Booking Through 2023

So the new year has finally decided to grace us with its presence. I hope the first week of 2024 has been fantastic for you!

Remember the days of the past when everyone was in a panic about not screwing up the date on their checks? Sometimes it took me months to remember what year it was. Nowadays, with the rise of the internet, writing checks is obsolete, and the new norm during the first week of the year is to focus on lists. Everyone and their dog has come up with a list, unleashing their “best of” and “worst of” for 2023. This is the epitome of clickbait, and I confess, I’ve been clicking away all week. It’s like giving your closet a makeover: the fabulous clothes get the spotlight, while the not-so-great ones take a step back. It’s that time when we celebrate the good stuff and try to forget the bad.

So here is my list. In 2023, I:

• Ran/walked exercised 742 miles; the goal was 800.
• Got to return to Vieques, Puerto Rico—my island, our island. We were there for 4 months, and there were no hurricanes during our visit. Woo hoo!
• After having the idea for a book and piddling with it for 14 years, I finally finished writing it. It’s been edited, and even though I don’t have a publisher yet, the manuscript made the shortlist for a global book award.
• Capt’n Clean and I began remodeling our home in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. We’ve lived, like Pigpen, in a pile of dust for the past few months, but hey, we’re still married.
• And lastly, I listened to a ton of books. 84 to be exact. My goal for the past 10 years has been to read or listen to 100 books a year. 84 is the closest I’ve come to making my goal, so I’m pretty dang satisfied.

I read some awesome books that will stay with me forever. But, of my 2023–84, there were also some pretty bad ones. It chaps me when I’ve spent money and time and a book doesn’t deliver. I’m certainly no book guru, but for those of you who enjoy reading, I thought I’d provide the best books I’ve read in the past year. My “best of list” is below. A list of all the books I read in 2023 follows.

Here we go. Here’s the creme de la creme:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I’ve read a lot of Barbara Kingsolver’s books. There is not one that I consider a waste of my time. She’s a master. But Demon Copperhead is her absolute best. It’s brilliant. Based on David Copperfield, it follows the life of a young boy born to a single mother in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. It’s long. It’s sad. But, oh my, it’s worth it. It won the Pulitzer for 2023.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
I knew nothing about this book until I read it. I was expecting it to be either a cheesy romance or a #metoo exposé. The experience I had was completely unexpected. In 1978, a horrifying incident occurred in Tallahassee, Florida, where an intruder entered a sorority house and brutally attacked four young women. The story is a gripping tale that draws inspiration from real-life events but is fiction. It masterfully captures the harrowing experiences of the victim-survivors and all they endure, because they are yound women in the 70s, to find justice. The narrative skillfully avoids revealing the identity of the killer, with the premise that when horrific things like this happen, the killer, when caught, gets all the attention. Although I never joined a sorority, I experienced college life as a coed in the 1970s. I was completely captivated by this book and couldn’t put it down.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (reread)
I read this wonderful book back in 2016, but I reread it in December since it’s my Morelia book club’s pick for January. I think I loved it more the second time through. It begins pre-World War II and follows the lives of two Jewish cousins who made a brilliant team during the infancy stage of comic book superheroes. I didn’t want it to be over. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2001.

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
I’ve never been to New Zealand and know absolutely nothing about it other than the fact that it is beautiful, a lot of movies are made there, and has a brilliant woman leading the country. This book is about a group of guerilla gardeners who make it their quest to grow food crops on privately owned land. These squatters often operate illegally, in stealth mode. Weird, but intriguing. When a billionaire “adopts” the group, the stage is set for philosophical as well as class contrasts, which eventually become a good old-fashioned psychological thriller. Hang in there to the end of this one. I didn’t see it coming, and I was thrilled that this book surprised me.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
This book begins In 1972, when a construction crew in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, is clearing land for development and finds a skeleton at the bottom of a well. The rest of the book is a flashback devoted to explaining who the bones belong to and how the remains got there. McBride weaves a beautiful tale in the 1920s and 1930s that involves Jewish and African-American residents who live in a dilapidated community known as Chicken Hill. It’s a story of goodness and survival for two very distinctly different groups of people. I left this one feeling hopeful about human kindness.

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
OMG! This may have been my favorite book for 2023. Of course the author, Lynda Rutledge, is from Austin, Texas, and that helped. It’s about 105-year-old Woodrow Wilson Nickel known as “Woody” Nickel, who reminisces about his rowdy 17-year-old self, who in 1938 helped transport two giraffes cross country from New York to the San Diego Zoo. This book brilliantly combines historical facts (yes, two giraffes were toted across the country during this time) and heartwarming fictional characters that you will never forget. Rutledge nails the vernacular, and you will feel that you have experienced the colorful side of the Great Depression, the Hitler threat, and overworked, weary American people looking for wonder in their lives. This book delivers, and then some.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
I quote lines from the movie all the time, but I had never read William Goldman’s original book. It’s short, and because Goldman also did the screenplay, it’s very close to the movie. But I think the book provided a richness that I never knew was there. Capt’n Clean and I listened to this book together on my birthday. Give yourself a gift and read it.

Wish by Barbara O’Connor
The book I wrote this past year is for middle-grade readers. So both Capt’n Clean and I have read just about every contemporary best-seller in this category. Don’t ever think that because a book isn’t labeled for adults, you will not enjoy it. Wish is one of those special reads. It is set in Tennessee and is about an 11-year-old girl named Charlie, who is dumped to live with her aunt and uncle and is desperately seeking a home. It’s a tender story that you won’t forget.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck
This was one of my local book club selections, and I thought I had read it years ago, but was wrong. I know I drooled over James Dean in the movie. There is a reason that Steinbeck’s writing is timeless, and this book is one of his best. It revolves around two sets of brothers, Charles and Adam, then Arron and Cal, and the evil woman Cathy who is at the center of the discord. Cathy makes Cruella DeVille look like a saint. If you’ve never read East of Eden, or haven’t read it in years, I challenge you to check it out. Wonderful read.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman(reread)
Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite contemporary writers. This was another book I had read previously, but reread for my book club discussion. Talk about whacked-out, quirky characters, Backman delivers with an offbeat group of “anxious” people who are held hostage at an apartment open house. Backman is Swedish, and one of the things I appreciate the most about his writing is that it translates beautifully and grabs the core of human existence and compassion. Every time I hear the word “Stockholm” I think about this book. It’s so good.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I was skeptical about this one, but oh my, it was wonderful. I must confess, I’m a closet gamer. I’ve been playing Hearthstone since it began in 2014. So I’m probably biased. But this book is more than just a tribute to gaming. It explores the core of human relationships, especially those between genders. I’ve always had doubts that a man and woman could work closely on a creative level as business partners without there being sexual overtures from one or both. This book tackles all work relationships. It is a love letter to the gaming world. I can’t stop thinking about it to this day.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
I love the way Stephen King writes. I can’t say that I’m overly thrilled with all of his plots and subject matters, but the man can write. I loved this book because it delves into his addictions and relates how writing saved him. But it’s not just a memoir. King spells out the nuts and bolts of what it takes to write effectively. If you have ever wanted to write this book is a must. If you’ve ever wanted to see what makes Stephen King tick, ditto. I will reread this every year for the rest of my life..

So here are all the books I read in 2023. I’ve included the number of pages for each, why I chose to read each one, and how I would rate each (5 stars is the best). If you are wondering about purchasing or reading any of these, maybe this will help you decide. Happy Reading!