The end of the year is the best time of year because everyone shares their “Best Books” lists, and I always love getting to peek at what people are reading! (If you have any favorite books you read this year, please share them in the comments!) Reading is my favorite hobby, and talking about books is a close second. This year, I had 83 books to choose from and I loved so many of them it was hard to narrow it down!
So without any further ado, here are the best books* I read and loved this year, in four main categories (with specific recommendations at the end!)
Top 10 Fiction Reads
Fellowship Point by Alice Elliot Dark – Just superb. I loved being in the characters’ heads. I can recommend this without reservation. So well-written, I loved the strong themes of friendship, feminism, and the writing life. I really enjoyed this wonderful story about who we choose to belong to!
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters – A haunting story of Indigenous family separation, both heartbreaking and redemptive. A well-paced plot with nuanced characters you can root for!
Family Family by Laurie Frankel – Laurie Frankel writes with warmth and wit about the beautiful side to adoption. I fell in love with each of the characters and truly did not want the story to end!
God of the Woods by Liz Moore – This mystery centers around a teenage girl who disappears from summer camp in 1975, fourteen years after her brother disappeared. This was a thrilling page-turner, with sympathetic characters, and classism and patriarchy as the backdrop. Loved the theme of life choices and second chances throughout the story!
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley – This was a fun and lighthearted read about the friendship between an aimless young woman and not-to-be-trifled-with older woman. Well-written and very entertaining, with some plot twists I didn’t see coming!
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe – Whoa, surprise of the year!! I never would have thought a story about an unwed mother creating an Only Fans account would be so gripping, but there you go. (Huge disclaimer: if you read the synopsis, you’ll know that there’s some explicit language and scenes. I was hesitant, but I’m so glad I picked it up!) I loved this story for the questions it asks: What does it mean to be a good person? Who decides a person’s worth? Who deserves to be treated with human dignity? How do we deal with loneliness? Where does shame come from and what role does it play in our society? What does Jesus value?
Fight Night by Miriam Toews – The most fantastic 9 year old narrator tells this story about herself, her pregnant mom, and her ailing grandma living in Toronto. It is a story about fighting for beauty and joy amidst life’s sorrows and disappointments. At times touching, poignant, and irreverently HILARIOUS, I really enjoyed reading this book!
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – This was a time travel romance with a compelling plot line and great humor throughout. I love how it tackled race, post-colonialism, inherited trauma, and the role of language in our attitudes, within a story I couldn’t put down!
The Leavers by Lisa Ko – This is a story that will stick with you for a long time. A tender and brave exploration of cultural identity and belonging set against the backdrop of immigration and adoption.
And So I Roar by Abi Daré – A gripping, emotional page-turner set in modern day Nigeria! A beautifully written story of friendship, sisterhood, and the ties that bind us. I love how the story centered around the importance of women, and the power we hold to change the world!
Top Historical Fiction Reads
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See – Well-researched, well-told story of Tan Yunxian, a female doctor who lived during the Ming Dynasty. This was an immersive page-turner that I fully enjoyed!
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea – Did you know about the “Donut Dollies” that served on the front lines of WW2? Me neither! This was an epic WW2 story of friendship and hope, written with a lot of research and a lot of love. This book was so moving, and I couldn’t put it down!
Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash – Told in multiple perspectives, this was a beautiful story of displacement, identity, and belonging, set against the backdrop of WW2. I fell in love with the characters and never wanted the story to end!
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner – A compelling, thoughtful, well-paced story about a young mother overcoming injustice and adversity, and about the power of good people who choose to do good. The story takes place during WW2 and the themes are sadly just as relevant today. Although some parts were hard to read, this book was beautiful and thought-provoking!
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn – I loved this story through and through! Told from the vantage point of the multiple women living in a boardinghouse during the McCarthy era in Washington DC, it features murder, secrets, and unlikely friendships. Perfection!
Top Memoir Reads
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith – This was a story told in fragments, some directed to the reader, some as inner musings, some as she watches her life as if it were a play (a meta-memoir!) all as she tries to answer the unanswerable questions of a life course she didn’t choose. Although I can’t relate to the particular subject of the book (divorce), anyone who has experienced suffering will find themselves nodding along to the deep truths of this book: of pain as a teacher and loss as a shaper of identity.
Recollections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnit – A phenomenal read, starting with a gentle whisper and ending with a roar. Rebecca’s story of growing up in San Fransisco in the 70’s and 80’s, of being a woman, of being a writer, of finding, claiming, and using her voice for good in this world is not to be missed. It made me grateful for her and others like her who have gone before, who have worked to elevate and advocate for those on the margins, who have contributed to major culture shifts in the way we think about gender, race, violence, and the environment. Her writing was superb, both insightful and incisive.
Even After Everything by Stephanie Duncan Smith – Sometimes I finish a book so beautiful, I struggle to find words to describe it. Even After Everything is just such a book. Over and over I was moved by the depth of the author’s insights as the liturgical year is juxtaposed with the highs and lows of life and love. Although this story is told through the lens of miscarriage, pregnancy, and parenthood, it is truly about the risks inherent in love and how God took those risks for us. I highlighted so much in this book!
It Wasn’t Roaring It Was Weeping by Lisa Jo Baker – I don’t even know what to say about this book. It simply blew me away! I was spellbound by the stories and deeply moved by her insights. Her story is beautiful and her message about grappling with inherited traumas and prejudice is so important. Even better: the writing was stunning and the audio narration was excellent!
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lisa Love Hardin – A gripping story of an addict, a mom, and a writer. This one caught me by surprise, I thought it was going to be a real downer, but it wasn’t! I loved rooting for her, and really enjoyed this one on audio. Great themes of redemption and self-forgiveness.
Top Christian Nonfiction Reads
How to Walk Into a Room by Emily P. Freeman – Wise and insightful words that were deeply personal to the author, but that apply to us all. This was a gentle guide into reflecting and discernment. I loved the lists of questions she offered, and the last two chapters especially spoke to me!
The Understory by Lore Ferguson Wilbert – With grief and resilience as its subject matter, I wasn’t sure this book was for me. But as I turned the pages, I was reminded of the many losses I have faced, and Lore’s insights about growth and renewal (from her own life, and from the life of the forest floor) were a balm to my soul. This is not your typical how-to book, rather it’s a woven tapestry of reflections, essays, and meditations about the nature of loss, love, community and belonging. There is so much gentle wisdom and insight in this book, I highly recommend it!
She Believed He Could So She Did by Becky Beresford – It’s easy to keep swimming along as we always have, letting the current wash over us without a second thought. But every once in a while, something will splash us awake! This is just such a book. In it, Becky explores many of our culture’s most popular sayings, and reading her words will make you think more deeply and be more discerning about the culture around you. Even if you come to different conclusions, this book is worth reading for how it will make you think about cultural messages. I can see how it would make for a lively small group discussion among friends or at church!
Live Slowly by Jodi H. Grubbs – This is a much-needed book in our fast paced world! With the gentle wisdom that comes from lived experience, Jodi names our need for slow living and shares practical steps to help us get there. I especially loved the chapter on letting go, and the chapter on trusting the goodness of God. For anyone looking to make a shift from a frenzied soul to a settled soul, I highly recommend this book!
The Way of Belonging by Sarah E. Westfall – As someone who has moved back and forth across countries and continents, I thought I had the corner on the market when it came to feeling out of place and disconnected. It wasn’t until well into adulthood that I understood that longing to belong is common to us all. Sarah has written a beautiful book from the depths and insights of her own lived experience. In part one, she explores who we are as God’s beloved children, and in part two she guides us with gentle wisdom into how we relate with others. I underlined so much of this hopeful book, and found myself nodding along all the way through!
Specific recommendations
For fantasy: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown – I had so much fun reading this book! A classic good vs. evil story with elements of fantasy/magical realism that had me guessing through all the twists and turns till the very end. Pick this one up if you like good writing and intricate plot lines. (Excellent on audio, too!)
For romance: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center – Romances aren’t my usual genre, but I’m so glad I picked this up! This was a well-written, compelling love story with strong themes of forgiveness throughout. Although some parts were a bit unrealistic, I highly enjoyed reading this story through and through!
For poetry: I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times by Taylor Byas – I don’t read as much poetry as I would like to (something I’m working on changing) but I picked up this collection from the recommendation of a friend and I really enjoyed it!
For fans of un-put-down-able books: What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – I was so sad to see this one end! I couldn’t put it down either. This beautiful story of love and loss across time was so well-written, with twists and turns I didn’t see coming and plenty of emotion threaded throughout. Great on audio, too!
Looking for more book lists? Here are my favorites from 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020. And don’t forget to leave your favorite books of the year in the comments!
Next week I’ll be sharing my 5 TOP favorites from this list in my newsletter, The Scoop: sign up below to get it in your inbox!
*The links I share are from Amazon, where I’m an affiliate. This means if you happen to purchase through my link, I’ll earn a few pennies on the dollar at no extra cost to you!
**Feature photo from Pixistock
Sarah K. Butterfield 