Do you pay close attention to monthly releases? 📖 Do you pay close attention to monthly releases? 📖

For several years, I would write a blog article every month that included somewhere between 20-40 new releases 🫢 While I was working my previous job, I didn’t have the opportunity to blog, let alone pay attention to new releases, and I feel like I missed SO MANY 🙈 

I’m happy to be back to blogging semi-regularly, and equally thrilled to be back in the habit of knowing which books are coming out each month! 🙌🏼 If you swipe through, you can see 24 March releases and their corresponding release dates 🗓️

Which of these titles are you most looking forward to reading? 🤎

—

#bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #cozyreads #readersofinstagram cozy read, new book releases, fantasy books, book recs, TBR, romance books, late-night chapters
Do you have a library card? 🪪 Ya girl is the self Do you have a library card? 🪪

Ya girl is the self-proclaimed biggest fan of the library to ever walk the earth 🌍 Okay, that could be an exaggeration, but most of the time it doesn’t feel like one. I cried with happiness over my first library card as a kid, and I won’t purchase a book until I’ve borrowed it from the library and loved it enough to own it. I have 5 library cards, swear by Libby and Hoopla for all of my audiobooks and ebooks, and at this point, I feel like an Arthur tattoo might be necessary (IYKYK) 😂

But I digress... February is National Library Lovers’ Month, and I think you should get a library card (or 5) and celebrate not only the perk of FREE BOOKS but also the countless ways public libraries are integral to our lives and communities! 🙌🏼

What was the last library book you checked out? 📖

—

#nationallibraryloversmonth #libraryloversmonth #bookcommunity #bookphotography #readersofinstagram support your public library, library lovers, bookish vibes, cozy aesthetic, book nerd
If you could only recommend one book for the rest If you could only recommend one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 📖

This one has been an easy answer for me since 2020, when I read THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY. It completely changed my life.

Since then, I have recommended it to countless people, and have felt intense amounts of joy as I’ve seen those people recommend it to others, buy copies for friends, suggest it for their book clubs, and come back to me to tell me how it changed their life just like it changed mine 🥰

Which book would you say changed your life for the better? 🤎

—

#themidnightlibrary #magicalrealism #mentalhealthbooks #bookcommunity #bookishvibes Matt Haig, books with mental health rep, magical realism books, book recs, favorite books, escapism, book hangover, reread worthy, comfort book
Would you want to have the same occupation as the Would you want to have the same occupation as the main character(s) in your last read? 💼

I recently finished Thunderhead, and I absolutely would *NOT* want to be a Scythe! 🙅🏻‍♀️ I also definitely wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the royalty in my other previous read, A Psalm of Storms and Silence 😬

Is there a book character’s “career” that you know you would love to have? 💭

—

#bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #cozyaesthetic #readersofinstagram current read, currently reading, cozy aesthetic, escapism, late-night chapters, what I’m reading
Is there an author who consistently writes books t Is there an author who consistently writes books that bring you to tears? 😭

I have cried while reading every single one of Amber’s books... and that’s only a small part of what keeps me coming back for more 🤎

I’m struggling with even knowing how to put in words what her books mean to me, because even thinking about it is making me tear up 🥹 So instead of trying to craft the perfect thing to say, I’m just going to urge you to read everything she’s written. You can thank me later 🙏🏼

What was the last book that made you cry? 📖

—

#theleavingroom #booklover #bookcommunity #cozyreads #bookishvibes poetry, Amber McBride, The Leaving Room, sapphic books, books that will make you cry, book hangover, book recs, reread worthy, late-night chapters
Who are your favorite book pets? 🐈‍⬛ I absolutely Who are your favorite book pets? 🐈‍⬛

I absolutely love when a book has animals in it—whether that’s someone’s pet, familiar, or when the animal is the main character 😻

I’m always absurdly happy when there’s a cat, and if they have a creative name it’s even better. I think the stand-out for me was a cat named The Darkling in Accidentally Amy. I’ll never forget it! 😂

Do you have a furbaby companion? Tell me all about them! 🐾

—

#cozyreads #readingescape #bookishvibes #bookaesthetic #booknerd book animals, cats of Instagram, book cats, fantasy books, romance books, cozy aesthetic
Do you tend to enjoy book-to-screen adaptations? 🤔 Do you tend to enjoy book-to-screen adaptations? 🤔

I’m always torn between excitement over seeing my favorite stories come to life and anxiety about what they might change and how it could disappoint me 😅

I fell head over heels in love with the adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation 🤎 For those who don’t know, this is not only my favorite EmHen, but it’s my all-time favorite romance book. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of it in 2021 and have inhaled every format of it multiple times since 🥰

I was nervous about the movie, but loved how they stayed true to the *vibe* of PWMOV 🏖️ Even with the changes they did make, Alex and Poppy were precisely as I had always imagined them, and I adored watching every second of their friends to lovers romance 🎥

This is a negativity-free zone! If you loved the PWMOV movie as much as I did, tell me your favorite part of the film! 🍿

—

#romancebooks #peoplewemeetonvacation #romancebooklover #bookishvibes #bookaesthetic romance books, romance reads, Emily Henry, popular romances, book adaptations, romance movie, Netflix
Tell me about your book-related dreams 💭 Do you w Tell me about your book-related dreams 💭

Do you want to open a bookstore? Write a novel? Become an editor? Get a bookish tattoo? Host an author panel? 

This is a place to put your hopes and dreams out there in the universe. You never know what might happen! 😉

As for me? I want to own a book bus that eventually becomes a brick and mortar bookshop with a café and apothecary. I want it to be the kind of comforting and safe atmosphere that allows people to feel like they can just *breathe* for a little while whenever they visit. That’s my dream ☕️

So, if this dream becomes reality, where should I take my book bus first? 📍

—

#bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #cozyreads #readersofinstagram book dreams, cozy aesthetic, bookshop bookstore, book influencer, book blogger
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Books · January 3, 2024

The 23 Books I Enjoyed Reading the Most in 2023

23 Phenomenal Books I Read in 2023 by The Espresso Edition cozy bookish blog

While I read over 250 titles in 2023, 23 books really stood out to me. I’m so happy to be sharing my annual favorites wrap-up!

Another fantastic year of reading has come and gone. Can you believe that we’ve welcomed 2024 already? It blows my mind! I had such a delightful time scrolling through my StoryGraph account to narrow down my very favorite 23 books of 2023. This was much easier for me than it has been in years past, shockingly enough. I kicked off the year with almost entirely rereads in January, read much more intentionally through the other months, and primarily stuck with books I had great faith that I would love. These things helped me so much when it came time to pick my very favorites.

Rather than just showing a couple of my five star reads from each month, I wanted to focus on the 23 books that really meant something to me throughout the year. The following titles are still listed in (roughly) the order I read them and they’re the ones that continued to stick like glue to my brain no matter how much time passed. I’m still thinking about all of them on a regular basis. I even reread several of them within the year. They’re the books that impacted me and I hope that encourages you to pick them up as well!


related posts
Book Reviews Archive // Books You Should Listen to Rather Than Read // Why I Switched from Goodreads to The StoryGraph
23 Phenomenal Books I Read in 2023 by The Espresso Edition cozy bookish blog

23 Phenomenal Books I Read in 2023

If you’re interested in more bookish content, follow my StoryGraph account for live reviews and reading updates, and take a look at my bookstagram – where I share aesthetic coffee and book photos!

2023 Reading Stats

My Top 23 Books of 2023

Begin Again

by Emma Lord
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Buy the book: Amazon | Blackwell’s | Bookshop | Waterstones | Libro.fm | Barnes & Noble

Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give #0)

by Angie Thomas
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Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1)

by Maureen Johnson
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Buy the book: Amazon | Blackwell’s | Bookshop | Waterstones | Libro.fm | Barnes & Noble

Funny Feelings

by Tarah Dewitt
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The Neighbor Favor

by Kristina Forest
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Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1)

by Travis Baldree
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The Tea Dragon Society (The Tea Dragon Society #1)

by K. O’Neill
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Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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Happy Place

by Emily Henry
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Painted Devils (Little Thieves #2)

by Margaret Owen
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Bring Me Your Midnight

by Rachel Griffin
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When in Rome (When in Rome #1)

by Sarah Adams
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The Fragile Threads of Power (Threads of Power #1)

by V.E. Schwab
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Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0.5)

by Travis Baldree
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The Night Fox

by Ashley Wilda
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Business or Pleasure

by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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Foxglove (Belladonna #2)

by Adalyn Grace
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The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games #4)

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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The Second Chance Year

by Melissa Wiesner
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Gone Wolf

by Amber McBride
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Babel: An Arcane History

by R.F. Kuang
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Buy the book: Amazon | Blackwell’s | Bookshop | Waterstones | Libro.fm | Barnes & Noble

The Unmaking of June Farrow

by Adrienne Young
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Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date (Bright Falls #3)

by Ashley Herring Blake
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Buy the book: Amazon | Blackwell’s | Bookshop | Waterstones | Libro.fm | Barnes & Noble


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23 Phenomenal Books I Read in 2023 by The Espresso Edition cozy bookish blog

What was your 2023 reading like? Do you have 23 favorite books from the past year?

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Tasya @ The Literary Huntress
2 years ago

Love reading this! Bring Me Your Midnight didn’t really work for me as I didn’t expect the romance to be so strong, but I’m excited to read Happy Place!

Reply
Stephanie Whitman
2 years ago
Reply to  Tasya @ The Literary Huntress

Ah, sorry to hear that. The romance was the part I loved the very most. It was just so swoony haha! I hope you love Happy Place 🙂

Reply
Alice Myles
2 years ago

Ahhh Begin Again by Emma Lord!!!!!! I’m always shocked by how similar our taste is so I’ll definitely need to add some of these that I haven’t read yet to my TBR

Reply
Stephanie Whitman
2 years ago
Reply to  Alice Myles

I really hope you enjoy all of the books that you add to your TBR based on my recs 🙂 Love that we have such similar tastes!

Reply
caro @ bookcheshirecat
2 years ago

Loved seeing your 2023 favorites!! 🥰 I just read Bookshops & Bonedust and I really enjoyed it! These books are just the perfect cozy fantasy reads ❤️

Concrete Rose has been on my TBR for ages, I need to get around to reading it this year 😊

Reply
Stephanie Whitman
2 years ago
Reply to  caro @ bookcheshirecat

I’m so glad you enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust. I love that series so, so much. I hope Travis writes so many more in that world! And I really hope you adore Concrete Rose when you get to it. It’s fantastic. I loved The Hate U Give, but there was something extra special about Concrete Rose.

Reply
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Do you pay close attention to monthly releases? 📖 Do you pay close attention to monthly releases? 📖

For several years, I would write a blog article every month that included somewhere between 20-40 new releases 🫢 While I was working my previous job, I didn’t have the opportunity to blog, let alone pay attention to new releases, and I feel like I missed SO MANY 🙈 

I’m happy to be back to blogging semi-regularly, and equally thrilled to be back in the habit of knowing which books are coming out each month! 🙌🏼 If you swipe through, you can see 24 March releases and their corresponding release dates 🗓️

Which of these titles are you most looking forward to reading? 🤎

—

#bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #cozyreads #readersofinstagram cozy read, new book releases, fantasy books, book recs, TBR, romance books, late-night chapters
Do you have a library card? 🪪 Ya girl is the self Do you have a library card? 🪪

Ya girl is the self-proclaimed biggest fan of the library to ever walk the earth 🌍 Okay, that could be an exaggeration, but most of the time it doesn’t feel like one. I cried with happiness over my first library card as a kid, and I won’t purchase a book until I’ve borrowed it from the library and loved it enough to own it. I have 5 library cards, swear by Libby and Hoopla for all of my audiobooks and ebooks, and at this point, I feel like an Arthur tattoo might be necessary (IYKYK) 😂

But I digress... February is National Library Lovers’ Month, and I think you should get a library card (or 5) and celebrate not only the perk of FREE BOOKS but also the countless ways public libraries are integral to our lives and communities! 🙌🏼

What was the last library book you checked out? 📖

—

#nationallibraryloversmonth #libraryloversmonth #bookcommunity #bookphotography #readersofinstagram support your public library, library lovers, bookish vibes, cozy aesthetic, book nerd
If you could only recommend one book for the rest If you could only recommend one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 📖

This one has been an easy answer for me since 2020, when I read THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY. It completely changed my life.

Since then, I have recommended it to countless people, and have felt intense amounts of joy as I’ve seen those people recommend it to others, buy copies for friends, suggest it for their book clubs, and come back to me to tell me how it changed their life just like it changed mine 🥰

Which book would you say changed your life for the better? 🤎

—

#themidnightlibrary #magicalrealism #mentalhealthbooks #bookcommunity #bookishvibes Matt Haig, books with mental health rep, magical realism books, book recs, favorite books, escapism, book hangover, reread worthy, comfort book
Would you want to have the same occupation as the Would you want to have the same occupation as the main character(s) in your last read? 💼

I recently finished Thunderhead, and I absolutely would *NOT* want to be a Scythe! 🙅🏻‍♀️ I also definitely wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the royalty in my other previous read, A Psalm of Storms and Silence 😬

Is there a book character’s “career” that you know you would love to have? 💭

—

#bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #cozyaesthetic #readersofinstagram current read, currently reading, cozy aesthetic, escapism, late-night chapters, what I’m reading
Is there an author who consistently writes books t Is there an author who consistently writes books that bring you to tears? 😭

I have cried while reading every single one of Amber’s books... and that’s only a small part of what keeps me coming back for more 🤎

I’m struggling with even knowing how to put in words what her books mean to me, because even thinking about it is making me tear up 🥹 So instead of trying to craft the perfect thing to say, I’m just going to urge you to read everything she’s written. You can thank me later 🙏🏼

What was the last book that made you cry? 📖

—

#theleavingroom #booklover #bookcommunity #cozyreads #bookishvibes poetry, Amber McBride, The Leaving Room, sapphic books, books that will make you cry, book hangover, book recs, reread worthy, late-night chapters
Who are your favorite book pets? 🐈‍⬛ I absolutely Who are your favorite book pets? 🐈‍⬛

I absolutely love when a book has animals in it—whether that’s someone’s pet, familiar, or when the animal is the main character 😻

I’m always absurdly happy when there’s a cat, and if they have a creative name it’s even better. I think the stand-out for me was a cat named The Darkling in Accidentally Amy. I’ll never forget it! 😂

Do you have a furbaby companion? Tell me all about them! 🐾

—

#cozyreads #readingescape #bookishvibes #bookaesthetic #booknerd book animals, cats of Instagram, book cats, fantasy books, romance books, cozy aesthetic
Do you tend to enjoy book-to-screen adaptations? 🤔 Do you tend to enjoy book-to-screen adaptations? 🤔

I’m always torn between excitement over seeing my favorite stories come to life and anxiety about what they might change and how it could disappoint me 😅

I fell head over heels in love with the adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation 🤎 For those who don’t know, this is not only my favorite EmHen, but it’s my all-time favorite romance book. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of it in 2021 and have inhaled every format of it multiple times since 🥰

I was nervous about the movie, but loved how they stayed true to the *vibe* of PWMOV 🏖️ Even with the changes they did make, Alex and Poppy were precisely as I had always imagined them, and I adored watching every second of their friends to lovers romance 🎥

This is a negativity-free zone! If you loved the PWMOV movie as much as I did, tell me your favorite part of the film! 🍿

—

#romancebooks #peoplewemeetonvacation #romancebooklover #bookishvibes #bookaesthetic romance books, romance reads, Emily Henry, popular romances, book adaptations, romance movie, Netflix
Tell me about your book-related dreams 💭 Do you w Tell me about your book-related dreams 💭

Do you want to open a bookstore? Write a novel? Become an editor? Get a bookish tattoo? Host an author panel? 

This is a place to put your hopes and dreams out there in the universe. You never know what might happen! 😉

As for me? I want to own a book bus that eventually becomes a brick and mortar bookshop with a café and apothecary. I want it to be the kind of comforting and safe atmosphere that allows people to feel like they can just *breathe* for a little while whenever they visit. That’s my dream ☕️

So, if this dream becomes reality, where should I take my book bus first? 📍

—

#bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #cozyreads #readersofinstagram book dreams, cozy aesthetic, bookshop bookstore, book influencer, book blogger
Which books made it to your favorites list in 2025 Which books made it to your favorites list in 2025? 📖

The whole time I was away from this space, I kept having these moments of, “gosh, I wish I was active on booksta right now, if only to rave about the book that I’m currently reading!” 🙈

WHILE THE DARK REMAINS was definitely one of those books 🙌🏼 This story left me utterly speechless in the best way. I can’t wait to read the upcoming sequel. 

Do you have any sequels that you’re anticipating in 2026? 📚

—

#fantasyreads #fantasybooklover #bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookishvibes escapism, book hangover, fantasy world-building, book recs, reread worthy
How many times have you read your favorite book or How many times have you read your favorite book or series? 🤎

I’m a big fan of rereading, so my favorite books are picked up over and over again. I’ve read some of my favorites every single year for the last six years and some I’ve read countless times since childhood (here’s lookin at you, Narnia) 🙈

I love when I find a new book to add to my reread list. What was the last one you added? 🔁

—

#readersofinstagram #bookphotography #igreads #bookrecommendations #bookobsessed #cozyreads #bookaesthetic #flatlaylove #readingescape #readingvibes #bookishvibes #booknerd #bookcommunity #booklover cozy read, escapism, book hangover, book recs, TBR, reread worthy, late-night chapters, weekend read, comfort book

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