All bookworms know that a new year calls for looking for more books to add to the TBR pile. Because, let’s be honest, we can’t stop. And yes, it happens with FUCHSIA too. Deciding on the best 2023 books can’t be easy. But we have made your life easier with some early reading to take your pick from only the best ones. So, from creative non-fiction to self-helps, to mystery thrillers, we’ve got you covered for the year. So, get comfy on your couch with a warm throw because these are some of the bests you will have read.
1. Brave Boundaries By Sasha K. Shillcutt
This book is a workable guide for all professional ladies. It tells you how to set boundaries, how to say no politely, and how to maintain and sustain mental well-being, happiness, and job satisfaction. While all of us are conditioned to agree to whatever is asked of us, regardless of how busy our schedules may be, it is important to refuse when you can’t manage. The myth of a superwoman is busted as this book depicts how women should not give in to societal expectations of being the helper, or the support staff around the house and work – to fix the problems, to oblige social gatherings, to not let everyone down.
And this is why they have to lose many opportunities and hold back on their careers, leading to burnout, stress, and feelings of failure. So the next time you are overwhelmed with personal or professional stress, this is your go-to guide!
2. Legends And Lattes By Travis Baldree
With a lot of fantasy, Legends and Lattes is a book that will keep you hooked until the last page. A definite page-turner, the book is brimmed with bounties and bloodshed in equal measures. Viv, the protagonist, has decided to do away with the sword and start with a clean slate. She ventures into opening a quaint, boutique coffee shop in the city of Thune. However, she cannot erase the past. Her foes, old and new, deter her from achieving success, although no one knows what kind of beverage coffee is. The battle-weary orc cannot do it alone, separate her past enemies from her present and future success.
And so her journey begins, meeting travelers along the way who truly enable her, and who genuinely become her rewards – they are drawn by magic, they are drawn by pastries, they are drawn by a well-brewed coffee. They are not only partners, they become almost her family. A hearty, cozy novel – almost like a back-breaking hug, this novel is a must comfort-read.
3. The Right Sort Of Girl By Anita Rani
‘I’m a girl and northern and brown, didn’t you know? A triple threat!’ is the mantra of this heartening and close-to-reality novel. Maneuvering through her desi, Indian home with the British land outside her home, Anita is a girl who was always an outlier. She always stood apart, for all the wrong reasons, whether it was playing Mary in a nursery full of white girls, or growing up with her Punjabi natives, or trying to pass her time at a factory that her parents built, and struggling with enormous amount of hair on her body that her white counterparts got away with. She shares her anecdotes that she was destined to go through and wishes she could’ve been more aware.
Freedom is Complicated’, ‘You Will Fall in Love and Be Loved’ and ‘Your Anger is Legitimate’ are chapters that you will most relate with. How did she get through this? Was it frustrating? It sure was. Being too white at home and being too brown otherwise was a battle she was constantly fighting. A story of the conundrum of battles that second-generation British Indian immigrants have to fight is not only a story of perseverance, but a tale of positivity and comic relief. So, if you ever feel like you are never fitting in, this is your lifesaver.
4. Spare By Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
The book Spare has been one of the most anticipated reads of 2023, especially after The Crown’s 5th season. When Diana passed away, both her sons walked behind her coffin and the world watched in darkness and gloom. Since then, many people have questioned the existence of monarchy itself when the Queen Elizabeth II passed away. And this pretty much determined how Harry’s life will pan out from then onwards. Although his father, King Charles found its content quire revealing and scandalous, he reluctantly approved of how Harry has described the facts. For all those who have been following The Crown, this is a must-read!
5. The Light We Carry By Michelle Obama
When I read Becoming, I knew I had to read her next. In her latest offering, Former First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS), Michelle Obama gives her readers a fresh perspective of anecdotes with insightful thoughts and convictions about the challenge, power, and her belief that everyone can light up the other’s potential. The book is a frank, and extremely honest debate surrounding relationships, strength, and our sense of community. although there may be no apparent and instant solutions to what life throws at us, it is how we respond to them that determines our success. Her experience as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and FLOTUS, she shares her experiences, and lifetime habits that she swears by to adapt with resilience and perseverance.
While curating a short list of recommended books for 2023 was no mean feat, I feel this is not exhaustive. Feel free to take your pick from the captivating reads that your local bookstore holds for you.
