We are very passionate about books over here as Ashley read 29 books in 2023, and Jenna read 40! We both have very different genres we are interested in, as Ashley likes romance and mystery, and Jenna likes fantasy and thrillers. Here are a couple of our favorites from last year that we recommend you read.
Happy Place by Emily Henry – Ashley
I read one of Henry’s books earlier in the year (People We Meet on Vacation) and was not a huge fan of it, so my expectations were not high for this book even though people have said it was one of her better ones. The book involves a couple who were engaged but broke it off without telling anyone. This leads to them both being invited to a summer cottage they usually go to with friends and having to deal with acting as a couple until they find the right time to let everyone know. Of course, this leads to them catching feelings again, but it also leads to many other things between the whole group of friends to go down, which is why I loved this book. It not only focused on the main character’s relationship, but the other friendships as well.
Bunny by Mona Awad – Jenna
Bunny by Mona Awad is a satirical dark comedy which centers around an almost cult-like group of girls who call each other “Bunny.” This book had me gripping my Kindle trying to understand what was going on, which in this case was a good thing. Mona Awad’s description throughout was perfect and her writing style completely matched the type of book she was writing. This book touches on loneliness and feminism throughout and is an interesting read everyone should give a chance.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – Jenna
I am a diehard Stephanie Garber fan; every single book she releases I will be first in line to pick it up. She has two trilogies, both taking place in the same universe – the Once upon a Broken Heart trilogy and the Caraval trilogy. Both are amazing in different ways; however, I tend to gravitate towards Caraval due to its darker circus-like scenery. The characters are mostly likeable, and the premise of the book makes for an interesting story. The main character is led to a carnival-like place where everyone participates in a game for money. Within this game, it is unknown who is an actor and who is real, which makes it extremely interesting. I recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys fantasy and those who are willing to try fantasy because it isn’t heavy on world-building.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling – Ashley
I read the Harry Potter series this past summer for the first time, so I really could write about the whole series, but I’m not going to. Instead, I will write about my favorite book from the whole series –the final book: Deathly Hallows. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it had all the right endings. It also had lots of unexpected deaths. The book just really had you from the start and was a perfect ending to an amazing series. But overall, if you have ever thought about reading Harry Potter, you definitely should.
