Celebrate 2023: The Year’s Top People and Books They Would Love
- Book Guide
Congratulations! We all made it through 2023. Before you grab a drink, start the countdown, watch the ball drop in Times Square, and sing “Auld Lang Syne” to ring in the new year, let’s revisit some of 2023’s best moments in pop culture. Sure, TIME put out their “most influential” lists that featured people who had an incredible year. But those lists didn’t provide the answers we needed: What would our faves want to read after having the year that they did? Don’t worry; we’ve got it covered!
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
In 2023 we could not escape T-Swift. What else can this woman succeed at? It seems like the limit does not exist. She’s the most Googled songwriter, the Eras Tour and the movie broke all records, and she is TIME’s Person of the Year. Oh, and she’s one-half of the It Couple of 2023. In their downtime from being a pop star and a professional football player, they should have cute at-home date nights, like cooking together! If they need any recipes, they should check out The I Love Trader Joe’s Cooking for Two Cookbook!
Barbie
At the end of Barbie, we got to see our Stereotypical Barbie enter the real world and start a new life. To help her continue on the journey of finding and accepting herself, flaws and all, she should explore the life-changing magic of self-love! In The Self-Love Workbook, she can use the exercises and the step-by-step guides to transform herself, her relationships, and the way she sees the world.
Oppenheimer
It used to be that Barbie and Ken were a pair. But not anymore! Now, you can’t even think about Barbie without immediately thinking about Oppenheimer. After being the face of the atomic bomb and a 3-hour historical film, it might be nice for Oppie to relax and read How Pi Can Save Your Life. He’ll learn how to survive random and ridiculous scenarios through the power of math equations!
Beyoncé
Look, it’s hard being as talented and as hardworking as Beyoncé. You don’t need to see the Renaissance tour or watch the movie to know that! Unfortunately, being the best is tough and draining (as is the Everybody on Mute challenge!). When she gets a chance, Beyoncé should check out I Own My Magic, which has inspiring prompts, meditations, and reflections just for Black women. She can practice self-love, embrace mindfulness, and build a positive daily ritual of positive self-talk.
Willy Wonka
No, you didn’t imagine it. Timothée Chalamat is trying to make us all have a crush on young Wonka! As a new chocolatier, he should know that chocolate in any form is absolutely delicious. And to test this theory out, he should bake his way through 50 Things to Bake Before You Die. With some help from the Oompa Loompas, he can bake everything from Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding with Fresh Chantilly Cream to Chocolate Cheesecake Mochi Muffins.
King Charles
It’s now God Save the King! Does anybody even really know what King Charles does? Or what any of the royal family members do? Either way, it must be difficult to remember all the protocols, procedures, and history baked into that family. Maybe he needs a refresher course? He should check out Royal Trivia in between his secret binge-watching sessions of The Crown.
Wednesday Addams
Don’t be shy, you can admit that you tried to learn the dance from Wednesday. We all tried! The Netflix show became a huge hit that nobody could escape from. Wednesday Addams taught us that being obsessed with the macabre is okay. If she can do it and look that cute in her all-black outfits, then so can we. If she wants a break from the outside world and all those annoying people who don’t get her, then she can wind down with the Wednesday Word Search, The Unofficial Wednesday Cookbook, and the Wednesday coloring book.
Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us
Every Sunday, we tuned in to see if Joel and Ellie would survive the clickers. There’s no such thing as relaxation in an apocalyptic world like that, but hey. Maybe they can scrounge up a crayon or two and practice some self-care with The Last of Us Unofficial Coloring Book. Or, you know, they could brush up on their survival skills by reading Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide. There are no chapters on zombies, but there’s still some useful information in there!
Halle Bailey
After doing the impossible of exceeding expectations for the new The Little Mermaid movie, Halle Bailey deserves a night off from being Ariel. It can’t be easy being a Disney princess. Halle can get creative and work her way through The Magical Girl’s Self-Care Coloring Book. It’s a unique coloring book that is designed to help you feel empowered, to boost your self-esteem, and to guide you on your self-care journey.
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And that’s a wrap for 2023!