Kayla's Blog

Reading is a past-time I appreciate more and more every year- as life seems to get more and more complicated, there is nothing like a good book to bring you out of your own situation and provide a glimpse into another. Every sunday morning, summer-afternoon after practice, plane-ride, or 5 a.m. lifeguarding shift, you could find me with a book in hand. So, 11,2

55 pages, 33 books, and about 205 hours later (give or take), I have selected my top five favorite books that I have read this year!

 

5. Starting off strong, we have Daisy Jones & The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reid is one of my favorite current novelists, and choosing only one of her books to include here was a bit of a challenge. However, I believe Daisy Jones & The Six is well deserving of this position- both for its intricacy and page-turning-ability. This book examines the close, complex bond between the members of this fictional band, and highlights some of the sad truths that allowed for anunknown, young Daisy Jones to make it big in the music world. Reading this book, I found myself telling myself “just 1 more chapter” of reading before bed, which I hadn’t felt the need to do in forever. If you are looking for a quick-paced book detailing intricate relationships, this one is definitely for you!

 

4. Up next is a book that I can assure almost all book-lovers have read, one that is well-loved and would definitely make the list of best books published in 2023- that is, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. This book stayed on my TBR for a very, very long time- while I knew it had rave reviews, I couldn’t get over one of the main concepts, that of the book revolving around video games, something I have absolutely no interest in. However, this book is so much more than video games: it follows two childhood best friends for 30 years, as they reunite and pursue video game creation. This book deeply examines how the impacts of grief are constant, and the power of platonic love. The description on Goodreads argues “Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before”. This perfectly describes it- if you are looking for a book that delves into love in ways that aren’t often written, give this one a read!

 

3. Now we’re onto the podium! I can’t think of a book more deserving for this spot than Emily Henry’s Happy Place. I’ve read every other book by Henry, and it has been fascinating to see her grow as a writer- while her

other books were more simple, predictable rom-coms (still a great read, of course!), this book brings her writing to a whole new level, featuring deeper themes of personal development, right person wrong time, and the difficulties of growing out of friendships as time passes. Something I particularly appreciated about this book was that it didn’t follow a stereotypical rom-com trajectory- the girl doesn’t eventually give up everything for the guy by the end of the novel. I also loved the sense of place Henry created- a cabin getaway in a small tone in Maine, college best friends meeting up years later. I read this novel right after I got back from Maine, so I loved almost traveling back there through this novel. If you’re going to read any rom-com this year, I suggest you read this one!

 

2. My second favorite book out of all the books I read in 2023 is one some of you may actually be reading this semester- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet. I was so happy to see this one on the list, because I truly think it is one everyone should read. Two mixed twin sisters, one with lighter skin and one with darker skin, live two different lives: one blends in with an all-white community, the other stays with her roots. As you can infer, this book deals with very heavy topics, mainly racial identity, but also some gender identity ideas and the way our community shapes our lives (or how we shape our communities). While some heavier topics can ‘slow down’ the pace of a book, this was a true page-turner: the inter-generational structure and fascinating storytelling leads to a detailed and almost-consuming plot. If you didn’t select this book to read for class, I would consider reading it otherwise!

 

1. Finally, we have first place. This was a very challenging choice to make, due to all the amazing books I was able to read this year! For this one, I have selected a book that I haven’t heard many people talk about, certainly not on booktok- Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult. I happened to pick-up this book in the ‘popular picks’ section and decided to give it a shot. It begins as a charming story of teenage-love, until Asher is convicted of killing Lily. As the details of Lily’s death are revealed and argued in court, so too, are the details of each character’s past. This book kept me guessing till the last page about what truly happened, and I loved how it incorporated deeper concepts, such as the complexity of the past and where it belongs in the present. If you are interested in a love story turned mystery, give this one a try! 

 

Making this selection was challenging- but it was truly worth it to know I may have inspired one of you to read one of these books! I think reading is a lost art in our generation- at the fault of no one- it is so, so challenging to turn to reading a book when it is so much easier to scroll through Tiktok. But I am here to tell you, as a math/science oriented person who really struggled to enjoy literature, it is absolutely possible! That being said, my goal is to read 40 books this year- so please let me know if you have any recommendations!