Jeff probably thought we’d never get around to his favorite books read in 2023. I’m happy, though, that a few of you contributed to the blog. Don’t worry! I have something else in mind for you at the end of June, more group participation. In the meantime, Jeff sent a list of twenty books, a nice round number of favorites. Thank you, Jeff!
I’ll start with the non fiction, then do the fiction. Both groups are in chronological order by date read.
Non-fiction:
Will Schwalbe, The End of Your Life Book Club: A Memoir. Also his We Should Not Be Friends: The Story of a Friendship. I know you read these books. He and his mother, who was dying, bonded by discussing books they were reading. The second is about an unlikely college friendship that endured over a lifetime, somehow.
Lucinda Williams, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir. The singer and songwriter’s very entertaining story of her life.
Jane Smiley, 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel. I’ve never read Smiley’s fiction but really liked this look at 100 novels from her point of view.
Daniel James Brown, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This story is more than just about these University of Washington rowers. It’s about the Depression, about the rise of Hitler, and so much more. Terrific book.
Jonathan Raban, Father and Son: A Memoir. After a serious stroke, Raban took over a decade to write this memoir of his recovery plus his father’s World War II experiences.
Fiction:
Stephen Spotswood, Murder Under Her Skin. Second about Willowjean “Will” Parher & Lillian Pentecost takes Will back to the traveling circus where she used to work. Set in Middle America just after World War II.
Iris Yamashita, City Under One Roof. In Point Mettier, Alaska, all 205 residents do indeed live in the one high-rise building that constitutes the entire town. Then body parts start washing ashore. There is, by the way, a real place called Fermont on the Quebec-Labrador border where this is a real thing. There is a TV series called “The Wall” that is worth a look,
Michael Robotham, Lying Beside You. Third in the Dr. Cyrus Haven/Evie Cormac series has Cyrus’s brother, who murdered the rest of their family as a young man, getting out of the asylum after 20 years, and wanting to live with Cyrus. Book 4 is out soon.
Edith Maxwell, A Questionable Death & Other Historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries. The title pretty much tells it all. Set in late 19th Century New England.
Anthony McCarten, Going Zero. Fast moving thriller about computer surveillance, etc. If any of ten chosen people can stay undetected for 30 days they will win millions.
T. J. Newman, Falling and Drowning. Former flight attendant has written two outstanding thrillers that will make you question ever getting on a plane again.
S. A. Cosby, All the Sinners Bleed. Not Cosby’s best book – for me, that was Razorblade Tears – but still one of the best of the year. Black Sheriff (former FBI agent) in southern Virginia.
Dennis Lehane, Small Mercies. South Boston in the summer of 1974, with a school busing order about to go into effect. Tremendously tense and well written.
Craig Johnson, The Longmire Defense. I know some people didn’t like this as much as others in the series, but with Walt and Henry, and a proposal, you can’t go far wrong.
Richard Osman, The Last Devil to Die. Joyce, Elizabeth & the gang. ‘Nuff said.
Edward D. Hoch, The Killer Everyone Knew. Latest collection is of Captain Leopold police stories (Leopold’s Way, the earlier collection, is also worth seeking out and reading) is, as always with Hoch, very entertaining reading.
Ann Patchett, Tom Lake. The first of her novels I’ve read and I really liked it a lot. I’ve never been a huge fan of OUR TOWN but this made me want to reread it.
Paula Munier, Home at Night. Newlyweds Mercy Carr & Troy are about to buy a haunted mansion in Vermont when – of course – she stumbles over a dead body. Latest in a favorite K-9 series is as good as the others, or better.
Michael Connelly, Resurrection Walk. This is billed as a Lincoln Lawyer book, and Mickey Haller does get the bulk of the action, though his half-brother Harry Bosch does contribute his share, as Haller tries to get a wrongly convicted woman exonerated and freed. He is definitely one of my favorite writers and this is a terrific book.
Lee Goldberg, Calico. I’m a long time fan of Goldberg’s books, but he’s reached a new level with this cross between a police procedural and an old-fashioned western, with a little (well, a lot) of time travel thrown in. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, and yet I didn’t want it to end. I loved it.
Thanks, Jeff! In looking through your list, I think I read more similarly to your reading list than to anyone else’s.
A great list.
The Boys in the Boat is a great book.
I really need to make time to read The Boys in the Boat. Or at the very least watch the movie. (I know, I know.)
Thank you, Jeff, for the very kind words about CALICO!
Thanks, Lesa, for printing this. It’s my own fault for dilly dallying and taking so long to get the list in. Looking back, it was a good reading year. And thanks, Lee, for writing such a good book.
Thank you, Jeff. It doesn’t matter when the list comes in. It’s fun to see what’s on it. As I said, I think my reading is closest to yours.
Thank you, Jeff. I’ve read some of these and couldn’t agree more!
Would love to read them, they sound good.
Thanks, Jeff! Terrific list. I have read some, but have added a couple to my list to look for.
What an interesting list Jeff, I’m especially taken by the Iris Yamashita. it sounds fascinating (though of course our library system doesn’t have it – I am adding it to my Amazon wishlist.) And I’ve found The Wall TV series on Channel 4.
The Stephen Spotswood series sounds great, and amazingly, the library does have one of these. I’ve also bookmarked the Michael Connelly and the Dennis Lehane books, as I’ve never read anything by either of these authors.
I bought the Jane Smiley book on your recommendation, and it is sitting on my shelf waiting to be read – thanks for reminding me about it.
You do read some great books – and so many of them! Do you read at certain times, or just when the opportunity presents itself?
A very nice list. I also enjoyed The End of Your Life Book Club and will look into Schwalbe’s other book you mentioned. We purchased 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel at your recommendation but neither of us had read it yet. (Our copy has small print but we will brave it anyway.)
In fiction, you are way ahead of me in the Stephen Spotswood series. Looking forward to catching up someday. I also enjoy City Under One Roof. There are several others on your list I plan to read, especially Tom Lake.
The Last Devil to Die was also one of my Top Ten for 2023.