These Are All The Books I've Read So Far In 2023

Baby's first quarterly book review.

The fact that we are one-fourth of the way through 2023 already is mind-boggling. I thought 2022 went by quickly, but this year might be flying by just as fast. 

What’s also blowing my mind: The fact that “Beyond My Byline” is less than two months away from turning one year old. My little, tiny, microscopic piece of the internet pie started on a whim, as a place to publish thoughts that were self-explorative and creative; a place to publish the things I wanted to publish, without needing an editor to give me the green light. 

It’s also been a place for me to dip my toes into verticals I’d yet to explore in mainstream media. Specifically, books - reviews, author interviews, and now, a quarterly review of what I’ve read so far in 2023. 

Let’s get to it, shall we? 

2023 is already a better reading year than 2022 was for me: Last year, my goal on Goodreads was to finish 30 books. I shelved a grand total of 17. This year, my goal is to read 24 books. I’ve already shelved eight and, according to my challenge tracker, am two books ahead of schedule. 

I’ve never written a quarterly review before, so please excuse me while I find my footing in terms of my preferred formatting. I think what I’ll do is list all of the books I’ve read so far this year and give a little summary, as well as my thoughts. So, without further ado…

Here are the books I’ve read, in order, in 2023: 

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy 

Rating: ★★★★★

Jennette McCurdy, who you might recognize from shows like iCarly and Sam and Cat, published her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, and the book sold out pretty much immediately. It was hard to get a copy, but I hopped on a waiting list and the book was sent to me after a few weeks. 

I devoured it in days.

Few books rarely live up to their hype for me, but this masterful work did. I might go as far as to say it exceeded my expectations. It made me feel a host of conflicting emotions. There were times McCurdy had me laughing out loud, and then there were times when I caught myself tearing up at the many hardships she went through at such a young age. The author’s delivery is powerful. 

And a note on the book’s controversial title: It might horrify you, and that’s OK, but I think it’s one of those things that not everyone is going to/can understand. I’m fortunate that I have a very loving relationship with both my mother and my father, but realize not everyone has that experience. After everything McCurdy’s mother put her through, I think the actress-turned-author is more than deserving of telling her story and doing so with a little humor. 

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin

Rating: ★★★

I don’t pick up a lot of self-help books, but once in a while, I’ll dabble in the genre. I’ve also been going deep in my own therapy sessions, so books written by therapists interest me. Morin’s title stood out and I added it to my Christmas list. 

Let’s just put it this way: I do a lot of the things mentally strong people don’t do. I’m a people pleaser. I shy away from change. I hyper-focus on things I can’t control. I dwell on the past. I give away my power. I fear taking some calculated risks. 

But hey! We’re all works in progress, right? I’ve been getting much better at these things and continue to put in the necessary work. I liked the antidotes Morin uses to put these character traits into perspective, and how overcoming them can lead to a happier, less stressful life. 

I didn’t like that parts of the book dragged for me. I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t read it again. It was just okay. 

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson

Rating: ★★★★

I had the pleasure and privilege of picking up The Nanny before its pub date (April 11th - mark it on your calendars!) and interviewing

Lit With Lana

for BMB back in February. ICYM our conversation, you can read it here.

I won’t wax too poetic about how much I loved this rom-com because I did a lot of that in my previous post, but Ferguson’s debut novel is everything I want in this genre. Cassie and Aiden’s love story is funny, sexy, and, most importantly, super original. Whereas a lot of romance novels feel almost too similar, Ferguson’s speaks to the times.

To loosely summarize, it’s about a grad student making her way through school who, when she loses her job, has two choices: Boot up her Only Fans account again or take a nannying job for a single dad who, once upon a time, was a top subscriber. 

If that doesn’t sound insanely hot, I don’t know what does.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: ★★★★★

I was not prepared for Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid. What an emotional ride. 

Forever, Interrupted was Reid’s first novel (published in 2013, long before Daisy Jones and The Six saw bookshelves). It tells the whirlwind love story of Elsie and Ben, who fell for one another hard and were married in just six months of knowing each other. But when a fatal accident leaves Elsie a widow, she is forced to re-learn how to live without the love of her life and finds herself finding solace in an unexpected party - her estranged mother-in-law. 

I cried many times while reading this book. It’s beautifully written and puts a lot of things into perspective: How life is fleeting, and we really don’t know how long we have with the people we love. I’ve definitely been love-bombing Mark a little harder ever since finishing this one. 

Please pick it up. Hug your loved ones tighter. Tell them how much they mean to you, then tell them again.

Five stars, easy.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Rating: ★★★★★

Another book that received so. much. hype. This was my third Colleen Hoover novel. Before my sister-in-law (hi Maria!) gifted me this one for Christmas, I’d read Layla, which was weird as all heck but I loved it regardless, and I read Verity, which I thought was not at all worth the hype it received (I did, however, rate that one 4 out of 5 stars because the ending was worth that much). 

It Ends With Us has been, by far, my favorite Hoover. The book explores some really hard topics, but I thought the conversation surrounding them was executed flawlessly. I loved Atlas’s character, and felt for both him and the narrator, Lily. It was unlike anything I’d read before, and I would highly recommend it (just review its trigger warnings beforehand). 

The movie adaptation should be interesting. Though I had to actively train my brain not to envision Blake Lively as Lily and Justin Baldoni as Ryle. Not sure how I feel about this casting, but I did hear Shane West was interested in playing Atlas, and my A Walk To Remember loving heart would be all for that.

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

Rating: ★★★★

It Starts With Us is the sequel to It Ends With Us. I didn’t love it as much as I loved the first book, but still couldn’t put it down. 

It’s told from the perspectives of both Lily and Atlas, and I just don’t love it when a book that was initially told via one narrator splits into two, especially the dual perspectives of the female and male lead. That said, I appreciated Atlas’s point of view and storyline. 

Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

Rating: ★★★★★

I joined a book club hosted by the pastor who married Mark and me, and this was the book we focused on. I know a ton of people who read and loved Albom’s The Five People You Meet In Heaven, so I was excited to dive into Finding Chika as my first Albom. 

If you have not read any of Albom’s books, let this be your warning: He writes tear-jerkers, and Finding Chika is no exception. By the last page, I was uncontrollably sobbing. My nose was all snotty, the tears were pouring down my face. I was a mess, but I was also deeply moved. 

The story follows Albom’s conversations with Chika, the young Haitian girl he and his wife brought to America in hopes that doctors here would be able to treat and cure Chika’s illness. Chika passes, but Albom chooses to write this book and share the lessons the little girl taught him over the short time they had together. 

Have tissues handy. You are going to need them.

Dwell by Devon Loftus

_devonloftus

A post shared by devon loftus. (@_devonloftus)

Rating: ★★★★★

Last, but certainly not least, was Dwell. Authored by my dear friend, Devon Loftus (whom you may know as the founder of Moon Cycle Bakery), Dwell is a journal, but also much more than that. It is a guided exploration of emotions, with a prompt unlike any other you’ve seen before. 

I love this book almost as much as I love the person who wrote it. Devon has such a way with words. She is a creative, deep thinker, and channels both of those traits into this book. It includes creative essays and a prompt that encourages readers to explore their emotions through a personification practice. It’s imaginative, and fun, and I cannot wait for all of you to read my conversation with Devon about the process of writing this masterpiece. Stay tuned for that!