 was so great for me 🥹

[@kriskringlereads]

My fave book of 2023 was «Man’s Search for Meaning» by Viktor E. Frankl 😊

[@KK-nz9eq]

‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘The Housekeeper and The Professor’ were my best books of the year as well. Really glad you also liked them 🙌🏻

[@Pestopasta_]

I’ve never been this early, I don’t know what to do with myself

[@CarolynMarieReads]

🤍

[@r.j.williams]

I read the Anthropocene Reviewed in 2022 and I loved it so much as well! I definitely want to reread it soon. My favourites: Noteworthy (old-to-me) Author - Robin Stevens. I reread the entire Murder Most Unladylike series last year and I fell back in love with the characters. The way she writes both compelling mysteries and compelling characters is amazing. Noteworthy (new-to-me) Author - Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones this year and I loved both of them. The ending of Evelyn Hugo hurt so much and I still think about it a lot. Most Surprising Book - A Farewell To Arms. I didn't expect to love this book anywhere near as much as I did. Even as I finished it I don't think I realised how much it would stick with me. Favorite Re-Read - Top Marks for Murder by Robin Stevens. When I initially read this it confused me a bit so I couldn't remember the plot so it felt like I was reading it for the first time and I loved every second of it. Best Non-Fiction - Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race. This book did such a good job of contextualising the statistics and facts about race into British society. Best Middle-Grade Book - Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch by Julie Abe. This series is so wholesome and heartwarming and I love the found family and the friends Eva makes. Also the descriptions of food are so good. Best Young Adult Book - One For All by Lillie Lainoff. I loved the female friendship in this book. Best Fantasy Book - The Priory of the Orange Tree. This book was so expansive and changed so much over its 800 page course. I loved the development of the characters and the magic systrem. Best Classic Books - Little Women. This was my first time reading Little Women and Good Wives and I loved seeing the girls going out into the world and meeting new people and falling in love. It's just such a joy to read.

[@christyforest141]

You sound so genuine when talking about books. Keep up the good work :) Have a great day!

[@hibiscus5133]

I hope you'll do a video about your worst books of 2023, it's also verry intersting ! There are my personal favorite reads of 2023 (a lot of french classics, i'm french!) : - Lost Illusions by Balzac (a masterpiece) - The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk (a haunting book, as unpleasant to read as it is fascinating) - Middlemarch by George Eliot (characters with fine psychology, perfect plots) - Belle du Seigneur by Albert Cohen (an innovative, singular, unique and revolutionary book) - A life by Maupassant (my best read of the year; the descriptions are breathtaking, the omnipresence of boredom, of the sea, the character of Jeanne, everything is sublime in this book ahead of its time in my opinion)

[@pokeybear3904]

lovely to see murakami on this list. my favorite is Kafka on the Shore, it'd be a great read after norwegian wood.

[@the.lost.bookmarkx]

Hi :) I just want to say you and Emma are very inspirational🫶🏻 I’m currently in sixth form but starting an English literature and language degree in September, and both of your channels make me so excited! I love books, especially classics and I’m getting into Russian literature because of you too! You are both so lovely💛

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Hi! This means the world! Best of luck with your studies! 🥹😊

[@the.lost.bookmarkx]

@@CarolynMarieReads Thank you so much! ☺️

[@joshadams1551]

I read mostly history but my favorite classic this year was Treasure Island

[@starswnames]

I just came back from a day at the bookstore and found this video!! ending the day on a perfect note!

[@camillodimaria3288]

Thanks ! Kafka’s The Trial is also pretty trippy…Murakami’s The Windup Bird Chronicles…Zweig’s Post Office Girl…all worth reading … clever novels … right now I’m reading The Sun Also Rises, The Known World, & A Brief History of Seven Killings ( a bit too intense for me)… I’m eager to read Keegan, The Bee Sting, Prophet Song, & Tom Lake …

[@ireallyamjomarch]

Claire Keegan is my favorite author of the year and she has also become an auto-buy for me! The Quiet Girl is a wonderful adaptation and I’m so excited for the adaptation for Small Things Like These!

[@carolynmonahan2488]

The Housekeeper and the Professor has stayed with me several years after reading it. So amazing and lovely. The way baseball is woven in is delightful.

[@Emiliemooles]

I loved this video and I've added a whole bunch of books to my TBR! Here are my favourites of 2023: Honourable Mentions - my re-read (listened to the audiobooks for the first time) of His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Noteworthy (old-to-me) Author - The River of Silver by S. A. Chakraborty Noteworthy (new-to-me) Author - Fortuna Sworn series by K. J. Sutton Most Surprising Book - By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison / Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence (I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this? Favourite (new-to-me) Illustrator - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Sleznick (I was inspired to read it by you and now I want to read everything he writes and draws.) Favourite (new-to-me) Poetry Collection - Devotions by Mary Oliver Favourite Re-Read - The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (10th anniversary edition) Best Non-Fiction - Around the World in 80 Fish & Other Sea Life by Helen Scales and Illustrated by Marcel George / The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (which I listened to on your recommendation, so thank you!) / A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister Best Children's Picture Book - Ish by Peter H. Reynolds (this book holds such a special place in my heart. I think you would love it, Carolyn!) Best Middle-Grade Book - The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar (I listened to it and immediately started the sequel when I finished it as I had to know what was going to happen!) / Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Kargraves and Illustrated by Tom de Freston Best Young Adult Book - A good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson Best Fantasy Book - Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Best Classic Books - Stuart Little by E. B. White Best Contemporary/Literary Fiction Books - Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola / Motherhood by Sheila Heiti / The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff ADDED CATEGORIES: Best Witchy Book - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Favourite Audiobook Listen: Christmas Pie by Jodi Taylor (Part of The St Mary Chronicles which is one of my favourite book series!) Best Sci-fi - the |Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown

[@SeanLawlorNelson]

I've enjoyed and learned from this book club some time now. I also like Kafka's Metamorphosis. Fascinating. Noir. Mystical intellectual. I like 'Searching for Basquait,' the African French artist as for books this year and other books we'll discuss later. If I mispelled the artist's name, I'm genuinely and really sorry as he's an awesome artist who did so well with the marketing fine artist and visionary egalitarian Andy Warhol; but this is just my literary recreation. I don't have to be correct or perform right now. Blessings on this book club. I'm proud to be a member. She knows her stuff.

[@OlenskasBibliotek]

I loved ‘Small things like these’ - and The quiet Girl is such a god movie!

[@panagiotababalis7794]

My favourite books: Beloved by Toni Morisson Homefire by Kamila Shamsie Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam Things We Say In the Dark by Kirsty Logan Pew by Catherine Lacey

[@peachyb6528]

4:50 I also discovered Claire Keegan this year and I was also impressed with how much she can pack into silence, into one-liners, and in so few pages! I read Foster and small things like these around Christmas!

[@stxrdustttt]

i took your word and read heartstopper and oh god it was so heartwarming and worthwhile!!!! tysmmm for recommending that!!!

[@raielschwartz6837]

I thoroughly enjoyed your insightful review of the best books of 2023! Your passion for literature truly shines through, making your recommendations very compelling. The way you shared your thoughts on each book, from the storyline to the character development, was riveting and enlightening. I'm excited to dive into those books. Also, thanks for sharing the Skillshare link, it's a great resource for people who love learning new things. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@StashaA.]

I will forever be thankful to you for introducing me to Fredrik Backman. I read five of his books and am planning on reading the rest of them next year. I won't even start talking about his books (I might not be able to stop lol), but I'll just say one thing: no other author made me laugh and cry reading the same sentence, and he managed to do that in every book! I love them all, but if I have to pick my favorite it would be Beartown. Benji took my heart and I'm pretty sure I'm not getting it back. Ever. ☺

[@CarolynMarieReads]

So happy to hear this! 🥹

[@peachyb6528]

14:08 I LOVED THE ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED! Definitely 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@cah384]

Great list! It’s always so nice to see people reading classics. 🤓

[@Witcherfalse]

Glad to see Claire Keegan there. Her stories are profound and well written. As a matter of fact, I'm translating some of her short stories to Persian.

[@sandraleonard5919]

I enjoyed watching your recent video and thought to tell you of a wonderful magazine that came out in 1873 titled St. Nicholas magazine. These were bound into beautiful crimson colored covers with gilt decoration and the illustrations........are amazing !!! You have to check them out Carolyn...perhaps treat yourself to one. You have to see the illustrations, and the stories etc are so neat. A lot of famous writers had their beginnings in these magazines. Love your videos...can't wait for another !

[@colleennewey]

love categorizing books! My favorite new to me author was definitely Alice Oseman! Somehow I didn’t discover heartstopper until this year so I flew through that after watching the show and also read “I Was Born for This” and loved it! Favorite old author was Patrick Radden Keefe. I had already loved Say Nothing, and after reading Empire of Pain, he is certified as one of my favorite nonfiction authors. Highly recommend! For illustrator, I probably discovered him this year in 2024, but I’ll still mention Paul Castle, since he is a fellow KZbinr! I think my fave nonfiction was The Longest Race by Kara Goucher! I’m a runner from Portland, so reading her story was really close to home for me. For classics, I LOVED Tale of Two Cities. It was only my third dickens (Oliver twist and Christmas Carol) and it floored me. I also loved Anne of Green Gables!! Felt like a child again reading that!! Reading both of those reminded me to take a bit more time for the classics in 2024 and read the ones I’ve been dying to read, because no other books really compared to these for me.

[@joshadams1551]

Say Nothing was my favorite book of the year! I primarily read history and have never read a book that was such a page turner

[@CatherineLambert-fz7pd]

I read my first Kafka this year!!! It was The Trial. It's so different to what I thought it would be like ❤❤❤ 5* read

[@timeverson3440]

My favorite book of 2023 was Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. If you like The Catcher in the Rye and if you like Hemingway, you will like this book.

[@elsitacacahuete427]

I do my favs of every month 😊, as many or none. Top ones: - Best Classic: War & Peace by Tolstoy. - Best Re-read: Hundred Years of Solitude by G.Márquez. - Best non-fiction: The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee. - Surprise: The Catcher in The Rye. - Poetry: Call us what we carry by Amanda Gorman. - Note-worthy- author known to me: The Golden House by S.Rushdie. - Best Contemporary: The Overstory by R.Powers. - Note-worthy- author not-known to me: The Selfless Act of Breathing by JJ Bola. - Honorable Mention: Their eyes were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

[@Cherylcoder]

I wonder what made you like ,"One Hundred Years of Solitude"? I did not enjoy reading this book at all!

[@elsitacacahuete427]

Oh, sorry to hear that. I love it because it talks about the every day hardships of simple people, how hard their existence is, draw a picture of conflicted personalities, big injustices and bad characters, thorough a glass of mystical reality almost, it feels to me that there, in Macondo, I would turn up and actually see people floating to the skies, and it will be just normal. I can understand is not for everyone, though 🙂.

[@Cherylcoder]

@@elsitacacahuete427 thank you for your thoughtful reply

[@deborahracette9755]

My two favorites were Farmer Boy - Laura Ingalls Wilder and Babel - RF Kuang. Foster is definitely on my list to read this year.

[@denisefreitas6727]

I loved your faves, specially Fernando Pessoa, Stefan Zwrig and Brian Selznick! ❤

[@__rishikasingh]

I loved watching this video so so so much ! ❤

[@claaaaaara]

Carolyn, if you like Fernando Pessoa, you should read Florbela Espanca! She's also a modernist poet and her verses are quite beautiful. I don't know how much of her work has been translated into english, but I'm 100% sure you'll enjoy it!

[@Mara-ry9kc]

Hey! I just wanted to say I love watching your videos, your energy is so comforting and cozy. Also your makeup looks so so pretty omg 🥺

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Hi! Thank you so much 🥹🤍

[@Shysnapping]

Happy to hear 2023 was such a great reading year for you. 2023 was full of underwhelming reads for me. If I chose a best of the year, I’ll say ‘Ethan Fromm’ by Edith Wharton. Hoping everyone has a great reading year in 2024

[@cafeaulivre]

Of all the books I read in 2023: Most Surprising Book - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I normally don't read much sci-fi, but I absolutely loved this one. Favorite Re-Read - Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin...every time again! Best Non-Fiction - Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent....real, hopeful and emotional stories about the connection with nature. Best Young Adult Book - As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfah Katouh. I cried. Enough said. Best Fantasy Book - Piranesi (more of a magical realism though) by Susanna Clarke. My best book of 2023! Best Classic Books - Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. Why don't we write letters like this anymore?! Best Contemporary/Literary Fiction Books - Yellowface by RF Kuang. She has become an auto-buy author for me. And yes, Pessoa has always been and will always be my favorite poet, especially since he adopted all of these different 'identities' and names, actually writing almost in different voices for each identity.

[@artryanrock]

If you love Claire Keegan writing style you will love Claudia Piniero. A little Luck and Elena Knows are great

[@personalsbysara]

i had the exact same experience with the catcher in the rye: hated it in high school, loved it on a recent re-read. i definitely think i didn't understand anything about it the first time around, probably was just too young...

[@tp06]

I read The Graveyard Book too and loved it. I also read The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I liked that too.

[@martinelanglois3158]

I like how, when you mention Emma (*Emmie*) or someone you care about, you touch your necklace. Is it the one Emma designed? 💫

[@AuthorJgDow]

Cracking Ibiza is fun and a short easy read! 🙂

[@verrader117]

My most favourite book of the year 2023 is "Front-line Stalingrad" by Viktor Nekrasov. It was an absolute shock and delight and Nekrasov immediately became one of my favourite writers. I also became obsessed with works of Lydia Chukovskaya, particularly her novel Sofia Petrovna.

[@RalphNC09]

Ooh, my favorite books of 2023 would probably be Boy's Life or Swan Song, both by Robert McCammon! Boy's life is a thoughtful coming of age story. You'd probably like it, Carolyn!

[@reneliz]

As a big John Green fan- I have to point out that if you loved the Anthropocene Reviewed and the audiobook of it, go find the podcast!!! It started out as a podcast that he then turned into a book, and there are several episodes that didn't make the cut for the book for you to listen to!!

[@catarinasalvado6137]

As a portuguese, I got emotional when you choosed Fernando Pessoa's poems to your favourites list 🥹🫶

[@ashappyasiget140]

Joining you 😊 Most Surprising Book - The Buried Giant Favorite Re-Read - North and South; Piranesi; Howl's Moving Castle Best Non-Fiction - The Woman in Me Best Young Adult Book - A Study in Drowning; House of Hollow; Best Fantasy Book - Monkey King (Julia Lovell translation) Best Classic Books - The Virgin Suicides Best Contemporary/Literary Fiction Books - Hello Beautiful; Yellowface; 😅

[@peachyb6528]

17:55 I read The Marvels in 2023 because of one of your videos, I really enjoyed the illustrations and the unique format, so thank you!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

So glad!!! It’s a masterpiece 🤩

[@kimbarbeaureads]

I like the look of the two picture books. The shape and size are like sketch books. There is something satisfying about that. The Anthropocene (sp) Reviewed was fun to listen to. It made me want to write my own.

[@ellenskoniecki9253]

It's funny. When I read Catcher in the Rye in high school I loved it. And when I had to read A Farewell to Arms in the same class I hated it 😂. Maybe it's time to reread both of them.

[@wheelz1325]

I only read Catcher in the Rye in my 30s and I absolutely hated it I wanted to strangle Holden coalfield so badly😂

[@proudestmonkee07]

I love the variety in these books! The Anthropocene Reviewed was actually a podcast before it was a book! Some are repetitive but I highly recommend. A while back, they had a perk for Project for Awesome that was a vinyl copy of Auld Lang Syne that I got, and it is amazing. I actually never read Catcher in the Rye despite it being a required book in high school one year... 😂 I'm glad you liked it upon revisiting. I actually thought I'd like it less as an adult so think it's interesting that you liked it more!

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

How is Willow? We haven't seen her in a while. She is so cute. Honorable Mentions - Cheerful Weather for the Wedding and The Bretts Noteworthy (old-to-me) Author - Evil Under The Sun Noteworthy (new-to-me) Author -Death on the Riveriera Most Surprising Book - Favorite (new-to-me) Illustrator The Fox and The Star Favorite (new-to-me) Poetry Collection - Sapho Favorite Re-Read - Little Women and Anne Frank, the diary of a young girl Best Non-Fiction - Unruly Best Children's Picture Book - Charlotte's Webb Best Middle-Grade Book - The Secret Garden Best Young Adult Book - The Little Prince Best Fantasy Book - Didn't read one Best Classic Books - The Time Machine Best Contemporary/Literary Fiction Books-Great Circle

[@Champika-l5p]

I am inspired from you. Thank you very much for that. Wish you luck in happy reading.

[@tanyamcculloch7103]

I’ve read Small things like these and loved it x

[@fernandamurari8577]

Hello! I enjoyed very much listening to you talking about your favourite books. Thank you!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

💖

[@evastrange]

I'm so happy to see Neverwhere on this list. It gets weirdly little love from Booktube, whereas people are alway all over The Graveyard Book and Stardust -- which I love as well, but they are hardly as brilliant and imaginative as Neverwhere.

[@rondoflicflac]

Please share your thoughts on The Quiet Girl after you watch it!! I loved it❤ Both Foster and The Housekeeper and the professor made it to my best books of 2023 list! Beautiful stories with exquisite writing ❤ Looking forward to starting my Russian lit journey this year as well. Can't decide to start with Anna K or The Brothers Karamazov. (Actually I've already read some russian short stories and novellas but would like to start with the big thick books!)

[@neshkavirdure8289]

🌄🙋‍♀️😊Here Are Some of my Favorites: Favorite ReReads: Anna Karenina + Tales From The Perilous Read by JRR Tolkien Favorite New to me Author: Kahil Gilbran ( Read Broken Wings( Thanks To Emmie's Most Awesome Recommendation+ LOVED The Poetic Language😊📚) Favorite Illustrator: Alan Lee Favorite Collection Of Poetry: The Blue Iris By Mary Oliver( Thank You Soo Much for The Most Awesome Recommendation! LOOVE the Language of Nature) Thank You So Much for Your Book Recommendations, I Love to Expand My Reading Horizons😊📚

[@aliciacesarina]

Time to run through words and arts. Literature runs our breath and blood.

[@stxrdustttt]

Hi carolyn!! I wanted to suggest you to do an video on book recommendations for my mum, cz i wanna make her stress go away and make her fall in love with reading (as she is not much of a reader) ~ hope you consider this idea~~

[@Phoebe_934]

I'm so excited to see your "new" faves!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

So glad!!

[@nikisims262]

I love hemingway one of my favorite classic writers

[@hmm6411]

I just want to give a shout out to The Watchmen. My first graphic novel! I never thought I'd read one, but I loved the movie V for Vendetta and thought I would give Alan Moore a shot. Thank you for the video!

[@__rishikasingh]

Ooooh! Just the video I was waiting for 👻

[@svs03]

Carolyn, do you like Small things like these over Foster? I read Foster and I don’t know if I will like Small things as much. Can it be topped? 😅 I love Claire Keegan so much already. I found the quietness of Foster reminiscent of the quietness of The Remains of the day (a favorite). And even though Foster is shorter, I was affected very much by it. I have heard someone say that the first book people read by an author is always their favorite. What are your thoughts on this? Anyway, I am still waiting for my copy of Small things like these to be delivered 😢. I am ready to be wowed!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Small things like these is just as brilliant and Foster, in my opinion! It’s quite a different story, but it has the same beauty and power 😊

[@svs03]

@@CarolynMarieReads That’s good to know! I just received my copy of Small things like these and I am planning to read it next weekend or so. I am ready to fall in love!

[@jeevratankaur]

Ohh, I love listening to you 💛

[@laurakistemaker8918]

This is the first video of yours I watched and I’m so excited because you have a very similar taste to mine. I know you will be bringing many books to my TBR that I will love Definitely subscribed!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Welcome! I’m so glad to hear we have similar reading tastes! 😊

[@jamesvanderbilt201]

i’ve read 3 neil gaimen books, coraline, ocean at the end of the lane and the graveyard book. coraline was the only one i liked, the other two felt like they were trying to be coraline but fell flat. i think his writing is okay but i cannot connect to his characters or the worlds. i plan on reading neverwhere to give him one final chance.

[@magda_mf]

Ohhh I would love for you to draw Kafka's on the page portrait one day 😊

[@CarolynMarieReads]

I’ll make a note of that!! 🖋️

[@adithisandesh2082]

I was waiting for this!!!!❤️

[@CarolynMarieReads]

I hope you enjoyed it! 🤍

[@jackpenberton1750]

Dystopian Novel : The End Of Silence by George Ernest

[@jackpenberton1750]

Please describe this book, thanks

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

I went to the Comic Con Museum today, and they had an exhibit of Neil Gaiman's art. It was fascinating.

[@EstudanteLeitora]

I love this kind of videos ❤

[@a_literarylavender]

Love the list of favourites and can't wait to see what you'll read in 2024! I just wanted to also thank you for being such a wonderful content creator in 2023. I remember when I found you when we went into lockdown in 2020 and your videos just brought such comfort during a difficult time. Much has changed since then but what remains is the comfort your videos bring. Now again, these past few months have been a bit rough and comfort watching your videos has brought such warmth and ease into my days! You make ma want to go and pick up a book which is wonderful but you also make me want to be kinder to myself which is simply heavenly. Sorry for getting sappy, but never stop being you! Hope 2024 will be brilliant! (And of course I'll use such a list as an excuse to share my favourites as well:) Noteworthy (old-to-me) Author: Neil Gaiman (he's simply the best) Noteworthy (new-to-me) Author: Voltaire Most Surprising Book: The Long Walk by Stephen King Favorite (new-to-me) Poetry Collection: Howl, Kaddish and other poems by Allen Ginsberg Favorite Re-Read: If We Were VIllains by ML Rio Best Non-Fiction: Audre Lorde's essays Best Middle-Grade Book: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien Best Young Adult Book: Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi Best Fantasy Book: The Sandman -series by Neil Gaiman Best Classic Books: The Aenied by Virgil Best Contemporary/Literary Fiction Books: Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens

[@jamesduggan7200]

IIRC Emma too put Catcher in the Rye on her top list for 2024. It's a great classic novel tho not one of my favorites. For me reading it is a trip back in time to what has become an alternate reality because of the radical change in direction happened here i the 1960s - for whom Holden was a posterboy. It's weird for me looking back and recognizing something changed so much. However, clearly you two hadn't that issue, which is good. I htink what we're really about here on BookTube is reading good stuff.

[@nurimansyakirabintimohdsab992]

Kafka took my breath away🥺

[@ttowntrekker5174]

Hi Carolyn Where's the link to the Bookclub you and Emmie have started?

[@erinjandacreative]

If I had to narrow down to my all around favorite book of 2023, I would say The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

[@elizabethlaflamme7312]

Is your book club filmed or recorded or is it something you do in person?? I’ve been trying to find a KZbin channel or Podcast from your book club! If anyone has a link, I’d be super grateful if you shared it with me! :)

[@CarolynMarieReads]

It’s filmed and posted on both of our channels! We have playlists of all of our discussions in the playlists tab!

[@TheJennifer122]

I reread the Googling Strangers chapter of The Anthropoicene Reviewed whenever I need a good cry

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Ugh it’s one of the best!! 🥹

[@aaaamnaaaa]

'Again one armed wave because I'm holding the books' made me smile in public like an absolute fool 😄

[@CarolynMarieReads]

So glad 😂😊

[@aaaamnaaaa]

You always thank us for being kind and lovely but I really want to thank you for being so kind and lovely as well! 🩷

[@ReligionOfSacrifice]

FAVORITES FOR 2023 and only the bottom 9 were dislikes. This was the best reading year of my life. I also turned 50 years old this year. The first book was not my favorite version of it and I do not rate it with other books since there are so many authors for it. It must be said that #70 is an amazing book which has inspired many women to enter the field of science and it was a great read for learning and thinking about what people do in their job, but the fact it affected me so much (made me itchy) while reading it, and the affect lasted for three days even after completing it, made it complete torture. 0) New American Standard Bible (copyright 1995) 1) “The Insulted and Humiliated” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 2) “Vilette” by Charlotte Brontë 3) “Chesapeake” by James A. Michener 4) “Poland” by James A. Michener 5) “Even If This Love Disappears Tonight” by Misaki Ichijo 6) "Childhood, Boyhood" by Leo Tolstoy 7) “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Brontë 8) “Teacher Man” by Frank McCourt 9) “Demons” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 10) “The Complete Poems of Anne Bronte” by Anne Brontë 11) “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair 12) "Caribbean" by James A. Michener 13) “Hawaii” by James A. Michener 14) "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee These top 14 fell in my favorite 40 books of all time, meaning one third of my favorite books were read in 2023. 15) “He Knew He Was Right” by Anthony Trollope 16) “My Uncle's Dream” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 17) “The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World's Most Famous Dynasty" by Natalie Livingstone 18) “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens 19) “The Warden” by Anthony Trollope 20) “North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell 21) “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë 22) “The Heavenly Christmas Tree” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 23) “Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life” by Alex Christofi 24) "Agnes Grey" by Anne Brontë 25) "A Pair of Blue Eyes" by Thomas Hardy 26) “The 39 Steps” by John Buchan 27) “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt 28) “The Gentle Spirit” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 29) "The Gambler" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 30) “The Professor” by Charlotte Brontë 31) "The Vanished Bride" by Bella Ellis, a Brontë Sisters Mystery 32) “Reminders of Him” by Colleen Hoover 33) "The Last 100 Days: the Tumultuous and Controversial Story of the Final Days of World War II in Europe" by John Toland 34) "Pamela, or, Virtue rewarded" by Samuel Richardson 35) “The Blackboard Jungle” by Evan Hunter 36) “Shirley” by Charlotte Brontë 37) “Netochka Nezvanova” (nameless nobody) by Fyodor Dostoevsky 38) “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee 39) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë 40) “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery 41) “Less Than Zero” by Bret Easton Ellis 42) “Mexico” by James A. Michener 43) “The Shards” by Bret Easton Ellis 44) "Those Empty Eyes" by Charlie Donlea 45) “Bonjour tristesse" by Françoise Sagan 46) “The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart 47) “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann 48) “Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom” by Katherine Eban 49) “Even If These Tears Disappear Tonight” by Misaki Ichijo 50) “The Eternal Husband” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 51) "The Housekeeper and the Professor" by Yōko Ogawa 52) “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine 53) “Tis” by Frank McCourt 54) "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney 55) "The Princess" by Anton Chekhov 56) "A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23" by W. Phillip Keller 57) "The Moon Is Down" by John Steinbeck 58) “Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart” by Claire Harman 59) “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe 60) “Summer's End” by Danielle Steel 61) “The Stranger” by Albert Camus 62) “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald 63) “Another Man's Wife and a Husband Under the Bed” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 64) "The Life and Ministry of Rev. Ivan Voronaev" by Dony K. Donev 65) “A Little Hero” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 66) "How Much Land does a Man Need" by Leo Tolstoy 67) “An Honest Thief” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 68) “A Christmas Tree and a Wedding” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 69) "What Men Live by" by Leo Tolstoy 70) “Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos” by Miriam Rothschild 71) “Ruth” by Elizabeth Gaskell 72) “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 73) “The Way of All Flesh” by Samuel Butler

[@ReligionOfSacrifice]

Now Carolyn, I must thank you, for if anyone had asked me before I made my top 100 favorite books list who my favorite author was I would have said Fyodor Dostoevsky without hesitation. I made my 100 list at the end of 2021 and because of you decided to read more Russian literature in 2022 and at the end of that year Fyodor Dostoevsky was my 5th favorite author. Look what happened in 2023. He is now #1 again because I have read so much these last two years and I would think of you more than anyone else for having me read so much Russian literature these last two years. Because of you Ivan Turgenev was in first place, because of you Leo Tolstoy was in first place, and because of you Fyodor Dostoevsky went back into the first place in my mind. Thank you so much. Before 2022 I had only read "The Idiot" and "Crime and Punishment" and those two made him my favorite without a list to look at. FAVORITE AUTHORS 1st) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Insulted and Humiliated) 1) “The Insulted and Humiliated” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 19) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 30) "Demons" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 65) "My Uncle's Dream" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 80) "The Heavenly Christmas Tree" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 113) "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 130) "The Gentle Spirit" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 141) "The Gambler" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 149) "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 173) "Netochka Nezvanova" (nameless nobody) by Fyodor Dostoevsky 2nd) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 3) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 17) “Childhood, Boyhood” by Leo Tolstoy 62) "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy 91) "A Confession" by Leo Tolstoy 3rd) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 5) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 23) "Virgin Soil" by Ivan Turgenev 41) "Torrents of Spring" by Ivan Turgenev 64) "First Love" by Ivan Turgenev 101) "Acia" by Ivan Turgenev 107) "The Watch" by Ivan Turgenev 132) "Rudin" by Ivan Turgenev 141) "On the Eve" by Ivan Turgenev 152) "Home of the Gentry" by Ivan Turgenev 172) "Clara Militch" by Ivan Turgenev 177) "The Inn" by Ivan Turgenev 4th) James A. Michener (Chesapeake) 12) "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener 13) "Poland" by James A. Michener 36) "Caribbean" by James A. Michener 37) "Hawaii" by James A. Michener 197) “Mexico” by James A. Michener 5th) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 10) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 28) "Cancer Ward" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 44) "In the First Circle" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 78) "The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: an Experiment in Literary Investigation" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[@haerhawk]

Happy to be so early ❤❤

[@celinenasrallah7061]

You should check out A letter From an Unknown Woman by Stefan Zweig 💞💞💞 love this book sm

[@aniar_]

damn never been this early it didnt notify me i was randomly seeing any new release and boom!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

🤍

[@aaaamnaaaa]

Orlando blew me away sounded so much like Orlando Bloom-y away😂😂

[@CarolynMarieReads]

😂

[@bobthecat-rh5dy]

It’s time you read Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig.

[@CaffeintedZainab-]

lovee

[@Ninaofthe90s]

23:54 did you say Cillian Murphy!? Oh my god 😍😍😍😍

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Yesss

[@Ninaofthe90s]

@@CarolynMarieReads whan an actor 🤩 and what a man 😏☺

[@elenavillan13]

Overall I had a pretty good reading year and discovered a lot of great new books. Here are some of the best: Noteworthy (old-to-me) Author - Agatha Christie. Christie mysteries are always extremely comforting and enjoyable to me, they're perfect after reading a particularly heavy/depressing book. This year my favorite was Hercule Poirot's Christmas... I've seen other people guessing the ending correctly, but as usual, I didn't see it coming at all lol. Noteworthy (new-to-me) Author - E.M. Forster. I read A Room with a View back in May and fell in love with his writing. Then in December I read Maurice, which I somehow loved even more. He has such an amazing talent to convey the emotions of his characters, and I feel like he truly writes from the heart, his words ring very raw and honest. I'm really looking forward to reading more by him in 2024, maybe Howards End. Most Surprising Book - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but it absolutely blew my mind and I can't wait to read other books by her. The TV adaptation was also very good, although it doesn't really follow the same story. Favorite (new-to-me) Illustrator - Beya Rebaï. I really enjoyed her illustrations for The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and I specifically loved the contrast between the lively, colorful illustrations on the cover and the rougher, darker ones inside the book. Favorite Re-Read - Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. I loved the first book as a kid but wasn't able to read the rest of the trilogy because it wasn't available in my local library. But better late than never! This second time was just as good as the first, and I loved discovering the rest of the series as well. Best Middle-Grade Book - Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. This was the most wonderful, heartwarming story and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Anne Shirley is one of the most lovable characters in literature. Best Young Adult Book - Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I think this duology exemplifies perfectly why young adult literature shouldn't be dismissed as a "superfluous" genre; I genuinely think these were fantastic books, not just for teens, but in general. They have a captivating fantasy world, an entertaining plot, and complex, interesting characters. Best Fantasy Book - Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. I can't believe this book isn't more famous than it already is. It broke my heart in tiny pieces again and again, and I think it's a testament to the power of history and the importance of never forgetting the ugly parts of our past. Best Sci-Fi Book - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. This was by far the book that made me cry the most this year, but I would recommend it to anyone. Its reflections on human intelligence and relationships are extremely touching, and relevant at any moment in history. Best Classic Books - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoi, and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The fact that both of these books are so long and yet I enjoyed them so much (and never found them boring) speaks volumes. I just wish I hadn't been so intimidated by them, they really aren't particularly "difficult" or dense as they might seem at first glance. Best Contemporary/Literary Fiction Books - Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami. I'm so glad that this author is recently becoming more popular. If you love Japanese literature but are missing a female perspective, then I think you'll really enjoy this.

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Great to see Hemingway get a mention. Personally I love the book of short stories, 'A moveable Feast,' about his early days in Paris with his first wife Hadley, being young, poor and ambitious but not yet published. Wonderful. I just read 'Sketches from a Hunter's Album' by Turgenev. Again short stories. Beautiful book. Best wishes to you and your channel.

[@notthemostread]

❤️📖❤️

[@Ng20045]

❤

[@pixieh.5597]

Read it as an adult. Hated it 🙂

[@KMort]

I was quite the opposite with Sallinger. I loved it when I was 15, disliked it now😂

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Oh no hahaha

[@hassan07e]

ohhh i read 3 kafkas in 2023... surely the best american writer of his time

[@sophieeliot]

Kafka wasn't american tho