My Favorite Books of 2023

I know it's only November, but why not.

Presented in no particular order, here are my favorite books of the year, with short pithy comments about each one! I am very delighted to announce that my many-years-long dream of reading more backlist has flourished beautifully this year! Yay for reading books for pure pleasure and not because a publicist has sent it to me!

Old Books

True Grit, Charles Portis—I think this is the first western novel I’ve ever read. Is that true? I think it is. Horses, guns, revenge, all written in the voice of one badass 11 yr old girl. The edition that I read had a cover by Tamara Shopsin and an afterward by Donna Tartt, and if that doesn’t tell you how good this book is, well, then I really can’t help you.

How The Word is Passed, Clint Smith—Some required American reading, and further proof that we should get together and agree that poets should, in fact, be writing all books.

Bel Canto, Ann Patchett—My girl. A re-read.

Last Night at the Lobster, Stewart O’Nan—A must read for any retail/hospitality worker. And pocket-sized to boot! Thanks, Stewart!

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson—Spooky season is over, but is it, really?

Mrs. Caliban, Rachel Ingalls—As previously mentioned in this newsletter—frogman romance!

Dear Committee Members, Julie Schumacher—Epistolary hilarity!

Books You Should Pre-Order

Rufi Thorpe, Margo’s Got Money Troubles—A young woman sleeps with her professor, gets pregnant, keeps the baby, her 80s-era pro wrestler dad moves in, she starts an OnlyFans…none of which is presented in a sordid way. This is a comedy with heart AND all that other sparkly stuff.

Grief is for People, Sloane Crosley—Sad and funny and perfectly New York, three things I love the most in a book.

Bird Milk and Mosquito Bones, Priyanka Mattoo—Pri is a dear friend of mine, and we’ve known each other for a decade plus, but I learned so much about her from reading this, her debut memoir. Honestly, all friends you make after college should be required to write a memoir and then give it to you so you can understand what made them the way they are.

Books You Should Listen to on Audio

The Woman in Me, Britney Spears, read by Michelle Williams—Whoever had the idea to have Michelle Williams read this audiobook should be given a million dollar bonus. She is so fucking good, and breathes some depth into this very sad, very strange book.

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett—Meryl forever, Ann forever, Tom Lake forever.

Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett—Sometimes you just need approximately fifteen hours of an angel and a demon flirting, you know?

Books Published this Year

Lone Women, Victor LaValle—Just kidding when I said I hadn’t read any other westerns! This is a western too, but a feminist monster western! Hell yeah.

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett—See above.

Brooklyn Crime Novel, Jonathan Lethem—I haven’t stopped thinking about this book, in part because it’s a fucking cellular-level examination of the streets I walk down every day, but even more because it’s proof that as a writer you can continue to examine your deepest sources, even after you’ve already published The Book About That. I love that he said, you know what? I’m going back. I’m doing it again, but in the photo negative. I find it totally inspiring.

Roaming, Jillian and Mariko Tamaki—A perfect graphic memoir about what it feels like to be twenty.

Books for My Kids But Also For Me

The Skull, Jon Klassen—You know it’s got murder in it.

Stuntboy and Stuntboy 2, Jason Reynolds—Joyous, buoyant, brilliant. Jason Reynolds (and Raul the Third) are the greatest, and it is such fun to watch them soar.

Books I Plan to Read Before January

Honey, Isabel Banta—Bel is one of our booksellers at the store and she’s fabulous and if you, like me, gobbled up Britney’s book, pre-order this! Bel is wonderful and this is going to be a smash. Will gush further when I finish.

James, Percival Everett—Huck Finn, but told from Jim’s POV. I went to a fancy lunch for Everett and a few other authors yesterday and I loved what Everett had to say about this idea, which is that he thought of it, and then had to research whether anyone had ever done it before. If that isn’t the marking of a truly brilliant idea, where you look around and think, have I just invented this? I can’t wait to read it.

Major caveat: I read about a million pictures books every year, and I don’t keep track. Why is that?? Because it’s so many, I suppose, and also because I read them either at the store or in a child’s bed, both places where I do not have handy access to my diary, where I write down the books I read. I will try to go through and make a separate list of my fave picture books of the year, because I don’t want to leave them out. Picture books are the best books of all.

What about you? Top three books read this year, go!