My Top 10 Reads of 2023
This is always one of my favorite posts to kick-off the new year with. I read so many books in 2023. In fact, I hit a personal record high of 86 books. As you can imagine….it made it very difficult to narrow it down to just 10 reads. But before we dive into those reads, I do want to note some things about my reading habits in 2023.
It’s kind of neat to see how my reading has evolved since starting this book club over six years ago. The genres I currently love have completely changed since 2017. Back then I used to read a lot of self-help books and did not dabble in fiction or Black authored books that much. It was definitely a reflection of what I was going through during that time period. Trying to build myself back up and identify who I was as a Black woman, single mom and divorcee. I wanted to truly dig down deep and figure out who Renée was. This is kind of how Book Girl Magic (BGM) was birthed. The reasoning behing starting BGM was to read more books by Black authors and authors of color and I’m proud to say that that is what mostly consumes my shelves these days.
This year, I was also introduced to a new genre that I did NOT see myself falling in love with. Psychological Thrillers, especially domestic thrillers have been added to the list of favorites. I mean….I should have seen this coming as much as I love to watch true crime documentaries/shows (lol).
Now on to what you guys have been waiting for. My Top 10 2023 Reads! This was extremely hard to narrow down. My top 10 reads are all five-star rated books. I only give out five-star ratings when a book really touched/moved me in some way. Of the 86 books I read last year, 35 of them received five stars from me. I’m actually pretty impressed with how high that number is. I’m learning my reading style and am tending to select books that really work for me.
Here’s what made my list this year (in no particular order):
Their Eyes Are Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This was my second time reading this and while I didn’t enjoy it as much the first time I read it…..I absolutely LOVED it this time around (hello, reading maturity!)! Zora was so ahead of her time and I absolutely loved the characters. Definitely a classic that should be added to everyones TBR!
Book Synopsis: The beloved Zora Neale Hurston Classic—a PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick—now available in a special gift edition.
Originally published in 1937, Their Eyes Were Watching God has become one of the most important and enduring works of modern American literature. Written with Zora Neale Hurston’s singular wit and pathos, this Southern love story recounts Janie Crawford’s “ripening from a vibrant, but voiceless, teenage girl into a woman with her finger on the trigger of her own destiny.”
A tale of awakening and independence featuring a strong female protagonist driven to fulfill her passions and ambitions, Their Eyes Were Watching God is a classic of the Harlem Renaissance and perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of literature.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brandon Slocumb
This was the first thriller that I read in 2023 and the book that opened my eyes to what would become my favorite new genre. This one kept me one my toes from the very beginning ana deserved a spot on my top 10 list.
Book Synopsis: Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.
When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he’s lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.
The Street by Ann Petry
This book was on my TBR for many many years and I’m glad I was not only able to finally read it, but make it a 2023 book club selection.
Book Synopsis: Published in 1946, this book was still very relatable and captured my attention instantly. This will definitely be one that I revisit from time to time.
Book Synopsis:The Street follows the spirited Lutie Johnson, a newly single mother whose efforts to claim a share of the American Dream for herself and her young son meet frustration at every turn in 1940s Harlem. Opening a fresh perspective on the realities and challenges of black, female, working-class life, The Street became the first novel by an African American woman to sell more than a million copies.
Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren
This duo does not miss with me, but Love & Other Words had me moved to tears. It was such a sweet, well writen “Now & Then” novel. I never expected to feel that way this book made me feel. Get your tissues ready!
Book Synopsis: After a decade apart, childhood sweethearts reconnect by chance in New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren’s touching, romantic novel Love and Other Words…how many words will it take for them to figure out where it all went wrong?
The story of the heart can never be unwritten.
Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.
But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.
Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
This memoir was absolutely brilliant. Natasha took us on a journey of her young adult life, beginning with the murder of her mother by her stepfather.
This book moved me so much that I actually even took a trip to the apartment these events took place. You can follow my journey here.
Book Synopsis: A chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy
At age nineteen, Natasha Trethewey had her world turned upside down when her former stepfather shot and killed her mother. Grieving and still new to adulthood, she confronted the twin pulls of life and death in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma and now explores the way this experience lastingly shaped the artist she became.
With penetrating insight and a searing voice that moves from the wrenching to the elegiac, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Natasha Trethewey explores this profound experience of pain, loss, and grief as an entry point into understanding the tragic course of her mother’s life and the way her own life has been shaped by a legacy of fierce love and resilience. Moving through her mother’s history in the deeply segregated South and through her own girlhood as a “child of miscegenation” in Mississippi, Trethewey plumbs her sense of dislocation and displacement in the lead-up to the harrowing crime that took place on Memorial Drive in Atlanta in 1985.
Memorial Drive is a compelling and searching look at a shared human experience of sudden loss and absence but also a piercing glimpse at the enduring ripple effects of white racism and domestic abuse. Animated by unforgettable prose and inflected by a poet’s attention to language, this is a luminous, urgent, and visceral memoir from one of our most important contemporary writers and thinkers.
The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones
This was one of the books I kicked-off 2023 with an anticipation of the documentary coming out late January. I read a lot of Black history books, but this one taught me so much, especially the history of Atlanta. My mind was blown by some of the things I’d learned, so there was no doubt that this gem would make the list.
Book Synopsis: In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty enslaved people from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States.
The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning 1619 Project issue reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This book substantially expands on that work, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself.
This book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life.
Activate Your Greatness by Alex Toussaint
If you’re in need of a motivational read, Alex is your guy. I was already a Peloton junkie and Alex fan coming into this read, but Alex’s story absolutely blew me away. I loved being on his journey to greatness!
Book Synopsis: Alex Toussaint is known for his grueling workouts where he promises “to kick your ass” – yet thousands keep coming back for more. Why? Because he might be the most motivational teacher out there right now. His mantra is “Feel Good, Look Good, Do Better.” He expects more from you, and from himself. Yet so much of what he talks about is NOT about the bike.
Alex’s enthusiasm for life is infectious –“You woke up today!” “Breathe in confidence, exhale doubt.” Because Alex knows what it is like to be overlooked and undervalued, to be the underdog. He knows what it’s like to not expect the best from yourself. The child of Haitian immigrants who sacrificed so much to give him an education, he knows what it is like to be one of the few Black kids growing up in East Hampton. After a turbulent adolescence that saw him being sent to military school, Toussaint dropped out of college and was mopping floors at a gym. A few years later, he’s one of the most iconic cycling instructors on Peloton, helping thousands of users along their fitness journeys through his inspirational workouts.
Finally, Alex gets off the bike to help readers activate their own greatness in every aspect of their lives. Part self-help, part memoir, Activate Your Greatness details Toussaint’s mental and physical practices, on and off the bike, that have influenced his daily habits, fueled his motivation, and that have ultimately contributed to his astronomical success and shows readers how they can do the same.
Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith
There was so much surrounding Jada and what was being said in the news but the truth of it is….a lot of what’s being spoken in the media ISN’T even in the book.
I’ve always been a Jada fan and this book did not disappoint! She dug deep and really showed parts of herself she’s never opened up about before. A solid and inspirational memoir. I also really enjoyed that we got to see a side of Tupac through her eyes. Highly recommend this one!
Book Synopsis: Jada Pinkett Smith was living what many would view as a fairy-tale of Hollywood success. But appearances can be deceiving, and as she felt more and more separated from her sense of self, emotional turmoil took hold. Sparing no detail, Worthy chronicles her life—from a rebellious youth running the Baltimore streets as an observer and participant in the drug trade, to the deep bond she shared with Tupac Shakur from the moment they met, to her move to Los Angeles and the successful career she built on her own terms, to becoming the wife of superstar Will Smith and mother to Jaden, Willow and bonus-mom to Trey . A rollercoaster from the depths of suicidal depression to the heights of self-acceptance and spiritual healing, Worthy is a woman’s journey to finding herself again.
In a media driven landscape that crafts narratives for our celebrities, Smith shares herself in an intimate conversation with readers. She answers questions about her difficult childhood, her marriage, her parenting style, her career choices, and the intense scrutiny that followed “the slap.” An impactful and rare memoir that engages and educates, Worthy shows why adhering to the status quo has never been the plan for Jada Pinkett Smith and why labels and stories crafted by others strip women of their authenticity. Worthy teaches us who Jada is, and how to embrace our most lovable qualities. Complete with thought-provoking writing prompts and meditations on how to discover who we really are and nourish our self-worth.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Captivating! My First Tananarive Due novel and I was engrossed from the jump. This was one I could not put down! If you’re a fan of horror…add this to your TBR ASAP!
Book Synopsis:
Gracetown, Florida
June 1950
Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.
Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.
The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.
Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson
Been a Tupac music fan for as long as I can remember but I really had no insight into his personal life before this. This book was 691 pages and 14 hours long and I gulped this one up in two days over Christmas break. If you’re a Tupac fan, this one will not disappoint!
Book Synopsis: Artist, poet, actor, revolutionary, legend
Tupac Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all time. More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five, he continues to be one of the most misunderstood, complicated, and influential figures in modern history. Drawing on exclusive access to Tupac’s private notebooks, letters, and uncensored conversations with those who loved and knew him best, this estate-authorized biography paints the fullest and most intimate picture to date of the young man who became a legend for generations to come.
In Tupac Shakur, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson—who knew Tupac from their shared circle of high school friends in Marin City, California, and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to share his story—unravels the myths and unpacks the complexities that have shadowed Tupac’s existence. Decades in the making, this book pulls back the curtain to reveal a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art—a man driven by equal parts brilliance and impulsiveness, steeped in the rich intellectual tradition of Black empowerment, and unafraid to utter raw truths about race in America.
It is a story of a mother and son bound together by a love for each other and for their people, and the relationship that endured through their darkest times. It is a political story that begins in the whirlwind of the 1960s civil rights movement and unfolds through a young artist’s awakening to rage and purpose in the ’90s era of Rodney King. It is a story of dizzying success and its devastating consequences. And, of course, it is the story of Tupac’s music, his timeless, undying message as it continues to touch and inspire us today.
Hope you all enjoyed my top 10 selections! While they were hard to choose, they definitely are all worthy of being there. I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings my way!
