More top five picks? You got it!
First up today are Greta Borgealt's faves of the year.
#1 Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. Greta says: "Monstrilio, by debut author Gerardo Sámano Córdova, will blow you away with its depiction of the ugliness and otherworldliness of grief and how it affects people differently. When Magos and Joseph lose their only child, Santiago, Magos cuts him open and takes a piece of his lung. The lung starts to grow into a monster, and they try to raise it as they would a son. The story is told from the perspective of four different narrators. The final narrator is the monster, Monstrilio. This is a book will beautiful prose and intricate imagery that will stay with you. Monstrilio will make you contemplate what it means to be human and rethink the nature vs nurture debate. I loved this novel like it was my own sick and twisted child."
#2 All Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky. Of this one Greta proclaims: "All Night Pharmacy is a riveting account of early adulthood and learning how to live for yourself. The narrator suffers from an unhealthy relationship with her older sister nursed by booze, sex, and pills. She must find a new sense of identity when her older sister disappears after an outburst of violence. Strange and vibrant characters come in and out of her life as she tries to put the pieces together. It transports to you a wild LA landscape and showcases the transitory nature of life. One theme that is very present in the book is generational trauma, especially within immigrants of the Jewish community. Madievsky is a Jewish immigrant herself, moving to the US when she was just two years old. One of my favorite things about the novel is that, although it is full of dread at times, there is a lot of character growth in the main character, which I found to be kind of hopeful. It is highly emotion-fueled, but what is the point of art of any kind if it does not evoke some sort of emotion out of its audience?"
#3 Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa. Greta declares: "A young woman starts working at her family’s book store after breaking up with her boyfriend and quitting her job. The author obviously loves books. The family relationships in this novel are so nuanced and interesting. I related a lot to the main character, and it had made me feel like I was on the right path by becoming a bookseller."
#4 Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater. Greta voices her opinion: "For fans of books about unhinged women, this book from debut author Alice Slater will meet your criteria for the elusive genre of sorts. It follows Roach, a bookseller whose obsession with true crime makes others uneasy. The reader will be these among these people. When a new bookseller, Laura, comes to Roach's store, she sees an opportunity to make a friend who also possibly also likes to read true crime, but Laura has a dark secret that she wants to keep hidden. As the story unravels, chaos ensues. It is characterized by Roach's compulsive behavior while pursuing friendship. It is a thrilling read."
#5 Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close by Hannah Carlson. Greta asks: "Have you ever asked yourself, why are women's pockets generally smaller than men's pockets? In the book Pockets, by Hannah Carlson, the author will answer this question and more. This book goes all the way back to the beginning. Surprisingly, this account of history has a feminist lens. It is more interesting than one would think, and you don't have to be very knowledgeable about fashion to be able to enjoy this book."
Next up, it's Jane Callanan and her favorite five.
#1 The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. Jane remarks: "The Art Thief is definitely one of my favorite nonfictions I've ever read! Finkel's descriptions were so immersive and captivating that I genuinely could not put the book down. The story is complex and unique, and it ensures an informative read for all. Filled with some of the art world's most interesting stories, fascinating fun facts, and a high-risk heist, this book will keep you entertained and in awe!"
#2 The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz. Jane announces: "Desperate for her big break after struggling with a year-long case of writer's block, Alex is finally accepted into one of the most exclusive writing retreats in the world. Run by Alex's favorite author, famous feminist-horror writer Roza Vallo, the retreat is sure to be exciting. However, when one of the writers goes missing, the group realizes that something more sinister is afoot, and the team of unforgettable characters must race to find the truth before danger comes for them next. This novel is one of the wildest stories I've ever read, and I enjoyed every minute of it! Full of crazy twists and turns, you will not be able to put this mystery down!"
#3 All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. Following up her instant New York Times bestseller, A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past. From the South Florida Sun Sentinel: "Terrific... Willingham’s strong affinity for characters and her superior plotting elevate All the Dangerous Things. . . seals her place as a talented novelist."
#4 Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li. From the New York Times Book Review: "The thefts are engaging and surprising, and the narrative brims with international intrigue. Li, however, has delivered more than a straight thriller here, especially in the parts that depict the despair Will and his pals feel at being displaced, overlooked, underestimated, and discriminated against. This is as much a novel as a reckoning."
#5 Circe by Madeline Miller. For the Washington Post, Ron Charles writes: "One of the most amazing qualities of this novel [is]: We know how everything here turns out - we've known it for thousands of years - and yet in Miller's lush reimagining, the story feels harrowing and unexpected. The feminist light she shines on these events never distorts their original shape; it only illuminates details we hadn't noticed before."
Now on to Jenny Chou for a 2023 full of favorites.
#1 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. Jenny avows: "The publisher’s marketing had me at ‘dark fae magic,’ but add in a bookish introvert researching fairies and her mysterious, insufferably charismatic colleague, and I knew I’d started a delightful, can’t-put-it-down novel. Emily Wilde’s life’s work is the compilation of an encyclopaedia with an entry on every species of fairy. In 1909, she sets out from Cambridge University where she taught to do field work on the never-seen fairies of a country much like Iceland. Professor Wendell Bambleby follows her, probably to take credit for her findings. He charms the grim assortment of locals, who Emily has already insulted, though she can’t figure out why or when. The longer Wendell stays, the deeper the mystery surrounding him and his link to the fae becomes. Emily is a clever heroine, kinder than she gives herself credit for, and I loved watching the connections she makes as the novel progresses, especially when it comes to the equally dashing and irritating Wendell. You’ll be glad you met these two as you think about them long after turning the last page! Luckily, this is the start of a series."
#2 The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. Jenny states: "Rachel is a college student, uncertain about love and friendship, and with a desperate need to be taken seriously. Her best friend is her bookstore coworker. He’s gay, which everyone around him seems to know, even in closeted 2009 Ireland. When a married English professor turns both their lives upside down, the results are messy and surprising, and the repercussions span years. The Irish setting makes the book feel timely in 2023 America regarding the social justice chaos we’re currently facing. How is it that Ireland has moved forward on issues like abortion and LGBTQ rights while we’re backtracking? The Rachel Incident is the laugh-out-loud, clever, and sometimes cringe-inducing book we all needed in our early twenties to let us know that life would have its ups and downs during that long slog to becoming a grownup, but we’d end up mostly okay."
#3 The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown. From the publisher: "Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and the family moves to the city to be closer to the hospital. The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry is a story about perseverance when faced with difficult and unfamiliar challenges, belonging and finding your identity, compassion for others, and learning that our differences can sometimes be our strengths."
#4 Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby. Jenny imparts the following: "Jessica Mathers has every right to be angry. First her parents abandoned her on earth for a research trip into outer space, and then, once she’s settled in with her grandmother and her friends, they insist she join them on their mission. Space travel in 2199 means using a 3-D printer to teleport across the universe. Before departure, a hard drive backs up memories for safekeeping in case the traveler's body is destroyed. When Jessica climbs out of the printer light years away from earth expecting to see her parents, she instead finds herself on a crashed ship on a bleak, seemingly abandoned planet. The truth behind what happened makes for a thrilling page-turner, but what I found really interesting was the way Star Splitter explores how life experiences can create wildly divergent emotional journeys. Because while illegal, it is possible to print two copies of the same person. The dual-narrative of dual Jessicas is brilliantly done here, and the wholly unexpected ending really packs an emotional punch. Teen readers will love the twisty plot, but don't miss out on this clever sci-fi just because you’re a grown-up!"
#5 The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab. Jenny gives voice to this opinion: "Fans of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy will be thrilled to learn this new series-starter brings more adventures with Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Rhy! I found the latest book to be layered with one richly-drawn, intertwined plotline after another. Seven years have passed since the events of A Conjuring of Light, and in Red London, Rhy sits precariously on the throne ruling a magical land without magic of his own. A dark shadow looms, a league called the Hand, whose members are bent on overthrowing the monarchy, which puts not only Rhy in danger, but also his child. Still captain of her own ship, Lila Bard is charged with tracking down a stolen magical artifact capable of creating doors to other lands without the use of Antari magic. As for Kell, the traveler who launched the original series in A Darker Shade of Magic? It’s heartbreaking to watch my favorite character struggle to live with his Antari magic broken, but his swordsmanship rivals Lila’s now. In the midst of all this, Schwab has created a stunning new character to love. Tes is a repair-shop assistant, a tinkerer, and a girl who can literally see strands of magic. She becomes the missing piece we didn’t know we needed in the sparkling fantasy world of the four Londons. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to read this on pub date, and if you haven’t read the original three books? Hey, you’ve got the whole summer!"
And let's wrap up this installment of top 5 picks (and none too soon, I'm clearly running out of synonyms for "says") with the one and only Kathy Herbst and her best books of the year.
#1 The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller. Here's what Kathy comes out with: "A mesmerizing book that, in our COVID world, hits uncomfortably close to home. Set in London during a deadly pandemic for which the world is unprepared, Neffy, a disgraced marine biologist, has volunteered for an experimental vaccine trial. When the staff and most of the other volunteers flee the hospital, Neffy is one of five remaining and the only one of the five who received the vaccine. Cut off from society and left to fend for themselves, these strangers are forced to rely on each other to survive. In part a meditation on choices made in order to survive, this is also very much Neffy's story, with chapters dedicated to her life as a marine biologist, her fascination with octopuses, and her complicated family relationships."
#2 Normal Rules Don't Apply: Stories by Kate Atkinson. Kathy observes: "An imaginative and engaging book of short stories that are full of wit, humor, and unexpected connections. The characters and the situations they face are delightfully inventive, with spot on observations about human nature and relationships. Couldn't put it down, so I read one after another, though I usually pace myself with a book of short stories!"
#3 Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond. Kathy alleges: "Poverty, by America addresses important questions about financial inequities in our country. Why hasn't the level of poverty changed in spite of calls for reform? Who benefits from poverty (his answers may or may not surprise you) and from government programs set up to address it? And where does much of the money designated to help poor families really end up? Desmond makes a compelling argument that the gross inequality and financial insecurity in America is no accident. Nor is it the "fault" of the poor who many need to believe are poor because they are lazy and unwilling to work. Citing numerous studies and statistics, Desmond dispels many of the myths we hold and suggests solutions through systemic reform, the election of people willing to make changes, and all of us understanding how we benefit from a permanent underclass."
#4 After the Funeral and Other Stories by Tessa Hadley. One of TIME's 100 Must-Read books of the year, this is a masterful collection of stories that plumb the depths of everyday life to reveal the shifting tides and hidden undercurrents of ordinary relationships. Per the aforementioned Ron Charles (one of our favorite book critics here at Boswell) Tessa Hadley is "one of the greatest stylists alive."
#4 The White Lady: A British Historical Mystery by Jacqueline Winspear. Kathy shouts it from the rooftops: "In her new and engrossing history-based thriller, the Maisie Dobbs series author Winspear has created a new protagonist, Elinor White. Recruited as a teenager in Belgium to spy on German soldiers during WWI, she continues her work as wartime operative and trained killer in WWII. We first meet Elinor in post-war Britain - a woman haunted by the past and actions she was forced to take as an operative as well as by the fate of her family. Intent on creating a new and solitary life, she instead becomes involved in the lives of a young couple and their daughter who are also struggling to leave a difficult and dangerous past behind them. As with the Maisie Dobbs books, Winspear brings to vivid life the significance and often untold reality of women's incredible contributions during the world wars."
And that is the Boswellians top five picks of 2023, part two! We'll be back in a day (or so!) with thesaurus in hand and lots more great books for you to gift to everyone. Yes, even yourself. Until then, read on.
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