In 2023 I read 66 books, 35 non-fiction and 31 works of fiction. Here’s the full list: Books I Read in 2023. Here are my seven favorites in no particular order:

Whiskey When We’re Dry: A Novel, by John Larison. In the spring of 1885, seventeen-year-old Jessilyn Harney finds herself orphaned and alone on her family’s homestead. Desperate to fend off starvation and predatory neighbors, she cuts off her hair, binds her chest, saddles her beloved mare, and sets off across the mountains to find her outlaw brother Noah and bring him home. A talented sharpshooter herself, Jess’s quest lands her in the employ of the territory’s violent, capricious Governor, whose militia is also hunting Noah–dead or alive.  Wrestling with her brother’s outlaw identity and haunted by questions about her own, Jess must outmaneuver those who underestimate her, ultimately rising to become a hero in her own right. I LOVED this book!

The Latecomer: A Novel, by Jean Hanff Korelitz. This novel is about a mother, a father, triplets (2 boys and a girl), and then the “latecomer,” who is a sister born 17 years after the triplets. This book is about relationships (and the lack of them) and family dynamics. It’s a page-turner and full of intrigue. The character development is fantastic as the reader becomes invested in the lives of all the characters. There’s no way my description can do it justice. I loved this book (as did everyone I know who read it).

The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz. This book is about the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which is now an 85-year-long study of what makes people happy and fulfilled. The authors are the current director and associate director of the study. The book is full of practical advice and inspiring stories, offering a unique perspective on what matters in life. Key takeaways include: Strong relationships are essential for a good life. As are meaningful work, a sense of purpose and gratitude.

 I am Pilgrim: A Thriller, by Terry Hayes. This is the best spy/thriller novel I’ve ever read. I first read it about 10 years ago and I read it for a second time in 2023. The story revolves around a former top-secret intelligence agent known as “Pilgrim.” He is pulled out of retirement to investigate a seemingly perfect murder committed by an individual known as “Saracen,” who is planning a catastrophic terrorist attack on the United States.

As Pilgrim delves into the investigation, he finds himself entangled in a complex web of international espionage, terrorism, and high-stakes political intrigue. The plot takes readers on a thrilling journey through various countries and follows Pilgrim’s attempts to unravel the deadly plot while facing personal demons from his past.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. First published in 1962, the novel revolves around the lives of two sisters, Mary Katherine “Merricat” and Constance Blackwood, who live in isolation in their family mansion with their Uncle Julian after the rest of their family is poisoned with arsenic. The townspeople are deeply suspicious of the surviving Blackwoods, especially as Constance was tried (and acquitted) for the crime. Merricat, who narrates the story, is fiercely protective of their secluded life and has created a series of rituals and superstitions to guard against outsiders.

Their quiet existence is disrupted when a cousin, Charles, comes to visit with intentions that seem to revolve around the family’s remaining wealth. His arrival and the subsequent events force the sisters to confront their past and the reasons for their isolation, culminating in a dramatic confrontation with the town. Throughout the novel, Jackson masterfully employs her signature themes of isolation, societal judgment, and the thin line between sanity and madness. Silly Merricat! It’s a strange book, but I loved it.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride. This book is set in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 1930s. The story revolves around a cast of characters: Moshe and Chona, the Jewish proprietors of the grocery store; Nate and Addie, the African-American couple who sometimes work for Moshe and Chona; Dodo, Nate’s deaf nephew; and Doc Roberts, the town doctor who is also a klansman. I enjoyed this book, and I thought the author did a terrific job of character development. The book is somewhat of a murder mystery but more a narrative of two communities — the Jews and the negros (as they were referred to then) — as they lived on the margins of a largely white, Christian America. Great book.

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Considered Steinbeck’s magnum opus, East of Eden tells the story of two families, the Hamiltons and the Trasks, who are intertwined in a complex and multigenerational saga of love, betrayal, and redemption. The novel is set in the Salinas Valley of California and spans several decades, beginning in the late 19th century and continuing through World War I.

At the heart of the story are two brothers, Charles and Adam Trask, who are as different as can be. Charles is rough and violent, while Adam is gentle and kind. Their relationship is strained from the beginning, and it only gets worse when they both fall in love with the same woman, Cathy Ames, who is manipulative and deceitful.

As the story unfolds, we see how the lives of the Trask and Hamilton families intersect and how their pasts and choices shape their futures. The novel explores themes such as the nature of good and evil, the power of choice, and the importance of family and community. It is a long book but so good.

Here’s a link to my webpage with other book lists and book-related IFODs: Book Lists