Loved _Hello Beautiful_ for similar reasons! I loved Candice Carty-Williams' _People Person_ better than _Queenie_. Another big family book, if you're a fan. And highly recommend Ayana Mathis' _The Unsettled_. Very ...unsettling in the all the best ways. One of my goals for the year is more fiction too! I don't find a lot that I love but this year, I'm going to work harder to do so. Happy New Year!
Always love your book round-ups; you and I have similar taste! My favorite for the year was Lessons in Chemistry. I also loved Yellowface, Good for a Girl (a running memoir and manifesto), and two middle grade graphic novels - Hey Kiddo, and The Tryout. I just finished The Girl Who Drank the Moon and it was excellent (and I'm not a huge fantasy fan). Happy new year and here's to more good books!
Hi Amy! So happy to see you here. We always loved comparing our book lists. Love to have you at my Yellowface discussion if you're available. I can't believe I never read Lessons in Chemistry. I liked the show though.
Putting on my calendar! Publishing my "best of reading list" tomorrow. We can compare reading notes :) OH AND YOU MUST READ CHEMISTRY. Really! I think you would love!
I just posted about my fave books from 2023 (link below) and also loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! If you like reading books where tennis is a major plot driver, you may enjoy the novel Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum (I know nothing about tennis, but still enjoyed the book).
I also loved Congratulations, the Best Is Over. What a heartfelt collection of essays. He never fails to hit the right tone. He narrated the audiobook, and he was terrific.
Yes-- the right tone is exactly it! I'm telling you I had to put down the Oprah chapter a few times because the laughing was hurting my face. And then other chapters/points are so touching or well-articulated in a complicated way.
Once upon a time, YOU, dear Nina, helped me start a habit of posting "brief book reviews" (mine are so brief they're not really even reviews) throughout the year, too. Here's my list, from most-recent to start-of-the-year, for 2023: https://www.erikadreifus.com/brief-book-reviews-2023/.
Our lists are so different! By the way, I read How This Night is Different when it was first released and a few times since. It's a solid one. Back when I was writing fiction and getting short stories published, it influenced me a lot.
This is funny, because I would have thought that my book list would have significant overlap with both of yours! But I think I only have 3 overlapping with each of you and My Last Innocent Year might be the only one all three of us read... :-) The other overlaps with Nina are Hello Beautiful and Now is Not the Time to Panic...other overlaps with Erika are The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store and I Have Some Questions for You...
And to answer your question, my top 5: The Covenant of Water, The Postcard, These Precious Days, Still Life, and Harry's Trees.
I loved Foster and Small Things by Claire Keegan. Also loved Tom Lake and that’s notable as I usually don’t like Patchett (with the exception of Truth & Beauty which I LOVE).
Hi Lindsey!! That makes me want to give Tom Lake a chance in 2024. I bought a signed hardcover but haven't felt compelled by the first few pages. I like all of Patchett's nonfiction, but have only enjoyed Bel Canto for fiction. I keep trying anyway! So thrilled to see your name here. :)
I liked Tom Lake, but loved both Patchett's books of essays: "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage and These Precious Days (for a friendship lover, I think you would enjoy)!
I love how your taste spans across genres. I miss reading my psychological thrillers.
Throw one in every so often!!
Loved _Hello Beautiful_ for similar reasons! I loved Candice Carty-Williams' _People Person_ better than _Queenie_. Another big family book, if you're a fan. And highly recommend Ayana Mathis' _The Unsettled_. Very ...unsettling in the all the best ways. One of my goals for the year is more fiction too! I don't find a lot that I love but this year, I'm going to work harder to do so. Happy New Year!
Always love your book round-ups; you and I have similar taste! My favorite for the year was Lessons in Chemistry. I also loved Yellowface, Good for a Girl (a running memoir and manifesto), and two middle grade graphic novels - Hey Kiddo, and The Tryout. I just finished The Girl Who Drank the Moon and it was excellent (and I'm not a huge fantasy fan). Happy new year and here's to more good books!
Hi Amy! So happy to see you here. We always loved comparing our book lists. Love to have you at my Yellowface discussion if you're available. I can't believe I never read Lessons in Chemistry. I liked the show though.
Putting on my calendar! Publishing my "best of reading list" tomorrow. We can compare reading notes :) OH AND YOU MUST READ CHEMISTRY. Really! I think you would love!
I just posted about my fave books from 2023 (link below) and also loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! If you like reading books where tennis is a major plot driver, you may enjoy the novel Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum (I know nothing about tennis, but still enjoyed the book).
https://bummertarget.substack.com/p/the-best-books-i-read-in-2023
Oooh I will put that one on my tbr list. And heading over to see your post.
I also loved Congratulations, the Best Is Over. What a heartfelt collection of essays. He never fails to hit the right tone. He narrated the audiobook, and he was terrific.
Yes-- the right tone is exactly it! I'm telling you I had to put down the Oprah chapter a few times because the laughing was hurting my face. And then other chapters/points are so touching or well-articulated in a complicated way.
Once upon a time, YOU, dear Nina, helped me start a habit of posting "brief book reviews" (mine are so brief they're not really even reviews) throughout the year, too. Here's my list, from most-recent to start-of-the-year, for 2023: https://www.erikadreifus.com/brief-book-reviews-2023/.
Our lists are so different! By the way, I read How This Night is Different when it was first released and a few times since. It's a solid one. Back when I was writing fiction and getting short stories published, it influenced me a lot.
This is funny, because I would have thought that my book list would have significant overlap with both of yours! But I think I only have 3 overlapping with each of you and My Last Innocent Year might be the only one all three of us read... :-) The other overlaps with Nina are Hello Beautiful and Now is Not the Time to Panic...other overlaps with Erika are The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store and I Have Some Questions for You...
And to answer your question, my top 5: The Covenant of Water, The Postcard, These Precious Days, Still Life, and Harry's Trees.
Yes, my reading has shifted somewhat over the years, as has my writing/teaching. As for Elisa Albert's book, I should have read it SO LONG AGO.
I think I influenced a few others throughout the years. That makes me happy! Heading over to your list.
Great list, and I am so honored to be on it! Can’t wait to check out some of these titles in 2024. Happy New Year, Nina!
I admired the structure of your book. I'm always studying structures, and yours works so well.
I loved Foster and Small Things by Claire Keegan. Also loved Tom Lake and that’s notable as I usually don’t like Patchett (with the exception of Truth & Beauty which I LOVE).
Yes to Claire Keegan!
Hi Lindsey!! That makes me want to give Tom Lake a chance in 2024. I bought a signed hardcover but haven't felt compelled by the first few pages. I like all of Patchett's nonfiction, but have only enjoyed Bel Canto for fiction. I keep trying anyway! So thrilled to see your name here. :)
I liked Tom Lake, but loved both Patchett's books of essays: "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage and These Precious Days (for a friendship lover, I think you would enjoy)!
Huge fan of both of those essay collections!
Same re Foster and Tom Lake (especially narrated by Streep). I really did like Paul Murray's The Bee Sting even though it had little punctuation.
I heard Streep was amazing. Maybe the audio of this one is the key.