Editor’s Note: This piece is written by Playboy Creator Tori Darling, who recommends her favorite books of the year.
I am no literary expert, but I do love to read. In 2023, I strictly read Fantasy, eating up the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas and continuing from there.
This year, I am determined to broaden my horizons. I have always liked poetry and non-fiction, specifically psychology or memoirs, so I’ve started to branch out.
I know it’s nowhere near December, BUT when Playboy asked for my book recommendations for this year, I couldn’t say no.
From my guilty pleasures romances to educational and political reads, here are my picks for the year so far (in no particular order).
Tori Darling’s book reccomendations
Circe & The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I am a huge fan of Madeline Miller and Greek Mythology; I love all of the complex relationships and lore behind them. Miller’s novel “Circe” is an adaptation of The Odyssey, attributed to Homer. Circe is a powerless minor goddess; she did not fit in with her family of powerful Gods and sorcerers, so she finds comfort in mortals.
She is banished to the island of Aiaia, completely isolated, where she discovers the power of Witchcraft. Miller’s other novel The Song of Achilles is one of my favorite books of all time. I recently read it for a third time with a book club.
Based on Homer’s The Iliad, the story follows Patroclus (a Trojan War hero), his coming of age, and his relationship with Achilles. The story brings up intense feelings of love, hate and grief and makes me cry every single time.
The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn
This series spans across eight books and focuses on the many love stories of the eight children in the Bridgerton family, set in the Regency Era. I just finished the 4th book, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, which pairs with the 3rd season on Netflix that was just released.
I have been obsessing over this series since the first season of the TV show aired (I was late to the party) and have also been reading the books in tandem with the season premieres over the last few years. Both the books and TV series are my guilty pleasures, and I can’t get enough of them.
Shifting the Silence by Etel Adnan
A poetry book on self reflection and grieving your own death as it comes. Adnan writes of the journey and acceptance of her own death. Grief spans across multiple things, death, heartbreak, the loss of a home or job.
While this book focuses on one’s own mortality, I think the lessons learned can be helpful in any period of grief. It puts into perspective the importance of reflecting on the entirety of your life, changes you want to make and goals you would like to meet.
This book is heartwarming in a slightly dark way and makes me grateful for the life I live and the people I surround myself with.
The Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan
A series of essays breaking down female empowerment and sex as an act and a definition of gender. Truly educational and empowering. It asks the question “Does everyone have the right to sex?”
We are all entitled as free people to have access to the thing we need and want, but we are not necessarily “entitled” to sex. It can be eye-opening for people who do not know much about the politics of sex and how it relates to power.
Tori Darling is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.
