My Top Ten favourite fiction reads by women in 2023

Plus some other books I enjoyed this year, and the 2024 books I'm already excited about

I found some amazing books by women this year, so let me tell you briefly why each one of this top ten blew me away:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This wry-humoured, unique take on a female scientist turned TV cooking show presenter as she navigates life and motherhood in a 1960s male-dominated world, is brilliant, unique and empowering (and the dog’s perspective only added to its charms).

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang. An unlikeable narrator plagiarising her dead friend’s work provides not only intrigue about whether she’ll get her comeuppance, but also the most devastatingly honest (and laugh out loud) take on the vagaries of the publishing industry that I’ve ever read in a novel.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I wouldn’t have picked this for the subject matter – aging tennis star tries to make a comeback – even though I like tennis, but as usual TJR blew me away with her signature style of storytelling.

Wifedom by Anna Funder. I’m intrigued by Funder’s decision to include a fictional element in this book, which seems to open up the work to more criticism. Nevertheless, its scope, daring, brilliance and insight makes it one of my top reads. I loved Funder’s determination to write George Orwell’s wife Eileen back into the historical record (and her examination of how we might all still relate to Eileen’s experiences).

Dying to Know by Rae Cairns. It begins with a sister frantically calling her sibling from the boot of a car… and the sister is never heard of again. Just sit back and let Rae Cairns take you on an exhilarating ride in her sensational thriller.

The Other Side of Her by B. M. Carroll. The mystery of a missing nanny is slowly unravelled as Carroll slowly and cleverly connects the dots between seemingly disparate characters – this is a brilliant read, perfect for the holidays.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester. If you love strong female characters, intricate storytelling around the fashion industry (this one in the 1970s) and romance coupled with insightful commentary around feminism, you can’t go wrong with this novel.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. YA crossover at its best, and perfect for sharing with your teen (TW* for its dark themes): schoolgirl Pip is determined to prove the innocence of Sal Singh, recently deceased and blamed for the murder of his girlfriend Andie Bell, so Pip decides to work on the investigation for her school project!

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. The creepy depiction of a strange woman slowly taking over another woman’s life and family is Jewell at her finest, and while the ending didn’t go exactly where I hoped it would, the compelling story made this a brilliant read.

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf. I’m a massive Gudenkauf fan because I love the way she draws you into different characters’ lives while building tension, and this story about how a community reacts to a gunman in an elementary school classroom will have you holding your breath all the way through.

Other notable reads of 2023:

I’ve listened to a lot of celebrity autobiographies this year, and on reflection most of them have been incredibly painful but extremely insightful. Kudos to the authors for writing so honestly, and I highly recommend all of these: Pageboy by Elliot Page; Friends, Lovers, and the Big, Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry; Permanent Record by Edward Snowden; The Woman in Me by Britney Spears. I’m still digesting the content of the Britney story, as it’s part of a wider and vital ongoing discussion about the treatment of women in the entertainment industry.

An unexpected find for me this year was Yorkshire’s Literary Landscape, an anthology edited by David Stuart Davies. With one of my grandparents hailing from Yorkshire, along with my husband and family, this was a nostalgic look at how many beloved books and writers – think the Brontes, James Herriot, Ted Hughes, Andrew Marvell, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and many more – have all hailed from or been influenced by this unique English county that’s so close to my heart.

I haven’t read too many stories by First Nations authors this year, and hope to find more next year, but I did love the beautiful writing about Noongar women’s experiences and the blending of poetry, prose and historical texts in Homecoming by Elfie Shiosaki.

If you’re looking for bookish pressies for younger people, my daughters would like to recommend the following. For teens: the Heartstopper series, Whisper and Weapon by Lynette Noni and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. For middle-grade, the Terri Libenson series (Invisible Emmie, Surprisingly Sarah, etc.) and J. K. Rowling’s The Christmas Pig as well as Tui T. Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series and graphic novels.

And it’s already looking good for 2024! Watch out for new titles early in the year from Dervla McTiernan (What Happened to Nina?), Rachael Johns (The Other Bridget), Heather Gudenkauf (Everyone is Watching) and Ruth Ware (One Perfect Couple). A couple of others to look out for later in the year are Anna Downes’s Red River Road, set along the stunning WA coast, and my fellow WA author Tess Woods’ The Venice Hotel.

And now: it’s time to rest. This year has gone by at such a frenetic pace that I have ended up very much aware of my exhaustion and approaching burnout over the last few weeks, so I realise I’m in dire need of a break. Therefore, I’m taking a holiday from Substack from now until the second week of January, whereupon I’ll be back with plenty to chat about! There’ll be plenty more of my honest takes on my own writing experiences, creative living, working in the Arts, and navigating this highly charged and rapidly changing world. I’m looking forward to sharing all of that with you.

So I’m signing off for 2023 with a heartfelt thanks for all your support this year, and by wishing you all a happy and peaceful holiday season. See you for lots more in 2024!