--- {"type":"list","title":"Best Books I've Read in 2023... per month! || Reviews & Recommendations","listId":93866,"canonicalUrl":"https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations","visibleItemTotal":9,"creator":{"id":"bookswithemilyfox","name":"Books with Emily Fox","url":"https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox"},"stats":{"views":745,"likes":1,"followers":1},"category":"books & literature","publishedAt":"2023-11-08T22:19:14.416Z","updatedAt":"2023-12-13T04:46:26.297Z","fields":[{"id":0,"name":"Book Title","type":"PrimaryText"},{"id":2,"name":"Cover","type":"Image"},{"id":1,"name":"Author","type":"Text","format":"short"},{"id":7,"name":"Year of Publication","type":"Text","format":"short"},{"id":3,"name":"Get It Here","type":"URL"},{"id":4,"name":"Summary","type":"Text","format":"long"},{"id":5,"name":"My Take","type":"Text","format":"long"},{"id":9,"name":"Is it a Series?","type":"Selection","multi":true},{"id":6,"name":"Video Comment","type":"Text"}]} --- # Best Books I've Read in 2023... per month! || Reviews & Recommendations By [Books with Emily Fox (@bookswithemilyfox)](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox) 745 views · 1 like · 1 follower Published 8 November 2023 · Updated 13 December 2023 Category: books & literature Step into a world where every page tells a story and every month offers a new adventure. This list is your all-access pass to the books that have captivated, challenged, and charmed us, as shared by the discerning eye of BookswithEmilyFox. Ready your bookshelves for a year-long journey of literary discovery! From the hidden depths of fantasy realms to the heart-fluttering corners of romance, our monthly selections are a celebration of storytelling. This compilation isn't just a list—it's a shared experience for book lovers everywhere. Connect with fellow readers, explore diverse voices, and find your next favorite book right here. Join us as we traverse the literary landscape of 2023, where every recommendation comes with its own universe to immerse in. Our curated list is more than just reviews—it's a mosaic of narratives that resonate with our days and enrich our perspectives. Whether it's the thrill of an unexpected plot twist or the embrace of a familiar genre, we're here to share those moments that make reading an adventure in itself. So, let's turn each page with anticipation and let the stories of the year inspire our own! ## Items ### 1. [Nettle and Bone](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/0/nettle-and-bone) Item ID: `0` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/qr0m21esdidhxqbm1eo5.jpg) - Author: T. Kingfisher - Year of Publication: 2022 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Nettle-Bone-T-Kingfisher/dp/1250244005](https://www.amazon.com/Nettle-Bone-T-Kingfisher/dp/1250244005?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: After being raised like a nun, Princess Marra embarks on a quest to save her sister from an abusive marriage. With the help of a gravehound, a fairy godmother, and a demon-possessed chicken, she must complete three impossible tasks and assemble the bones of a saint to build a dog of war and change her sister’s fate. - My Take: Enjoyable with cozy fairy tale elements, featuring a sheltered princess on a mission. Audiobook might have enhanced the experience - Is it a Series?: No - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "1", "start_time_secs": "41", "stop_time_mins": "2", "stop_time_secs": "14", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 2. [North and South](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/1/north-and-south) Item ID: `1` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/c6dyvfn6gpsmeyhwmlp5.png) - Author: Elizabeth Gaskell - Year of Publication: 1854 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/North-South-Introduction-Adolphus-William/dp/1420951785](https://www.amazon.com/North-South-Introduction-Adolphus-William/dp/1420951785?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: Margaret Hale, a young woman from southern England, must relocate with her family to the industrial north where she witnesses the brutal world wrought by the industrial revolution. As Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers, her clash with mill owner John Thornton sparks a deep examination of the class divide and their own personal ideologies. - My Take: Surprisingly political, involves a family moving to an industrial city, and the protagonist's ideological clash with a mill owner - Is it a Series?: No - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "3", "start_time_secs": "19", "stop_time_mins": "4", "stop_time_secs": "07", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 3. [A Day of Fallen Night](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/2/a-day-of-fallen-night) Item ID: `2` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/kd35oi0akd2oc0p43cwn.png) - Author: Samantha Shannon - Year of Publication: 2023 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Day-Fallen-Night-Roots-Chaos/dp/1639732993](https://www.amazon.com/Day-Fallen-Night-Roots-Chaos/dp/1639732993?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: This prequel to "The Priory of the Orange Tree" features the legend of the Nameless One and the rise of the great dragonrider order. It delves into the rich history of this universe, exploring the origins of the epic conflict with dragons and the storied history of the dragonriders who stand against them. - My Take: A loved prequel even more than the original story, strong points of view, and emotionally investing - Is it a Series?: Yes - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "5", "start_time_secs": "23", "stop_time_mins": "6", "stop_time_secs": "08", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 4. [I Who Have Never Known Men](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/3/i-who-have-never-known-men) Item ID: `3` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/l1gsqsr7vribwlq41z5z.jpg) - Author: Jacqueline Harpman - Year of Publication: 1995 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Who-Have-Never-Known-Men/dp/152911179X](https://www.amazon.com/Who-Have-Never-Known-Men/dp/152911179X?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: A group of women, kept in a cage deep underground, find themselves alone after their captors disappear. The novel follows their struggle for survival and search for understanding in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, grappling with the concepts of freedom and humanity in the absence of a greater society. - My Take: Described as incredibly depressing yet highly recommended; a post-apocalyptic tale of women seeking freedom - Is it a Series?: No - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "6", "start_time_secs": "35", "stop_time_mins": "7", "stop_time_secs": "43", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 5. [Galatea](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/4/galatea) Item ID: `4` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/cuqoqjna3a0x3elbljhk.png) - Author: Madeline Miller - Year of Publication: 2013 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Galatea-Short-Story-Madeline-Miller/dp/0063280515](https://www.amazon.com/Galatea-Short-Story-Madeline-Miller/dp/0063280515?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: In this short story retelling of Pygmalion, a living statue named Galatea defies the man who created her, seeking independence and the right to shape her own destiny. The story questions themes of autonomy, creation, and the artist's control over their work, exploring the depths of Galatea's emotions and desires. - My Take: A compelling retelling, the story of a statue woman seeking autonomy against her creator, praised for its depth - Is it a Series?: No - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "8", "start_time_secs": "02", "stop_time_mins": "8", "stop_time_secs": "34", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 6. [Fate of the Tearling](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/5/fate-of-the-tearling) Item ID: `5` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/lbiec9zwfjygohrd26ku.jpg) - Author: Erika Johansen - Year of Publication: 2016 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0841YP4KB](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0841YP4KB?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: Queen Kelsea Glynn must protect her kingdom from both internal and external threats. With the fate of the Tearling at stake, she faces the dark magic that has permeated her, and the narrative weaves together past and future to bring about a climactic resolution to the series' complex history and conflicts. - My Take: Despite mixed reviews on the ending, I found it satisfying and well-executed in the fantasy context - Is it a Series?: Yes - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "8", "start_time_secs": "37", "stop_time_mins": "9", "stop_time_secs": "29", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 7. [Neapolitan Series](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/6/neapolitan-series) Item ID: `6` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/ia3ujd7pgb3v2sxexplv.png) - Author: Elena Ferrante - Year of Publication: 2011 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/The-Neapolitan-Novels-Boxed-Set/dp/1609455053](https://www.amazon.com/The-Neapolitan-Novels-Boxed-Set/dp/1609455053?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: This series chronicles the lifelong friendship of Elena and Lila, two women from Naples, Italy. Beginning in their post-war childhood and moving into their adult lives, the series explores the complexities of female friendship, personal ambition, and the socio-political changes in Italy through the decades. - My Take: Chronicles a complex friendship set in Italy, deeply engaging and is an anticipated all-time favorite series - Is it a Series?: Yes - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "9", "start_time_secs": "33", "stop_time_mins": "11", "stop_time_secs": "10", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 8. [Bloodchild](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/7/bloodchild) Item ID: `7` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/usuc2yvbvss3jwexqjgh.png) - Author: Octavia E. Butler - Year of Publication: 1984 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Bloodchild-Other-Stories-Octavia-Butler/dp/1583226982](https://www.amazon.com/Bloodchild-Other-Stories-Octavia-Butler/dp/1583226982?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: This collection of short stories showcases Butler's range, from the titular "Bloodchild," a tale of human-alien symbiosis and survival, to other stories that explore far-reaching themes of race, sex, and power. The compilation reveals Butler’s perspective on humanity and its relationship with the other, the future, and itself. - My Take: A collection that offers a deep dive into human themes, with every story having its significance and connection to the author - Is it a Series?: No - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "12", "start_time_secs": "05", "stop_time_mins": "13", "stop_time_secs": "13", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ``` ### 9. [Garden Spells](https://listium.com/@bookswithemilyfox/93866/best-books-ive-read-in-2023-per-month--reviews--recommendations/8/garden-spells) Item ID: `8` - Cover: ![Cover](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/tdd1kxuby1dx540btjez.png) - Author: Sarah Addison Allen - Year of Publication: 2007 - Get It Here: [https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Spells-Novel-Waverly-Family/dp/055338483X](https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Spells-Novel-Waverly-Family/dp/055338483X?tag=listium03-20) - Summary: The Waverleys of Bascom, North Carolina, are a family of peculiar women with unusual talents. When a wayward sister returns, the Waverleys' magical garden and their enchanted apple tree stir up romance and magic, revealing secrets and empowering them to embrace their legacy. - My Take: A magical realism tale that was exactly what was needed at the time, invoking cozy vibes and a compelling modern witch narrative - Is it a Series?: No - Video Comment: ```json { "start_time_mins": "13", "start_time_secs": "51", "stop_time_mins": "15", "stop_time_secs": "09", "video_location": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lLJ0F_8n0" } ```