This year I read 120 books, which is an all-time high. I didn’t realize I was on track to do that until a couple of weeks ago, at which point I was close enough that I knew I’d make it. So that was kind of fun to see! I wanted to share a few of my favorites (OK, maybe more than a few). I hope you find a couple of things to add to your TBR list.
On the surface this seems like it’s probably climate fiction, and it is. But the focus is on just a couple of characters, and there are a lot of themes (grief, isolation, loneliness) interwoven that elevate it into something else. You may have seen or heard a lot about this book this fall, and it’s definitely worth the read. Don’t let the hype scare you off.
Best Audacious Book Club Book
Chain-Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Roxane Gay runs The Audacious Book Club. Each month, paid subscribers can access asynchronous chats about the book, and can watch an interview she conducts with the author. This introduced me to several great books I didn’t hear about otherwise. Chain-Gang All-Stars has a lot of characters to keep track of, and the perspective shifts between them, but for the most part those shifts serve the story well. While this was a little hard to read at times, it was also completely gripping and had a lot of heart.
Best Recommendation from TBR
Symphony of Secrets, by Brendan Slocumb
TBR is a paid service from Book Riot, where you get three book recommendations each quarter. I’ve been a subscriber since 2018. One thing I really like about it is that I tend to get recommendations for books I haven’t heard about otherwise, which I really appreciate. I don’t always read all three recommendations right away, but I keep track of which books come to me through TBR. Symphony of Secrets was a recommendation from this year and was just a delight to read. There are two stories running in parallel, and the themes that connect them worked really well. I’m not musial, so I was a little concerned that I might miss out on important aspects of the story. But I did not at all. I suspect that if you do an additional layer will be unlocked, though.
Best Book in a Series I’m Already Reading
Grave Importance, by Vivian Shaw
This is #3 in the Dr. Greta Helsing series. This book was so chaotic but in the best possible way. Also, a decent portion of this installment is spent in the back offices of Hell, and I just find that kind of thing so delightful. Bureaucracy! In Hell! (Yes, this is one of the things I like about Good Omens as well.)
This is the first book in a new series about a retired female pirate who is blackmailed into coming out of retirement for a job. I loved Amina, the protagonist, for how pragmatic she was. And it was really fun to see a creaky old band of pirates reassembling themselves and getting back into the groove of things.
Best Entry in the Austen Extended Universe
The Heiress, by Molly Greeley
There are so many books out there inspired by Jane Austen’s writings, but I particularly enjoy those that are set amongst her locations and characters. The best is still The Other Bennet Sister, but of those I read this year The Heiress was my favorite. This novel answers the question “Why is Anne de Bourgh so sickly?” in a very intriguing way.
Best Book I Bought
Starling House, Alix E. Harrow
This did not unseat The Once and Future Witches as my favorite by this author, but that’s a tall order. This was fast-paced and had a really interesting concept involving a sentient house and “a lonely pining man with tattoos and a sword.” (Yes, please.) The main character makes a mix of good and bad choices, but they all add up to a very believable and well-developed protagonist.
Best Book I Read in Print
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
The vast majority of my reading is ebooks borrowed from DCPL, but I read 11 print books this year, including a re-read of Matrix for book club. For reasons I can’t articulate, I was sort of avoiding reading Demon Copperhead. But this spring it won the Pulitzer, and then the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and I finally put it on hold. Naturally the hold list was enormous so I ended up buying the hardcover, and I’m so glad I did. This is a book that rewards the time you spend sinking into the language, and demands your attention as you’re reading. It’s heartbreaking and full of difficult moments, but it was wonderful. And don’t worry if you don’t remember David Copperfield, you won’t miss anything.
Best 2023 Release
Prophet, by Sin Blache and Helen Macdonald
I read 46 books published in 2023, which was more than I would have guessed, and made it a little hard to pick. But I chose this one because it surprised me. The description focuses more on the plot and makes it sound like a rather sterile sci-fi story. But I thought about H is for Hawk and I figured there must be more to it. And there is. The premise is wild, the writing was gorgeous, and there’s scads of witty banter that made me laugh aloud more than once. However, there is not nearly enough worldbuilding, the wild premise is rickety, and the ending made no sense. But it was also satisfying? I don’t know. Read it or not.
Best Backlist Title (2021 or prior)
The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern
I absolutely loved this. It was so immersive, and had wonderful characters. The plot was perhaps a bit predictable at times, but I was so charmed I didn’t care. It’s a book about storytellers, and it was big and enveloping, as it should be.
Other Books I Want You to Know About
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