Jane Eyre – Emma's Biblio Treasures

2023 has been an amazing year for reading. I’ve read a total of 113 books and there were so many that stood out that it was difficult to get my list down to just thirty.

So, here’s my 30 favourite books I’ve read this year. You can find links to my reviews by clicking on the title. Read to the end to find out my overall favourite of the year.

So Pretty by Ronnie Turner

This gothic thriller was a fantastic way to start out my reading year. Teddy Colne arrives in the small town of Rye hoping to leave his past behind him but discovers the past will always catch up to you in this dark, hypnotic and unnerving debut.
Published January 19th, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

The Drift by C. J. Tudor

C. J. Tudor is back with another unmissable heart-pounding thriller. A group of students find themselves stranded in a snowstorm while a killer rages. The start of my review perfectly sums it up: “C. J. Tudor has done it again. Chilling, tense and twisty, this is one f****d-up rollercoaster ride that packs a punch from the first page.”
Published January 19th, 2023 by Michael Joseph. Buy here*

Becoming Ted by Matt Cain

Almost a year after reading, just thinking about this book makes me smile. It follows 43-year-old Ted who is happily married to his husband of twenty years, Giles. Or so he thinks until the day Giles announces he’s leaving him and shatters his whole world. Forced to reflect on not only his relationship, but his whole life, Ted decides that maybe now is the time to finally become who he was always meant to me. Joyful, heartwarming and uplifting, this fabulous story reminds us it is never too late to follow our dreams.
Published January 19th, 2023 by Headline. Buy here*

A Lady’s Guide To Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Sassy and spirited, this feels like Jane Austen with a modern flare, following Kitty Talbot as she searches for a husband with a fortune to save her family. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and romance, this is a glorious debut.
Published May 12th, 2022 by Harper Collins UK. Buy here*

Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothaus

Tokyo, many years in the future, and 17-year-old John, a tech prodigy, meets Neotina at a cafe late one night. The sparks are instant but both are hiding a secret that they are terrified of being discovered. Mesmerising, dreamlike and unforgettable, this is a masterpiece story for all of those who have never fit in.
Published March 16th, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden

This atmospheric Victorian gothic mystery was our March Squadpod Book Club pick. It follows newly widowed Margaret Lennox as she takes up her new position as governess at Hartwood Hall and discovers a place filled with dark secrets. A phenomenal debut by an author to watch.
Published March 30th, 2023 by Michael Joseph. Buy here*

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Catriona Ward did it again, scaring me silly and leaving my jaw on the floor. Best read blind, this is another original, terrifying and surprising thriller from one of the most unique voices in fiction.
Published April 20th, 2023 by Viper Books. Buy here*

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint

Jennifer Saint tells the heroic story of the only female Argonaut in this lush, atmospheric and enthralling novel, telling us the famous story of Jason and the Argonauts from a new persepective. Unmissable.
Published April 13th, 2023 by Wildfire. Buy here*

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

The Squadpod Book Club pick for April was another deliciously dark debut. Death of a Bookseller tells the story of Roach, a bookseller, loner and true crime obsessive who becomes obsessed with social butterfly Laura when she starts working at the bookshop. Quirky, sinister and addictive, this grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go until the last page. Utterly brilliant.
Published April 27th, 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton. Buy here*

Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby

Polly Crosby shows why she’s one of my favourite authors with this mesmerising historical thriller. Vita and the Birds tells the story of two women whose lives are inextricably linked by decades-old secrets. Hauntingly atmoshpheric, luminous and unsettling, this story consumed me and was a contender for my book of the year.
Published May 25th, 2023 by HQ. Buy here*

The Fascination by Essie Fox

A deliciously dark slice of Victiorian gothic, this is a story about life’s outsiders and oddities. Filled with an eclectic cast of memorable characters, it tugged at my heart strings, made me rage and gave me hope. A gorgeous story that all historical fiction fans need to read.
Published June 22nd, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

Conviction by Jack Jordan

Jack Jordan is one of the best modern thriller writers and Conviction shows us why. Another unbearably tense and addictive thriller, it follows Barrister Neve Harper as she’s faced with an impossible choice: put an innocent man behind bars or everyone she loves will be killed. A nerve-shredding moral dilemma thriller, this is the kind of book you cancel plans to stay home reading.
Published June 22nd, 2023 by Simon & Schuster UK. Buy here*

One by Eve Smith

Set in a future where a catastophic climate emergency has left our world in chaos and the UK is now run by the Nazi-esque ONE Party. Everything is heavily monitored, there are consumption quotas in place. Kai Houghton, one of the ‘baby reapers’ in charge of enforcing the ONE Partie’s one child policy, recieves an alert that turns her world upside down and forces her to choose between her family and the policies she believes in. Thought-provoking, gripping and uncompromising, this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.
Published July 20th, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

The Actor by Chris MacDonald

I was lucky to be one of the first bloggers to read The Actor, a riveting thriller with a bigger Oscar night controversy than Will Smith and Chris Rock. This is going to be a huge hit when it’s released in 2024.
Published January 18th, 2024 by Michael Joseph. Pre-order here*

The Good Daughter by Laure van Rensburg

Antoher Squadpod Book Club hit, The Good Daughter is the second novel from Laure van Rensburg and there’s no sign of sophmore syndrome in sight in this sensational thriller. It’s a story of cuts, indoctrination, dark secrets and trauma that sinks its claws into you at the start and doesn’t let go until it’s jaw-dropping finale. An absolute must-read.
Published August 3rd, 2023 by Michael Joseph. Buy here*

Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans

This is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. Sassy and unputdownable, it follows Dr. Miriam Price as she tries to solve her own murder from beyond the grave. It’s one of those books I knew I’d love from the first page and reading it was like a big warm hug. I can’t wait to read more from Maz Evans.
Published August 3rd, 2023 by Headline. Buy here*

That Bonesetter Woman by Frances Quinn

I read this with the Historical Fiction Book Club and what a joy it was. Endurance Proudfoot is an unusual girl with an unusual dream: she wants to be a bonesetter. But that isn’t a job for girls and Durie faces an uphill struggle to prove herself in a man’s world. Thank you Frances Quinn for introducing the world to this original and wonderful heroine.
Published July 21st, 2022 by Simon & Schuster UK. Buy here*

You’d Look Better As A Ghost by Joanna Wallace

This has been a great year for darkly funny books and amazing anti-heros. You’d Look Better As A Ghost is a deliciously unhinged and hilarious thriller about a hammer-wielding murderess who was the best serial killer I’ve read since Rhiannon from the Sweetpea sereis. One of my favourite books this year.
Published September 21st, 2023 by Viper Books, Buy here*

The Birdcage Library by Freya Berry

Gorgeously gothic and eerie, this was my favourite Squadpod Book Club pick of the year. Emily Blackwood arrives at Castle Parras to begin a new comission cataloguing a collection of creatures for sale. The remote house is inhabited by a perculiar nonagerianan and haunted by the disappearance of a woman fifty years earlier. After she finds a hidden diary, Emily sets out to solve the mystery in its pages. Can she find out the truth before the darkness entraps her? A twisty puzzle that was also a contender for book of the year, this is a must for any gothic lover.
Published June 22nd, 2023 by Michael Joseph. Buy here*

Bone China by Laura Purcell

I was so mad at myself for letting this book languish on my shelves for so long. A unsettling and sinister story from the modern queen of gothic mysteries, I listened to this on audiobook and was completely enthralled as the lines between what is real, imaginary and supernatural were experly blurred. One of Ms. Purcell’s best books yet.
Published September 19th, 2019 by Raven Books. Buy here*

The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson

This was book I wish I’d read sooner. Shamefully, it was my first time reading a book by Johana Gustawsson and I am an instant fan. She lives up to her title of ‘Queen of French Noir’ with this cunningly crafted gothic thirller. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Published September 15th, 2022 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

Fyneshade by Kate Griffin

It’s been the year for gorgeous gothic fiction, and Fyneshade was the most huanting and disquieting of all. A story of betrayal, temptation and dark secrets, this is a story where the monsters not only lurk in the shadows, but inside your own mind. Marta is a wonderful protagonist who was nothing like I expected and everything I could have wanted. Filled with mystery and suspense, this is a bewitching novel you won’t want to put down.
Published May 18th, 2023 by Viper Books. Buy here*

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

A haunted house story with a dash of fantasy, Starling House was gorgeously dark sotry filled with magic, monsters and mystery. Dreamlike and bewitching, this is a book that lives up to the hype.
Published October 31st, 2023 by Tor. Buy here*

His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave

Paul Cleave just keeps getting better. Menacing and mind-blowing, I couldn’t put this book down. I loved that Cleave never did what we expected, giving me book whiplash from the many twists and turns.A must read for any thriller-lover.
Published November 9th, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper

The Wolf Den Trilogy comes to a bittersweet end in one of my most anticipated books of the year. Will Amara and her friends survive the eruption of Versuvius? You’ll have to read to find out.
Published November 9th, 2023 by Head of Zeus. Buy here*

Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carver

Will Carver delivers another original and deliciously diabolical thriller in this prequel to The Beresford. Just read it. You’ll thank me.
Published November 9th, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I’m ashamed that it has taken me until I’m almost 45 to read this classic, but the advantage of that is I got to read it in a buddy read with author Polly Crosby that was so much fun. I now get the hype. If you haven’t ever read this one, I suggest giving it a try.
Published September 27th, 2018 by Chiltern Publishing. Buy here*

Anna O by Matthew Blake

Anna O hasn’t opened her eyes since the night four years ago when her two best friends were found brutally murdered and she was discovered in a deep sleep. Anna is the only suspect but ever since the debate has raged: is she innocent or guilty? Doctor Benedict Prince is the man charged with waking her so the world can finally decide. This astonishing debut is best described as Sleeping Beauty meets The Silent Patient and is going to be the thriller everyone is talking about it 2024. This is one you don’t want to miss.
Published February 1st, 2024 by Harper Collins UK. Pre-order here *

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

This heart-pounding thriller was my favourite audiobook this year. A gripping thriller filled with delicious anticipation and sucker-punch twists, it keeps you on your toes from start to finish. Just make sure you’ve got a lot of free time when you pick this up as you’ll not want to put it down until you’re finished.
Published July 20th, 2023 by Century. Buy here*

Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson

It’s safe to say I’m a certified Johana Gustawsson fan after this year. A story of unsolved murder, dark secrets and Norse mythology, Yule Island is an addictive thriller with a jaw-dropping twist I’m still trying to recover from. A must read for fans of thrillers and gothic fiction, this was a sensational start to a new series.
Published November 23rd, 2023 by Orenda Books. Buy here.

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So, what is my favourite book of 2023? Drumroll please….

It’s Fyneshade! This was a hard decision as so many books could have taken the title.

Have you read any of these books? What was your favourite read this year?

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These links are affiliate links

Romance Novel, Gothic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Bildungsroman, Social Criticicsm, Fictional Autobiography

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SYNOPSIS:

Jane Eyre is one of the most influential English novels every written. Charlotte Brontë’s first published novel, it was immediately recognised as a work of genius when it appeared in 1847.

Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. How she takes up the post of governess at Thornfield Hall, meets and loves Mr Rochester and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage are elements in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman’s passionate search for a wider and richer life than that traditionally accorded to her sex in Victorian society.

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MY REVIEW:

I recently read this beloved classic after years of saying I’d do it and never getting around to it. When I was chatting to author Polly Crosby earlier in the year she admitted the same, so we decided to buddy read it together and dived in.

Dark, agonisingly beautiful and alluring, I’m so glad I finally read this gothic classic. I’d always been daunted by the chonky size of this book and was worried I’d not love it like everyone else, but once I got over the hurdle of adjusting to the old-fashioned language, I was hooked. Polly and I decided to read ten chapters at a time before stopping and discussing the book, and it was after the first block that she told me she’d listened to part of it on audiobook. I discovered a forgotten download in my audible library and listened to the rest, something that enabled me to lose myself in the story.

Following the eponymous Jane Eyre as she goes from childhood to womanhood, this is a story filled with love, passion, heartache and betrayal. It is a journey of self-discovery laced with sadness and hope that makes you feel a rainbow of emotions and I can understand why it is a classic. I love the gothic vibes that are woven into the story and Polly described it best saying that this is “the best kind of gothic! The monster is never the monster…” The infamous ‘madwoman in the attic’ was brilliantly written and I liked the uncertainty that surrounded her at first. I do wish that I’d read it when I was younger so I could have seen it through teenage eyes and felt more of the romance. Reading it now, as an abuse survivor who is a little jaded, all I saw were screaming red flags and problematic behaviour in her famous relationship with Mr. Rochester. But at the same time I felt able to separate my modern understanding of love and femininity with what those things meant at the time this was written.

There are a number of examples of Victorian prejudices, especially against women, threaded into the story, most notably in its portrayal of mental illness. While a number of characters struggle with some form of mental illness, the woman in the attic reveals the depth of prejudice against women who were battling these kinds of issues. The character in question is seen as a monster and treated as less than human, but Jane stands out from the crowd and speaks up to condemn the inhumane treatment and saying that she should instead be treated with empathy and dignity. I applaud Miss Bronte for using her writing to advocate in this way, something I am sure was influenced by her own struggles with clinical depression.

The book is filled with richly drawn characters who leap from the pages and will make you feel every range of emotion. Jane is fierce and feisty, especially when she was young, and I loved that about her. I also admired how she wouldn’t take people’s nonsense at a young age, no matter the trouble she caused for herself, and was rooting for her as she went in search of freedom and equality at a time when that went against societal norms for women. But she could also be very pious and frustrating. My biggest grievances centred around her relationship with Mr. Rochester and the behaviours she accepted from him and even excuses. That man was a walking collection of red flags and though I know it was a different time I still thought she should have taken notice of some of his problematic behaviours and it would annoy me when she’d get angry over something fairly trivial but excuse his more concerning actions.

Overall, I adored this book and highly recommend it. Thank you Polly for making our buddy read such a joy. I can’t wait for the next one!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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