First up, it's me, Chris Lee. Here are my most favorite faves of 2023. And since I'm writing this, I'll include some updated notes on each book as well as my original write-ups, because why the heck not, right?
#1 The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor. This book remains one of the most emotionally complex things I've read this year, and thought Taylor clearly would like his writing to be perceived as a bit timeless (and let's me honest, who wouldn't like that?!), this is sneakily one of the most of-the-moment books I've read in a while. My original write up: Brandon Taylor’s novel invites us into the world of Iowa City’s fledgling writers, dancers, and artists as they squabble, scrap, hope, love, and fight their way toward self-knowledge in a country that doesn’t have much more to offer them than, at best, indifference and economic insecurity. Art and sex, full hearts and empty wallets. A perfectly titled novel (each character so late to so many different parties) that deeply understands the roiling emotional landscape of lives of ideas as they’re lived in precarity. Truly impressive.
#2 The Dimensions of a Cave by Greg Jackson. This one has been a bit slow to move off the shelves, and I fear one of the reasons for that is readers who see it get an impression that's something like, 'oh, that's one of those dense and intellectual books that's going to be a super-heavy slog.' And, yes, it is dense and intellectual, BUT it's also a quite approachable book with writing that bops right along. It's the kind of immersive book that you just sink into and spend days completely absorbed. My original write up: Incredible, incredible, incredible! Jackson's tale of a journalist's odyssey into virtual reality, the forever war, and governmental lies returns you brilliantly to an age-old question: How do we perceive our own existence? (That old chestnut!)
#3 The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon - I've read a bunch of short story collections over the past year, and only one other even comes close. Man, this book is SO good. Original write up: Paul Yoon’s gorgeous, satisfying new story collection offers peeks into the lives of those among the Korean diaspora across centuries and the globe. In remarkably precise prose, Yoon carves out the essence of his characters’ lives. An ex-con in upstate New York, an abandoned boy in Russia’s Far East, a shopkeeping couple in London’s Koreatown, and a 17th century samurai – in each of them and others, Yoon captures the yearning for an unnamable something that exists in between the history they carry with them and the worlds they’ve left behind. Wonderful.
#4 The Deluge by Stephen Markley. This book is written like a (rising) ocean, wave after wave of moments and years and ideas crashing one after the other, relentlessly eroding the shores. An epic peopled with characters as real as any person you know, who’ll fill you up with hope and heartbreak. A feast of a book.
#5 Mister Mister by Guy Gunaratne. This is another one I'm struggling to find readers for, which is a shame. Beyond just being really well written, it's a truly emotional journey. If you've ever wondered how a normal, not-nuts, even big-hearted and good person can get wrapped up in religious zealotry and political violence, well, this is the perfect book. Original write up: Rotting away in an immigration detention center, Yahya Bas cuts out his own tongue – never again will he be misheard, misconstrued – and sets pen to paper to write his own story so it might finally be understood by his captors, by his god, and, ultimately, by himself. In a very loose riff on David Copperfield, Gunaratne follows Yahya from his childhood of poverty and abandonment in East London to his years as a poet capable of inciting violence, a fatherless jihadist, an exile, and a political prisoner. Yahya becomes a cipher for the world's broken logic at the onset of the West's forever war. The writing is vivid, visceral, and bracing; totally unputdownable. Yet at the same time, the book is tender and deeply humane. Gunaratne understands that violence, at its core, is never really political. His willingness to follow that understanding to very uncomfortable places makes this book so necessary. And so, Yahya tells his own story – one that’s not about finding his voice but rather about cutting out all the voices of others that have come to inhabit (to invade, colonize, and occupy) his mouth.
Next is Amie, with her top 4 for the year.
#1 Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri. The first short story collection by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and master of the form since her best seller Unaccustomed Earth. Rome—metropolis and monument, suspended between past and future, multi-faceted and metaphysical—is the protagonist, not the setting, of these nine stories. From the New York Times: "Electric . . . Elegant . . . The fluid transitions between Lahiri’s and Portnowitz’s translations elevate Roman Stories from a grouping of individual tales to a deeply moving whole."
#2 Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood. Truly it was a year of short stories for Amie. This is a dazzling collection that looks deeply into the heart of family relationships, marriage, loss and memory, and what it means to spend a life together. From Rebecca Makkai: ""If you consider yourself an Atwood fan and have only read her novels: Get your act together. You’ve been missing out."
#3 White Cate, Black Dog by Kelly Link. More stories? More stories! TIME says: "The Brothers Grimm meet Black Mirror meets Alice in Wonderland. . . . In seven remixed fairy tales, Link delivers wit and dreamlike intrigue." Finding seeds of inspiration in places such as seventeenth-century French lore and Scottish ballads, Kelly Link spins classic fairy tales into utterly original stories of seekers—characters on the hunt for love, connection, revenge, or their own sense of purpose.
#4 Big Tree by Brian Selznick. The fate of all life on Earth may depend on the bravery of two little seeds in this epic adventure from the Caldecott Medalist. Tim and Jen love this one, too! Here's a neat quote. Steven Spielberg says: "The tale of the natural world is the greatest story we have to tell, and Brian delivers a brilliant chapter of that tale throughout the pages of Big Tree."
Rachel Ross is our next Top 5 selector for this blog installment. Here are her faves.
#1 Witch King by Martha Wells. This is the second time this book as appeared in a top 5 list this year. And we'll see one more before we're done with today. In case you missed it in the last blog, here's a quick summary - this is Martha Wells’s first new fantasy in over a decade, drawing together her signature ability to create characters we adore and identify with, alongside breathtaking action and adventure, and the wit and charm we’ve come to expect from one of the leading writers of her generation.
#2 Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar. Daniel dug this one, too! Rachel says: "Paved Paradise is filled to the brim with engaging stories and intelligent insights into how parking impacts architecture, transit, community, and the climate. Grabar recounts how designing our lives around housing cars has molded American civic life over the last century. This book altered my perception of all things 'Parkitecture.'"
#3 Godkiller by Hannah Kaner. Here's a summary from the publisher: Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world—but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. And Joe Hill says: "Beautifully imagined and intensely felt . . . Godkiller is a bone-rattling fantasy thriller that flies by in a breathtaking rush."
#4 Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus. The second repeat - Rachel is obviously a book influencer! Of this, she says: "Join Jamie Loftus as she rockets around the continental United States on a mission to sample as many hot dogs as possible during the tumultuous summer of 2021. A mashup of travelogue and history lesson, Loftus expounds on the humble origins of the hot dog, the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, and the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile as she consumes dogs at independent joints from coast to coast. I was delighted! And disgusted!"
#5 Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J Ryan Stradal. Rachel writes: "Settle in for an ode to the Midwest that is equal parts heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Join three generations of women as they navigate their relationships with their families and communities against the backdrop of the Lakeside Supper Club, which is so much more than a family restaurant. Stradal tackles family legacy, Midwestern culture, the depths of grief, and the relief of forgiveness. You’ll want to grab a brandy old-fashioned for this one."
Our last top-fiver of the day is Jen! Our kids buyer has lots of great picks each year, so consider these her greatest-of-the-great.
#1 Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas. Jen says: "I loved this book! Isabel Cañas writes with such historical detail that it feels like you are right there with Nena and Néstor. Set in 1840s Mexico, Vampires of El Norte is powerful historical fiction with a supernatural twist! It’s a world of vaqueros and vampires, hacendados and healers, war and lost love. Put this novel at the top of your summer reading list."
#2 The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: A new fantasy series set a thousand years before The City of Brass by Shannon Chakraborty. And here is Jen's write up: "Get ready for a most wonderous adventure on the Indian Ocean with the best Pirate Queen of the 12th century! Our heroine, the infamous Amina Al-Sirafi has been forced out of retirement to save the daughter of a fallen crew member. Will Amina Al-Sirafi be able to convince her former crew to board for one more adventure? Filled with magic and adventure, myth and humor, I loved every moment of this book!"
#3 The Prince & the Coyote by David Bowles, with illustrations by Amanda Mijangos. Jen writes: "You usually hear about books that are crossovers for YA – well, I think this book should be considered a crossover for adults! A stunning, historical epic set in pre-Columbian Mexico based on the life of Nezahualcoyotl. Not only are there beautiful illustrations from Amanda Mijangos, but David Bowles incorporates Nezahualcoyotl's surviving poetry into the novel as well. The Prince & the Coyote is a rich and layered story about one of the Americas’ greatest heroes. I was mesmerized from beginning to end!"
#4 Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef. This one is a bit like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them meets Neil Gaiman. Kirkus Reviews calls it "A striking and heartfelt debut." An Iranian American girl discovers that her father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures—and now she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.
#5 Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick. Great for fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Five Feet Apart, this tender debut is, per Booklist, a "punch to the gut in the best way" about the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again. It was also longlisted for this year's National Book Award for Young People’s Literature - whoa! And here's the Kirkus Review note: ""Derrick tells Stevie’s story with finesse, the beats well paced and building powerfully. Small-town Pennsylvania is vividly portrayed, the complex emotions Stevie feels for her hometown becoming viscerally relatable. Heart-rending and heartwarming."
Well, only one more roundup to go! We hope you've found some books that you love so far. The blog will return with our final top 5 list soon, and until then, read on!
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