I cannot imagine my life without books. From memoirs to fiction to nearly every genre of non-fiction, I tackled 52 books this year (on top of the books I read to prep for my podcast) and I can truly say that my life is richer for it.
I absolutely love reading, and this year a handful rose to the top to become the year’s favorites. Here’s my list of my five favorite books of 2023.
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
I “read” this book via audiobook and I cannot recommend this method enough. Read (beautifully) by the author, this food memoir takes us through his favorite gastronomic experiences from childhood until recent years. My takeaway: eating our way through life, and appreciating all the ways our lives are enriched by food, is a wonderful way to live.
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova
This is a wonderful book for anyone who has started to fret about their forgetfulness. Packed with science-backed insights and relatable stories, “Remember” does a deep dive into how memory works, what we can do to make it better, and why we (mostly) need to stop worrying about forgetting.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
It’s unfortunate that some might pick up this book and think it’s about how to be more productive. It’s not. This is a book about how to live more fully, how to let go of our white-knuckled and relentless drive to get more done, and a gigantic permission slip for opting out of our cultural obsession with productivity. I loved it so much.
The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz
I’m not going to lie… I had to read this book twice before I really got it. And I still don’t fully grasp the concepts. That said, I think Robert Fritz offers a groundbreaking and transformative model for creating what we want in life, and valuable insights into why so many of us struggle to achieve our goals and aspirations. It’s a tough read but it was worth it.
Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully by Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett
In a nutshell, we don’t operate in our full range of motion most of the time and this limits our ability to live fully. The authors offer ten fundamental things that we can each do to feel and move better. I loved how actionable and practical their approach is and I’ve been doing their exercises ever since I read the book this spring.