It’s Time for The Lists!
Yes, and I don’t mean Christmas lists. I mean the ones that reflect on the best books of 2023. The New York Times has already come out with its list, so take a look:
The Bee Sting, Paul Murray An Irish family pulls together to overcome the 2008 financial cirisis as well as their own individual demons in a book that is full of hopefulness despite it all.
Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah “A dystopian satire in which death-row inmates duel on TV for a chance at freedom.” from the NYT
Eastbound, Maylis de Kerangal Recently translated to English by Jessica Moore, this is a short novel that tells the unlikely story of a Russian soldier who decides to go AWOL in the middle of the Siberian plain.
The Fraud, Zadie Smith A historical fiction that is based on the 19th-century criminal trial of an English commoner who impersonates a nobleman. The original reviewer wrote, “Dickens may be dead, but Smith, thankfully , is alive.”
A lovely cover for a book that is about a house in the wilds of western Massachusetts. This is an unusual novel that celebrates ‘place’ as a backdrop for humans and their lives.
The Best Minds, Jonathan Rosen What separates brilliance from insanity and what is to be done when the line is blurred? A real life drama of a troubled life and troubling questions.
Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State, Kerry Howley A look at the national security state and the people who are a part of it.
Fire Weather, John Vaillant A detail account of the 2016 wildfires that destroyed Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada and a timely warning of more to come.
Master Slave Husband Wife, Ilyon Woo The true story, set in 1848, of an enslaved couple who made a daring escape by posing as a sickly while planter and his male slave. This book was featured earlier in the blog and has been widely appreciated for Woo’s excellent storytelling and insight.
A provocative title for the true accounting of the murders perpetrated by Rodrigo Duterte when he was president of the Phillipines, roughly between 2016 and 2022. This book is a memoir by Evangelista, who was a journalist in the Phillipines at that time and a very brave person!