When I started writing this, I felt like 2023 wasn’t the best reading year. Then my initial list of contenders ended up being 23 books long. Narrowing it down was hard, and if I did it again tomorrow, I might not end up with the same list.
Here are the books I loved, and think you should read too.
Yes, it’s now 2025 and I’m just posting this list. But I swear I created the list (and most of the explanations!) at the end of 2023!
2022 favourites | 2021 favourites | 2020 favourites | 2019 favourites | 2018 favourites | Pre-2018 favourites
The Winners by Fredrik Backman
The Winners is the third book in the Beartown series, and Beartown is one of my favourite books of all time. I therefore had high hopes and high standards for this one—and Backman rose to the occasion. I was mega attached to the characters and I absolutely love Backman’s writing style. This is probably the book that made me cry the most this year; I was sobbing for pretty much the entire last 50 pages. This book also had me yelling out loud. It was long, but very very worth it.
Ducks: Two Years in the Oils Sands by Kate Beaton
I’m not typically a graphic novel reader, but this one was up for (and ultimately won) Canada Reads, so it made it on to my TBR. And I’m very glad it did. We currently live in a world that doesn’t generally do nuance, and I so appreciated the nuance this book brought to the oil sands. The story tugged on your heart strings, eloquently navigated difficult topics, and the illustration choices were superb at helping to convey many of the emotions and situations. The book wasn’t perfect, but it was fantastic.
Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr
My favourite type of book is one that tells a story that explores a complicated issue with nuance. That describes Hold My Girl perfectly. The book focuses on two women who went through IVF. One successfully had a baby, the other miscarried. A significant amount of time after the birth of the baby, it was discovered that the eggs were switched prior to implantation. So whose baby is it really? Mind blown.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Plet
I have now read this book over six months ago, and I am still obsessed with Marcellus, the octopus and star character is this novel. I’ve also become somewhat obsessed with octopuses (have you watched ??? yet?). The characters in this story made all the difference for me. Marcellus was great, and I loved getting inside his octopus brain, but the older female character, Tova, was also great. And a truly solid older female character is a rarity.
This Is Assisted Dying by Stefanie Green
Part memoir, part non-fiction explanation of assisted dying in Canada, this book married the educational with the emotional in an unmatchable way. I learned so much.
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
The plot of this book had some holes and didn’t leave a lasting impression, but the characters were my absolute favourite. I was obsessed with Rambo, a rumba vacuum cleaner (I lost it when I clued in to that play on words) and Nurse Ratched, a nurse robot. I have nothing more to say. Rambo has a forever place in my heart.
The Circle by Katherena Vermette
Katherena Vermette remains one of my favourite all-time authors and returning to the cast of characters from The Break was a delight (despite the fact that the subject matter is less than delightful). Katherena Vermette has an incredible way of tackling difficult topics (restorative justice, the justice system, etc.) and making you think, while also carrying you along in the story.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
A mystery novel that was more focused on the main character’s story than the mystery itself. Really this a story about a Black classical musician, and the challenges he faces in the pretty racist classical music world. I couldn’t put this one down, because I was so caught up in Ray’s life.
As Long as the Lemon Tree Grows by Zoulfa Katouh
This is a story about a teenager in the Syrian war, who struggles between her loyalty to her country and her desire to survive. It’s a YA story, but still written with depth, despair and so much humanity. I will never get over the surprise twist in this one, because I did NOT see it coming. Bring your Kleenex.
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
Part memoir, part exploration of the treatment of Indigenous people in Canada, Alicia Elliott’s writing is gorgeous. The topics of the book are wide-ranging, and Elliott makes you think, feel, and want to read more.
Other books that you should pick up from this year: Disarm, Defund, Dismantle: Police Abolition in Canada by Shiri Pasternak; How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler; Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. Fun books were The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Featured image by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
