2023: A Year in Reading

 

One of my favourite things to do in the relatively calm week between Christmas and New Year is take a moment to reflect on my year in reading. 

My Instagram account @ruthreadsbooks has made that task a bit easier because the covers jog my memory on books that I’ve particularly loved or found interesting – but for the grand tally I still rely on my written reading journal. 

This year – for the first year ever, hurrah! – I actually remembered to number the entries in the journal as I went, rather than going back and counting them by hand at the end of the year. 

So here we go. 

In 2023, I read 107 books. 

That total includes 55 fiction, 51 non fiction and only one book of poetry which is shockingly bad. Please don’t tell my poet husband!

(I do have four poetry collections currently sitting on my bedside bookshelf waiting to be read… so 2024 is already looking like a much better year for poetry!).

I’m not including two DNFs in my list of 107 – but they were a novel and a graphic novel. 

And I won’t write about the ones I didn’t enjoy, because where’s the fun in that?

But in case you’re looking for some new things to read yourself in 2024, here were my favourites in fiction and non fiction. 

Fiction faves

Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi.

An absolutely stunning novel by Ghanaian-American writer Yaa Gyasi, with each chapter following a different descendant of two Ghanaian sisters. The novel spans 300 years, from 18th century Ghana to the modern day United States. It’s epic in scope, and full of memorable, vivid characters. I was late to this – it was released in 2017 – but it was well worth the wait.

The Island of Missing Trees – Elif Shafak.

A rich, magical and beautifully written novel about the love between a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, and the 1970s taverna their relationship revolves around. I almost gave up on this one very early on when I realised the chapter I was reading was written from the perspective of a tree… but I’m so glad I got over myself and persisted!

Leave the World Behind – Rumaan Alam.

Ohhh, this is SUCH an uncomfortable book to read! But so good! I’ve got a low tolerance for violence and gore, so there is none of that… I’m not sure that I’d even call it a thriller… but there is a deep sense of unease that permeates every chapter and intensifies as the book progresses. Basically two families are thrown together in circumstances where we (and they) know that something weird and bad has happened in the world, but no-one is quite sure what.

Bewilderment – Richard Powers.

Not quite as good as The Overstory, but still excellent. It focuses on a widowed father and his neurodivergent son trying to make sense of the scientific world and the harm we are causing to the planet. It’s very moving and had me absolutely sobbing at the end.

Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf.

I hadn’t read any Kent Haruf before this year, but picked this one on a whim from my dear friend Sophie’s second-hand store Sage Cottage Books. Mainly because I loved the cover. I’m so glad I did. It’s such tender, gentle writing and a beautiful story – a real balm for the soul. I’ve since read two of Haruf’s others and been equally charmed by those.

Against the Loveless World and Mornings in Jenin – Susan Abulhawa.

The only writer to warrant two entries in my top ten, because I really couldn’t choose between these incredible novels. They both feature characters, scenes and storylines that are going to stay with me for years. Abulhawa is a Palestinian-American writer, and I have to say that reading Mornings in Jenin just this last month felt VERY OUCHY. Hard to distinguish between this fictional writing and actual contemporary news reports at times. If you would like a way into understanding some of the big issues around Palestine, this would be a great book to start with. Against the Loveless World is more recently published, but it too is a magnificent novel. Set in Kuwait, Jordan and Palestine it’s full of complex characters and wonderful moments of human connection and generosity – as well as moments that will make you furious, sad and frustrated.

Small Worlds – Caleb Azumah Nelson.

Another great example of a book that I almost gave up on and am so glad I persevered with. I tried to read this much earlier in the year but just couldn’t get into it – the writing was so dense it was almost like poetry and I wasn’t sure I could manage that for the length of novel – but I’d loved his previous book Open Water and I wanted to give this one a second chance. I popped it back on the shelf and tried again a few months later, and was totally captivated. It’s an EXHILARATING novel! All about music. Dance. Faith. Family. Home. Let yourself get lost in it.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo – Christy Lefteri.

This is another one that you’ll need to bring the tissues for, following the story of Syrian refugees from Aleppo to Europe. It’s beautifully written, and will somehow, simultaneously, destroy and restore your faith in humans.

City of Orange – David Yoon.

This is one I’ve been recommending to friends who enjoyed Station Eleven. A little bit weird and dystopian and almost sci-fi but grounded enough in the ‘real’ world that it’s still manageable for people like me! A human, character-driven story that’s really well written and thought-provoking.

 

Non fiction faves 

Soundings – Doreen Cunningham. 

Ahhh, this is such a beautiful book. The kind of book I dream of writing. A lot of writers take this approach of weaving together a personal narrative and a bigger, more scientific or global story – but very few of them do it as well as Doreen Cunningham has managed. It’s about parenting, climate change, whales, travel, family, connection and journalism. It made me laugh out loud in parts and cry in others. I learned so much, but also felt fully engaged and invested in a positive outcome for Doreen and her young son.

The Ungrateful Refugee – Dina Nayeri.

I’m starting to think the sign of a good non-fiction book is when the writing can make you laugh, make you deeply upset, and make you furious – all in the space of a few pages. This book brings a welcome and much-needed human perspective to a conversation which is too often dominated by the dehumanising rhetoric of right wing politicians. Strongly recommend for you, and for your racist uncle also.

Fathoms – Rebecca Giggs.

More whales! This one is more dense with scientific writing and has less of a personal narrative than Soundings, but it’s still incredibly accessible, engaging and entertaining. Rebecca Giggs has such a lovely light touch that you will learn a dozen things on every page and not even realise it.

The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen – Kris Kneen.

What an incredibly compelling read this was. It follows the author’s investigation into their family history – a journey that takes them from Australia to Slovenia to Egypt. The word that keeps coming to mind when I think of this is ‘generous’. The author is so generous – both with what they choose to share with the reader and with the way they write compassionately about others.

Home Lands – Chitra Ramaswamy.

This is a really special book by The Times’ food critic Chitra Ramaswamy about her friendship with the incredible Henry Wuga, a Jewish refugee who escaped Germany on the Kindertransport and ended up in Glasgow, where he eventually founded the city’s largest kosher catering company. It’s incredibly moving – and as you might have seen from one of my Instagram posts – includes a very personal connection for us!

Emotional Female – Yumiko Kadota.

Oh boy, did this book make me angry! It’s a brave and passionate account of the overworking, bullying and deeply unreasonable conditions facing junior doctors working in the Australian healthcare system – and especially how a young Asian-Australian woman experiences those intersecting issues.

Arrangements in Blue – Amy Key.

I’d heard so many good things about this book, but didn’t realise until I started it that much of it explores the writer’s complex, complicated, loving relationship with the poet Roddy Lumsden. I’ve long been a huge fan of Roddy’s – and this is a wonderful tribute to him, as well as a wonderful book in its own right. It’s about family, home, and making a meaningful life outside of a traditional romantic relationship. One that’s high up my list for re-reading this year.

Rental Person Who Does Nothing – Shoji Morimoto.

A quirky, fun and inspiring short read. It’s so hard to describe I’m not sure I should even try. Perhaps read this Guardian review instead.

Africa is Not a Country – Dipo Faloyin.

This is an accessible, interesting and hugely entertaining read that should be compulsory reading in every European high school. It’s a brilliant way to learn more about the distinct character and history of each African country, as well as the endless horrors inflicted on them by colonisation and the different routes to recovery.

Underland – Robert MacFarlane. 

What an achievement this big old chunk of a book is! Robert MacFarlane has an almost unmatched ability to make complex, dense subjects accessible, engaging and entertaining. I’ve enjoyed all of his, but I feel like this will stick with me the longest (I’m six months on from reading it, and still think about several chapters on a weekly basis!). It’s one of those rare and wonderful reads that quite genuinely changes your perception of the world, as it becomes impossible to forget what lies beneath our feet.

*

Okay, phew, that’s my wrap-up done! I hope one or two of those appeal and give you some inspiration for how to spend your Christmas book tokens.

My own to-read list is still completely out of control (over 300 at the moment!) but I always love adding to it, so please share your own faves in the comments below.

And have a happy year of reading!

*

Photo by Olga Tutunaru on Unsplash