Comments on: BEST BOOKS of 2023

By: Linda S.

Linda S. — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:47:45 +0000

I have read 5 from your favorites’ list, and I am especially happy to see “The Caretaker” on your list, which I loved. I do hope more people read it.

By: Susie

Susie — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 01:58:25 +0000

In reply to Susan. I won't be traveling as much in 2024 and that's okay. It was A LOT! I ended up reading 156 books in 2023 and that beat 2022 for my top spot by only 2 books. This year I set my goal for 140. I feel like it wouldn't hurt me to back off a little. Let me know how In Memoriam and Hello Beautiful go. I think you'll like both.

By: Susie

Susie — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 01:56:21 +0000

In reply to Suzy. I really enjoyed Romantic Comedy, too. I've watched Sturday Night Live my whole life, so that aspect really appealed to me. I've read Flight Behavior and you're right, it's wonderful. Sadly, I'm not a fan of Elizabeth Strout. I always feel underwhelmed by her books. In general though, I love books set in Maine.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 13:24:12 +0000

Whoa you did have a lot of great travels this year. Wonderful places. But it didn’t seem to affect the amount of reading you did … which was huge. Was that the most you’ve ever read in a year?! I’m glad for your Best of list. There’s two in particular I need to get to: In Memoriam and Hello Beautiful. I’m not sure how these got by me but they did … I’m especially keen to get to the Alice Winn book. So glad you liked them a lot. I actually thought it was a very good year for novels …. so many good ones!

By: Suzy

Suzy — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:34:39 +0000

I love your categories: “Best Book read due to FOMO”—-those are great. Not sure I”m up to such cleverness. I have to say this was NOT my best year for 5 star books, and I read 112 so far (hope to squeak in 3 more). My TWO big favorites are first: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, I realize it’s a backlist book, but WOW, was that excellent in every respect, I never wanted it to end. I listened to that one on audio, read by Barbara herself and I think that contributed to my enjoyment. Second, The Hero of This Book, by Elizabeth McCracken. Supposed to be a novel, but I seriously feel it is actually a memoir of her mother, partially disguised, because her mother made her promise never to write about her. I am a caretaker for my mother and this book seriously resonated with me, despite the sad ending, I delighted in every word, right from the first paragraph. THEN, on a roll, I read McCracken’s An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination—this one WAS a memoir, of a baby that died inside her, and wow, it was powerful. Rounding out my other best favorites is Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld—I really enjoyed this grown-up love story between two people I liked, and I especially liked the emailing section. Epistolary novels are my thing! Last, I will mention Lucy By the Sea, by Eliz. Strout. This is my favorite of the Lucy Barton novels, it all comes down to this. I live in Maine, so I appreciated that part of it, too.