Best of 2023: Books
After grueling deliberation, here are my selected favorites from the top-ranks of my 2023 reads. The best of the best in Non-fiction, Fiction, and Short Stories.
Non-fiction —————————
How to Know a Person
// David Brooks
I love David Brooks’ work - articles, essays, and books. But this one might be my favorite he’s ever done. He inspects relationships and how to approach them with humility and wisdom.
This one is truly a life-changer.
Fiction ——————————
Eileen
// Ottessa Moshfegh
Eerie. Graphic. Heartbreaking. Chilling. It follows Eileen, an unstable young woman who works at a juvenile male correctional facility and lives with her alcoholic father. It’s a raw glimpse into the depths of the human heart and the desire we all have to belong. Moshfegh is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite authors.
And the film-to-screen version is being released in theaters TODAY.
Dinosaurs
// Lydia Millet
I'm rarely drawn in by fiction with an environmentalist flavor - IMHO it can *sometimes* be preachy and/or dry. BUT this novel somehow perfectly walks the line of emotion without sap and emphasis without preaching.
It follows a man named Gil who moves from New York to Arizona. Shortly afterward, a family moves into the house next door. As their lives begin to mesh, they become devoted to each other, and Gil re-examines what it means to be alone.
It’s a tender exploration of grief and hope in a world where man-made existential threats loom large on the horizon.
The Little Friend
// Donna Tartt
My personal favorite from my personal favorite. Tartt will always hold that top spot in my heart. She’s the writer who made me want to be a writer. I still feel that every time I open one of her books.
The Little Friend is set in Alexandria, Mississippi and follows 12-year-old Harriet Dufresnes as she sets out to unmask the killer who took the life of her brother twelve years ago. It explores the rigid lines of caste, race, and the wide ripples of a family’s grief.
Tartt has a particularly sharp grasp on the depths of human darkness and kindness. This novel exemplifies both beautifully.
Short Stories ———————
Bliss Montage
// Ling Ma
Eight tales of love, possession, friendship, motherhood, abuse, connection, and a woman living in a house with all of her ex-boyfriends. Throughout these stories, Ma explores human relationships and the fine line between reality and madness.
Brilliant. Made me itch to write.
Until next time,
R
