2023 was a very good reading year. I read 52 books, which was my goal! My fiction:non-fiction ratio still wildly skewed towards fiction. I have a lot of non-fiction holds right now so maybe I will even things out a bit more in 2024.
I keep track of my books read on a page in my paper planner. I think I have a Goodreads account attached to my Kindle, but I haven’t logged in for a long time. Also, fair warning, I am terrible at describing books. In high school, we had to write a “Precis” which is a summary based on 9 key plot points. You think I would be better at describing books. Instead, my reviews are fairly generic and rarely do a book justice. You’ve been warned.
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. A book about a boy searching for his Mom who left long ago. Celeste Ng writes really good adult fiction with compelling main characters who are children. She tells an excellent story that is well-paced and compelling.
The Love Songs of W.E.B DuBois by Honorée Fannonne Jeffers. Oof. Picture a book about four generations of an African-American family where every historical (and contemporary, unfortunately) wrong happens to the family. I read this book on a vacation in Hawaii. Not the perfect match, but it was an excellent book. There is a description of crystal meth and its fleeting high and snaky descent into addiction that is excellently written.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I loved this book, but I can’t remember why. The marketing hook that it is influenced by Little Women isn’t what drew me in, but I remember strong sister relationships and communication complications in families.
Still Born by Guadalupe Netel. The next door neighbor ends up taking care of a little boy and his mother. Excellent writing, translated by Rosalind Harvey. Very, very good.
The Vaster Lands by Lauren Groff. A fever dream tracking a young runaway from a colonialist colony into the wild woods of North America. It’s such a dreamy feeling book, which in less skilled hands could cause a disconnect but in this book, results in pleasant blurry dissociation from the real world into this novel.
Wellness by Nathan Hill. Did not like initially. Insufferable couple gets together and the relationship is followed over time. But, it gets better (the book more than the couple) and the last 80 pages are excellent. If you start and are drawn in at all, keep going!
Search by Michelle Huneven. A sweet book about a Unitarian Universalist church search committee looking for its new pastor. Not the most functional group, but not the most dysfunctional group either. You are bound to see some recognizable dysfunctions from groups you’ve been part of in the past. And if you don’t, then either count your lucky stars or join your first group ever.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. This is a well-told story with so many side characters and short subplots. James McBride is so amazing at making characters come to life with unique, concise descriptions- “His face looked like he had the habit of stepping on rakes.” Overall, this is an uplifting story about community and love, but trust, it is grounded in a world where flaws and bad people exist.
Finally, I don’t just read highbrow literary fiction. I am just as susceptible to the big hits. I like the following books a lot, except I have a bad habit of binging so by the time I’m halfway through the series, I notice the annoying hooks and devices the authors use to keep the reader addictive to this fiction cotton candy.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas. A 5 book series and the first book is Beauty and the Beast fanfic with a good dose of smut. The rest of the series also reminded me of another story, but I can’t remember. I recommend if you’re looking for something in the B.R.A.D (Beach Reads After Dark) category.
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley. A 3 book series about a supernatural British agency that keeps the world safe. It features a lead character that came into her job by inhabiting the body of a prior minister. Sounds weird, but it’s better than it sounds. You will definitely like if you were a fan of Les Grossman’s The Magicians series.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. A 5 book series written by a psychologist who uses her academic background to write her books in really catchy, draw-the-reader-in ways. I heard her interviewed on Adam Grant’s Re|Thinking podcast and was intrigued. I read the books, but I recommend taking a little break so you don’t feel too obviously manipulated into reading more!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve tried to write non-spoilers for all of these “reviews,” but for this one, I might be ruining an element of surprise when I say: Carnal Lightening. You’ll know it when you get to the part. It’s a little ridiculous but still engrossing. Another B.R.A.D.
I had to laugh when you said that you knew that you really enjoyed a book but didn’t remember why. I recently did a book review post, and this is exactly how I felt about one of them.
I’ve read two Lauren Graff books recently (one was The Change, which I just reviewed) and they were SO different from each other, which I really respect. I will check this one out.
I thought I had The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store on hold via Libby, but apparently I don’t. OK, now I do, but it’s 13 weeks. We’ll see if I stick with that, or if I end up buying it.
What’s even weirder is I 5+ starred Hello Beautiful but all I could remember was the marketing that it was like Little Women. Which I read as a kid and liked, but it’s not a reason I would pick up a book. But it was excellent. I think some of the sister fall-out and reconciliation and guy drama was really well written.
I said The Change was Lauren Groff, but it most definitely was not. The Groff book that I read and enjoyed was Fates and Furies. The other book I read of hers was Matrix, which I liked, but not as much.
That McBride description made me think of this line from Willa Cather’s My Antonia: “Mrs. Harling was short and square and sturdy-looking, like her house. Every inch of her was charged with an energy that made itself felt the moment she entered a room. Her face was rosy and solid, with bright, twinkling eyes and a stubborn little chin. She was quick to anger, quick to laughter, and jolly from the depths of her soul.” Study-looking LIKE A HOUSE. I didn’t love that Cather book, but her character descriptions were interesting. You might like some Willa Cather!
I have kicked around the idea of reading themes that include “throwback re-reads” and “cover the classics.” I read My Antonia and O Pioneers in high school but I don’t have quote recall like yours. I love the description!