the best books of 2023!!

[@bookbrain1557]

Using the dagger as a microphone is the best thing 😂

[@Arawn505]

Such a cool dagger! I like the sound it made when Leonie put it back into the sheath

[@paigesogard2385]

It's giving Daniel Greene

[@sumitraspov]

​@@paigesogard2385 exactlyyy

[@kaizenkhaos]

I didn't even realise it was a dagger at first ha ha 😂

[@danidebruyne8764]

Disgasting thing, a dagger isn't a toy.

[@Ghostfrogdraws]

Books mentioned !! Nettle & Bone by T Kingfisher The Stolen Heir by Holly Black A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid Belladonna by Adalyn Grace The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Slewfoot by Brom A Room of One’s Own by Virgina Woolf Period Power by Maisie Hill Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski Art Matters by Neil Gaiman Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke Cultish by Amanda Montell The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood Serious Concerns by Wendy Cope The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

[@BusraUnal-zb1mk]

THANK YOU

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

Thank you! No idea why YT creators don’t do this…

[@Aashbard01]

Thank you so much for the effort, I appreciate it!! 💖🤗

[@sammalneito]

maybe because then some people just watch the names and not the video, I have thought haha @@HomeWorkouts_LS

[@ellie-rey]

oh my god you're the best, thank you

[@bookbrain1557]

Calling Death the final boss of shadow daddies will forever be in my mind 😂

[@_ashleylh]

I've already preordered Wisteria the third part of the Belladonna trilogy. They're just fun books (well my kind of fun). I'll never be able to get the final boss of the shadow Daddies out of my head ever. I loved the way Leonie did this video! Probably my favorite favorites video I watched this year!

[@mayae9372]

she is absolutely iconic

[@sybilvane74]

You definitely deserve this year's award for best presentation of your favourite books! 🏅Thanks for your great recommendations. Love Wendy Cope too, one of my favourite poems of hers is "Stress".

[@book-circus]

Categories: Best caracter design 1:15 Best Vibes 3:47 Best new author 8:22 Best book that made me cry 10:16 Best books with a non-human love interest 13:15 Best non-fiction 16:49 Best romance 18:58 Best surprise 22:00 Best classic 24:46 Best book of 2023 27:23

[@MillennialDandy]

Ok but this was such a great concept? It’s the breadth for me. My favorite read of the year hands down was My Dark Vanessa- that novel shifted gravity. Honorable mentions to The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida and The Portrait of Mr. W.H. 🙌🏼

[@vincenzocassano555]

1:12 Best character design 3:47 Best vibes 8:22 Best new author 10:16 Best book that made me cry 12:59 Best book with non human entity 16:46 Best non fiction 19:00 Best romance 22:03 Biggest Suprise 24:22 Best Classic 26:50 Best Book of 2023

[@CAiTLiNx354]

I am so glad I am not the only one who cried reading the very secret society of irregular witches. It was just so sweet 😭

[@FaeryLaume]

I know, I was so surprised to burst into tears.

[@kavya12kohli]

This was such a fun video. I instantly added several to my tbr. Your editing, the categories, the books chosen, everything is fantastic! Also, Happy New Year!❤

[@Joohyuniex]

Can I just say, I’m so happy to have found booktube haha. Best finds of 2023 ❤

[@haneulnophi]

I would like to say that your Foxhole Court video is probably the best booktube video of year! I really enjoyed the surprises we met as you were reading it for us. very fun and memorable, I would love to have another whimsical journey through a wacky series like that with you ❤

[@jocelyneparmentier6952]

So much work put in this video ! Usually I skip to the parts where the youtuber actually named theirs favorites but for this one, I'll sip it like a good tea, taking my time.

[@jimcuster3677]

And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The award for Best Booktube Presentation of My Favorite Books of 2023 goes to…..Leonie from The Book Leo!! (Yay! Yay!) Unfortunately, Leonie was unable to be with us tonight. Accepting the award on her behalf is her lovely assistant…

[@albasapri3265]

Loving this comment 😂❤

[@Thegirlwiththebooks-]

LOVED THE HUMOUR HERE… also, the vibes were, as always, on point❤❤

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

Our reading taste this year had zero overlap aside from the non-fiction books but I still watched every single video of Leonie because I really enjoy the vibes and her insights into what she reads! here's to a great 2024!

[@justjaq2319]

It's me!! I'm the "I don't like short stories" girl who absolutely adored both Story of your life AND Arrival!!!

[@eggrat6]

So excited to hear that you loved Chiang's writing! If you enjoyed Stories of Your Life and Others, you must read his second short story collection, Exhalation. It may be my favorite book of all time. His writing is truly one of a kind.

[@ameliarichey9937]

Your impression of a person who doesn't like short stories is spot on. I might have to read a few short stories, you've convinced me!

[@eggrat6]

If I may add a few suggestions, I've really enjoyed Kate Chopin's stories and She by Michelle Latiolais. My favorite short story collection is Exhalation by Ted Chiang:)

[@juliettebernard6774]

My five favorite books that i have read this year were : the daughter of the pirate king, restore me, a good girl's guide to murder, the last olympian and this savage song🥰🥰

[@urieommarang]

Thank you for this. Finally could add some stuff to my 2024 reading list. The best book I've read this year was definitely Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faeries.

[@viivi4196]

I love the format you did here, the categories were a good choice for presenting your favorites and I really appreciate that you made the category backgrounds fit the category itself, they were so pretty!

[@seas_again]

When you said about poetry that "it's not a matter of 'do I understand the poems' but more of 'oh my gosh, she understands *me*'" that just hit the spot! what a succinct appraisal

[@gingerape707]

The way u talk about books is so poetic I love it so much

[@juliette3109]

yes I was stalking, this is my comfort channel, I feel no shame

[@Ishtar-Tiger]

"Final boss of the Shadow Daddies" had me rolling. This is how all awards shows should be. Love your videos and the description and commentary of all the books and stories.

[@zixaz00]

Love to see a short story collection being your favorite! I also used to think I didn’t like short stories, but I’ve read so many great short stories this year that I completely changed my mind, and plan to read a ton of collections and anthologies next year!

[@troyonsea]

i have been in a reading slump for a while but i watched this and impulsively bought three books mentioned..and they turned out to be impeccable recommendations (one even became an all time fave) you have become the holy grail of book recommendations during a time where nothing seems to be hitting

[@sabiha.sayeed]

Leonie, almost all the books on this list are literally books I've been meaning to read! And some I've been unsure about, and of course some gems I hadn't heard of.

[@normmansor1313]

Been waiting for the year end wrap up. Gives me a good guide what to get for next year.

[@annabrewer4408]

Leonie as her own lovely assistant is perfection. And: "We also just so happen to have the exact same taste in books..." with that tea sip is the vibe I want to take into 2024.

[@psychedbypat]

coolest presenter award goes to leonie, her dagger and the definitely not an ipad notes!

[@michellemachesney1487]

im so happy you rec’d the irregular witches book in a prev video bc it’s definitely in my top 5 of 2023!!! along with the house in the cerulean sea (absolutely incredible audiobook narration!!!) something wild and wonderful by anita kelly (i read a physical book i knew absolutely nothing about and fell in love!!!) and also read many books by alexis hall and love his writing quite dearly i could never pick one book or series hahahaa

[@authentically_arsha]

I have to say this. Your videos are super entertaining. The dramatics, your expressions, the ideas, the presentation, top class. ❤

[@lexbartelmann8398]

I'm pretty sure my favorite book/series of the year (which i just finished a few days ago) is gonna have to be All for the Game 😅 and I have you to thank for getting me into them! So thank you! Happy New Year, looking forward to more awesome videos from you 😊

[@Milopilo223]

Im so happy I have found this channel this year. I never thought I would need booktube in my life until then, but now, I can’t live without it. Love the vibe. ❤❤ Happy new year to you all!!

[@silfon4523]

you should definitely read Pan's labyrinth by Cornelia Funke and Guillermo del Toro. it's kind of a fairytale but of the dark kind. it's like forest, fairies, fauns, the vibes are a rainy days and the woods. i think you'd love it!!! oh, and it also has beautiful illustrations✨

[@mirae9907]

the concept of this video!!!!!! incredible. i loved spending this year with your content, and this one was just a cherry on top

[@tal8762]

There are many “best of 2023” videos out there. This one is easily the most clever, fun, refreshing & enjoyable!

[@Stranger-ym2fm]

This was a fun video! My favourite books from this year were Frankenstein, The Moth Keeper, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries!

[@Swanod]

It was very authentic, fresh, and natural. I wanted to read all these books immediately. It was very interesting and entertaining to watch and listen to you. I also want and must note your good acting talent, your facial expressions and all these antics are very natural, or have I already said that? I wanted to immediately shoot something like this on video, but unfortunately I don’t have such a beautiful dagger. You are great, keep up the good work!!

[@sqbxxks9630]

I read Bitterthorn because of you and it was one of my favorite reads of the year, thank you for the recommendation ❤️

The format, the humour, the dagger... this is such a fun video to watch, definitely my favourite booktube wrapup!🤩☺️

[@shanelholton6715]

My favourite read this year was Manacled, but my favourite published book was Divine Rivals. Both of these books have lived rent-free in my head since I read them and I'm not over either of them.

[@Windkandi]

This ’award’ idea was brilliant! So fun to watch and also gave a lot of tips firsoecific things I look for! ❤

[@angelaarnold826]

I really loved this format. I think it’s my favorite end of year wrap up that I have watched. ❤️❤️❤️

[@erinstevens4886]

My friends and I do book awards every year. We have categories like best villain, best romantic relationship, best cover and then all argue with eachother for the books we read this year to win. Happily, my best friends suffered from terrible reading slumps this year so I think I've got it in the bag 😙

[@debanjanachakraborty7416]

Okay this might be my favourite 2023 book wrap up video... Using dagger as Mike , nominees fir different categories of books (with the 5⭐ editing ) , and ofc the Presenter with incredible sense of bookish humor ... Absolutely brilliant.. fir someone who has very short attention span I found myself watching entire video without skipping ( and wishing there were more ) Needless to say I absolutely LOVED this vid and all your content ..Love from India 😘😍😍

[@May8Day]

Loved the award retrospective! Such a good idea and style!!

[@KingaZajacNNR]

This is so cute, love the concept!

[@sercemwksiazkach]

This is a cool concept and I would love to see it next year, too! Your nominees are awesome and I definitely want to read Ted Chiang's short story collection. My favourite books I read in 2023 were Babel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Zoya Pirzad's Space Between Us!

[@nostalgicsapphic8450]

i can tell you had such a fun time making this video so i ended up really loving watching this as well :D

[@renleys]

id like the idea of fable more if it was a way to meet people and read with people with similar tastes! i dont have friends to buddy read with but the idea is really cool and cute!!

[@ephinygale]

I LOVE that your best book of the year is a short story collection! 🎉

[@stormofapril]

I set up my goal of 20 books for 2023 and I made it! Thanks to you and other youtube channels I have been falling more and more in love with books. My favourite book was The Adventures of Tom Swayer by Mark Twain ❤

[@tvnet222]

I love how you structured this video! Fresh and interesting and fun!!

[@tessaonthego]

I've been watching your channel for a while, but usually on my work computer so under a different account. I am SO glad Fable is working with you! I've been using the app for a while and I remember someone on the team asking for our favorite booktubers, I was quick to mention you!! I love the channel and I think we have a lot in common. You have so many of the same takes on books and it seems we have some of the same hobbies too! I loved following along as you did the foxhole series. I really liked that you got such a kick out of it, and you explained it in such an entertaining way!

[@lisaoswald137]

Nettle and Bone is my fave, honestly it was such a good read!

[@hayleyemma7953]

I was literally browsing for books last night to use my gift cards on! This video is perfect first thing this morning. Very interesting structure too!

[@Sonia-5555]

Stories of your life was my favorite too. I highly recommend the Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu. A Love Death and Robots episode is based on one of the stories. Spent this whole year obsessed with short stories collections.

[@tisha177]

I love how you'll do the same things in incredibly unique ways and make your videos entertaining and immersive! You are so funny and creative and I love watching your content💕

[@Abonti-hc6oc]

10:56 the moment she mentioned the series i knew what made her cry. I loved the video on that series 😂😂😂

[@sabrinalauren1484]

I just love how creative you're with your videos! The best way to start my 2024, thank yoou

[@nonyabizness956]

Leonie the sponsor for this video 👌👌👌 PERFECT you have no idea, my friends and I started a little book club and I wanted something EXACTLY like this but had no idea it existed! I wanted to use Goodreads to keep track of our bookclub stuff but it just doesn't work in the mobile app and I never log in to Goodreads on my computer 🤷‍♀️ Thank you so much, I hope they sponsor you again!

[@hollsyholls]

i’ve really only just gotten into reading in 2023 at the ripe age of 23! fantasy and romantasy owns me and you have become one of my favourite/comfort youtubers for book talks and recommendations! happy new year and thank you 🖤🗡️🧚🏼‍♀️

[@bookthoughtswitheilish]

Loved how you did this video Leonie! My favourite book of the year was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I adored my whole reading experience with it ☺️

[@morgan350]

i’m in hs but i’m taking a college english class and using the tpcastt method to analyze poetry helped me understand the layers so well!

[@alma3468]

you’ve read my mind, i typically don’t love short stories (and often, i don’t even like them). i suppose i have to try ted chiang now, because you said so. also i really liked Arrival and like sci-fi as a whole.

[@ediedee909]

17:50 I just finished cultish and omg five ☆ definitely!

[@arteliisa]

I would love to see a video of you reading the Selection like you did with the Foxcourt series, I just think that would be so fun!! :)

[@luuciiaa]

My fav book of this year was definitely Girl interrupted, I enjoyed the writing and portrayal of the story sososososo much!! Def a must read

[@spacegirlreads]

When you said that Arrival is your favourite movie, I am so happy I immediately subscribed! 🖤 I am also in the midst of reading The Last Tale of the Flower Bride and I am hooked. So many great recommendations, I'm so glad to have found your channel!

[@justsomebody1171]

One of my favourite books this year has to be Slewfoot. Thank you for making me find a new favourite

[@lavenderrosecosplay5639]

Wonderful video! My favorites of the year were A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos, Grief Is The Thing With Feathers by Max Porter (poetry collection), A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske, and Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.

[@luiiiandmovieee]

Perfect timing. The second I finished the ballad of songbirds and snakes audiobook the notification for this video appeared. (I cried at the end of the book btw, even though I knew what would happen bc I watched the movie first. The last sentences hit me way more than expected)

[@capalluisce]

well, i trust you leonie. adding some of these to my tbr as of right now!

[@pendragon2012]

Been a good reading year! And given how the year has developed I am really not surprised that you have a lot of horror on it, lol. Hope your holiday season is going well, Leonie! Happy New Year!

[@mariajacynta]

My TBR list for 2024 is so big now! Thanks for the amazing reviews and videos Leo ❤

[@valeriarota6029]

Slewfoot is amazing read it these September it BLEW MY MIND

[@magpiewrites]

You have been my best youtube discovery this past year! You have such an amazing healing vibe about you, I love your energy and your takes! We have very similar reading tastes and sometimes - and I’m not embarrassed admitting this! - when I work on my own fantasy story I think "ooof, Leonie would LOVE this line" and it motivates me so much!

[@Elizalowry-sg5qr]

My favorite book/series that I read this year, is the red queen series, oh my god it was so sad y'all,😭 but so good I LOVE Victoria and her books. I don't like short story's tho so I wasn't found of the pre col, but the series its self ❤❤❤❤ amazing. My fav single book that I read this year is stolen, also just so good. Second time I read it definitely gonna again.❤❤❤❤ Happy new year y'all. 💖

[@MG-en4ky]

Gonna single-handedly buy all of the mentioned books for my birthday in two weeks. Leonie you never miss 💙

[@sophieismyname]

I discovered short story collections for myself this year aswell. I love themmm!! my fav collection so far is bliss montage

[@talialghouls]

So happy to see Slewfoot on your list! I love that book so much!

[@muirgendoyle7595]

Favorite books from 2023 for me is a cross between The Great Divorce by CS. Lewis, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, and Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews. Loved this video and I want to read all these recommendations 😍 thanks

[@cubitum-eamus]

such a creative presentation of your best books of the year, leonie! if there was an award for that, you would have won it (bonus points for the dagger mic)

[@Katiedora122]

I love that The Foxhole Court continues to fuck people up in the most addictive way 🤣 My favorites this year were The Collected Regrets of Clover, Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Golden Enclaves, and Georgie, All Along

[@CoocooBird247]

Absolutely love your category idea! Thank you for your recs, creativity, and vibes!

[@inlesinlet]

2023 was the year where I finally got back into reading. I had a lot of catching up to do. My favorites, without a doubt, were "Six of Crows" and "Crooked Kingdom". Read them in September, and still haven't read anything since which have topped them.

[@choufleur96]

i just yelled because Arrival is mY FAVOURITE MOVIE and I LOVED Stories of your life (and have read a few of the other stories incl 72 letters, which I loved, but not all of them, and you've just reminded me to reopen my copy of this amazing book) Ted Chiang really DID THAT!!!! Thanks for the list, all your picks for nonfiction and your top five picks are now on my tbr.

[@myrahj3108]

This is such a cool concept!!🤩 the individual background collages for each category were so well done!!🤌✨

[@marya4632]

Ted Chiang absolutely blew my mind! Great choice!

[@mothmallow]

I'm really happy to see the hype for Carissa Broadbent, she's a local author to me!

[@jamesduggan7200]

Thank you for the list and for the presentation, too. Have a happy new year, and many more to come. Oh, and thank you for providing a space for us to interact and share - take care and enjoy!

[@nadiyah_i]

looking forward to reading The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi! but the best book of the year for me was The Bone Ships by RJ Barker, can't wait to finish the rest of the series

[@blackanne]

My favorite book of the year was In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Machado. I also love Girlhood by Melissa Febos, Bunny, Clara and the Sun, and Frankenstein (win in the language category). Very fun video!

[@timmellis5038]

I read a lot in 2023. I don't know what my favorite book was, but I just finished and totally loved The Dutch House by Ann Patchett- awesome! It had my favorite, or at least one of my favorite characters of all time- Maeve.

[@alanissophia9728]

Under the Whispering Door for sure was my favorite this year ❤️‍🩹

[@taragirsch4374]

14:02 i lost it. I was cracking up so bad 😂😂😂

[@natalial.l.9950]

Arrival is one of my favorite movies and I had no idea it was based in a book 🙀 I'm definitely reading that.

[@lua6914]

i love your videos recommending books bc my list just gets sooo much bigger afterwards