Top 10 BEST Books of 2023 / Book Recommendations

[@cafeaulivre]

Wat was your best book in 2023? And do you (dis)agree with my top 10? Let me know down below and we'll talk books some more!

[@emma6352]

my top 3 from 2023 are the mebranes by chi ta wei, honeybees and distant thunder by riku onda and giovannis room by james baldwin!!! they are all so beautifully written!

[@geenahm]

​@@emma6352Giovanni's Room is so great. Beautiful and heartbreaking.

[@cafeaulivre]

Giovanni’s Room is such a great book. Have you read If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin yet?

[@cafeaulivre]

It’s one of my favorite modern classics 🫶

[@geenahm]

Not yet, but I'll check it out. I had to first emotionally recover from Giovanni's Room before I could even think of picking up another Baldwin 🥲

[@Ash_Lo]

I came across Piranesi in a free library and was immediately captured by the beautiful cover. Had no idea what I was walking into but it's a favorite read of the year for me as well.

[@cafeaulivre]

Oh wow, that’s one fateful encounter 😊

[@outsider3825]

My favourite books of this year 1) A tree grows in Brooklyn 2) Anne of green gables 3) The secret history 4) One hundred years of solitude 5) Lie with me

[@cafeaulivre]

Some excellent choices there…and some very different books as well 👌

[@marslindman693]

I love TJ Klune’s more recent novels, I’m so glad to hear Under the Whispering Door being talked about! That and The House in the Cerulean Sea got me back into reading. My favorite this year was Circe! Thinking about all the books to read next year has me very excited 📚

[@cafeaulivre]

I read Circe last year and it is still one of my favorite books

[@irok6072]

My Favourite Reads of 2023: 1.Project Hail Mary ~ Andy weir 2.For one more day ~Mitch albom 3.The kite runner ~khaled Hosseini

[@cafeaulivre]

Some excellent choices there indeed 👌

[@alyssacascos8665]

Under the Whispering Door is so good! I loved it! I actually loved The House in the Cerulean Sea even more so definitely read it asap! ❤️📚

[@cafeaulivre]

Oh, I definitely will, because I might have some news about The House in the Cerulean Sea in a video that airs a bit later today 😏

[@geenahm]

📚 Loved the video. Haven't read any of these yet, but def adding Piranesi to my list.

[@cafeaulivre]

It’s a relatively quick read as well, think I finished in two days

[@viviannewson8662]

New to your channel and this list thee Perfect list I read and loved almost all of the books ! Piranesi was become an all time favorite , if you do an in depth review of that book I would love it !

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you ever so much 😊

[@tinat1404]

Your enthusiasm has made me put several books on my TBR that have been sitting on my shelf (almost forgotten). Thank you!

[@cafeaulivre]

I’m told I can be very bad for people’s TBRs 🤣

[@mariewhyte4953]

I love piranesi. It was a joy to read. Enjoyed under the whispering door.

[@cafeaulivre]

I just wish I could read Piranesi for the first time all over again

[@NadxelisNarratives]

I’m so happy I found you! I love how you talk about your top books and appreciate that they are not all the same we see pushed out. Under the Whispering Door is one of my favorite books ever 😭 and I own As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow- I’m moving it way up my TBR list now!

[@cafeaulivre]

It is a beautiful book…but be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster

[@NadiaAbdulrahman-]

As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow was so good! A debut novel too!!♡♡ It was honestly so lovely, wholesome and beautiful, but tragic and harrowing and even shocking at multiple points. And honestly even as an Iraqi arab, that theoretically should know a lot about arab countries, I learned SO much about Syria, the war, the people and the cities... ughh I loved it so much! I hope more people educate themselves on Syria and different arab countries, and all their conflicts, wars, political issues and oppression.

[@cafeaulivre]

I agree, it was very Syria on the one hand, but on the other hand, it could have been many countries today. Such a great book 🥰

[@janettebmUK]

I agree with your number one. Incredible book

[@cafeaulivre]

Oh, I wish I could read it for the first time again!

[@_larax]

I clicked because we had so many favorites in common, and I'm so happy I found such a good content creator! I loved it!!! Will try Piranesi next year, I think

[@cafeaulivre]

Aww, that’s ever so kind, thank you 😊

[@mayas2335]

Under the whispering door had a slow start for me and I did not finish it but after your review I'll probably pick it back up!

[@cafeaulivre]

I loved it, even from the first page on tbh. But taste in books differ and that’s what I love about my little community here: no one judges and we all agree to disagree 😊

[@mariareadsssf]

So glad to see my favorite book of all times on your number 1 spot. With every re-read I can see myself more and more in Piranesi's charcter. I always return to "Piranesi" when I need the reminder that any prison can become a sanctuary.

[@cafeaulivre]

Or any sanctuary a prison 😉

[@lizardslaw2661]

Loved your list and your enthusiasm. Added a few to my list. Piranisi has been sitting on my bookshelf since its release unread. Fixing that now. Thanks

[@cafeaulivre]

I almost wish I could read it for the first time again 😁

[@susan3037]

Love your choices and your enthusiastic delivery! I have subscribed and look forward to future videos.

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you for watching 😊

[@wybiecore]

I also loved As long as the lemon trees grows and Piranesi! Another one of my favs I read this year is The Grace Year. I rly recommend it!!

[@cafeaulivre]

Havn’t read The Grace Year yet, so maybe I should then soon, because I think there are already plans for a movie (and I always read the book first)

[@user-kkk8]

Okay, listening to how passionately you talk about these books, especially about the last one, I decided to give it a try to reading “Piranesi”🥰

[@cafeaulivre]

Do let me know your thoughts when you finish it! 😊

[@MaryJoHeadrick]

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow was SO good!! It was one of my first books of the year and I have not stopped thinking about it since. I still need to read Piranesi!

[@cafeaulivre]

I agree, it is a special book…I do love a good & slow, character driven book now and then.

[@NevsBookChannel]

That’s a great list!

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you 🙏

[@aiscahill]

You have some absolutely incredible books on here, Bart. I was so happy to see what your top book was. I don't think I've ever read anything like it. I'm hoping to take on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell sometime in the latter half of 2024. I hope you and your family had a lovely Christmas 🎄

[@cafeaulivre]

Strange & Norell is a great read, but quite different from Piranesi. Always thought it had a dark fantasy vibe. Hope you’re enjoying the season yourself as much as you can 🫂

[@LunabirdBookclub]

Excellent choice for top pick! I read it the other year and could not put it down. Such a strange and wonderful story!

[@cafeaulivre]

And very hard to review without spoilers 🤣

[@reneecailloux2573]

Just discovered your channel and love your selection. Got me excited about reading. thanks!

[@cafeaulivre]

That’s high praise, thank you 🙏

[@suzanneboily5224]

Thank you

[@SydBookWorrom]

i love seeing letters to a young poet, makes me so happy everytime!!!!

[@SydBookWorrom]

wow and piranesi!! yess!!

[@cafeaulivre]

Seems we have a similar taste in books 😊

[@shonamann8399]

House in Cerulean Sea one of the best ever!

[@cafeaulivre]

There will be a sequel next year 🥰(there’s more info in my newest video if you want)

[@hadeel_K]

Favourite books of 2023: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Finger Bone by Hiroki Takahashi (I’ve only seen one person mention this on KZbin) 📚📖💛

[@cafeaulivre]

Metamorphosis passed here many times already, but havn’t read Finger Bone yet. Just when I thought I was on top of my to read list 🤣

[@alicialunsford1989]

Just subscribed, we have a lot of favorites in common! My top 10 of 2023 (in no particular order): The Starless Sea, Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday, Piranesi, Project Hail Mary, The Martian, As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow, Swan Song, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, and Under the Whispering Door.

[@cafeaulivre]

I havn’t read The Martian myself yet…I take it I should then?

[@alicialunsford1989]

@@cafeaulivre Absolutely! 5 stars in my opinion.

[@cafeaulivre]

Good to know, might give it a try then 😊

[@sniffingthesheets]

BRB Just going to go and buy Piranesi! Have a lovely Christmas, Bart!

[@cafeaulivre]

You too! Enjoy the festive season and hopefully you can sneak away from time to time to read a bit in peace and quiet :)

[@suzanneboily5224]

Your so much fun thanks

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you 😊

[@caitlinl2750]

I’ve read seven of these!

[@cafeaulivre]

Three more to go 😉

[@womenwotreads]

I am so glad I recently subscribed to you . We have such similar taste . I have many of these on my TBR and own a couple. Piranesi is fabulous . I have read everything by Susanna Clarke . She is a master story teller . I am intrigued by "letters to a young poet " as I haven't heard of that one . I'll add it 😃

[@cafeaulivre]

It’s literally what the title says: a series of actual letters from one older poet to a younger one 😂 but they are ever so well written.

[@imnotobsessedwiththat4162]

I love this!

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you 😊

[@louisathellama]

Props for actually ranking your favourites, I can't do it because it's like trying to pick my favourite child 😂

[@cafeaulivre]

It was painful, I will admit….I would love to make a video about my favorite books of all times one day, but I dread the selection process 🤣

[@OhioEddieBlack]

I went to hear her speak, and R Kuang said of Yellowface that she did not want us to hate June but rather to see her as a relatively decent and relatable person who made a series of poor choices; in other words, she could be your normal neighbor, your likable cousin, your amicable coworker. If we see her as detestable, it makes it seem like only really bad people do racist things when that's not the case at all, which is part of the message Kuang hoped the reader would take away. Glad to see it so high on your list! Did you read Babel or the Poppy War trilogy? All also excellent. I loved Babel. It was in my top three last year.

[@cafeaulivre]

Read both Babel & Poppy War and loved them both (especially Babel). That’s an ever so interesting anecdote about Yellowface, thanks for sharing!

[@ganchen6257]

I liked "Yellow Face" too! I think it's very self-aware and it's entertaining at the same time.

[@cafeaulivre]

It ticked all of the boxes for me ✅

[@TheBookAllie]

Just about to finish Yellowface and I completely get what you mean!! It's so well written but the main character makes me want to rip my hair out! I have no idea what I'll want to rate the book in the end 😅I would definitely recommend Yellowface to others and I found the heavy contribution of the publishing industry and consumers of literature in the story to provide some very fun insights and connections.

[@cafeaulivre]

When I finish a book and I don’t immediately know how to review it , that’s often a good sign 🤣 I don’t really have autobuy-authors, but RF Kuang is getting there for me.

[@TheBookAllie]

I agree, I'm so excited to see what R.F. Kuang does in the future! She doesn't seem to be stuck to one genre and I find that so intriguing. Happy Reading in 2024!! @@cafeaulivre

[@cafeaulivre]

I happen to know she’s a huge Agatha Christie fan, so here’s me hoping we get a RF Kuang murder mystery in the following years. 🤞

[@thepaperdavid]

I loved Piranesi and Yellowface too. My favourite read of the year was The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan; I can't recommend it highly enough.

[@cafeaulivre]

I’ll have to place that one on my to read list then, can’t say I know it

[@beautynscience2010]

One of my best books is Pao by Kerry Young.

[@cafeaulivre]

Can’t say I know that one…I’ll go and look it up! 😊

[@melissasanford3602]

I don't have a definite best book of the year, but I was greatly surprised by I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. It is definitely a new favorite.

[@cafeaulivre]

I saw that one in the bookstore the other day, good to know you loved it, might look into it then.

[@eveliendejaegere7262]

Love this video ❤ 📖

[@cafeaulivre]

🙏

[@paulsomerville4005]

Piranesi was my favorite book of the year when I read it. I have not read anything since that I liked more.

[@cafeaulivre]

It certainly is quite unique....I do love me some surrealism

[@kristen7623]

As a 100+ book a year reader, Pirenasi is contending for my top 5

[@cafeaulivre]

What’s your number one then? I’m curious now 😊

[@karenshann]

Would be possible for you to leave the book picture on the screen for longer please. I loved Project Hail Mary, read it in 2021 and it still stays with me, I loved Rocky My top 2 books this year have been Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent and Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck

[@cafeaulivre]

I’ll edit it in a bit longer in future videos 😊

[@2134yanto]

I have only read 1 of your top 10. That was Yellowface by RF Kuang. I enjoyed it but thought her novel Babel, was better. I don’t tend to read many new releases so doubt the other 9 will get a reading any time soon. Merry Christmas

[@cafeaulivre]

I agree: I enjoyed Babel more too, but Babel is a whole different beast, I guess. I find the fact she’s able to switch genres and still deliver the hallmark of a great author.

[@2134yanto]

@@cafeaulivre hopefully her career and bibliography will continue to expand and develop. I tend to read more male authors than female, so it’s nice to find one whose whose works I enjoy.

[@cafeaulivre]

I know she’s a big Agatha Christie fan, so I hope there’s a murder mystery in her literary future 🤞

[@2134yanto]

@@cafeaulivre that would be interesting 👍

[@_larax]

My best book of the year was Divine Rivals, but The Travelling Cat Chronicles was a close second. I think you'd enjoy it!

[@cafeaulivre]

I’ll have to look into that, because (spoiler warning) I might have a little something around books and cats planned in 2024 😉

[@_larax]

ohhhh please! the travelling cat chronicles has to get in @@cafeaulivre

[@cafeaulivre]

Noted 😉

[@VTimmoni]

My best read of the year was Fanenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Yes it's a reread. I haven't read anything new in a while and it makes me sad.

[@cafeaulivre]

I didn’t get include rereads, because then it would have been impossible 🤣 but I agree: Fahrenheit 451 is such a great book!

[@whateverbabe]

My favourites this year are: Sapiens Divine Rivals The Secret History The Yellow Wallpaper Revolutions for dummies

[@cafeaulivre]

TSH is my annual reread and I absolutely loved (although it feels like the wrong word for such an unsettling book) The Yellow Wallpaper

[@pepeloteroyt9792]

*book emoji*

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you emoji

[@Bamz0rsOnline]

shaking in my boots for next year already. Pls murder me in the feedback, senpai :)

[@cafeaulivre]

Hate videos do well on KZbin 😉

[@banaa9463]

📚

[@cafeaulivre]

👌👌

[@halimamuslimah]

📚📚📚

[@cafeaulivre]

🙏🙏🙏

[@JessicaFrizzell-dl9pe]

📕

[@cafeaulivre]

🫶🫶

[@coolbeans5752]

👩‍🏫

[@cafeaulivre]

🙏

[@tinat1404]

😂😂😂

[@cafeaulivre]

🤩🤩

[@andyn6053]

Worthless list

[@cafeaulivre]

Thank you for supporting it with your comment.

[@amandagarcia1419]

Cried like a baby reading As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow. 😭❤️‍🩹 so so good. Thanks for sharing your faves!

[@cafeaulivre]

I can say I didn’t keep it dry either 🥲