So, I read over 100 books in 2023. Most of them were various levels of enjoyable, but I did somehow manage to narrow down my list of recommendations to share here. If you're interested in my favorite career & personal development books of 2023, I've posted my takes all over my profile. The books I'm listing here are simply for enjoyment!

• If you love memoirs... What My Bones Know tells the story of the author's healing from complex trauma. Maid tells the story of a single mother's fight to survive and rise from poverty in America. (I currently have a hold at the library on her sequel, Class , and I'm very much looking forward to it!)
• If you enjoy history... A Fever in the Heartland tells the story of when the KKK were major political players in Indiana, and what stopped their plan to take over America. The Parrot and the Igloo was a deep dive into the history of climate science and science denial, a very important and interesting read if you have a tolerance for occasionally meandering storylines.
• If you have a strong stomach and a morbid curiosity... check out Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers . Weird as it sounds, it was a funny read with fascinating insights into what happens when someone donates their body to science.
• If you're a Stephen King reader... My favorite underrated (IMO) SK reads from this year were Bag of Bones and The Mist .
• If you enjoy paranormal fiction... Ring Shout re-imagines the KKK as demons, resisted by a trio of hunters in 1920's Georgia. For bite-sized scaries, two short story compilations that I devoured were Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology and Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror .
• If you're into something cozier (but still enjoy mystery)... I've loved the hilarious Finley Donovan series and read Finley Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead this year (waiting for the third book to come out in paperback!). For a similar vibe with some found family mixed in, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was truly delightful.
• If you're into detective stories and/or the great outdoors (with or without murder)... You have to check out the book that my friend and colleague Stephanie Hansen published this year, Cold Woods .
• If you love fiction with deeply human stories... the stories of residential school survivors in Five Little Indians punch you straight in the heart.
• If you enjoy sci-fi and fantasy... I have too many recommendations, but here are a couple shout-outs. I finally read Norse Mythology , and I kicked myself for waiting; however, my caveat is, PLEASE do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook! Neil Gaiman shines as the narrator, and IMO, it really elevates these retellings of Norse myths. Another book that I'm late to the party on, I started the Broken Earth trilogy with The Fifth Season when I walked into my local bookstore and asked for some post-apocalyptic recommendations. She asked me how I felt about science fantasy, and I said, "Say no more!" I'm looking forward to finishing this trilogy in early 2024.