My Top 10 Books of 2023, plus the Best of the Rest!

[@CharlesHeathcote]

Pleased to see The Thirteenth Tale make it onto this list, and apt considering she's one of Katie's favourite modern authors too. Two of your books also made it onto my top ten, and I like to think that emphasises just how good those books are.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Charlie. I definitely see elements of The Thirteenth Tale in Hartwood Hall even if it’s just a feeling that I have. They go well together. Very glad to hear we have two in common, that must mean those are the very very best. 😊📚

[@WhatVictoriaRead]

I’m always super impressed when people are able to rank their favourite reads, I can never manage it! 😂 and yay for The Thirteenth Tale; it’s a favourite of all time for me too! ☺️💛

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Oh they could definitely all be in different orders on different days! 😂 I’d say the top 3 were firmly firmly my favs of the year and would not be lower than 3, 4-10 could well shift around! The Thirteenth Tale just had that feel of this is an all time favourite to me, wonderful book! 😊📚💛

[@lindysmagpiereads]

It’s a joy to hear you gush about books you love! I’m looking forward to Michael Rosen’s Getting Better, which will be released in Canada at the end of March 2024.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you Lindy. 😊 I didn’t know Getting Better was not yet out in Canada. It’s such a moving and excellent book. I hope you enjoy it. 😊📚

[@awebofstories]

I first read The Thirteenth Tale over a decade ago and I can tell you that it definitely stands the test of time! It's probably in the top 5, maybe 3, of my all time favorite books!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Yay! As I was reading it I was feeling that excitement of I think this is an all time favourite! It’s definitely in my top 10 of all time already!

[@katiejlumsden]

🎉🎉🎉 Thank you for loving Hartwood Hall, and also, it makes me so happy that The Thirteenth Tale is a new favourite for you. It’s just the best. Also, I really need to read Demon Copperhead sometime.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

You’re very welcome, it’s an excellent book! 😊 I’m glad I’ve finally read The Thirteenth Tale and found out how great it is after all this time. I’ll be very interested to hear your thoughts on Demon Copperhead when you do read it. 😊📚

[@novellenovels]

You know Katie’s book was my favourite and the thirteenth tale was on my favourites the year I read it. I plan to read tomorrow x3 in May and I hope I love it 😍🤞🏻

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I hope you love Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I think there will be some very hard hitting parts for you, certainly it broke my heart into millions of tiny pieces. 💔😊📚

[@janeduffield4801]

Some great favourites! Agree Demon is a number one read,BK is some kind of magical genius,awesome plus. I was surprised how much I loved Tomorrowx3. I couldn't put it down until I had to stop as I couldn't see to read for weeping. I loved it,great characters,really different,and you are so right about the different aspects of love. Brilliant book.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks, yes I agree BK has some sort of magic in her words and how she puts them together. I was amazed you loved Tomorrow x 3 but I’m so glad you did. 😊📚

[@hasteyebooks]

Ah wonderful to see The Fifth Season in your top 10, convincing me even more to pick it up! Becky Chambers is always a winner! Katie is so lovely, I can't believe I never finished the ARC I got, but I think I need to pick a physical copy rather than e-book.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Definitely pick it up! Pick them all up! 😂 I really need to acquire some more Becky Chambers. 😊📚

[@karenwetherald6086]

What a fabulous reading year !!! Hip Hip Horay for Demon Copperhead. A friend of mine was de-cluttering her bookshelves and gave me a copy of Cloud Cuckoo Land. I'm so excited to read it, one fine day

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Karen, I hope you enjoy Cloud Cuckoo Land when you get a chance to read it. 😊📚

[@lisainbookland]

That is so disciplined that you were able to pick 10 (and some honourable mentions!) from >170 books! Prophet Song was great and Secrets of Hartwood Hall was also in my top books 😊 I really must re-read The Thirteenth Tale some time, I did love it when I read it years ago!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Lisa. It was hard to narrow them down but equally these books were absolutely great reads! 😊📚

[@YourTrueShelf]

Oooh a few from my tbr! Demon, 13th tale, the fifth season, hartwood hall 😊 could never have guessed your favourite 😉😉

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Haha yeah I’ve hardly ever mentioned my favourite this year! 😂

[@GemofBooks]

22 five stars!! That’s quite the increase in 2022!! The sign of a pretty solid reading year 🤩 I’ve just found Jen Campbells poetry collection on Scribd - might try and get to that this month… Whoop whoop for The Fifth Season - very excited for book 2 😄 And Becky C!! Your list is making me very happy 😃 Love that you also cheated and included multiple Abercrombie in one slot 😂 The Thirteenth Tale and Demon are very deserving of the top two slots - such excellent books!!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Either a good sign or I started being much more lenient! I think it’s the first one. 😂 Would love to chat about Jen’s poetry if you get to it. I had so many feelings, one of which was rage (you’ll see what I mean I think), so would be interested in your thoughts. Yay for NK Jemisin, I’m so glad we are reading that next month! I need to acquire more Becky Chambers books. Abercrombie rules! 😂 I feel like we had a lot of books in common, and those that we didn’t read together this year were often from your good recs so kudos for that! 😈😊📚

[@emmavd]

Thanks, Alice!🌷Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is also among my favourite reads of 2023. I read so many great books last year (40 of the 100+ I read in total), and I find it difficult to narrow them down or rank them. Among them are I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel, Standing Heavy by GauZ, Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov, The House of Doors by Tan Twang Eng, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, North Woods by Daniel Mason, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, A Thousand Ships by Nathalie Haynes. Best audiobook Tom Lake narrated by Meryl Streep. Best non fiction probably Mad about Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate. Best comfort read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum. 🥰📚

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

That sounds like such a great list of reads that you had! Glad you had a good year and found lots of books you liked. Thanks for sharing your favourites. 😊📚

[@TheLeniverse]

Your list, apart from a couple I hadn't heard of, is a combination of books I have read and loved and books I've been meaning to read. Getting to meet Susan Cooper sounds amazing! I read the two first books in her series as a child, and again as an adult, but somehow haven't read the rest. I picked up Greenwitch from a Folio Society sale a couple of years ago, so I really should read it! I have a hard time making top 10 lists, but my absolute favourite last year was Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Excellent! I would highly recommend going on to read the rest of the Susan Cooper books, especially Greenwitch! That folio edition sounds brilliant. I keep getting told how good Lonesome Dove is too. Glad you enjoyed it. 😊📚

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

I love The Thirteenth Tale! And The Secrets of Hartwood Hall! I'm hoping to read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow with my book club soon.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Me too! I can’t wait to hear what you think of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! 😊📚

[@benreadsgood]

Love the breadth here Alice! 👏 Get ready for some more banging twists in the Broken Earth Trilogy. So good! And I also loved To Be Taught if Fortunate. “Onto happier books… kind of” 😂 I held my breath for a moment there when I thought number one wasn’t going to be what I thought it would be 😮

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Ben. Haha, that’s me trying to ramp up the suspense before announcing it’s just what you thought it would be all along! 😂 The Thirteenth Tale did run it close but they are books that appeal to me in very different ways as favourites. I am loving reading even more of a range of genres, it’s very much paying off! I mean none of these get particularly happy, but Prophet Song must be the darkest point in the list?! 😊📚

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

Hearing you gush was delightful and some brilliant books here. I really should have read The Thirteenth Tale with the FOMO book club as I know I would love it.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Ros! Highly recommend reading The Thirteenth Tale anyway. I’m certain you would like it a lot. 😊📚

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Best wishes with your reading choices in 2024.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you, and the same to you. 😊📚

[@bjminton2698]

What a wonderful year for you! Glad you enjoyed so many books!! I've only read a few of your top 10, but I love Becky Chambers! I've read SF for several decades, but have only recently tried out fantasy and am loving it! So many varieties to choose from. I feel like a kid in a candy store 😄. I've read the whole Broken Earth series and liked #3 the best. I just finished The Fourth Wing and throughly enjoyed it! I've decided I need a dragon of my own... 😂 I had a good reading year in '23 - 123 books! A few of the best fiction were: The Snow Child by Ivey, The Quiet Game by Iles, The Terminal List by Carr and A Darkness Absolute by Armstrong (You need to read City Of The Lost first). Thank you for all of the time and thought you put into making the video. You always add to my gigantic TBR. 🙄🙂

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I’m glad you’ve been enjoying getting into fantasy! 🐉 You read a lot of book, I like the sound of your best ones. Thanks BJ for sharing your favs and for the kind comments. I can’t wait to read more Becky Chambers.😊📚

[@melissahouse1296]

Such an interesting selection thoroughly enjoyed this 🤓several I'd love to get to particularly Abercrombie Kingsolver etc.💕👌☺️

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Melissa. I love that there were such a mix of books I enjoyed. 😊📚

[@BookishTexan]

Great list! You actually made me want to read Prophet Song.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Brian! You make that sound like quite a feat. I hope you enjoy it if you do try it. 😊📚

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Great list. The Thirteenth Tale I read a while ago but remember very little. Your number one is on my TBR. Hopefully I will get to it in 2024. 😊💙

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you, Jolene! I hope you enjoy the number one book! 😊📚

[@CharlieBrookReads]

Such a great list❤ Loads of books I adored too.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Charlie! I’m glad you enjoyed some of these too! 😊📚💛

[@emmastinylibrary]

Loved this video 😊 I had a massive 44 5 ⭐ books in 2023, my top 3 (in no order!) being: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you. Wow that’s a lot of great books, you just have had a really good reading year. I’m now even more excited to read Tipping the Velvet. 😊📚

[@lorimiller854]

What a great list! I need to get to The Secrets of Hartwood Hall (on my shelves). Need to get the first Susan Cooper book ordered so I can be ready for the possible read-a-long. The one on your list I want to add is The Night of the Hunter. I need a good terrifying book in my life right now.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Excellent! Thanks Lori. Do get hold of Over Sea Under Stone, I will definitely be hoping to begin the readalong of Susan Cooper in the summer. The Night of the Hunter is a great thriller, with a very menacing feel to it. I hope you enjoy it. 😊📚

[@spreadbookjoy]

I’ve just started reading Tomorrowx3 at long last! I have Getting Better on audio as well to read at some point when I have the emotional capacity to do so! Very pleased that historical fiction and fantasy are featured as they are my top genres. My next fantasy recommendation is Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy. Everyone will tell you to start with her Farseer books and they are good but not a patch on LT - another one of my all time favourite fantasy series. Read it three times and it was just as good each time.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks for the recommendation Jack. I think you’ve made the most determined effort of anyone to get my into fantasy. I’m not sure about the Liveship Traders, as it sounds even more fantasy than those I’ve tried so far, but you’ve given me such good recommendations so far that I will give it a go. 😊📚

[@ameliabarlowbooks]

three cheers for Demon! ♥️

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Hip hip hooray! 😊📚🥳

[@melissachapman7027]

I’m very interested in Getting Better, I don’t know if I’ve heard of it. I have a condition called Mollaret’s meningitis and unfortunately tend to get severe rather than mild cases which means a lot of hospital time. It’s hard not to get into a place where you’re just waiting for the next round instead of living your life.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I’m sorry to hear that you are going through that, time in hospital can be so difficult and distressing. Getting Better is a hard book to read in places but also Rosen is overwhelmingly positive despite all of his experiences and struggles. I hope you like it if you do decide to read it. Sending lots of good wishes.

[@LeanneRose]

💕💕💕

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Leanne! 💛

[@bigaldoesbooktube1097]

Hurrah for Fantasy 🫡

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Definitely getting really on board with it these days! 😊

[@zachreads]

All of my 5☆ out of 168 -Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes -Kindred by Octavia E Butler -Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan -All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque -A Day of Fallen Night By Samantha Shannon -Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao -Gwendy's Final Task by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar -The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

That sounds like a very interesting mix of five star reads, Zach. Although I haven’t read any of them, most are on my radar to try. I hope you have a great year of reading this year. 😊📚

[@AaronReadABook]

I think what you can take from this is that fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction are the best genres and you should read more of them😂

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

They are most excellent genres and I will be reading more for sure! 😊📚

[@AbiofPellinor]

Out of all of these Fifth Season is the only one already on my radar, looks like I should add the others! 🩵

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Abi. Sorry to add to your mental TBR at this time. 😬😂📚