I read forty-seven books last year. Here is an annotated bibliography and book review of all of them!
This is for all you readers out there! I love talking about books and my posts about books are some of my favorite ones to write. So naturally, I had to do a review of all the books I read in 2023. It’s pretty long, so let’s just jump right into it!
An Annotated bibliography and book review: 2023 year in books
my rating system
Before I give you my book review, I want to tell you what my rating system is. Seeing the number of stars I give each book will probably mean nothing to you if you don’t know how I come to those ratings. So here’s my rating system.
- 5 stars- Amazing. I either couldn’t put it down if it was fiction, or I basically highlighted the whole book if it was non-fiction. And I’d probably read it again.
- 4 stars- Good. But I didn’t find myself constantly thinking about it or wanting to read it. But when I was reading it, I loved it. Some parts of it I maybe didn’t agree with, or found annoying, and I maybe thought there were somethings missing.
- 3 stars- Not bad. Struggled to get into it, and maybe even struggled to finish it. But I pushed through and I’m glad I did. Was repetitive and slow, and had some parts that were unnecessary.
- 2 stars- Not good. Couldn’t finish it because it was either not good enough, or because it annoyed me too much.
- 1 star- Horrible. No explanation needed haha.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover– 5 stars
This book was so good and such a good one to start the year off with. While there were definitely places that were a little too *spicy* for me, overall, I loved the story line. I’ve come to learn that that type of writing is in pretty much all modern fiction books. So if you want to read good modern fiction, you just have to skip those pages. I couldn’t put this book down and couldn’t wait to read the sequel.
For a Glory and a Covering: A Practical Theology of Marriage by Douglas Wilson– 5 stars
Throughout the first half of the year, one of my focuses was reading and learning about marriage. Douglas Wilson is always one of my favorite authors when it comes to Christian marriage. This book didn’t change that. I loved it. I loved how it went deeper into the theology of marriage instead of just the typical Ephesians 5 stuff. He went deep into theology, but still gave practical application for each point he made.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover– 5 stars
Like I said, I loved the first book in this series. I think I ordered this one before I even finished the first one so that I could start it as soon as possible. This one was so good too. I loved getting to see what happened with the characters. And this one was a lot happier of a story than the first one. Again, sort of spicy sometimes, but you just have to skip those parts if you don’t like reading that stuff. That’s what I do. Definitely worth the read!
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah– 2 stars
This book started out really good. I loved learning about history in a entertaining story. However, about halfway to three-fourths of the way through, I started to feel annoyed. It seemed as though it was glorifying communism. That’s not surprising in this day and age, but it’s still annoying nonetheless. Communism should never be glorified, and so reading about how communism was saving their lives and was their only hope really made me angry. If you can look past that part, you’d probably really enjoy this book. So, it’s up to you if you want to read this one or not! I sort of want to give it another shot, but I don’t know.
The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1) by Julia Quinn– 5 stars
I was hesitant to start this series because the Netflix series is way too spicy for me. But I heard that it wasn’t as bad, so I gave it a shot. I’m so glad I did because this series quickly became some of my favorite books! It definitely wasn’t super spicy. Just like one or two spots so it was easy to skip over. I love books that are about royals or upper class people and this was that. I loved the storyline itself, but I also loved the fancy aesthetics. I couldn’t wait to read the rest of the books!
The Fruit of Her Hands: Respect and the Christian Woman by Nancy Wilson– 5 stars
Nancy Wilson is Douglas Wilson’s (from above) wife. So naturally, I always love her books as well. I believe I read this one a couple years ago, but wanted to read it again in preparation for marriage. It’s so good and something that I think every woman, especially every wife should read.
Men Are Like Waffles- Women Are Like Spaghetti: Understanding and Delighting in Your Differences by Bill & Pam Farrel– 3 stars
This book had some good info in it. However, it was kind of redundant and honestly a little bit surface level and stereotypical. Some of the stereotypical stuff I didn’t necessary agree with either. Things like all men want is sex. Women are always super emotional. When authors exaggerate things like that that aren’t necessarily true for the average person, then it’s hard to take the other things they say seriously. Because of that, I had to give this book a fairly low rating of a 3. It’s not one that I found great value in or would read again.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover– 4 stars
Because I loved It Ends with Us and It Starts with Us, I had to read more of Colleen Hoover’s books. This book was good, but it wasn’t as good as the other two. I really liked the story line, but felt like there were some things I wish would’ve been added. I won’t say what because it’ll give things away. I also felt like it dragged on a little bit, so that’s why I give it a 4.
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller– 5 stars
This is one of my favorite books about marriage. Not only does it teach you about marriage, but it also teaches you about theology along the way as well. I like how deep he goes, but how simple his explanations are at the same time. Highly recommend this one for anyone who’s getting married or is currently married already! It’s never too late to learn about God’s design for marriage.
The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2) by Julia Quinn– 4 stars
I had to wait a while to read the second Bridgerton book because I loaned it from the Libby app. This one was good too, but not as good as the first one. The story line wasn’t as good and I also got annoyed by the characters a time or two. It was still really good and I highly recommend it, but according to my rating system, it gets a 4.
An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3) by Julia Quinn– 5 stars
This book!!! This is the best Bridgerton book by far, at least that I’ve read so far. The story line was amazing. The love story was amazing. The aesthetics were amazing. Everything about this book was amazing! I would 100% read it again. I forgot to mention that each book is the story of one of the Bridgerton kids love stories. This one was about one of the brothers, Benedict. The first book was about one of the daughters, Daphne. And the second book was about the first born son, Anthony.
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids by Linda Akeson McGurk– 3 stars
The premise of this book and the whole idea behind the importance of the outdoors for kids was really good. However, I found it a little slow and repetitive. I loved learning about the differences between American and Scandinavian mindsights when it comes to weather and nature. But a lot of it could be summed up in several paragraphs if I’m being honest.
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand– 5 stars
This was another one of my favorite books of the year! I’m honestly not sure why because the plot line wasn’t anything too exciting or anything I would usually go for. But something about her writing gets me every time. This one is about a hotel that is likely to be visited by one of the biggest known hotel critics on social media. It goes through the story of that, as well as the story of each of the characters. I loved it!
Getting Pregnant with PCOS: An evidence-based approach to treat the root causes of polycystic ovary syndrome and boost your fertility by Clare Goodwin– 5 stars
This book was one of the best books I’ve read about female health and cycle health. As you can tell by the title, it’s focus is on fertility in regards to PCOS. If you don’t know what PCOS is, it’s essentially a hormonal syndrome that’s caused by insulin-resistance and high levels of testosterone. I’ve never been diagnosed with PCOS, but I have found that blood sugar regulation has a big effect on my cycle. I think that’s true of most women because blood sugar regulation is huge for stress levels, and therefore hormone levels.
It’s easy to have blood sugar drops and spikes throughout your day even if you don’t have a certain condition like diabetes or insulin-resistance. That’s because your blood sugar naturally spikes and drops with different types of foods. You just need to figure out what your body needs to keep your blood sugar balanced. That’s what I’ve been working towards since reading this book.
I wanted to read this book since I knew it would touch on the blood sugar piece in regulating hormones. I’m so glad I did. I learned so much in the book. She really dove deep into hormones, blood sugar, stress. Literally everything you could think of. Even if you don’t have PCOS or don’t struggle with blood sugar regulation, this book would be great for you to read if you want to learn more about your cycle.
The PCOS Fix: The Complete Guide to Get Rid of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Naturally, Balance Your Hormones, and Boost Your Fertility by Maggie Glisson– 3 stars
Because I loved that book so much and learned so much from it, I wanted to read another one like it. However, this one was not nearly as good. I found myself disagreeing with a lot of the stuff she was saying as well. Particularly that dairy is basically evil and that meat should be limited. Of course what works for me might not work for other people. But I don’t think that’s something that she should be telling everyone. I give this book 3 stars because a lot of it goes against my “diet” philosophy. I’ll make a post about what that is soon.
A Little Book on the Christian Life by Aaron C. Denlinger– 5 stars
This book was a modern translation of John Calvin’s original book. It’s a classic of the Christian faith, calling believers to pursue holiness and endure suffering as they follow Christ. I really liked it! If you’re a Christian who likes to dive deep into theology, I highly recommend this one.
The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1) by Nita Prose– 3 stars
This book was very slow and very predictable. So many people loved it, so I was really excited to read it. But I just couldn’t get into it. Molly’s a maid in a fancy hotel and discovers a crime in one of her rooms. Of course she’s accused of it since she’s the one who discovered it. So the whole book is essentially the story of people trying to prove she didn’t do it and discover who did. She struggles with social skills, so she doesn’t pick up on things that are very obvious. I think that’s what most people love about it because it’s different than other mysteries. But that’s what I found annoying. I knew the whole time what was happening, but she didn’t. I felt like screaming into the book several times haha.
Every Woman a Theologian: Know What You Believe. Live It Confidently. Communicate It Graciously. by Phylicia Masonheimer– 5 stars
This book is really good and informative. It’s a great read if you’re interested in learning more about theology, but don’t know where to start. Especially if you’re completely new to learning about theology. She gives good information, but at a simple and basic level so it’s easy to understand. I think I want to read this book again this year. I read it right before our wedding when I was still working full time. I was so busy then that I feel like I didn’t have the mental capacity to truly take in all of the information she gives. I might read it again and take notes so I can look back on them in the future.
It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF by Rebecca Fett– 5 stars
This was another great book on female health and fertility. Egg health is a huge part of fertility. That should be obvious considering it literally forms the baby. But so many people don’t know about it or think about it. This book had great information. Again, I kind of want to re-read it this year so I can take notes because there was so much good info that I want to remember.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4) by Julia Quinn– 4 stars
This Bridgerton book is about the third son’s (Colin’s) love story. Like the second book, it was really good, but the story was a little slow and the characters annoyed me sometimes haha. I still recommend it though!
Verity by Colleen Hoover– 5 stars
Wow. This book. Holy cow. So good. So mysterious. So creepy. I literally thought about this books for weeks after I finished it. Just go read it. That’s all I need to say.
To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons, #5) by Julia Quinn– 3 stars
This is my least favorite Bridgerton book so far. It’s about one of the daughters, Eloise. It was so slow, I’m not going to lie. I feel like if you read the series, you have to read it. But other than that, I don’t know I’d recommend it to be honest.
Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer– 3 stars
This book wasn’t terrible. But it was pretty slow and didn’t have the most intriguing plot. I never really looked forward to reading it.
The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews– 5 stars
Just like Elin Hildebrand, I love anything Mary Kay Andrews writes because I love her writing style. This book was about a woman who renovates homes. She is asked to do a TV show renovating an old home in Savannah with a celebrity co-star. Of course it has a love story, but maybe it’s not with who you think. And there’s a huge mystery as well that made me not want to put it down. Highly recommend!
Awakening Fertility: The Essential Art of Preparing for Pregnancy by Heng Ou– 5 stars
I loved this book! It’s a little new-agey, but if you look past those aspects, it has great practical information. Specifically in relation to liver health and nervous system regulation. Those are two things I’m working hard on right now. So I found this book extremely helpful. Liver health is so important for detoxing toxins and extra hormones out of the body. Both of those things are key for proper hormone health. And nervous system is incredibly important for hormone health as well because stress reeks havoc on the body and endocrine system.
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren– 3 stars
This book is pretty good, but I prefer Christian books that go deeper than this one does. One of my biggest pet peeves is that Christian books for women are so shallow. They don’t go deep into theology at all. You’re lucky if any modern Christian books go deep into theology. But especially books for women. Theology is so important in growing your faith. I’m going to write a whole post about that. But just know for now that you should be learning about theology. It’s so important and it really isn’t as complicated as you think it is.
Kitchen Garden Revival: A modern guide to creating a stylish, small-scale, low-maintenance, edible garden by Nicole Johnsey Burke– 4 stars
This book was beautiful and also gave such good information. But I felt like it wasn’t very practical. At least for my situation. I think it would be a lot more practical for someone who’s doing a small scale garden with raised beds. So if that’s you, definitely read this book!
Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening, Course 1: From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly by Charles Dowding– 4 stars
We’re planning on doing a no-garden this year. That is, if we have enough cardboard haha. This book gave great information on how to do a no-dig garden. However, I found it a bit repetitive and felt like I also didn’t need to know as much as he included. Maybe that’s just my personality. Some people love to know all the details. I’m not that person, at least when it comes to gardening. For me, the more simple the better.
What is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics by R.C. Sproul– 5 stars
This book is great for a basic intro to reformed theology. Essentially, reformed theology is a traditional view of Christianity that follows the Five Solas. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). Sola Gratia (Grace Alone). Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Solus Christus (Christ Alone). Soli Deo Gloria (Glory of God Alone). This book goes through each of those points, and explains why they’re Biblical.
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1) by Louise Penny– 4 stars
I loved this book and couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series when I was done! I give it 4 stars because it was a little slow, at least in the beginning. Based on my rating system, 5 stars is given to a fiction book when I can’t put it down. I can’t say that was the case for this one. But it was still so good and you definitely need to read it if you like mysteries!
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide by Rosemary Gladstar– 5 stars
I plan on getting into growing and using medicinal herbs this year. You can read more about that in this post. This book was a great beginner’s guide to teach me the basics about medicinal herbs. I have a lot of herbalism books, but a lot of them are too detailed for me right now. This one was perfect!
A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamace, #2) by Louise Penny– 5 stars
This was the sequel to Still Life. Like I said, the first book was good. But this book was even better! I couldn’t put it down. I love Louise Penny’s books because they’re murder mysteries, but they aren’t too creepy or gory. I also love how each book has the same characters because they take place in the same small town. It allows you to really get to know them and love them.
Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey– 4 stars
This book was really interesting. I took an art history class in college and absolutely loved it. It was one of my favorite classes I took by far. I loved it because my professor showed us the pieces of art through a lens of faith. I never knew how much you could learn or see in a painting or piece of art. There’s so much symbolism and story within a painting, and so many of the greatest works of art throughout history tell the story of the Gospel. This book did that as well and also went through the lives of some of the most famous Christian artists. I found it really interesting, but also a little slow which is why I gave it 4 stars.
Virtuous: A Study for Ladies of Every Age by Nancy Wilson– 5 stars
I love this book! She goes through a number of different virtuous Biblical qualities that all godly women should have. It’s a fairly short read, so it’s great to read over and over again for a reminder of what godly womanhood looks like in a practical sense.
Praise Her in the Gates: The Calling of Christian Motherhood by Nancy Wilson– 5 stars
This is another great book by Nancy Wilson. In this one she goes through what the Bible says about different aspects of motherhood and why motherhood is important. I’m not a mother yet, nor am I pregnant as I write this. But, it’s never too early to learn about motherhood. Along with wifehood, motherhood is one of the most important jobs a Christian woman will have in her life. Why do we spend so much time learning about our future careers, but little to no time preparing for wifehood and motherhood. That needs to change! This is a great book for that.
Eve in Exile and the Restoration of Femininity by Rebekah Merkle– 4 stars
I read this book a couple years back and loved it. So I decided to read it again. It was not as good as I remembered, to be honest. It was a bit slow and redundant. I found myself wanting it to be over several times. It’s still a great book and a book that has really great insights into what godly femininity is. However, I give it 4 because I just couldn’t get into it this time around.
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews– 5 stars
This was such a good book for the holiday season if you love Hallmark movies like I do. Of course there was a romance. There was also an old farmhouse which is right up my ally. And there was also quite a big plot twist at the end. It was really good, but the plot was a bit slow, so I was going to give this 4 stars, but the plot twist knocked it up a star. Highly recommend!
The Midwife of Auschwitz (Women of War #1) by Anna Stuart– 5 stars
I have to say, this is probably the best book that I read this year. And honestly the best fiction book I’ve read in a while. As the title implies, it follows the story of two midwives in Auschwitz. I love historical fiction, and I also love learning about World War II. So this book was also right up my ally. I literally could not put it down. And when I put it down, I could not stop thinking about it. If you read any of these books, make it this one!
The Midwife of Berlin (Women of War #2) by Anna Stuart– 5 stars
This is the sequel to The Midwife of Auschwitz. It takes place during the Cold War when the Berlin Wall was built. It follows the story of search of one of the midwive’s babies that was born in Auschwitz. So good! I also loved that it taught me a little bit more about that era of history which I really didn’t know that much about.
God Rest Ye Merry: Why Christmas is the Foundation for Everything by Douglas Wilson– 4 stars
This book had a lot of really interesting information on Christmas. I really liked it and learned a lot, however, I give it 4 stars because I found it a little bit redundant.
Winter Street (Winter, #1) by Elin Hildebrand– 4 stars
This is essentially about a family who has all sorts of issues haha. It’s very drama-packed and sort of like a Hallmark movie. I really enjoyed it because I wanted a book that was light and fun to read. It wasn’t the most interesting plot and I wasn’t constantly thinking about it or wanting to read it, so I give it only 4 stars.
The Household and the War for the Cosmos: Rediscovering a Christian Vision for the Family by C.R. Wiley– 3 stars
This book was pretty good. But it wasn’t really what I thought it was going to be based on the title, so I only gave it 3/5 stars. I thought it was going to be a practical guide to the Christian family and household based on the title. But it really wasn’t about that at all. I feel like it barely even talked about the household to be honest. It was mostly about Christian piety and why that phrase needs to be more common again. I don’t know. It just wasn’t what I thought I was going to be reading about, and it honestly wasn’t something I was too interested in.
What is Predestination? by R.C. Sproul– 5 stars
This series of short little theologically rich books is so good. I read this one because my husband and I were talking about salvation and predestination and we didn’t quite agree on some things. That led me to want to dive deeper so that I can fully understand it. I love this series for that. I want to read all of the books in it because they are always so simple, clear and concise on such big and important topics.
Homemaking by J.R. Miller– 5 stars
I loved this book! It went through almost every aspect of the home from duties of a wife, duties of a husband, duties of the children, the Bible in the home, and more. It gave practical information, but also a lot of Biblical wisdom to think back on and reflect as you work on your home.
On the Incarnation by Athanasius of Alexandria– 5 stars
So good and insightful! I’ve said multiple times in this post that I love Christian books that go deep into theology. This is definitely one of those books. It essentially explains the theology of Christmas and how/why Jesus became human. It was so interesting and I learned so much!
Winter Stroll (Winter Street Book 2) by Elin Hilderbrand– 4 stars
This is the second book in the Winter Street series from above. Again, this one wasn’t anything super crazy or good, but I just wanted a light, fun read for the holidays and this delivered!
The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care by Sally Fallon Morell– 5 stars
This is the ultimate guide for holistic pregnancy care, birth, and baby and child care. It seriously includes everything you could think of. I read it on my kindle because it was free with Kindle Unlimited. But I think I’m going to buy a physical copy so I can have the whole thing in front of me and so that my husband can read it as well. If you’re planning on having kids, are pregnant right now, or already have kids and you’re more holistic in your approach to health, definitely give this a read!
Wow, that was a lot. If you read through all of those reviews, thank you so much! Let me know if you read any of these books, and leave any book recommendations you have in the comments. Be sure to share this with someone else who would like it as well! Thanks for reading 🙂
