I’ve been doing my customary look back over the books I’ve read this year, and wow, what a lot of novels I’ve consumed in 2023! Fiction still offers so much comfort and enjoyment. Curled up with a good story is still one of my favourite places to be. And the stories I’ve read this year, whether they were classics, bestsellers, children’s books or lighter reads, all gave me so much warmth and inspiration as I made my way through another year. I have whittled my favourites down to just twelve to recommend to you. What have your favourites been this year?

1. The Girl with the Louding Voice, by Abi Daré. This story about a young Nigerian girl called Adunni is about finding strength in spite of hardship and a voice in the face of the systems and people that may try to keep you quiet.

2. One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, by Marianne Cronin. A perfectly formed story about a young hospital patient and an elderly one, told with warmth and humour, managing to be profound and moving without intensity or cliché.

3. The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion. This is a book I’d been meaning to read for years, and it didn’t disappoint. It is essentially a love story, told from the perspective of highly intelligent but socially challenged, Don. It is great – funny and engaging, with characters you warm to and root for. I love the friendships between them, how they are all so imperfect and human, and how they all have to learn about themselves and each other. I will definitely be putting the sequels on my reading list for 2024.

4. When God was a Rabbit, by Sarah Winman. Last year, Winman’s Still Life was one of my favourites, and this was also a great read. It is a story about a brother and sister, about growing up, dealing with hard things, family and friendship.

5. The Island Home, by Libby Page. Sometimes, what you want from a book is a really lovely setting, and, for me, this story of a mother and daughter reconnecting with their roots on a Scottish Island was just that.

6. Funny Girl, by Nick Hornby. I had a few false starts with this book, but once I got into it, I loved following the story of strong, funny Barbara (aka Sophie Straw), who embarks on a career in comedy.

7. The Crossing, by Manjeet Mann. This is a very moving story, written for young adults about assylum seekers, in a fresh, engaging style. The title, with its poetic but precise layers of meaning, is perfect.

8. The Shell Seekers, by Rosamunde Pilcher. A book many count as one of their favourites, I found this a comforting, warm read.

9. Yinka, Where is your Huzband? By Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is about Yinka, a young British-Nigerian woman who is looking for a husband. Perhaps not one for thrill seekers, and I sometimes found Yinka’s character rather too naive and immature, but I enjoyed the humour of the book, and how she (eventually) learns to love herself and to spend time with those who value her.

10. The Bermondsey Bookshop, by Mary Gibson. Set in the 1920’s, this is a great read with plenty of plot twists and drama and a strong, kind protagonist called Kate.

11. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor. A classic, for good reason. Simple and moving, this story paints a picture of the fear young people like main character Cassie grew up with in America’s Deep South in the 20’s and 30’s. Cassie and her family show the great courage and sacrifice that were required to stand up for change.

12. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. A brilliant book about friendship, full of 90’s and 00’s nostalgia, following the story of game designers Sam, Sadie and Marx. It’s about being friends, falling out and reconciling, about love and grief, and about hope.