The Best Books I Read in 2023
My favorite fiction and non-fiction
I can’t help myself. I love to read everyone’s “best of” book lists. This year I read some great fiction and a lot of books about writing and children’s literature.
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Without further ado, here’s my favorites from 2023:
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
I bought this one at Shakespeare & Company in Paris and finally got around to reading it. What a treat! Beautiful, fascinating characters and innovative structure and writing style.
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
Absolutely loved this one. Probably my favorite read of 2023. It’s categorized as YA but it’s for everyone. I’m still thinking about it months later.
Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian
If you’re a parent or educator, this is a must read.
Works of Mercy by Sally Thomas
Recently released novel by Catholic novelist, Sally Thomas. This one was so good! I really, really loved the main character.
What About the Baby? by Alice McDermott
I also read McDermott’s novel The Ninth Hour this year. Her thoughts on writing (and particularly on her Catholic faith and the creative life) are fascinating.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
I’ve been meaning to read Joan Didion for ages. This one blew me away. It’s about grief and it’s beautiful and painful and incredible.
The Invisible Child: On Reading and Writing Books for Children by Katherine Paterson
This book is out of print, but it is life-changing if you are a children’s book writer/editor. Paterson’s vision of what it means to write for child is so good. I would love to meet her.
A Life of One’s Own: Nine Women Writers Begin Again by Joanna Biggs
I reviewed this one here!
What were some of your favorite reads in 2023?
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Yours,
Haley
One of my favorite reads of the year that I've been recommending all over the place was The Inquisitor's Tale: Or Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz. Wonderful YA novel about faith, friendship, and how you know who to trust. If you can tolerate a few artistic liberties with the story of Joan of Arc I think you and your kids would all love this one. Other favorites included The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (the Newbery committee got it RIGHT with this one and I think you'd love it too) No One Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb (top notch audio book, read by the author) and How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith.
I loved Demon Copperhead, it was so full of heart, the Passenger and Stella Maris was also incredible, great year for reading