Books I Read in 2023


These are the books I’ve read in 2023.

They’re listed in the order of when I read them, newest at the top.

Clicking on a book title will take you to the individual book page where you can read my favorite quotes and, if you’re interested in buying it, follow an (affiliate) link to Bookshop.org (my attempt to do my part in reducing Amazon usage).


55. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets—J. K. Rowling


54. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods—Suzanne Collins


53. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane—Suzanne Collins


52. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—J. K. Rowling


51. Lessons in Chemistry—Bonnie Garmus


50. You Are a Badass—Jen Sincero


49. Remarkably Bright Creatures—Shelby Van Pelt


48. Gregor the Overlander—Suzanne Collins


47. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow—Gabrielle Zevin


46. Yellowface—R. F. Kuang


45. Solutions and Other Problems—Allie Brosh


44. Mockingjay—Suzanne Collins


43. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret—Judy Blume


42. The Circle—Dave Eggers


41. The Gracekeepers—Kirsty Logan


40. Catching Fire—Suzanne Collins


39. The Hunger Games—Suzanne Collins


38. Crying in H Mart—Michelle Zauner


37. A Renaissance of Our Own—Rachel E. Cargle


36. Smile—Sarah Ruhl


35. Adult Drama—Natalie Beach


34. Surprised By Joy—C.S. Lewis


33. On Writing—Stephen King


32. The Elegance of the Hedgehog—Muriel Barbery


31. Tough Titties—Laura Belgray


30. Yona of the Dawn: Volume 38—Mizuho Kusanagi


29. The Night Circus—Erin Morgenstern


28. The Lovely Bones—Alice Sebold

Read In: 2023 + 2021 + younger years


27. Hyperbole and a Half—Allie Brosh

Read In: 2023 + 2017


26. The Diary of a Young Girl—Anne Frank

Read In: 2023 + younger years


25. Jitterbug Perfume—Tom Robbins

Read In: 2023 + 2020


24. Slouching Towards Bethlehem—Joan Didion

Read In: 2023


23. Wisdom Meets Passion—Dan Miller + Jared Angaza

Read In: 2023


22. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years—Donald Miller

Read In: 2023

Description:


Maya Angelou Even The Stars Look Lonesome Book Quotes Ally Brennan Blog Author EssaysTitle: Even The Stars Look Lonesome

Author: Maya Angelou

Read In: 2023

Description: A series of essays and personal writings on intimate topics such as sensuality, her home, and her mother, as well as larger topics like Oprah and Africa.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


20. Persepolis—Marjane Satrapi

Read In: 2023 + 2020

Description: Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.


19. Show Your Work—Austin Kleon

Read In: 2023

Description:


18. Busting Loose From the Money Game—Robert Scheinfeld

Read In: 2023

Description:


17. The Automatic Millionaire—David Bach

Read In: 2023

Description:


16. The Martian—Andy Weir

Read In: 2023 + 2021 + 2020 + 2017

Description:


15. The Queen’s Gambit—Walter Tevis

Read In: 2023

Description:


13. This Particular Happiness—Jackie Shannon Hollis

Read In: 2023

Description:


12. Floor Sample—Julia Cameron

Read In: 2023

Description:


12. Pinball 1973—Haruki Murakami

Read In: 2023


11. Govt Cheese—Steven Pressfield

Read In: 2023

Summary:


10. Hear the Wind Sing—Haruki Murakami

Read In: 2023

Summary:


9. Get Rich, Lucky Bitch—Denise Duffield-Thomas

Read In: 2023

Summary:


8. Yona of the Dawn, Vol 37—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary:


7. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 36—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary:


6. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 35—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary: International delegation, death, and betrayal.


5. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 34—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary: Backstory of parents and bloodline secrets.


4. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 33—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary: Confrontation with king and secret library discoveries.


3. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 32—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary: Martial arts tournament and separated from each other.


2. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 31—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary: Recovering from injuries and suspicious yet exciting proposition.


1. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 30—Mizuho Kusanagi

Read In: 2023

Summary: Out on the frontlines of war and trapped as a prisoner.


Laura Belgray Author Tough Titties Book Quotes Ally Brennan Website Archive Essays BlogTitle: Tough Titties

Author: Laura Belgray

Read In: 2023

Description: Coming-of-age essays on growing up in New York in the 80’s, being a late bloomer when it came to finding a passion and a career, and her decision to not have kids.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Author: Muriel Barbery

Read In: 2023 + 2021

Description: A book about philosophy, and about two characters, middle aged concierge Renée and 12 year old wealthy tenant Paloma, who hide their true selves under masks of mediocrity and bitingly observe the rest of the world.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: On Writing

Author: Stephen King

Read In: 2023 + 2020 + 2018

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Surprised By Joy

Author: C.S. Lewis

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Adult Drama

Author: Natalie Beach

Read In: 2023

Description: She became famous for selling out her ex-best friend, Caroline Calloway, to The Cut. Now she has written a coming-of-age collection of essays, which most prominently focuses on the odd jobs she held while trying to find herself as a writer.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Smile

Author: Sarah Ruhl

Read In: 2023

Description: The memoir of a playwright who develops Bell’s Palsy after giving birth, and the decade that follows of recovery and acceptance.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining

Author: Rachel E. Cargle

Read In: 2023

Description: A memoir on different areas in the author’s life, like faith, relationships, and education, where she starts off living within what’s presented to her, but then allows herself the space to reimagine how each area could expand and evolve to fit her true self better.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Crying in H Mart

Author: Michelle Zauner

Read In: 2023

Description: A memoir by the lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast, the author writes of growing up half white/half Korean, her relationship with her Korean mom, bonding over food, trying to pursue music, and losing her mom to cancer in her mid-twenties.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Read In: 2023

Description: Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute to take her sister’s place in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death between 24 teenagers on live TV.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Read In: 2023

Description: Katniss Everdeen has unintentionally become the face of rebellion following her win alongside Peeta in the 74th annual Hunger Games.

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: The Gracekeepers

Author: Kirsty Logan

Read In: 2023 + 2018

Description: A dream-like dystopian where water covers most of the world, this is slow love story between North, a dampling who lives on a traveling circus boat with her bear, and Callanish, a landlocker with a dangerous secret who has been banished from her island and now performs the watery burials for damplings.


Title: The Circle

Author: Dave Eggers

Read In: 2023 + 2017

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Author: Judy Blume

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Solutions and Other Problems

Author: Allie Brosh

Read In: 2023 + 2021

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Yellowface

Author: R. F. Kuang

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Gregor the Overlander

Author: Suzanne Collins

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Author: Shelby Van Pelt

Read In: 2023

Quoted In: Octopus brain

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: You Are a Badass

Author: Jen Sincero

Read In: 2023 + 2018

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Bonnie Garmus Lessons in Chemistry Book Quotes Novel Cover Reading Archive Ally Brennan 2023 Website Author Blog Newsletter EssaysTitle: Lessons in Chemistry

Author: Bonnie Garmus

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Author: J. K. Rowling

Read In: 2023 + 2018 + younger years

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

Author: Suzanne Collins

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)


Title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

Author: Suzanne Collins

Read In: 2023

Description:

Purchase: Bookshop.org (affiliate link)