The books I read in 2023
A round-up, and some recommendations
There are all sorts of end-of-year reading lists doing the rounds. Aubrey Bergauer’s is good if you’re looking for non-fiction recommendations for arts administration, and Zak Mensah’s is usually an interesting mix of things. The Storythings team did a round-up of their 39 favourite things of the year which was a fun read.
So, here’s what I’ve read this year, all of it.
Maybe because work has been quite full-on there aren’t any business-related books on the list this year.
I’ve also grouped things by when I read them, because why not.
March
Taste, Stanley Tucci
A joyful read. Stanley Tucci is a charming, natural storyteller. This is part-memoir, part-recipe book.
The Amur River, Colin Thubron
The story of a journey tracing the Amur River from its source in the Mongolian mountains then down through China and Russia to the sea south of Vladivostock.
This should have been far more engaging than it was. Whilst it was a fascinating insight into a part of the world I know nothing about (the river forms the border between Russia and China and it was really interesting to see those two countries compared and contrasted in this way), but it was told in a slightly stuffy, staid, old-fashioned way.
May
Wahala, Nikki May
The story of three friends whose lives are disrupted by the arrival of a glamorous old friend. Soapy, over-the-top, page turner. I think I finished it in about 2 days. Very enjoyable, if a bit silly.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh
A woman pays someone to help her stay in a more-or-less continuous, drug-fuelled sleep. I know this book has won loads of plaudits but I just couldn’t get on with it. I found it a drag.
July
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks
I wasn’t expecting much from this, I seem to remember the movie being fairly awful. But it was a really engrossing read. And the recent parallels with how society reacted to the pandemic were more than a little eerie.
August
A Village in the Third Reich, Julia Boyd
Too long, but a really insightful portrayal of a normal, rural German village from 1915-1955. It was chilling to see, recounted through the lives of everyday people, the slow and inexorable rise of Nazism, and the massive impact of small, almost unnoticeable changes to attitudes, prejudics, and thinking over many years. The parallels with Europe today can’t be ignored.
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
The story of our sun going out and the mission to try and…stop that from happening. Very science-y, probably quite silly, but also hugely hugely enjoyable.
September
Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky
Set millions (?) of years in the future, a story about genetic engineering, evolution, humanity, different forms of intelligence, and society.
I think you’d maybe class this as ‘hard’ sci-fi, and it was hard going at times, but it was also brilliantly told. Although if you don’t like spiders I’d perhaps avoid it…
Blonde Roots, Bernadine Evaristo
Reimagining if the slave trade has been orchestrated by Africans trafficking white European people.
I find any stories about slavery incredibly traumatic, to the point they make me feel nauseous (The Underground Railroad almost made me throw up on numerous occasions). This was no exception.
I don’t necessarily think that the ‘race swap’ added much in the way of insight, and the depiction of hopeless brutality that enslaved people suffered is just as tangible and disgusting regardless of who’s on the receiving end.
October
Weirdo, Sara Pascoe
I suppose you’d maybe classify this as a ‘rom-com’? Maybe? I found it hard going, the anxiety of the main character is pretty relentless and overwhelming. There wasn’t much to like about any of this, I found the banality of the…everything, really depressing.
The Vaster Wilds, Lauren Groff
Set in, perhaps, the early 1600s, in what would be called America, this is the story of an orphaned servant girl who is on the run.
It is really incredible storytelling, Lauren Groff takes a very stylised approach to the way she writes this but I think it absolutely pays off.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
A story told over decades, about three friends who make computer games.
Oh I just loved this so much. Although I got off to a bit of a rocky start with it, for some reason I just couldn’t get into it for the first 50 pages or so, but from there it blossoms into the most beautiful, engaging story.
I didn’t want it to end, when my wife finished it she immediately started reading it again, it’s that sort of book.
Swimming in the Dark, Tomasz Jedrowski
Set in early-1980s Poland, the story of a young gay man coming of age against the backdrop and (political, social) restrictions of communist Europe.
I think this might be one of the best, most moving books I have ever read. It made me cry.
It’s beautiful.
November
Happy Go Lucky, David Sedaris
I’ve never read any David Sedaris and after reading this I don’t know why. He’s hilarious, this book is hilarious, but also insightful, acerbic, and moving.
Sea of Tranquility, Emily St John Mandel
I liked this but I didn’t love it. It felt like it never quite took off but it is an interesting story told over multiple timelines, centuries apart.
My top 5 books of 2023
Because everyone loves a ranking
The Vaster Wilds, Lauren Groff
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
Swimming in the Dark, Tomasz Jedrowski
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
Happy Go Lucky, David Sedaris
Now and next
I’m currently reading The Overstory, by Richard Powers.
Then I’ve got a few lined up; Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, The Future Is Yours by Dan Frey, Drive Your Plow by Olga Tokarczuk, and Range by David Epstein.
Recommendations?
I’m always looking for recommendations.
Probably half the books on the list above came from recommendations so - tell me - what should I read in 2024?