I decided for my favorites lists of 2023 to make a list of 23 of my favorite books, fanfiction, visual media, and music from the year. It was a great year for entertainment.
Books 📚
Here are my favorite books of the 148 books I read in 2023. Each of these books were five-star reads and are in order by how I read them. You can click on the book covers to look at my reviews for the books.
I have marked my top 10 with this emoji 🤩 and color-coded each book by the month I read them. March was definitely a month of favorites.
- Great Goddesses: Life Lessons From Myths and Monsters by Nikita Gill 🤩- One of my goals for last year was to read ten poetry collections from ten different poets. This collection was the first book I picked up in 2023 and I adored it. There were so many amazing poems. Nikita Gill is my favorite contemporary poet by far. She’s incredible.
- Galatea by Madeline Miller- Madeline Miller has been one of my favorite authors for years and her book The Song of Achilles is one of my top-ten favorite books. I always look forward to reading her works and was excited when they had a special edition of her short story Galatea get released. This was a chilling take on the myth of Pygmalion and his wife Galatea, who he made out of clay. This story focuses on Galatea’s story after the original Pygmalion myth. I love how Madeline gives a voice to characters who have not had them before and the active role they play in their stories. Absolutely wonderful story.
- Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson- I have been wanting Margaret Rogerson to return to the world of Austermeer for years. The Sorcery of Thorns is one of my favorite books and I wanted to read another story with Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas. This novella was a great continuation of their story which has stayed in my mind for the last year. I cannot wait to read this and The Sorcery of Thorns again.
- Gallant by V. E. Schwab- One of the books that stuck with me the most from last year. V. E. Schwab’s writing is wonderful and I will definitely be picking up more of her work in the future. I loved the eerie setting and mood that filled this novel. Such an interesting tale.
- The Adventure Zone, Vol. 5: The Eleventh Hour by Clint McElroy… 🤩- My favorite book of the series so far. I loved the time loop aspects in this volume and learning more about Magnus, Merle, and Taako’s pasts. Volume 6 comes out this year and I look forward to finding out what happens next in their adventures.
- Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz- The first ARC I read that became a favorite of the year. This was such an interesting take on the “Cinderella” fairy tale with a time loop twist. Guess, this was the year of time loops for me and I loved them! I loved the romance in this book and following Anais as she tries to figure out how to save everyone.
- That Way Madness Lies edited by Dahlia Adler 🤩- My favorite short story collection that I have ever read. I loved the different takes on Shakespeare’s plays throughout this volume, especially the one based on Hamlet. It was a cross between Hamlet and Dracula and was written in epistolary format.
- To Poison a King by S. G. Prince 🤩- I was not able to pick a favorite book of last year because there were too many of them that were just so damn great. To Poison a King is one of those books and if I had to pick a favorite would probably be the one I would choose. S. G. Prince’s beautiful atmospheric writing made me fall in love with this beauty from the beginning. I cannot wait to see future companion books in The Heirs of Isla series. I’m so happy that the author asked me if I would be interested in reading her book!
- Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross- This book was described as a fantasy version of You’ve Got Mail set during a magical war between two gods. Call me intrigued. I love Rebecca Ross’s books and I had to request this one from NetGalley. The rivals-to-lovers romance was one of my favorites of the trope and had me hooked in this novel. Iris and Roman were characters I loved with all my heart. I will be picking up the sequel Ruthless Vows very soon.
- Beasts and Beauty by Soman Chainani- I am a sucker for new takes on classic stories, especially fairy tale retellings. Beasts and Beauty is a collection of short stories based on fairy tales and also Peter Pan. Soman does an incredible job creating a vivid and dark atmosphere in each of his stories which fits so well with the classic fairy tales. Accompanying each of his stories, there are stunning illustrations which fit so well with the darkness excluded in the tales. I hope Soman will eventually create another collection of these stories with other classic tales, such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It would be an instant read for me.
- In the Lives of Puppets by T. J. Klune 🤩- T. J. Klune has a style so uniquely his own which I cannot get enough of. His stories draw me in with the description and keep me with the way he beautifully creates a new world. In this book, he has taken aspects from Pinocchio and created a fantasy/science fiction world with androids and robots. The message resonates with me which is “what does it mean to be human.” This book perfectly combines the aspects of friendship, family, love, humanity, and adventure. Brilliant book that I know I will never forget.
- Painted Devils by Margaret Owen 🤩- Little Thieves was one of my top two favorite books of 2022, so I was highly anticipating this beauty. I’m happy to say that I loved this one just as much. Vanja is a character I fell in love with in the first book. She is a morally gray character who has done terrible things but is trying to improve her life and become a better person. I adore her romance with Emeric. Margaret Owen has created a world I cannot get enough of and I am now anxiously awaiting the final, which I believe comes out next year. Also, I want to say how much I adore the book cover. Margaret is the illustrator for each cover and the ones in the book. She is so talented!
- Big Tree by Brian Selznick- Another beauty by Brian Selznick. He is always creating such beautiful artwork in each book and filling them with insightful messages. I thought it was neat how he took this story and how it focused on a sappling’s life.
- The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro 🤩- One of the best Camp Half-blood tales that Rick has ever written with the help of Mark. This book has the humor you would expect from a Rick story but also is filled with hard-hitting material. Nico has been through a lot and is dealing with the grief from it all. He has emotions he is trying to unpack while also trying to survive with Will throughout their journey in Tartarus. I loved the framing device of the story and how it is told through stories that Nico and Will are telling Gorgyra.
- Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde 🤩- The book jumping, time travel, and mystery were even better in this book then the first. I love books were the characters are able to travel into novels and this series is just so darn interesting. Here’s hoping I read more than one of these books this year.
- The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane- This is an adult fantasy with some elements of the “Beauty and the Beast” fairy tale. I love how Neil decided to tell this story through the different parts. The first focuses on Darragh’s journey to find the Enchanter he met when he was thirteen years old. Tales told in his land of the Enchanter are interspersed throughout his journey. We then learn the Enchanter, Merrigan’s true story in the second part.
- The West Wind by Alexandria Warwick- Another sequel to make my favorites list. I loved The North Wind when I read it in 2022 so I had to request this one too. This time the story focused on the West Wind, Zephyrus. I love how Alexandria used Greek mythology and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin throughout this book. Zephyrus and Brielle’s relationship was unique and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. I look forward to the third book which will be called The South Wind.
- Lore Olympus: Volume Four by Rachel Smythe- I love Rachel Smythe’s unique takes on Greek Mythology and how much they stand out from what I have seen before. This volume was a favorite.
- The Princess Bride by William Goldman 🤩- The Princess Bride was a movie I grew up loving and I had planned to read this book for years. William Goldman has such a unique way of writing. The fake abridgment aspects of the plot were so clever, especially how he used them to tell his story. I love when he breaks out of the plot for it.
- Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill- Another great collection of poetry from Nikita Gill.
- The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan 🤩- Reading this book was like visiting an old friend for a couple of hours. I never thought Rick would return to the Percy Jackson series, but I’m thankful he chose to. This series is an absolute joy and I will forever love the humor. Percy’s voice felt authentic to his character and it is as if no time has gone by since the end of The Heroes of Olympus series. His sarcastic humor shines through from the first page until the last.
- Touch the Lightning by N. R. Walker- This was a beautiful ending to The Storm Boys series. I loved storm chasing with Jeremiah and Tully throughout the year. It was the first time I had ever read anything like this before and it was very entertaining. Their relationship was beautiful.
- Midnight in Everwood by M. A. Kuzniar- A beautiful retelling of The Nutcracker that had me thinking of The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis with Wood between Worlds. I have been a portal fantasy lover since childhood and am always looking for another to add to my favorites. The romance was great in this book and I hope we will eventually go back to Everwood in a future book. Definitely, a new favorite for the holiday season.
My Top 10 Books
These books were each absolutely wonderful!
Fanfiction
I got back into fanfiction for the first time in probably about a decade and man, I found a ton of great stories. Here are my top 23 favorites that are all based on Good Omens. They are in order by how I read them.
My top favorites are marked with this emoji 🤩.
- Angelic Whispers by AppleSeeds
- Warmth by Dannye Chase
- Azirafalala by AppleSeeds
- On Espionage and Prophecy (or How to Accidentally, but Wholly, Fall in Love With a Soho Bookseller) by RockSaltAndRoll 🤩
- wake up and find what you’re looking for by NaroMoreau
- Pray for Us, Icarus by Atalan 🤩
- Seared Into Skin by Vagabond
- Postcards from Paris by ghostrat
- Aziraphale in the Evenings by Caedmon
- First Class (Hons) Christmas, University of Tadfield by heloluv
- Rearrangements by sheendav
- Slide of Stars series by Mjazilem
- Books are Works of Fiction by Yellowvelvetcake
- The Big British Baking Bash by Caedmon 🤩
- Barriers, and the Breaking Thereof by Cardinal_Daughter 🤩
- The Rose and the Serpent by Atalanta
- Solve et Coagula by AppleSeeds
- Candlelight by AppleSeeds
- Secret Santa by AppleSeeds
- My True Love Gave to Me by CQueen
- Among the Stacks by MeinirRhos 🤩
- It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine by Dervila and elf_on_the_shelf 🤩
- Legacies by AppleSeeds
Visual Media 💻
I watched a lot of great pieces of media in 2023. In the lists below, I have shown my favorites for tv, movies, youtube, and other visual media.
My top favorites are marked with this emoji 🤩.
TV Shows 📺
1. Good Omens Season 2 🤩- This show took over my year ever since it came out at the end of July. I have a full write-up already on my blog where I deeply gush about the brilliance of Season 2 (click on the picture if you are interested in reading it). There has never been a show that has affected me in the way that this show has. I adored the first season and thought it was a perfect adaptation of a book I love with all of my heart. This season has continued that story in a beautiful way. David Tennant and Michael Sheen did an incredible job embodying these characters, yet again. I know I will miss them in these roles after Season 3 is done. If you haven’t watched Good Omens, I highly recommend doing so. The story writing, characters, and humor is topnotch.
2. Andor 🤩- My brother and I actually started Andor in 2022 but finished it in 2023. This is the best thing Disney Star Wars (other than the final season of The Clone Wars) has ever come out with and is right up there with the original trilogy for me. I love how they decided to cut scenes together in each of the episodes, especially in the first arc. It was brilliant. The writing is some of the best in television and each episode gets better than the one before.
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 🤩- I have been missing out on the brilliance of this show for too many years. The writing is the best and it is definitely not just some kid’s show. The character development alone is enough to say that this is one of the best pieces of Star Wars media.
4. Doctor Who Season 1- My best friend, Rebecca has been trying to get me to watch Doctor Who since high school. I did watch some of the David Tennant episodes back then but not too many. In 2023, I decided to begin with the Christopher Eccleston episodes and fell in love with him as the Doctor. I think it’s funny because I always loved David in the role, but loved Christopher from the minute he introduced himself to Rose in the store basement. My plan is to continue on with the show this year.
5. Ghosts Season 1- Another show I have started to watch because of my brother. I have yet to finish Season 1 but am really enjoying it so far.
6. Staged- This was the year of David Tennant and Michael Sheen for me. They have such great chemistry together. I watched this when I was going through a rough patch emotionally and was thankful for the laughs it gave me. David, Michael, Georgia, Anna, and the rest of the cast were phenomenal as caricatures of themselves.
Movies 🎞️
7. Spider- Man: Into the Spider-Verse 🤩- One of the best animated movies I have ever seen. I love how they decided to animate it to look like a comic book throughout. Miles Morales was not a character I knew much of going in and I enjoyed learning more about him. Definitely, one of my favorite Spider-Man movies.
8. Rosaline 🤩- I have never been a fan of Romeo and Juliet, I actually count it as one of my least favorite of Shakespeare’s plays. When I saw the trailers for this movie, I knew I had to watch it because it looked great. It is a wonderful interpretation of the story. Kaitlyn Denver is a great actress and I loved her in this role.
9. Love Again- Had a ball seeing this in May with my best friend, her mom, and my mom. It was a great movie to just sit and laugh with your friends. I loved the Celine Dion music they chose to have in this movie and her part in it. One of my favorite scenes is the one when Sam is singing one of Celine’s songs in the shower. Hilarious! This is a fun romcom to watch with your friends that will just get you laughing.
10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie- I have been a Mario fan ever since childhood so I’m glad I enjoyed this movie as much as I did. Illumination did an incredible job with the look of this movie. It’s beautiful. Loved the Easter eggs they had in this from the games and how they did not take you out of the movie. The story felt like one of the games. I look forward to seeing what Nintendo and Illumination come up with next. Jack Black is definitely the best part of this movie, obviously.
11. Wonka- I love movie musicals and had a ball watching this movie with Mom right around Christmas time. Timothee was great as Willy and I loved the story with him and Noodle. This is a fun story that I cannot wait to watch again.
YouTubers 💻
12. BooksandLala 🤩- Kayla will probably always be my favorite BookTuber. I adore how creative she is with her video ideas and even though we don’t read a lot of the same stuff, I always still enjoy every video she creates. It’s always great when I find a new book to read based on her recommendations.
13. DanandPhilGames 🤩- I am so happy that Dan and Phil decided to bring back their gaming channel. They are hilarious together and brought a lot of joy to my days with their videos over the years and it’s great to have them again.
14. Dominic Noble- Dom has been a favorite of mine for many years. I love his book to movie adaptation reviews Lost in Adaptation.
15. SuperCarlin Brothers- Their theory videos are some of my favorites on YouTube. J and Ben are so creative.
16. Good Mythical Morning- I’ve been watching Rhett and Link for many years. Their videos are something I go through cycles of watching and not watching. I’m always interested in finding something to laugh at and brighten my days.
17. Charlie Hopkinson- Charlie makes great deepfake videos where he impersonates Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Qui-Gon and has them review Star Wars content. These are great videos that I am glad I found this year.
Other Visual Media ðŸŽ
18. Much Ado About Nothing (David Tennant and Catherine Tate version) 🤩- The first time I experienced this play was in my Shakespeare class in college and I did not enjoy it. I find Shakespeare’s plays, especially his comedies, better when you can watch them. After watching Good Omens Season 2 this year, I decided to watch a lot of David Tennant’s work again and finally watched this version of the play. It had me laughing hysterically the entire time. David and Catherine have incredible chemistry. They play off of each other well and were perfect as Beatrice and Benedict.
19. MasterClass Presents: Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling- A great program with Neil’s insights in storytelling.
20. Twelfth Night performance by BTE in Bloomsburg, PA
21. Philadelphia Freedom (A Tribute to Elton John) at Bloomsburg University 🤩- This was the second year Mom and I went to see Doug and his band perform at Bloomsburg University. He does a great job impersonating Elton John. Hopefully, he will continue to come to the University every year.
22. Into the Woods performance in Berwick, PA
23. Once Upon a Mattress performance in Bloomsburg, PA
Music 🎶
Here my favorite pieces of music for the year. The songs are in magenta and the albums are in purple. Also, I marked the 2024 songs/albums with an asterisk.
- “Waffle House” by Jonas Brothers* 🤩- My most played song of the year
- “Cars Not Leaving” by Gabriel Bruce 🤩- My favorite song of the year.
- Good Witch Deluxe album by Maisie Peters* 🤩- My favorite album of the year
- “Tell Me Why” by Wynonna
- Greatest Hits 2.0 (Guest Features Editions) album by Busted*
- “Say Don’t Go,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “Is It Over Now,” “You’re Losing Me,” and “Electric Touch” by Taylor Swift*
- “Good Old- Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen
- “Steal the Show” by Lauv*
- “Walk” by Griff
- “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge
- High Drama album by Adam Lambert*
- “Never Not Going to Dance Again” by P!NK*
- “Fast Car” and “Where the Wild Things Are” by Luke Combs*
- “Freedom” and “I’m Your Man” by Wham
- “Song About You” and “I Think I Like You” by The Band CAMINO
- “Get Him Back” and “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo*
- “Flowers” and “Used to be Young” by Miley Cyrus*
- “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” by Vera Lynn
- “Have a Good Summer (Without Me)” by Valley
- Sunday at Foxgloves album by Boys Like Girls*
- “Blow Out My Candle” and “Run Up That Hill” by Betty Who
- “All This and Heaven Too” by Florence + The Machine
- “Rhythm of My Heart” by Rod Stewart
