Favorite Books of 2023
2023 was of of the most book filled years since graduating with my English Lit undergraduate degree in 2019. After several years of school and being told what to read, I being transparent here, took a bit of a hit in my reading energy. I was preoccupied with searching for jobs to put that degree to use but soon after, we were locked down and at home. A blessing in disguise, at least for my personal reading habits, I was really able to fully focus on reading what I wanted to and just for fun.
Perhaps it was my discovery of BookTok and BookTube (yes I know I’m behind on that discovery) but it gave rise to a refreshed reading energy and new appreciation for discovering new stories. Last year, I almost met my goal of reading 30 books for the year on the Goodreads Challenge. Considering I didn’t start the challenge until June, I am pretty proud of myself. I didn’t restrict myself to any one genre and let myself read casually and playfully.
Whether it was the burgeoning popularity of BookTok or allowing myself to be influenced by the images of aesthetic bookshelves and colorful editions acting as a form of living wallpaper around living rooms on Pinterest, it was worth it. I am thrilled to be back reading stories and immersing myself in other worlds once again.
My top list of books read in 2023:
Soul Mates
Piranesi - Susanna Clarke
Yes, I know, like my discovery of BookTube I am behind on the immense love for Piranesi. After watching a plethora of “Favorite books of all time” videos I heard the title Piranesi come up nearly every time. There were even videos on recommending novels that give readers that same feeling Piranesi gives its readers. Color me intrigued!
I actually listened to this one on Audible read by Chiwetel Ejiofor and I was transported. I honestly do not want to say more. As many fans of the books will tell you, it is best to go into the story knowing nothing about the plot. Enjoy the journey is my only advice.
However, to touch on the topic of the feeling it gives you, it’s the same feeling as the color blue. It felt, to me, like when I stand in a shaded spot on a cool day and the breeze is even colder. It felt like walking through the sand after years of not seeing the beach or ocean. It felt like being the only one in a museum and you can finally enjoy yourself without eyes on you and reacting how you think you should react to art. It also feels like a mystery.
The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro
The Buried Giant was my first introduction to Ishiguro and what an introduction! I wanted to pick this novel up and read it again as soon as a put it down. In the era surrounding the wars between the Saxons and Britons, an older British couple leave their home to see their son. Along their journey, they meet mysterious and colorful characters and puzzle out the mysteries of the past and answer questions long forgotten. In classic Ishiguro style, this story is about memory. I read this book in two days, I could not put it down.
In a list of books that would be buried with me, The Buried Giant would be at the top of the list.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkein
My mother purchased these books for me when the Fellowship of the Ring movie came out, which quickly became an obsession of mine. Still being a rather young reader, I was quickly discouraged by my reading ability and felt they must be “grown up” books. Instead I read The Hobbit, over and over, and avoided picking The Fellowship of the Ring back up until August of 2023. After that, I followed up with the Two Towers, and Return of the King. These books are classic fantasy and I enjoyed reading them so much, especially already being a fan of the movies. There was so much emotion tied to my reading of them already, I couldn’t put them anywhere else besides under the Soul Mates category.
Immediately, yes
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
I read authors out of order. It’s what I do. Before I read or watched The Martian, I first found Project Hail Mary. I love a story where the protagonist has amnesia and is alone and in a survivor situation. And in SPACE! This books is like an episode of Doctor Who except the characters are insanely smart and able to come up with solutions quite fast so there is no need for “The Doctor” to pop in on a rescue mission. The story is fun, it’s east to read, it has some interesting encounters with extraterrestrial life.
At moments the writing gets a bit corny and unbelievable. A very repetitive disaster, quick solution, disaster, quick-solution pattern but it still kept me on the edge of my seat.
Invisible Live of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
This book felt like it was written for me. In exchange for never ending life, Addie LaRue makes a deal with a shining eyed demon of the night for eternal life. The catch - no one will ever remember her. Even a person she spoke to for an hour will forget their conversation and her existence the minute she is out of their view. As a woman who often contemplates the length of life and not having enough time to do everything and see everything live as much as she wants to live, I read Addie and felt like the two of us were kindred spirits. “Would I make this trade?” is a question I found my self asking again and again.
And then you meet Henry. If Addie’s dreaming represents my dreaming then Henry’s anxiety represents my anxiety. Him describing that choosing a major in college was actively not choosing the other majors had me checking my cabinets because surely V.E. Schwab herself had broken into my house and read my diaries.
Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro
Can I review Klara and the Sun without crying? I can certainly try. I’ve read very polarizing reviews of this book and it sounds like readers either really don’t like it or they love it. I loved it!
Klara is a girl who is an android and spends her days waiting to be purchased by a child to whom she can become a companion. This story touches on the advancement of technology, consumerism, and religion. Klara is powered by the Sun and therefore she is feels better and feels elated and grateful when she is in direct light of the Sun. She even develops a strong deity relationship to the Sun, hoping it can make a girl better.
This book is about Klara and the Sun. You can look at the relationships between Klara and all of the other characters as well but Ishiguro does give us a hint in the title that the focus of this book is between Klara and the Sun. It is a beautiful and surprising relationship between technological advancements and nature and I just wept the entire time.
Weird but I’m into it
The Night Eaters : She Eats the Night Book 1 - Marjorie Liu and Dana Takeda
This graphic novel is about Chinese American twins, Milly and Billy, and their complex relationship with their standoffish mother and sweet father. They get roped into coming home and helping their mother fix the yard of the neighbor across the street. Why does the mom care? What is with the weird dolls in the house? What on Earth is going on in this book?!
This was recommended to me and after I put it down and messaged them, “what did I just read?” All I received in response was, “just wait for the second one.” If you enjoy the weirdest of the weird, occasionally gross, and complex family dynamics especially revolving around children relating to their immigrant parents, this graphic novel is splendid.
The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham
I was diving into some fun sci-fi in 2023 and found some gorgeous covers of John Wyndham’s books by Modern Library. I loved the modern art on the covers and knew I had to own the whole set. I purchased The Midwich Cuckoos and decided that if I loved this novel, I would return for the rest. What a shock reading this book was.
In the town of Midwich, on a random day, everyone who is in the town or enters it passes out. After the day is up, everything returns to normal except that all of the women in the town are now mysteriously pregnant and eventually, give birth to golden haired and golden eyed baby boys and girls. These peculiar children develop a clique with each other and other odd and mysterious things ensue. This story is creepy! The children are creepy, their relationships between each other and their people in the town is off-putting, the scientific tests that are run to learn about the children only bring up more questions.
For a novel published in 1957, it defiantly follows that weird sci-fi alien invasion trope that was popular but also, does bring with it a lot of criticism in its treatment and depiction of women. Women as portrayed as weak and uneducated without the violation of the women getting enough attention in the story. The men are overprotective and omit certain details to remain “sensitive” to what the women can understand. We also get a lot of, “just as I thought,” in moments of revelations from male characters even though they haven’t been saying what they thought. It seems to be used to make them appear smarter in comparison to the female characters who are always needing everything to be explained again. Give me a break.
That being said, the plot is disturbing, the children are so creepy, and societal criticism of the town not asking for help because “what will people think” is heavily touched on. Enjoyed it but it’s far from perfect.
