Great Books! Here are some of my favorite reads from the past year!

Kaikeyi was a standout for me, and probably my favorite book of the year! This was the debut novel for Vaishnavi Patel, and… WOW! The book retells a classic story about a powerful and magical queen that challenges a male-dominated society and distinguishes herself as a trusted warrior, leader, and mother. I love how perfectly-imperfect Kaikeyi is as a character, and how Patel crafts her character into one that I will remember for a long time to come!

As a Goodreads Choice Award nominee, it’s clear that others have found this to be a worthwhile read as well.

I listened to Kaikeyi on Audible, and found the 17+ hour listen, narrated by Soneela Nankani, to be both engaging and addictive. If you don’t have Audible, it’s a great way to enjoy books (and other content like podcasts) – and you can try it for free using this link.

Lessons in Chemistry was another standout for me! I loved the characters in this book. Elizabeth Zott was a force to be reckoned with! …and I was surprised that her 4-legged friend (Six-Thirty) was perhaps one of my favorite characters of all the stories that I read this year!

This was a very smart book, and an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more from Bonnie Garmus.

I listened to this book (narrated by Adjoa Andoh) and it was an amazing experience! While I likely would have struggled with reading the book on my own due to the writing style that reflects the manner in which the main character, Adunni, speaks, the narration and the story itself earn an A+ to me.

The story centers around Adunni, a young girl who escapes an arranged marriage in a rural Nigerian village. The reader learns early on that Adunni wants to get an education, and find her louding voice – the ability to speak for herself with confidence. The trials and tribulations that Adunni faces along with the triumphs and wisdom that Adunni expresses endeared this young character to me. The Girl with the Louding Voice is a book that I will keep close and revisit again and again.

The Hate U Give has gained a lot of acclaim in the wake of the continuous string of murders of black people at the hands of police. Sadly, it seems to be timely – time and again.

In this book, the reader gets a glimpse into the thoughts and actions of Star, a young woman who witnesses her childhood friend being murdered during a traffic stop, in the days, weeks, and months following this life-changing event. The questions raised by the book led me to a lot of self-reflection and examination of my own biases. It is one that I can see myself revisiting again and again.

The Hate U Give deserves to be read by all.

I’m a big fan of Sara Goodman Confino after reading this great book! I picked up this read as one of the First Reads that I get from being an Amazon Prime member, and it became an instant favorite of mine. The book explores love and relationship through the lens of a lonely, middle-aged woman that goes on a road trip with her witty and endearing grandmother to the place where she grew up.

The book alternates between telling the grandmother’s personal story from the past, and the actions taking place in the current time in a masterful way. I found myself caring equally as much about both story lines (which is difficult to pull off). What I appreciate even more is that the book is funny – like – laugh out loud funny! I loved it, and am happy to have found a new author to binge.

Zikora is a touching short story about what a mother wants for her child after being abandoned by the father of the child upon learning that she was pregnant. I stumbled upon this title after reading the author’s award-winning work We Should All Be Feminists and wanting to explore more of her writing. I’m so happy that I did!

I liked Zikora even more as I felt the emotion of a mother’s love for her unborn child through the authors beautifully crafted words. I’m a big fan of Adichie’s work, and look forward to exploring more in 2023!

As a pet-parent myself, I fell in love with this short read about loving a rescued Australian shepherd mix named Millie. I could see the energetic personality of Millie in our own Aussie (Duchess) that passed away only months before I stumbled across this endearing story.

Of course, as most stories of loving a pet do, you’ll likely shed a tear or two. This one, however, tops my list because of the beauty of the message that is shared – it’s a true parable… “a simple story with a clear lesson”.