Perusing through my Goodreads and a few gorgeous book blogs, I have had a sudden desire to seize this year by going on a more intentional adventure in my reading journey. Hence, I have written a list of books that I wouldn’t read on a normal day, but that I know could impact me greatly, feed my curiosity, inspire me, make me nostalgic or all the above! Hence, I have made a 2023 Book Bucket List featuring the top 20 must-read books for the year.
1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman (2015)
Recommended by a dear friend and driven home by Therapy with Tolstoy. I’m quite intrigued with this one.
2. Woman Who Run with The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés (1980)
Recommended by my sister. I read a few chapters but life got in the way of me finishing it. What I do remember is that I adored what I read. I can’t wait!
3. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marcía Márquez (1967)
It’s time I blow the dust off this book that’s sitting in my TBR pile for over a year. Yikes!
4. 1984 by George Orwell (1949)
Gone are the days when I say “big brother is watching you” without actually reading its reference…
5. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2011)
It’s time I see what the big fuss is about.
6. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (2003)
A domestic setting. A mentally challenged intellectual. Maybe…looooove. This sounds like my jam.
7. On Chesil Beach by Ian Mcewan (2007)
A novella I’ve set my eyes on for years now. McEwan, I loved Nutshell…please don’t fail me.
8. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roahl Doahl (1970)
If I can watch the movie a thousand times… surely, I can read the book?
9. The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas (1846)
Revenge stories never get old…never.
10. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)
Bah…humbug! Need I say more?
11. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis (1950)
I said I won’t watch the last two movies until I read the book. So, best I get started.
12. Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier (1938)
Gothic literature? Haunted by the past? Newly-weds? The question is why I have not read this yet.
13. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab (2020)
How have I recommended this to the world but haven’t read it myself? Shameful.
14. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020)
An infinite library…choosing lives within books? Yes. I’ve got to read this.
15. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (2009)
Murakami’s work has always seemed a bit too depressing for me. I may be wrong. Let’s give this one a shot.
16. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2003)
As a mystery and thriller enthusiast, it’s best I see if the novel is worth its hype.
17. Perfume: The Story of A Murderer by Patrick Suskind (1985)
Have you ever heard a book title and your heart just aches with longing? This is how I feel about this book. It has been calling my name for years and it’s about time I answered.
18. Far From the Madding Crowd by Tomas Hardy
Tess of the D’Urbervilles traumatized me…in a good way….? Makes no sense but read it and see what I mean. Let’s see what Hardy does with this one.
19. The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon (1961)
This is simply long overdue.
20. On China by Henry Kissinger (2011)
If this is my final year as an International Relations student, I better leave with a bang.
4 responses to “My 2023 Booket-List : 20 Must-Reads for the Year (5/20)”
OMG! I have spotted a couple of books that I have read and I 100% recommend each and ever one of them.
I have a couple of books on my list but will be surely add a couple of yours as well!
Hey Amina, that is so cool 🙂 I can’t wait to tell you what I think of the ones you’ve read! Which other books would you recommend?
AAAAHHHHHHH
YES. To all of these! Especially concerning The Song of Achilles, like you said, I really do need to know what all the fuss is about.
Having read one hundred years of solitude, I say this with no shame: I will bully everyone I meet into reading this! It’s a masterclass in magical realism, but also just in storytelling. You just have to experience it for yourself.
And regarding A Man Called Ove, all I have to say is 😭🫶🏾😭🫶🏾😭🫶🏾. Seriously though, I never expected that I would be so invested in the inner world of a grumpy old fart, but this book proved me capable of such.
If you want to grow this booket list, a recommendation I have in Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Just a stunning family saga (you know I love me some family drama), covering love, loss, trauma, displacement, all of which stems from the everlasting struggle between duty and freedom.
As for my booket list, anything by Neil Gaiman is a must. I also really want to get into Octavia Butler’s work, seeing that she is THE grande dame of Afrofuturism, and just a new wave of black sci fi.
Is there anything you think I should add to my list?
Hey Sylvie! Oh my gosh, you are amping me! I am so ready to read these books and discuss with you *excited jazz hands*
A family saga? I’m here for it. You’ve been telling me about this book and you know what, I’ll definitely give it a read.
I’ll check these authors out! Girl, I am already deep within your Goodreads (you always have such great book recs!)…I’m not the same after Mexican Gothic…
As for more things you should add on your list, I’ve started the Da Vinci code by Dan Brown. Sylvie, you need to go down with me. I’m not okay. You would love it. And it might make you reconsider your thoughts on Paris 😉