In today’s episode, Catherine (Gilmore Guide to Books) and I circle back to the 16 books we featured in the Winter 2023 Book Preview. We’ll be sharing our reading stats and thoughts on the books we’ve read (or attempted), to help you decide which ones to add to your reading list and which ones to skip.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

Highlights

• How Sarah’s favorite books from 2022 are impacting her expectations.
• Catherine and Sarah share their Winter 2023 reading stats and success rates.
• Sarah had stellar results with four 5-star books!
• Plus, their #1 picks from winter!
• They name their best and worst books from the Preview.

Books We Read Before the Preview [5:03]

Sarah’s Picks:

• Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (January 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:25]
• Maame by Jessica George (January 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:31]

Winter 2023 Circle Back [10:31]

January

Sarah’s Pick:

• The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses (January 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:46]

Catherine’s Picks:

• Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas (January 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:38]
• Margot by Wendell Steavenson (January 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:40] 

February

Sarah’s Picks:

• I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (February 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:50]
• Time’s Undoing by Cheryl A. Head (February 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:09] 

Catherine’s Picks:

• Victory City by Salman Rushdie (February 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:00] 
• Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (February 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:39]
• On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel (February 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:53]
• All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (February 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:05] 

March

Sarah’s Picks:

• Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (March 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:27]
• All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay (March 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:00] 
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (March 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:04] 

Catherine’s Picks:

• Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (March 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:02]
• The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi (March 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:08]

Other Books Mentioned

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [2:58]
• Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [2:59]
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [3:01]
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick [3:06]
• The One by John Marrs [3:11]
• The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai [26:34]
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt [29:36]
• Circe by Madeline Miller [33:16]
• Betty by Tiffany McDaniel [37:54]
• Watergate by Garrett M. Graff [44:26]
• The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne [51:05]
• Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane [51:08]
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [51:28]
• Dear Edward by Ann Nepolitano [53:01]
• The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi [53:58]