One-word book reviews and travel inspiration

While my favorite book genres are historical fiction and thrillers/suspense novels, I do read other types of books also. This blog post features my one-word book reviews and ratings each month as well as travel destination inspiration. Updated Jan. 6, 2024

Additionally, you’ll find a running list of recommended books sorted by their star ratings at the end of this post.

This post contains recommended links to products and services. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. While you will not accrue any additional costs to support my blog, I may receive compensation if you purchase these products and services. All images are taken by kmf and available for digital download.

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Best books to read on your next vacation

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Monthly wrap-up of 2023 book reviews

For 2023, I set a goal of 52 books – and made my reading challenge! How many books did you read in 2023? What book has inspired you to travel to that destination setting?

Here’s a list of book reviews, ratings, and recommendations I read sorted by month. Sign up for my newsletter to stay updated on new book reviews I add each month.

See related post:

2022 one-word book reviews

January 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in January 2023.

• 5 books
• 1,770 pages
• YTD: 5 books; 1,770 pages

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One-word book review for Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Book genre: Thriller
One-word book review and star rating: Forced | 2 stars
Number of pages: 352 pages
Travel inspiration: Cornish coast. England

One-word book review for Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Book genre: Classic literature / fiction
One-word book review and star rating: Endurance | 4 stars
Number of pages: 536
Travel inspiration: Northern England

One-word book review for To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (a reread of my all-time favorite book)
Book genre: Classic literature / historical fiction
One-word book review and star rating: Transformational | 5 stars
Number of pages: 336
Travel inspiration: Alabama, USA

One-word book review for We are the Light by Matthew Quick

We Are The Light by Matthew Quick
Book genre: Contemporary fiction
One-word book review and star rating: Restorative | 3 stars
Number of pages: 256
Travel inspiration: Pennsylvania, USA

One-word book review for The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (a modern retelling of Jane Eyre)
Book genre: Thriller/suspense
One-word book review and star rating: Engrossing | 3 stars
Number of pages: 290
Travel inspiration: Birmingham, Alabama

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Best books to read right now

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February 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up for February 2023.

• 5 books
• 1,733 pages
• YTD: 10 books; 3,543 pages

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One-word book review: The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
Book genre: Contemporary fiction
One word book review and star rating: Slow | 3 stars
Number of pages: 388
Travel inspiration: The Cotswolds, England

One-word book review for The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Book genre: Psychological thriller
One word book review and star rating: Riveting| 4 stars
Number of pages: 336
Travel inspiration: Long Island, New York, USA

One-word book review for I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and star rating: Page-turner | 4 stars
Number of pages: 321 pages

One-word book review for The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and star rating: Moving | 4 stars
Number of pages: 368
Travel destination: Georgia, USA

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One-word book review for Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
Book genre: Light romance
One-word book review and star rating: Formulaic | 3 stars
Number of pages: 320
Travel inspiration: Texas and Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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Buy your favorite Fredrik Backman books!

March 2023 one-word book reviews

I had a few life changes in March so only finished two books this month. Here’s my book wrap-up for March 2023.

• 2 books
• 945 pages
• YTD: 12 books; 4,488 pages

One word book review for Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Book genre: Light contemporary romance
One-word book review and star rating: Unremarkable | 2.5 stars (I liked Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising by this author much better.)
Number of pages: 321
Travel inspiration: Las Vegas and somewhere

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One-word book review for The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Book genre: Historical fiction
One word book review and star rating: Gripping | 5 stars
Number of pages: 624 pages
Travel inspiration: Bletchley Park, Milton Keyes, England

The Rose Code is set during WWII at Bletchley Park in England – home of the codebreakers. Bletchley Park graciously hosted me last fall on a fascinating tour. So it was super cool to read about a place that I’ve visited. Read more in my full review: Best day trips from London: Visit the historic Bletchley Park.

April 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up for April 2023.

• 4 books
• 1,181 pages
• YTD: 16 books; 5,669 pages

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One-word book review for Crying in H Mart

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Book genre: Autobiography / memoir
One word book review and star rating: Candid | 3 stars
Number of pages: 239 pages

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One-word book review for The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Book genre: Historical fiction
One word book review and star rating: Enthralling | 4 stars
Number of pages: 376 pages
Travel inspiration: Oxford, England

I am a huge fan of the Oxford English Dictionary, which is the setting for this book. Read my review of my personal tour of The Oxford University Press – home of the Oxford English Dictionary.

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One-word book review for Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Book genre: Classic literature / young adult fiction
One word book review and star rating: Affecting| 4 stars
Number of pages: 182 pages
Travel inspiration: Deserted Pacific island

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One-word book review for Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
Book genre: Historical fiction
One word book review and star rating: Ok | 3 stars
Number of pages: 384 pages
Travel inspiration: Venice, Italy

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Best books to read on your next vacation

May 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up for May 2023.

• 5 books
• 1,667 pages
• YTD: 21 books; 7,336 pages

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One-word book review for The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Book genre: Thriller / suspense / paranormal
One word book review and star rating: Average | 3 stars
Number of pages: 341 pages
Travel inspiration: Oregon, USA

One-word book review for Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker
Book genre: Classic literature / Gothic horror
One word book review and star rating: Suspenseful (although I found the ending a bit of a letdown and anticlimatic) | 4 stars
Number of pages: 400 pages
Travel inspiration: Transylvania/ Romania

One-word book review for Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

Lucy by the Sea* by Elizabeth Strout
Book genre: Contemporary fiction (although I’ve seen some classify it as pandemic fiction)
One word book review and star rating: Hopeful | 4 stars
Number of pages: 288 pages
Travel inspiration: Maine, USA
* Pulitzer Prize winner

One-word book review for Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Book genre: Contemporary fiction / mystery
One word book review and star rating: Delightful | 4 stars
Number of pages: 355 pages
Travel inspiration: Northern Washington state, USA

One-word book review for The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
Book genre: Historical fiction
One word book review and star rating: Ok | 3 stars
Number of pages: 283 pages
Travel inspiration: Poland

June 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up and one-word book reviews for June 2023.

• 4 books
• 1,501 pages
• YTD: 25 books; 8,837 pages

One-word book review for Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Book genre: Contemporary fiction / Coming-of-age
One word book review and star rating: Humdrum | 3 stars (Goodreads rating: 4.12)
Number of pages: 385 pages
Travel inspiration: Jamaica and California, USA

One-word book review for The It Girl by Ruth Ware

The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Book genre: Thriller
One word book review and star rating: Page-turner – for a beach read | 3.5 / 4 stars (Goodreads rating: 3.88)
Number of pages: 423 pages
Travel inspiration: Oxford, England and Edinburgh, Scotland

One-word book review for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Book genre: Light romance
One word book review and star rating: Honest | 4 stars (Goodreads rating: 4.45)
Number of pages: 389 pages
Travel inspiration: Hollywood, California, USA

One-word book review for The Wishing Book by Meg Shaffer

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Book genre: I don’t even know how to classify this book. It reads like a young adult / light romance. All I know is that I was not a fan of the writing style or the main character. And I love a lot of young adult books.
One word book review and star rating: Cringy | 2* (Goodreads rating: 4.33 – apparently I’m an unpopular opinion as this was nominated as one of the best books in 2023 by Goodreads readers)
Number of pages: 304 pages
Travel inspiration: North Carolina, USA

Watch each month in 2023 for new one-word book reviews. Follow my bookstagram account on Instagram @kmfisreading.

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July 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up and one-word book reviews for July 2023.

• 2 books
• 722 pages
• YTD: 27 books; 9,559 pages

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The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Book genre: Thriller
One word book review and star rating: Twisty | 3 stars
Number of pages: 340 pages
Travel inspiration: Washington state, USA

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Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown
Book genre: Dystopian science fiction
One word book review and star rating: Riveting | 5 stars
Number of pages: 382 pages
Travel inspiration: Mars

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August 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up and one-word book reviews for August 2023.

• 3 books
• 900 pages
• YTD: 30 books; 10,459 pages

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Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle
Book genre: Children’s book / Nature (great for adults also!)
One word book review and star rating: Cheeky | 5 stars
Number of pages: 40 pages
Travel inspiration: Nature worldwide

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She Started It by Sian Gilbert
Book genre: Thriller
One word book review and star rating: Predictable | 3 stars
Number of pages: 352 pages
Travel inspiration: Bahamas

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The Story Teller by Jodi Picoult
Book genre: Holocaust / WWII Fiction
One word book review and star rating: Jarring | 3 stars
Number of pages: 508 pages
Travel inspiration: Poland, Eastern Europe, and New Hampshire, USA

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September 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up and one-word book reviews for September 2023.

• 2 books
• 340 pages
• YTD: 32 books; 10,799 pages

Fascinating Facts About Famous Musicians by Mark J. Asher
Book genre: Non-fiction / Trivia
One word book review and star rating: Fun | 4 stars
Number of pages: 61 pages
Travel inspiration: Not applicable

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The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Book genre: Classic Literature
One word book review and star rating: Dense | 3 stars
Number of pages: 279 pages
Travel inspiration: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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October and November 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up and one-word book reviews for October and November 2023. Combining the two months since I didn’t complete an entire book in October. But made up for it in November!

• 8 books*
• 2,073 pages*
• YTD: 40 books; 14,445 pages*
  *Note: I actually read a self-published book by a first-time author/blogger. It was not well-written so did not rate it. However, did count the book and number of pages toward my 2023 reading challenge. I also read an advance reader’s copy of a paranormal book, which was really good. However, it is not yet published so did not include in my reading challenge for the year.

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All the Lies by Nicola Sanders
Book genre: Psychological thriller
One word book review and star rating: Suspenseful | 3 stars
Number of pages: 215 pages
Travel inspiration: Unknown (already returned this book on Kindle and can’t locate the setting online)

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The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (one of my favorite authors)
Book genre: Historical fiction
One word book review and star rating: Masterful | 5 stars
Number of pages: 512 pages
Travel inspiration: Madrid, Spain

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Golden Son (Red Rising Saga, #2) by Pierce Brown
Book genre: Dystopian science fiction
One word book review and star rating: Riveting (same word for #1 in this series) | 5 stars
Number of pages: 215 pages
Travel inspiration: Mars

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Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Book genre: Psychological thriller
One word book review and star rating: Twisty | 4 stars
Number of pages: 352 pages
Travel inspiration: Chicago, Illinois, USA

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The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Pulitzer Prize winner)
Book genre: Dystopian fiction
One word book review and star rating: Moving | 5 stars
Number of pages: 241 pages
Travel inspiration: USA (mainly western/west coast)

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Sweet Tea Tuesdays by Nicola Sanders
Book genre: Chick lit / domestic fiction
One word book review and star rating: Shallow | 2 stars
Number of pages: 308 pages
Travel inspiration: Charleston, South Carolina, USA

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Together is Better by Simon Sinek
Book genre: Inspirational / non-fiction
One word book review and star rating: Inspiring | 5 stars
Number of pages: 160 pages
Travel inspiration: Not applicable

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December 2023 one-word book reviews

Here’s my book wrap-up and one-word book reviews for December 2023

• 12 books*
• 2,768 pages*
• YTD: 52 books; 17,213 pages*
  *My page number is a little different from my Goodreads total – not sure if that’s because I may have read a different medium. Or most likely because I’m an English major and I can’t do math. But the total number of books align!

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Am I Overthinking This?: Over-answering Life’s Questions in 101 Charts by Michelle Rial
Book genre: Non-fiction / self-care
One word book review and star rating: Witty | 3 stars
Number of pages: 136 pages
Travel inspiration: Not applicable

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The Coworker by Frieda McFadden
Book genre: Psychological thriller
One word book review and star rating: Page-turner | 3 stars
Number of pages: 362 pages
Travel inspiration: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Book genre: Domestic fiction
One word book review and star rating: Middling | 3 stars
Number of pages: 150 pages
Travel inspiration: Tokyo, Japan

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The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
Book genre: Contemporary fiction
One word book review and star rating: Heartwarming | 5 stars (favorite book of 2023)
Number of pages: 239 pages
Travel inspiration: Germany

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The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Book genre: Domestic fiction / Family saga
One word book review and star rating: Poignant | 5 stars
Number of pages: 337 pages
Travel inspiration: Pennsylvania and Manhattan, New York USA

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Friends to Keep in Life and Art by Nicole Tersigni
Book genre: Nonfiction / Humour
One word book review and star rating: Juvenile| 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3)
Number of pages: 96 pages
Travel inspiration: Not applicable

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In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
Book genre: Domestic fiction
One word book review and star rating: Poignant | 4 stars
Number of pages: 326 pages
Travel inspiration: California USA

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The Last Tree: A Seed of Hope by Luke Adam Hawker
Book genre: Illustration / Art / Inspirational (not sure how to label this one)
One word book review and star rating: Touching | 4 stars (I bought it based on its cover and I’m fascinated with trees…beautiful illustrations throughout.)
Number of pages: 64 pages
Travel inspiration: Not applicable

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The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Book genre: Psychological thriller
One word book review and star rating: Problematic | 3 stars (I loved The Silent Patient, but this one fell short for me.)
Number of pages: 337 pages
Travel inspiration: Cambridge, England

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The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Book genre: Spiritual / Inspirational / Philosophy / Religious
One word book review and star rating: Uplifting | 5 stars
Number of pages: 104 pages
Travel inspiration: Not applicable

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The Ringmaster’s Daughter by Carly Schabowski
Book genre: Historical fiction
One word book review and star rating: Understated | 3 stars
Number of pages: 361 pages
Travel inspiration: France

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Tombsweeping by Alexandra Chang
Book genre: Short stories / fiction
One word book review and star rating: Incohesive | 3 stars
Number of pages: 256 pages
Travel inspiration: China

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See below for a running list of the best books to read in 2023 sorted by ratings.

5-star book reviews

Here’s a list of my favorite books with five stars in 2023. Please sign up for my newsletter for updates in 2024.

• Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle
• Golden Son (Red Rising Saga #2)
• The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
• The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
• The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
• Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1)
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (my favorite book I read in 2023)
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (my all-time favorite book ever; I’ve read this one a few times)

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4-star book reviews

I rated the following books with four stars in 2023 (in alpha order).

• The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Fascinating Facts About Famous Musicians by Mark J. Asher
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
• In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
• The It Girl by Ruth Ware (3.5 / 4 for a beach read)
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• The Last Tree by Luke Adam Hawker
• Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
• The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
• The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

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3-star book reviews

Here are some other good reads rated with 3 stars in 2023 (alpha order).

• All the Lies by Nicola Sanders
• Am I Overthinking This? by Michelle Rial
• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
• The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
• The Coworker by Frieda McFadden
• Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
• Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
• The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
• The Last Word by Taylor Adams
• The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
• The Ringmaster’s Daughter by Carly Schabowski
• Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• She Started It by Sian Gilbert
• The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
• Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
• Tomb Sweeping by Alexandra Chang
• We are the Light by Matthew Quick
• The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

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