Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Books of 2023

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Favorite Books of 2023.  I really enjoyed almost all my reads in 2023 so it was tough to determine my favorites!  I'm counting all books I read in 2023 regardless of publication year only excluding rereads.

1.  Unearthing the Secret Garden: The Plants and Places that Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett by Marta McDowell - I read this when I was in quarantine with Covid back in February and it was such a soothing and interesting delight.  The Secret Garden is one of my very favorite books and learning about the author's life in relation to the book was interesting and the photography was beautiful.

2.  Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jessie Q. Sutanto - I was expecting a quirky story but I wasn't expecting to feel so connected to all the characters and to absolutely love every minute of reading it.

3.  Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish by Dorothy Gilman - I have loved every single book in this series so far but seeing Mrs. Pollifax really being the expert here was so much fun.

4.  Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller - This was a book I picked using my TBR Tarot cards and I really enjoyed it.  I loved the characters, the plot kept me hooked and the setting was just absolutely gorgeous.

5.  The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry - I didn't love this book as much as I did the previous story I read by this author but it did pull me in and break my heart but also made me smile.

6.  What You are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - I wasn't sure exactly what to expect of this fiction book of short stories all connected by one librarian but it was calming and lovely and delightful.

7.  Inheritance by Nora Roberts - This book had all of my favorite things - ghosts, family mysteries and secrets, inherited house stuffed to the rafters with antiques and so much more.  I can't wait to read the next book.

8.  South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber - This was lovely and lived up to all my expectations after I absolutely loved the previous book by this author.

9.  Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker - I have read and loved all of the previous books in this series and I was a little concerned about this book since the author's son was the one that actually wrote this book.  Thankfully it was a wonderful conclusion to a series I have enjoyed from beginning to end.  

10. The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin - I ugly cried through large sections of this book but couldn't put it down.  I knew very little about Poland's experience during World War II and even less about the resistance  but this made me want to do so much more research and I will definitely be reading more from this author.  

Looking over this list I can't help but notice that with the exception of Mrs. Pollifax there are no cozy mysteries.  Cozy mysteries are definitely my go to genre but they rarely stand out above the more emotional fiction.  Since I have gotten quite a lot of enjoyment out of my cozies in 2023 I'm thinking of doing a separate list of cozy favorites so they can get the recognition due them!