Santa Montefiore's 3 favorite reads in 2023

I re-read this book for research because my next book will be based in New York’s Gilded Age—around the turn of the last century. Edith Wharton’s style of writing is lyrical, descriptive, and beautiful. The characters are brilliantly drawn.

Newland Archer’s struggle between loyalty to his wife and traditional old New York society and his fascination with the deliciously foreign, forward-thinking Countess Olenska is perceptively drawn and compelling. Wharton brilliantly describes the changing landscape, how Old New York fought to hold onto its values while brash new money crashed onto the scene to change it forever.

I cried at the end. It’s so touching. So human. She’s one of my all-time favourite writers, with Daphne du Maurier.

I love reading spiritual books, particularly Eckhart Tolle, Joe Dispenza, and Esther Hicks. The Wisdom of the Council is channeled by Ascended Masters in spirit to help you raise your consciousness and manifest the life you want.

I’ve read many books along these lines, and I think this one is particularly good. It’s wonderfully wise and full of joy. They state at the start that they repeat sentences so we more easily absorb them.

This repetition annoyed me a bit, to be honest, probably more on audio than if I were reading the words. However, the message is good and clearly given.

I met Marlon James at the Cliveden Literary Festival. He was so compelling as a speaker and charming as a person that I thought I’d read his latest book. I had never read him before. Well, I was in for a treat.

I have never read anything quite like it in my life. He is unique, powerful, with an imagination that is so dark, so extraordinary, that I found myself being sucked into the narrative and unable to pull myself away. The book is a mixture of African mythology, history, and fantasy.

It’s the second in a soon-to-be trilogy, but he said it was fine to read this one first. I will definitely read the first and eagerly await the third. I think he’s a genius.