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    10 Actually Good Books To Read In 2023

    If you're itching to read more this year, we've got you covered!

    Rebecca
    by Rebecca

    Community Contributor

    BuzzFeed Community Team
    Approved and edited by BuzzFeed Community Team

    New Year's Resolutions. We all make them, very few of us manage to keep them. And with the creation and growth of BookTok, I'm sure lots of people have decided their resolution is going to be to take up reading. But with so many different books flying around, how do you know which ones are good? Which ones live up to the BookTok hype? Which ones are actually "5-star reads"??? Don't worry babes, I've got you. Here, in my opinion, are 10 of the best books from the past year (and beyond) that are actually really good, from the mind of a Seasoned Reader™ (me).

    1. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

    cover for "the unhoneymooners" which includes drawings of a toucan, palm leaves, and hibiscus
    Simon and Schuester

    Christina Lauren (which is actually a pen name for two authors who write together, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings), grew pretty popular for their book Love and Other Words, but in my opinion, this book is way easier to read and way more fun. 

    The book follows Olive as she is given the tickets to an all-expenses paid honeymoon after the bride — her twin sister — gets food poisoning the day before the trip. The only problem? She has to go with the groom's brother, Ethan, who is the devil incarnate. A beautifully chaotic enemies to lovers ensues. This book is so entertaining and quick, and fun and yes, I did force everyone I know to read it.

    2. The House In the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

    cover for the book, which is a tall cliff that gets skinnier the higher and closer to the water that it gets. atop the cliff sits a large house.
    Tor Books

    This one is a tad bit more emotional, but in a heartwarming way. The House In the Cerulean Sea is about Linus Baker, who is a case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Yep, you read that right, magical youth. His job is to do inspections on orphanages housing magical children, until he gets a top-secret job on a mysterious island housing six of the most dangerous children in the world. This book is the most wholesome thing I read in 2022, with an amazing cast of wonky characters, and a really, really cute LGBTQ romance and an adorable found-family aspect. 

    ⭐️ If you're gonna pick one book to read on this list I'd say pick this one. ⭐️

    3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman

    cover for "A Man Called Ove" which is a man facing away from us. a cat is at his feet and they stand on grass
    Simon & Schuster

    You may have heard of this book because it just got turned into a movie starring Tom Hanks, but I guarantee you, no matter how good the movie is, this book is better. This is by far my favorite book I read in 2022. Its about a man called Ove (duh) and how his grumpy, boomer-y, unfriendly self is just a shield protecting his big soft heart, and yes this book made me cry like a baby. Read it immediately...maybe bring tissues, though.

    4. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

    cover for "Vicious" which is a triangle made of skeleton bones. a silhouette of a person stands atop it
    Tor Books

    Let's take a sharp left turn into dark fantasy, shall we? I know some of ya'll live for the dark, murder-y, fun kind of fantasy and I'm here to give it to you. It's about two college students who discover the science behind superpowers and use it to, well, give themselves superpowers. It's full of morally grey characters and flashbacks and archnemeses, and it was so engrossing that I read both books in one day. Oh yeah, this book is part of a series, but it's only two books and they're both pretty short so don't be scared.

    5. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

    cover for "The Bodyguard" which is two drawn people, one man and one woman, standing facing away from each other with arms crossed
    St. Martin's Press

    I've seen this book float around on TikTok but IMO, it didn't get nearly enough hype. This book was just a good time, with a badass female bodyguard main character, a swoony actor love interest, and the most perfect small-town setting. I fell in love with this book, and I have a feeling you will too.

    6. Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    cover for "Maybe In Another Life" which is a woman in a dress with her hair in a high bun, facing away from us. her arms are crossed.
    Washington Square Press

    Now, I'm sure you've heard of Taylor Jenkins Reid, since every single one of her books blows up on social media — and for good reason! Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of those authors who can just, very simply, write a really damn good book. But, since all of her newer books have gone viral, I decided to go with an oldie but a goodie for this list. Maybe In Another Life shows how a simple decision can change the course of your life. This book is told from two points of view, each one following a different path based on the decision the main character made, and it was so trippy and cool. I devoured this novel.

    7. The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

    cover for "The Wedding Crasher" which is a drawn man being pulled by his tie by a drawn woman, while standing in a church. a priest stands at the end of the aisles of pews, arms shrugging
    HarperCollins

    This is another fun one with a rom-com type vibe. It's got the fake-dating trope, it's got the representation, it's got the spice, it's got it all. I feel like with rom-coms, the less you know, the better, so that's all I'm gonna say about this one. Now go read it, shoo!

    8. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

    cover for "Sometimes I Lie" which is a woman falling from the sky, wearing a t shirt, long skirt, and gym shoes
    Flatiron Books

    I feel like it's time we get a thriller on this list. Now, I'm not the biggest thriller fan, but this one was wild, my dude. It's about a woman who is in a coma after a car accident, and although she can't move or speak, she can hear everything that's going on around her, and she realizes that the accident...miiight have not been an accident. Pretty spooky, I know. This book is kind of intense, but in a good way.

    9. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

    cover for "The Great Alone" which is a forest with a long, winding road through it.
    St. Martin's Press

    This one was anther favorite for me. It made its BookTok rounds in early 2022, and it's another one that lives up to the hype. A lot happens in this book, but the basic plot is that a family moves to rural Alaska in the 1970s after the father experiences very intense, very undiagnosed PTSD. It's really an incredible book. Kristin Hannah is a master at making you feel like you're actually in the book. I'm slowly working my way through her book-ography, but this one is still my favorite.

    10. And Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

    cover for "Finlay Donovan Is Killing It" which is an animated woman who wears round sunglasses and a turtleneck. she is pulling the turtleneck up above her chin.
    Minotaur Books

    Let's finish it off with another lighthearted read, shall we? This book is a rollercoaster and a half. It's the first in a series and the third book is coming out on January 31, so if you're gonna pick this up, now is a perfect time! If you like comedies about authors who get mistaken for hitwomen and then get offered lots of money to kill a man, this book is for you. I love this book. Go read it.

    Welp, I hope you got some recommendations from this list!

    I love to read, but i love forcing my favorite books down people's throats even more 😂 

    Did I forget any good ones? Leave your own recommendations in the comments below! Happy reading!

    NBC
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