Best Books of 2023

January 1, 2024

Best Books of 2023 (plus some not-so-great books)

It's the end of 2023 and the start of a new year. There are loads of "best books" lists that come out at the end of the year. In 2023, I read 133 books. Some were outstanding, others not so much. My list is completely subjective, just my opinion. Some of the books that I didn't care for got rave reviews from other readers - sometimes that's why I didn't like a book, because it was so over-hyped I was expecting much more. Some readers are also influenced by reviews and think that because Publishers Weekly or some other major reviewing publication says it's a great book, it must be (no, it's not necessarily true). There were a lot of books that were just okay, but just because they didn't appeal to me, doesn't mean that it's not exactly what other readers want. Many but not all of these books were published in 2023 - a few will be published in 2024.

Here's to even more reading in 2024!

The best of 2023 (in no particular order):

• The heaven and earth grocery store - James McBride
• The covenant of water - Abraham Verghese
• Making it so: a memoir - Patrick Stewart
• The museum of failures - Thrity Umrigar
• The river we remember - William Krueger Kent
• Tom Lake - Ann Patchett
• Lady Tan's circle of women - Lisa See
• Flags on the Bayou - James Lee Burke
• The keeper of hidden books - Madeline Martin
• The postcard - Anne Berest
• Juno loves legs - Karl Geary
• Earth's the right place for love - Elizabeth Berg
• Hello beautiful - Ann Napolitano
• Clytemnestra - Costanza Casati
• The measure - Nikki Erlick
• Keeper of enchanted rooms - Charlie N. Holmberg
• What the dead know - Barbara Butcher

Honorable mention:

• The bandit queens - Parini Shroff
• Hang the moon - Jeanette Walls
• Excuse me while I disappear - Laurie Notaro
• Homecoming - Kate Morton
• Vampires of el Norte - Isabel Canas
• The maid's diary - Loreth Ann White
• Silver nitrate - Silvia Moreno Garcia
• The king's pleasure - Alison Weir

The not-so-great:

• Lessons in chemistry - this just didn't ring true for me, although it's gotten rave reviews and has been made into a television show on Apple TV. Generally speaking, I avoid books from celebrity book clubs (Oprah's, Reese's, GMA, etc.).
• The square of sevens - this is one the of few books that I didn't finish. I usually enjoy historical fiction but this book spent a lot of time explaining Victorian customs. I skipped to the last chapter, which neatly explained the previous 300 pages.
• The Jinn-bot of Shantiport - a retelling of the Aladdin story. The author tried unsuccessfully to marry the Arabian Nights and the Murderbot series.
• The house witch - based on the Amazon reviews, I expected this to be better than it was. If the author had cut out the lectures on political correctness that the main character delivers, the book would have been only 2/3 as long and much more enjoyable.
• The whispers - first we had girl fiction (i.e., Gone Girl), then there was woman fiction (i.e., The Woman in the Window), and now we have mommy fiction. Multiple characters repeat multiple times "you don't have children, so you can't possibly understand." I can live without this genre.
• The girls of summer - incredibly slow moving. Rachel, the main character, is TSTL (too stupid to live).
• The ferryman - the first half of the book is great, the second half is a complete bomb.
• Demon Copperhead - a heavy handed retelling of David Copperfield. Lots of people love this - I wasn't one of them.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

September 3, 2023

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

At the age of 12, the unnamed main character is married off to a much older man who is part of their Christian community, and sent to live in Kerala. There is an odd affliction in the family: in every generation, someone dies by drowning. Her husband is so superstitious about it that he refuses to travel by boat, even though he spends twice as much time walking to get where he needs to go. Over the next 75 years, the family grows and endures, despite hardship and tragedy.

OMG, this is unbelievable! I read all 700 pages over the Labor Day weekend - I was emotionally exhausted when I finished. I loved Verghese's earlier novel Cutting for Stone so I was a little hesitant to start his new book. How could anything measure up? But it absolutely did. I loved every word. I feel sorry for the next few authors that I read since I'm going to be ruined for anything else for awhile. A family saga, a political and historical novel, a love story but not a romance. Outstanding, highly recommended for readers of literary fiction or family sagas.

Kerala, India

The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White

August 30, 2023

The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White

Vancouver BC, Halloween night, 2019. A couple engaged in an illicit affair park in a secluded spot near the river to have sex, but they are interrupted when two other cars pull into the area. Two people get out of the cars and haul something out of the backseat of one car and throw it in the river. Then they push one of the cars into the river, get back in the second car, and drive away. Near midnight in a wealthy Vancouver neighborhood, an elderly woman calls 911 to say she heard a woman screaming in the house next door. When police arrive, the house looks like a bloodbath but there are a lot of unknowns: who is the victim? where are the homeowners? is the maid seen earlier in the day involved? who were the couple seen visiting around dinner time? was it accident, suicide, or murder?

Very good psychological fiction with an unreliable narrator and plenty of unlikeable characters. Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem that is going to land her in trouble one day, serious trouble. There are some really unexpected twists. You think you have the story figured out, but then something else happens to make you wonder what is really going on. Highly recommended if you want a story that will mess with your mind.

Vancouver BC

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

August 26, 2023

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

Memorial Day 1958. The citizens of Jewel, Minnesota, gather to remember those killed in the country's wars. But the festivities are interrupted when the body of a wealthy but unpopular resident is found floating in the river. Suicide, accident or murder? If it's murder, Sheriff Brody Dern has no shortage of suspected, since many locals had a reason to hate the victim.

This is a stand-alone novel, not part of the author's mystery series. The plot is complicated, and there are a lot of characters, so many that I started keeping a list of their relation to the dead man. The river is a character on its own, since so many scenes are enacted on its banks. Ultimately the story is about the human condition that we all share - almost all of the characters experience some kind of loneliness or alone-ness, and many are still traumatized by the wars of the the 20th century. While I didn't enjoy it as much as This Tender Land, it is still a remarkable novel, highly recommended to readers of literary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Minnesota river

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

August 22, 2023

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

In a community theater production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, Lara Kenison played the role of Emily when she was 16 years old. It becomes her defining role, and led her to a brief acting career that included commercials, a short-lived TV series, and a motion picture. While doing the part of Emily in summer stock in Tom Lake, Michigan, Lara met struggling actor Peter Duke, who would go on to become a famous movie star. Her adult daughters return to the family farm during the COVIC-19 lockdown and while they are picking cherries, the girls ask Lara to tell them about her acting career and her romance with Duke.

Multi-layered narrative that ponders the meaning of the past and how it shapes who we are. I usually run like crazy from books that are selected for one of those TV book clubs but I decided to give this one a try because I have read the author in the past. I loved the fact that Lara didn't regret or apologize for any of her choices. While Lara's story fascinates her children, it forces them to think about their parents' lives before they married and had children, and also about the direction of their own lives. I love Ann Patchett's writing, and while nothing can beat The Dutch House, Tom Lake is very good indeed. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys literary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Cherry orchard in bloom in northern Michigan

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

July 22, 2023

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Zofia and her best friend Janina live in Warsaw. While they are preparing for war, neither girl believes that war will come to their city. Zofia's happy place has always been books, and she loves her job at the Warsaw public library. But then the Nazis occupy the city, and their lives change in ways neither could have imagined. As a Jew, Janina and her family are forced to move to the Warsaw ghetto. When the Nazis begin to first confiscate and then destroy books, Zofia and her friends are determined to hide as many books as possible, even if it costs them their freedom or their lives. At the same time, they work to make sure that the citizens of Warsaw and the ghetto have access to books.

A tribute to literature, the power of books, and the ingenuity of the people of Warsaw and the Warsaw ghetto. People under the age of 40 frequently don't understand the power of books, having grown up with the Internet, cellphones, and cable TV.

Another book that makes me proud to be a librarian. If you enjoyed The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, this title will appeal to you. People who love books will always find a way.

Librarians rock. Never forget it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke

July 15, 2023

Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke

It's really hard to write a description of this book since there is so much going on. Set in 1863 in the Louisiana bayou country outside New Orleans, on the surface, this is a story about a group of people in the middle of the American Civil War and how they are affected by the war. Wade Lufkin is recuperating from his war wounds at his uncle's plantation; Hannah is one of his uncle's slaves, accused of murdering another plantation owner, but her only goal is to find her son, separated from her at the battle of Shiloh; Pierre is the local sheriff, drawn to a free woman of color named Darla; Darla wants to locate the treasure hidden by the murdered plantation owner so that she can escape to another country; Florence is a New England abolitionist determined to do whatever it takes to free slaves; the colonel is the head of a renegade Confederate unit, interested only in protecting his own people and land.

OMG, this is a fabulous book! This is a stand-alone historical novel by the author of the Dave Robicheaux mystery series. JLB considers it to be the best book he ever wrote and I agree. I read it in two days - my head hurt when I finished because there was so much to think about. Great characters, especially the three women in the story. Wonderful writing, beautiful language - I found myself going back to re-read certain passages because of the beauty of the words. A number of the characters are seeking redemption for past offenses. Although it's set during the American Civil War, the themes are as old as history: good vs. evil, greed, jealousy, revenge, honor, guilt, redemption. There is even some dark humor. Loved the ending. Highly recommended - I will remember this book for a long time - if you are a fan of historical or literary fiction, read this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Louisiana bayou country

Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary

March 5, 2023

Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary

Juno and Sean (christened Legs by Juno) meet and immediately bond at the local Catholic grade school, where the parish priest abuses both of them. Neither child fits in anywhere, at home, at school, on the playground. Juno is from one of the poorest families in the parish and is distrustful, expecting constantly to be bullied. Even as a child, it's obvious that Legs is different from the other boys, and Father (the parish priest) is determined to beat his homosexuality out of him. The two children are inseparable until Legs commits a terrible act that will tear the children apart, only to find each other again many years later.

OMG, I loved this book!! I read Juno Loves Legs in a single day, it's that good, and I found it impossible to put down. I loved the characters and the story. Juno and Legs are so tender with each other. If I have a complaint, it's that the ending felt a little rushed. Read this book! As soon as it's available!

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Dublin in the 1980s

Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg

February 18, 2023

Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg

Arthur Moses is a sophomore in high school, a sweet caring boy, when he meets and falls in love with Nola McCollum. But Nola has enough boyfriends and just wants to be friends with him. Arthur loves nature and enjoys caring for plants and watching the birds, and he talks about everything with his older brother Frank who is also his best friend. Frank shares his thoughts and problems with Arthur as well, including his dream of becoming a writer, his relationship with his English teacher, and their abusive father. When their father finally lands a job and things begin to look up, a terrible tragedy rocks the family. Arthur has to learn how to continue living and deal with his grief and loss, while discovering the kind of life he wants for himself.

A lovely heartwarming story about love in its many forms, loss and grief, and the meaning of family. Readers first met Arthur in Berg's previous novel The Story of Arthur Truluv, where Arthur is an 85 year old man who lost his beloved wife and now goes every day to sit by her grave and talk to her while he eats his lunch. This is a prequel to that novel, providing backstory about how Arthur and Nola met and the events that shaped the man he became. I found it almost impossible to put down, which is surprising since it is almost entirely about relationships and there is little action. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A town like Arthur's in the 1940s

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

February 5, 2023

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Do you follow your heart, even though you know it's going to hurt the people you're closest to? The four Padavano sisters have always functioned as a unit: oldest sister Julia is the organizer, second sister Sylvie is a reader and a dreamer (and a librarian), and twins Cecelia and Emeline are like two halves of a whole. But when one of the sisters marries a broken young man, there are unexpected consequences for all the sisters, shaking their foundations and forcing them to rethink who they are. If you grow up without love, can you be healed by another person.

This is a modern re-telling of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, which is referenced throughout the text, with the four sisters changing roles. Having read Little Women, I knew someone was going to die, but it wasn't who I expected, and I did some crying through the last chapters anyway. 

I am of the same generation as the Padavano sisters, and their mother Rose reminds me a lot of my mother, with the drama and the constant concern over what the neighbors or the pastor was going to think about everything. She also would have thrown me out just as Rose did the unmarried pregnant sister. 

Wonderful read, highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Lozano branch of the Chicago Public Library, where sister Sylvie works

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

January 18, 2023

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

In Greek mythology, Clytemnestra, princess of Sparta, queen of Mycenae, is a wicked woman who took a lover and then murdered her husband Agamemnon when he came home from the Trojan war. But in this novel about Clytemnestra's life, there were much deeper reasons and Agamemnon richly deserved to be murdered. As the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold.

The writer of the Odyssey and the Iliad deliberately portrayed Clytemnestra and her sister Helen as wicked women. Clytemnestra murdered her husband and Helen ran off with a Trojan prince, and that's pretty much all most people know about them. It's time that their stories were told. Clytemnestra had good reasons for her actions, as did Helen (before she was Helen of Troy, she was Helen of Sparta). All those Greek heroes don't come off as so heroic here. Even the great Odysseus, considered to be the best and smartest of the Greek kings, does some pretty shameful things. Fans of Madeline Miller's Circe or Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships will enjoy this re-telling of the life of a mis-represented queen. Highly recommended.

(My father loved Greek mythology - damn, he would have hated all three of these books for crushing his beliefs about the ancient Greeks!)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in return for a review.

Image of Clytemnestra with her lover Aegisthus, murdering Agamemnon, from a piece of Greek pottery

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

January 14, 2023

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

On a spring morning, little wooden boxes show up at every door in the world, even non-traditional doors such as Bedouin tent flaps and next to homeless people sleeping outdoors. Every adult over the age of 21 receives a box with their name on it. Inside the box is a string that measures the length of each person's life. Nina, a magazine editor, gets a long string while her girlfriend Maura's string is barely half the length of Nina's, yet they stay together. Nina's parents and her sister Amie opt to not open their boxes, preferring to live in blissful ignorance. Ben, an architect, gets a short string and his girlfriend of two years breaks up with him almost immediately. Hank is an emergency room doctor who receives a short string and decides to resign from the hospital and use his remaining time as best he can. Political figures, governments, and religions all weigh in on the importance, meaning, and origin of the strings. What do the strings really mean? How will they change society and impact the future? Written by several narrators with differing viewpoints.

Normally when I see a book with one of those celebrity book club stickers on the cover, I go the other way or don't expect much, in this case the "Read with Jenna" TV book club. I decided to read this book since it was recommended to me by a friend. It's an interesting take on a futuristic/dystopian society combined with the mythology of the Fates and also the story of Pandora. After people begin receiving the strings, the societal response is similar to the varied responses to COVID-19 and the vaccines: some extreme, some violent, some benign, some believing it's a hoax, some looking to profit. Highly recommended.

"Que sera, sera (Whatever will be, will be)" - song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, sung by Doris Day

The Fates — Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos — were divinities in Greek mythology who presided over human life. Clotho spun the thread, Lachesis measure it out, and Atropos cut it off. They represented birth, life and death.