It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And by that, I mean Spotify Wrapped 2023 is finally out. Personally, I love seeing the data presented to me: who I listened to the most, what songs really stuck with me… which is why I thought it would be a cool article concept to write a reading wrapped 2023 for my blog column. 

This year, my top author was Hannah Grace; I consumed her entire (albeit short) oeuvre in about two weeks. She’s the author of the novels Icebreaker and Wildfire, and when her third novel, Daydream, comes out in Summer 2024, I will definitely be reading it. As always, Agatha Christie continues to make my top-five list year after year. Her stories are truly timeless. She also penned the one story I will always, always recommend: And Then There Were None. Jeannette McCurdy takes the third spot on my top five authors list. I was a little late to the I’m Glad My Mom Died train, reading her memoir in the spring, but it was seriously one of the most poignant books I’ve read this year. I think this debut novel is the perfect first step for her to become more known for her amazing writing, and stepping away from the child actress mold. Kevin Kwan and the Crazy Rich Asians series will always have a place in my heart. I can never get enough of his writing as I love to live vicariously through his characters. Although I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year, Taylor Jenkins Reid will always be one of my favorite authors because she is just an amazing storyteller. The masterpiece that is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo inspired me to read Carrie Soto is Back and Malibu Rising this year.  

My top book this year was Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, which I have to thank for getting me out of a long reading rut. The author is a self-proclaimed “fluffy comfort book” writer, and I think a fluffy comfort book is just what I needed to get myself back into reading again. I would highly recommend this book, as it’s so captivating, with a good pace as well. 

The Devil Wears Prada takes second place on my top reads of 2023 list. After I watched the movie this Spring, I became obsessed with the whirlwind New York City life of Andrea Sachs. At the time I read this novel, I had also committed to Pace, so this definitely further fueled my excitement about living in the city. In addition, I think it’s really cool that the author, Lauren Weisberger,  is actually Anna Wintour’s ex-assistant.  

I read the novel Brown Girl, Brownstones for a class project this semester; it was very out of my comfort zone and not a book that I think I would have chosen to read myself, but I’m super thankful that I did. It was really eye-opening. As someone who comes from an immigrant family, it was really valuable to me to read about the experience of immigrants of a different background than me. 

I read Atomic Habits this past Fall, and it was so influential on me that it landed the number four spot on my top reads list this year. I would say my biggest takeaway from this book is habit stacking, which is stacking a new behavior onto your routine after a habit that you already perform each day.  

Number five on my list is Before The Coffee Gets Cold, which I discovered on Booktok earlier this year. The author, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s writing style is really unique, or maybe the case is that I’m not very familiar with works by Japanese authors. Whatever the case may be, this was a really captivating story, and it made me appreciate the time-travel-magical-realism genre more, which I don’t usually reach for.  

In sum, 2023 was a feast for my eyes. Although I may not have the data to pinpoint my geographical reading taste or the exact amount of minutes I was reading in 2023, I hope my reading wrapped can serve as inspiration for you, whether that be new authors, titles, or genres to check out! And as always, I’m open to book recommendations for my reading in 2024. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!