Books to Read in 2023

Are you looking for books to read in 2023? When other people share their reading lists, I enjoy it, so I decided to share mine with you. This is the list of books I read in 2022. My goal was 52, so I almost made it. Perhaps you want to add some of these to your Books to Read in 2023 list!

I am so thankful for Mrs. McCoy, my first and second grade teacher who taught me how to read, my Grandma Marrs, Aunt June and Aunt Mickey who taught me that it was ok to sit down and enjoy a good book, and my folks for taking me to the library after piano lessons.

My dad loved to read, too, and he had a lawn chair in the machine shed where he read lots of magazines about Israel and the Holy Land, surrounded by a dog or 2 or 3. You could often find him there about 10:00, settled in with his Snicker and Pepsi for his morning break.

These wonderful people opened up the WORLD to me and I’m forever grateful. Never underestimate the power of a good book, friend.

However, during 2021, I noticed my attention span was decreasing, and I found it difficult to concentrate when reading. Scrolling and skimming had become my modus operandi and they were not my brain’s friends. For someone who was always an avid reader, I was determined to do something about it.

So, I took committed action (my One Little Word-make that Two for 2022), set a goal and got with it. My desire is to spend my life getting smarter not dumber, so I made reading a priority.

Unfortunately, I didn’t write all the titles down, but I did get most of them.  You might find one that tickles your fancy! Some of them were really, really good and some weren’t all that great to me, but that’s ok. The nonfictions ones were all really, really helpful. Finishing a book that isn’t good isn’t a priority for me anymore, so the ones I started but didn’t complete didn’t make this list.

Good or bad, I have so much appreciation for anyone who does the hard work of writing a book.

Drum Roll……Books I Read in 2022

1. Mirror for the Soul: A Christian Guide to the Enneagram
2. Eat that Frog
3. The Story of You
4. Beach Read
5. War of Art
6. Sugar Fast  (x2)
7. Daisy Jones and the Six
8. Mere Christianity
9. A Burning in My Bones
10. Falling Upward
11. Party Crasher
12. Susan
13. Early Morning Riser
14. Malibu Rising
15. Renovation of the Heart (x3)
16. Meet the Baxters
17. Neighbors Secret
18. In the Margins
19. The Good Left Undone
20. One Italian Summer
21. Do the Work
22. I Owe You One
23. The Paris Key
24. Off the Wild Coast of Brittany
25. Homewreckers
26. Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
27. Remarkably Bright Creatures
28. By Her Own Design
29. Florida -can’t remember the titles
30. Good and Beautiful You
31. The Messy Lives of Book People
32. Emily of New Moon (x2)
33. Seeking God (x2)
34. Holy Noticing
35. Envy on 30a
36. Missing on 30a
37. Emily’s Quest
38. Emily Climbs
39. Out of the Silent Planet-I didn’t understand this one, but slogged my way through it on Audible. Sorry C. S. Lewis
40. HRH-So Many Thoughts on Royal Style
41. The Proposal
42. Greenlights

Thoughts

Turns out, many of my favorites of the year are written by authors who are long gone from this earth.

Big shout out to Dallas Willard for Renovation of the Heart which literally CHANGED MY LIFE with the way he presented concepts of faith and the spiritual life.  C.S. Lewis is one of my new heroes and his book Mere Christianity is a MUST read for believers, atheists, and agnostics.

Susan was written ages ago, but I loved it and wish like crazy someone would make it into a movie-such an adorable love story. And I could go on and on and on about Lucy Maud Montgomery and her delightful characters Emily and Anne from Prince Edward Island. Those 2 girls and I would be such good friends if they were actually real people who really lived. I’ll be looking Lucy up in Heaven to see if she embodies the personalities and character traits of her main characters.

This month, I’m deep into more C.S. Lewis: reading the Chronicles of Narnia. The symbolism Lewis uses is very thought provoking. Don’t you love a book that makes you think?

Do you keep a list of the books you read? I wish I had for my whole life because the list would be long. If you shared your list with me, I would love it!

You can read more book reviews here

Or here.

I’d love to know what you are reading, friend. Please share with us!

On a side note…..hope you enjoyed these pics. I’m looking for WONDER in 2023 and finding it everywhere!

Much love,

susan