Top 10 Best Books of 2023! RANKED - Thriller and Horror Books

[@amandakoeppe2884]

Your outfit is giving Ms. Frizzle vibes in THE BEST way.

[@ReadingWryly]

😂🙌🏻❤️ This is 100% my Ms. Frizzle outfit.

[@bby.kaylamarie]

The way I almost commented this!🙃

[@emilycraig9356]

Yesssss I love it

[@ckat13]

Was gonna comment this 😂😊

[@droslynnehebard2822]

Yessss!❤

[@heyyheyypaula]

Can I just say your hair looks amazing!

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you, Paula! ❤️🙌🏻

[@whitleyysuereads]

I love that I’ve never heard of so many of these. You speak about books that not everyone else is talking about. Mary was on my TBR but hearing you speak about it, it’s moved way up.

[@ReadingWryly]

🙌🏻 Love to hear it. Happy reading!

[@DanaBobek]

As soon as I saw Strange Sally Diamond as your top pick, I knew I had to subscribe. That story reached into my soul. I also just read Nestlings, and whew! I've requested several of your picks at my library.

[@ReadingWryly]

Yay! Welcome to the dark side! *laughs in evil*

[@ReadingWithMeg]

I keep getting recommended Look Closer and you just sold me!

[@ReadingWryly]

Alright! Hope you enjoy, friend! Happy holidays ❤️🙌🏻

[@aprilhutchens2105]

It's great!!

[@lmbk3294]

So glad I found your channel- Strange Sally Diamond was my favorite book this year. Liz Nugent is great- recommend all her books- especially Unraveling Oliver and Lying in Wait. She writes such unique thrillers

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you! And thanks for the recs!

[@isamar3301]

You made every book sound 10/10. Love when these books veer more towards the real-life horror side. Those are my fav!

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you! ❤️🙌🏻 I love that about horror.

[@tb-tk5sj]

Excellent book descriptions! Thanks

[@thebookgeek87]

The Quiet Tenant sounds terrifying. Might add that one as a possible read for my book club

[@ReadingWryly]

It would be great for a book club!

[@alicehatch1001]

Love this list! The quiet tenant has stuck with me since I read it months ago! Absolutely brilliant book. I’m excited to pick up the books on this list that I haven’t read yet ❤

[@ReadingWryly]

Awesome! And thank you. The Quiet Tenant just hit differently.

[@christineyaeger7513]

Just found you, subscribed and am binge watching! Great!

[@ReadingWryly]

Thanks, new friend!

[@pamela1639]

Nice! Agree with you on Favorite of 2023. 😊🎄

[@ReadingWryly]

Awesome! Cheers!

[@norwegian_booknerd]

What a great list, so many I want to read on here! 😄 I’ve only read The quiet tenant out of these, and that was 5 stars for me. My top 3 this year is 1. Just like home by Sarah Gailey 2. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due 3. Nothing to see here by Kevin Wilson 😊

[@ReadingWryly]

Nice! I just finished the Reformatory and was mad I had already filmed my best-of, because that should have been on it too! And I really loved Just like home as well. I guess I need to read Nothing to See Here! We have pretty dead similar tastes.

[@norwegian_booknerd]

@@ReadingWryly Yup, that’s why I love watching your videos, I get so many great recommendations from you 😄

[@AlexiaAGallien]

Soooo happy I came across your page! All of these books sound amazing. ‼️😭

[@ReadingWryly]

Welcome! Cheers. ❤️🙌🏻

[@leahfenner]

I am adding all of these to my list! I love that you featured so many I haven't heard anyone else talking about! My favorite book of 2023 was Shark Heart. It definitely qualifies as a "weird book" and it was so beautiful.

[@ReadingWryly]

Ooh! I’ve heard good things about that one. Thanks for sharing!

[@jilltatro9324]

Half of your books are ones that I’ve read and loved … so the other half just went on my TBR! Great list!!

[@ReadingWryly]

😂🙌🏻 Love when that happens!! Happy reading!

[@RRKReads]

Have added the top 2 books to my tbr. I am a wuss and literally get scared by creepy books, but ur review was irresistible, and my fomo made me add them to my tbr. Hope I'll get the courage to read them as the topics did seem extremely interesting and intense. Thanks for the recco...

[@ReadingWryly]

FOMO is the TBR nemesis. Lol. Happy holidays!

[@lorimiller854]

Happy to find your channel. I have several of your favorites on my shelves and you have me excited to get to them. Happy New Year!

[@ReadingWryly]

Love that renewed vigor! Happy New Year!!

[@gabbyreads]

I also loved Our Wives Under the Sea and The Book of the Most Precious Substance!! 😍

[@ReadingWryly]

Nice!!

[@corriew4441]

For anyone interested in Next of Kin, it’s only $1.99 on kindle right now (12/30/23). I loved it so much I went to buy a copy for my mom and that was a nice surprise!

[@ReadingWryly]

Ooh! Thanks for passing on the info! 🙌🏻❤️

[@LouandBoo]

Glad I stayed up now! Howdy from the UK! Merry Christmas! X

[@ReadingWryly]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[@jeanninethompson6243]

Great list. Happy holidays

[@ReadingWryly]

You too!

[@eduardogonzalez8572]

Another great book list by Ms. Frizell

[@ReadingWryly]

😂

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Best wishes with your reading choices in 2024 and to your channel.

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you.

[@BookishNookish]

Great list. Loved Whalefall (I read Cannery Row right after it haha)

[@ReadingWryly]

Nice!

[@meridithcurran3092]

I’m only one minute in, but I can’t get over how much you look like a pin up model today…. Or that day. 😍

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Ooo next of kin sounds so good 👀

[@ReadingWryly]

A standout!

[@reneejones8196]

Amazing list. ❤. Love the hair. Given Lucille Ball. I loved her❤ classic.

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you!! ❤️🙌🏻

[@kitkatkc9]

The outfit the hair perfect so pretty 👏 so many books added to my TBR 😂

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you! And happy reading!

[@angelwalker979]

Whalefall sounds intriguing, I love ocean/water horror so this sounds right up my alley! Great list!

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you! Happy reading!

[@aprilhutchens2105]

Oh thank you!!! "Look Closer" was one of my favorite reads of last year and I wanted to recommend it to my daddy but I couldn't remember the name of the damn book 😂😂

[@ReadingWryly]

Happy to help! I’m glad you enjoyed it too! ❤️🙌🏻

[@MlleGhoul]

WHOA! I was not expecting your number one to be one that I hadn't read yet (wow, that sounds like I have a high opinion of myself but I don't mean it that way, ha!) Strange Sally Diamond totally wasn't at all on my radar--I think you'd just picked my last read of 2023!

[@MlleGhoul]

But numbers two and three on your list, I totally read, so I feel better about that! AND MARY! Hand's down--my favorite character this year. (And Motherthing was my no.1 favorite last year!) But...here's where I admit that Rouge was a DNF for me. I'm not sure how or where it went wrong and I don't want to make comparisons but I feel like my "beauty horror" pick of the year was Natural Beauty.

[@ReadingWryly]

Oh, the pressure! Lol. I hope you have a good time with it! ❤️🙌🏻

[@ReadingWryly]

That’s okay, it’s not for everyone. We have very similar tastes, but it’s got to diverge somewhere right? Lol

[@ReadingWryly]

Also, I need to get to Natural Beauty!

[@bookishboymom3687]

Full Immersion sounds so much like Remember Me by Christopher Pike (loved it as a kid 😁)

[@ReadingWryly]

Omg I just looked it up. Literally down to the shadow thing! I might have to read that.

[@faye13l]

I love to read the exact type of books you do so thanks for the recommendations as always!! Ps I love your outfit!! Where's it from?

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you!!! And my shirt is from Amazon 😅

[@RociosLibrary]

I’m an hour into Look Closer by David Ellis and TOTALLY got Joe Goldberg vibes.

[@ReadingWryly]

Yes! At the beginning especially.

[@CharlestonSocietyOfHorror]

I’m so so happy to see Rouge so high on your list after how many times I’ve seen it on booktubers most disappointing lists. Mona Awad’s writing is everything for me!!

[@ReadingWryly]

She’s not for everyone. But that makes her all the more special to us. 🌹🤌🏼❤️

[@ladylovesteadreads]

I have all these on my TBR and several on my bookshelf. 😆 Now I'm extra excited to read them. Elliot Page gave us such a gift of vulnerability with his memoir. It was fantastic. Happy New Year!

[@ReadingWryly]

Perfect! Yes, he is an absolute gem. 💎

[@marginsofmarisa]

Such a great list! I've been wanting to read Our Wives Under the Sea 👀 hopefully I get to it in 2024... your comments on the prose convinced me to bump it up on my list My favorites of 2023 were Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, Writers & Lovers by Lily King, and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. If you like thriller/horror/sci-fi you should definitely check out Dark Matter!

[@ReadingWryly]

Ooh! Yes. I’ve been wanting to read Writers & Lovers for like 2 years! I need to get to it! I love all of Blake Crouch’s books! He’s fabulous.

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

One of the books I'm reading right now is by Gemma Amor.. Christmas at Wheeldale Inn.. perfect for this season!

[@ReadingWryly]

Ooh fun!

[@erinlchapman61925]

❤❤❤❤ love this video! Strange Sally Diamond is amazing I love Liz Nugent if u haven't read the rest of her books u have to. They are all just as good as this one

[@ReadingWryly]

Good to know. Thank you! 🙌🏻❤️

[@greeranelson]

I’m really surprised Delicate Condition didn’t make your honorable mentions!

[@ReadingWryly]

I did really like that one! But after I read Rosemary’s Baby I realized it was obviously inspired by it, but also in some ways derivative, and it held less weight for me I guess? But I did enjoy it a lot!

[@floogelhornzzz4770]

Ha. Her shirt matches the upholstery.

[@tb-tk5sj]

Also…you have great hair!!

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you!

[@tinadoesntreadthatmuch]

I’ve read Mary, Rouge, Our Wives Under The Sea, and The Quiet Tenant but unfortunately none of these were 5 stars for me :( also I dnfed The Book of The Most Precious Substance :( I’m still interested in Look Closer and Full Immersion though 💜

[@tinadoesntreadthatmuch]

And from your honorable mentions, Motherthing was 4 stars, Dowry of blood was 1 star, Lessons in Chemistry was a dnf, Follow me to ground was 2 stars, Never let me go was 4 stars, the butcher was a dnf, Nestlings was 5 stars!!

[@ReadingWryly]

I think Look Closer is probably your best bet based on your ratings. Sounds like we at least read similarly!

[@TammyJohnson-m4m]

The quiet tenant really brotherd me i had to take a break before i finished it

[@ReadingWryly]

Because it was disturbing? Or because you didn’t like it?

[@TammyJohnson-m4m]

Because it was disturbing

[@ReadingWryly]

@@TammyJohnson-m4m I don’t blame you, it’s freaky.

[@teresarollen7425]

I want to read Strange Sally Diamond but I kinda want to try and get my hands on the UK version. I have heard that it is different and better especially the ending. I looked online and the UK version is also a much longer book. Have you heard anything about it?

[@ReadingWryly]

🫨 I did not know that! Interesting!!!

[@lmbk3294]

I loved the American ending and have heard from British/Irish reviewers who say they would’ve preferred the American ending. Knowing the ending difference I’d recommend American first!

[@teresarollen7425]

@@lmbk3294 Thank you! I didn't know others preferred the American version. I will go ahead and read it and maybe try the other later.

[@tishallewellyn6908]

I really hated Dear Child. I wanted to like it but i foubd it so dull and did bit like the twist. Hoping the show is better!

[@ReadingWryly]

Bummer! It’s been awhile but from my recollection the show followed the book pretty closely. There were parts of the movie that felt more intense though, like certain vibes did not translate well and after watching it, it made more sense to me.

[@Chessie]

You look beautiful.

[@ReadingWryly]

Thank you ❤️

[@naomiblenkinsop4259]

I appreciated your video until I got to Page Boy...that'll be a no for me...But your other recommendations seemed interesting and unique

[@ReadingWryly]

Happy reading!