J24-BP1
New Year.
Alright, we are finally on the other end, starting a new year – 2024.
Before getting too deep into this year, I wanted to stop for a moment and look back on 2023, discuss my favorite book picks for the year, things I learned, and what I’m looking for in my literary pursuits for 2024.
2023 Literary Review
•Favorite Books•
You can find the list of books I read in 2023 here. The following are my top 3 picks:
3. Trust by Hernan Diaz
This book got my brain thinking in ways that I love. As I went through it I could not help but analyze the text and make connections. I was also reminded of cherished classics like The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and actually ended up re-reading both titles after finishing this book.
What I loved about this book:
- Its structure/format
- Literary fiction elements. It felt like I was reading a well-loved classic.
- Its open ending had me thinking about this story long after I had finished it.
Summary from the back of the book:
Even through the roar and effervescence of the 1920s, everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask. He is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; she is the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together, they have risen to the very top of a world of seemingly endless wealth—all as a decade of excess and speculation draws to an end. But at what cost have they acquired their immense fortune? This is the mystery at the center of Bonds, a successful 1937 novel that all of New York seems to have read. Yet there are other versions of this tale of privilege and deceit.
Hernan Diaz’s TRUST elegantly puts these competing narratives into conversation with one another—and in tension with the perspective of one woman bent on disentangling fact from fiction. The result is a novel that spans over a century and becomes more exhilarating with each new revelation.
At once an immersive story and a brilliant literary puzzle, TRUST engages the reader in a quest for the truth while confronting the deceptions that often live at the heart of personal relationships, the reality-warping force of capital, and the ease with which power can manipulate facts.
– Hernan Diaz, Trust
2. Pax by Sara Pennypacker
This book stole my heart. It was such an unexpected delight of a read with very emotional moments that made me want to cry. The illustrations sprinkled throughout the book were whimsical and fun, I enjoyed every one of them.
What I loved about this book:
- The characters – Pax and his boy
- The illustrations
- The beautiful way in which Sara Pennypacker manages to show us the awful truths about war and how we live through them.
Summary from the back of the book:
Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter’s dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.
At his grandfather’s house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn’t where he should be—with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.
Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own. . . .
From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the essential truths that define us and the devastating costs of war. Pax is destined to become a beloved classic.
– Sara Pennypacker, Pax
1. The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
I would describe this book as a cozy fiction. It’s a story about a group of people that come together as a book club to support and old curmudgeon- Arthur McLachlan. It was a lovely heartwarming story that left me craving more of its kind but sadly nothing else filled the void it left in 2023.
I loved this book because of its wholesome characters and its gentle reminder for us to be brave and live authentically.
Summary from the back of the book:
Sloane Parker lives a small, contained life as a librarian in her small, contained town. She never thinks of herself as lonely…but still she looks forward to that time every day when old curmudgeon Arthur McLachlan comes to browse the shelves and cheerfully insult her. Their sparring is such a highlight of Sloane’s day that when Arthur doesn’t show up one morning, she’s instantly concerned. And then another day passes, and another.
Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden…and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur’s gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart—and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages.
– Lucy Gilmore, The Lonely Hearts Book Club
•Lessons Learned•
Last year (2023) was a lot about exploration for me. I wanted to see what was out there in the book world and find my place in it, see what I enjoyed.
Having been an English major and later a high school English teacher I have traditionally leaned toward classic literary fiction. Last year I wanted to stray away from that and see what new fiction was out there.
I tried my hand at different types of writing – mystery, personal growth and development, fantasy, cozy fiction, women’s fiction, popular social media books and more.
What I learned is that old habits die hard. I still enjoy literary fiction the best. Regardless of that truth I found a lot of value in seeing what was out there. For instance I was glad to have tried out a few popular social media books. Drawn in by the hype of big names and titles I picked up a few of these recommendations between 2022 and 2023. I can see their appeal and the fun that comes with being a reader who feels part of a large community; however, generally speaking I did not find these titles to be ones that I would want to read again and again.
As a reader I became more aware of the different reasons people come to books and how this informs what they pick up and enjoy. Personally, I like to think about what I read, I like to analyze, make connections, and walk away feeling like I have conquered something, a puzzle of sorts or have gotten some hard won bit of life wisdom. I enjoy indulging in little bits of a book as it moves along, meditating on why the author chose this word or that one and sitting for long periods of time with a story. I enjoy being a slow reader.
As a writer I am not sure that there is a correlation between what I enjoy reading and what I can write. Perhaps with greater skill comes more ability to bring to life the vision that you have for your own writing… but I am not certain of this.
Books I’m Working Through
The following books are titles that have carried over from last year.
- Fairy Tale
- A Discovery of Witches
- One Dark Window
I hope to finish them this year. My favorite of these current three is Fairy Tale by Stephen King. I have been surprised to find myself enjoying this story a lot. It’s important for me to share that I am a big time scaredy-cat and for this reason I tend to shy away from Stephen King, the king of horror. This is also the reason I decided it would be best to read Fairy Tale together with my husband. So far it hasn’t been very frightening and for that I am thankful.
What am I looking for in the coming year?
During the last year my likes and dislikes as a reader became more apparent to myself and while I enjoyed expanding my horizons, this new year I would like to be more selective in what I choose to read. I want to spend more time reading books I genuinely enjoy and I think that will mean reading more literary fiction. That isn’t to say literary fiction will be the only type of book I read but I certainly want to get a better sense of modern literary fiction. I also seemed to enjoy cozy reads so I may see what else I can find in that direction. Books about books will likely make an appearance.
I am excited to see what new stories and authors I discover and see how they will in turn impact my writing style.
Hope your year is getting off to a good start!
Until next time,
Angelica Sophia
P.S.
What were your favorite books from 2023?
Angelica Sophia 