Top Shelf: Best of What I Read in 2023

If I had to use one word to describe the "stack" of books I read last year, it would be variety! It's probably the most diverse group I've had in some time. More than a third were non-fiction in the categories of parenting, financial, historical and memoir.

Below are my top-rated books from 2023:

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez - Abby is becoming one of my favorite authors for her ability to create realistic and relatable characters and unique storylines with a good dose of humor. This book is about two doctors, bad first impressions and the ability to connect through writing, humor and vulnerability. I really enjoyed it! Know By Name by Chanel Miller - This is Chanel Miller's harrowing memoir surrounding the night Stanford swimmer Brock Turner sexual assaulted her. Known as Emily Doe to the world, Chanel became internationally known after her victim impact statement became viral on the internet. Although she had a strong case, including witnesses, and her court statement was powerful, Brock was sentenced to a lousy six months in prison. I learned so much about the physical, emotional and mental toll this took on Chanel and her family, and the exhausting legal process sexual assault victims are expected to endure. I highly recommend the audiobook as its read by the author.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - Main character and chemist Elizabeth Zott knows women can be whatever they want to be while her all-male colleagues take a different view in the 1960s. But, Elizabeth finds a man who is unlike the others— Calvin Evans. They fall in love and then Elizabeth finds herself a single mother and a beloved cooking show host much to her chagrin. But, she isn't just teaching her female audience how to cook, but challenging them to be something more. I devoured this book! (pun intended!)

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann - This is a dark, haunting mystery and true story dripping with murder, deception, greed and violence in the 1920s. Grann reveals the untold story of the Osage Indian Nation murders and the unconscionable lengths people took to steal wealth with deceit and murder. The newly created F.B.I. took this on as one of their first cases —the storylines are captivating and heartbreaking.

What did you enjoy reading in 2023?

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