As we are well into 2023, it’s never too late to try new habits and hobbies. Reading is a great new hobby to try, as it provides hours of entertainment, while benefiting your mind. Unlike screen time, reading helps keep the brain active and learning, while reading a fantastic story. Here are top five book recommendations to read in the year of 2023! 

5. One Of Us Is Lying 

This book follows the personal lives of five teenagers following the death of one of the five after all being in detention. The five teens are suspected of murder because authorities find that the teen killed(Simon), was going to release private information on the other four. This book is full of mystery and peril and Karen M. McManus does an amazing job in balancing the personal lives of the students and how they tie back into the storyline. I would rate this book a 6/10. 

4. The Fault In Our Stars 

This book is a bittersweet story about the relationship between two young people, Hazel and Augustus, who have both shared in the effects of cancer. Hazel is currently struggling with cancer when she meets Augustus through a support group, and builds a flowering love story with him. Augustus brings light to Hazel’s dark world, and the two of them learn to embrace life together. John Greene provides a heart-warming love story of two people in the midst of tragedy. I would rate this book a 7/10 because the love story is unmatched compared to any other and offers a unique perspective from the mind of a young girl struggling with cancer. 

3. The Names They Gave Us 

This book is about a teenage girl named Lucy, who is struggling to accept her mother’s recently diagnosed cancer as well as going through a breakup. Her mother is her best friend, and she doesn’t know how she will live without her if the cancer takes her mom’s life. With her faith wavering, Lucy’s mom asks for Lucy to volunteer at a disabled kids summer camp. Though Lucy is not for it, she accepts her mother’s wishes to please her. At the summer camp, Lucy discovers her true values as well as faith that has no bounds. Emory Lord captivates readers with this story about faith and strength to continue even when life knocks you down. I would rate this book another solid 7/10. 

2. An Old-Fashioned Girl 

This story follows the journey of a young country girl named Polly who experiences living in the city for the first time in the 1800s with her cousins. Polly is not used to the customs of the city girls and wonders if she will ever fit in in this new society. Despite her worries, she is able to find who she is in her own story, and find true love, along with friendship. This book may seem old fashioned but Louisa May Alcott does a wonderful job of creating a story with beautiful characters and a captivating message about staying true to yourself. I would rate this book a 7/10 because the story allows a window into life for young women in the 1800s and relates back to the reader. 

1. The Nightingale 

This book is about two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, who lead entirely different lives during the Nazi invasion of France. Vianne’s husband leaves to defend France against the Nazis, leaving Vianne at the family farm with their daughter Sophie. Vianne’s passionate younger sister, Isabelle, leaves Paris to join in the Resistance where she leads numerous crashed airmen out of France to safety. I would rate this book an 8/10. Kristin Hannah is able to capture the heartfelt story of these sisters fighting to survive and learning to love each other during a time of incredible hardship and persecution. 

Whether you are an avid reader or just starting out on your reading journey, there are countless options to choose from as well as the books mentioned above and you are sure to find a story that speaks to you!