My 2023 Reading Round-Up
Another year of reading! You know that I love reflecting on it so here is my 2023 Year of Reading in Review.
The unreliability of these stats perplexes me! Some of these books were audio books, so the page count is more “in spirit” than a fact. But I’ll mark which books were listened to and which were read with my eyes.
Where the books came from for me is another thing I enjoyed reflecting on so I decided to mark that down too.
Books Finished: 36
Books Read: 32
Books Listened To: 4
Pages Read: 10,343
Longest Book: 572 pages, The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson.
Shortest Book: 112 pages, Proclamation and Theology by William H. Willimon.
Books I Quit: 5 (there is no self-agency quite like recognizing a book isn’t for me and deciding it doesn’t get my attention)
NOVELS
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
– a gift from my friend Paul –
Maybe my favourite read of the year. I was moved by how this novel, on one hand, takes a sweeping view of the transcendent beauty in the cosmic drama that is at once comedy and tragedy. And on the other hand, it takes a moment just to look at a man cradling a child in the afternoon heat, wishing he had a beer. I will reread this one day.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
– a gift from my friend Dani –
It’s not entirely true, but my comment to a friend half-way through was “nothing is happening and yet it all matters!” It’s a quiet, lush, intelligent, playful story considering our place in history and the dignity of a small local life.
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer
– recommended by my friend Joel –
My other favourite read of the year. Sardonic characters who try to stave of certain sentimentality but are eventually overcome. American Jews in New York who are both buried in the pain of their lives and mystified by what it might mean for the Great I Am to dwell with His people.
King of Immortal Tithe by Ben Alderson
– recommended by Instagram –
Spicy, fantastical, a fun time.
Extinction by Bradley Somer
– recommended by a colleague –
I got to interview Somer on my podcast Putting the Squid to Bed about this novel. It’s a beautiful allegory of our relationship with the earth and our drive to live even while surrounded by death.
Imperfections by Bradley Somer
– recommended by a colleague –
A young model can’t quite tell if his worth runs deeper than his skin. Themes of fate & mortality, and an arresting preoccupation with friendship.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
– found on a top 10 list –
Painful. A challenging semi-autobiographical novel following the main character’s uneasy relationships with his mother, his first lover, and his experience as a gay Asian-American. Glad I read it but I likely won’t repeat.
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3) by Brandon Sanderson
– recommended by my friend Brett –
Finally finished the trilogy I started a couple years ago. Light, imaginative. I really enjoyed it.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
– recommended by my friend Danielle –
Childrens’ stories set in urban centres of certain decades have their own signature sense of fantasy. This kid is one who doesn’t have a home, sees the world both on a slant and more straight-on than the people around him. With my weakness for stories of kids being brave, this got me good.
The Nest by Kenneth Oppel
– recommended by a teacher couple I met once –
Speaking of stories with kids being brave, The Nest is still one of my favourites. Drop whatever you are reading. Pick this up, even if you don’t love kids books. It’s a little odd, but it’s well worth the detour.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
– recommended by my friend Brett –
Swords, honour duels, intrigue, class-based prejudice, gay romance. I had a fun time.
The Decay of the Angel by Yukio Mishima
– recommended by my friend Joel –
A lighthouse, an aging idealist, disillusionment, betrayal. I had less of a fun time! But it was the fourth of a quartet that I enjoyed so worth landing the plane.
The Queen of Attolia & The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
– recommended by my friend Rhoda –
Last year I read The Thief, the first book in Whalen Turner’s series. A really clever fantasy mystery. I had SO much fun with these. She is possibly the author who surprised and impressed me the most this year.
SHORT STORIES
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu
– heard her speak at a festival –
Fingerprints of possibility and anxiety are all over these stories. I think the first in the collection, “Pre-Simulation Consultation XF007867” was my favourite. A shocking but subtle instance of grace. I got to interview Fu on my podcast and had such a fun conversation.
Assorted Selections by Flannery O’Connor
– recommended by my friend Joel –
If you don’t know her, O’Connor was a disabled Catholic writer in the American South. She wrote with blistering insight on how Christ “haunts” the South and is an inescapable figure with whom even the most godless must wrestle. Her stories are challenging and I’ve been inspired to strive for her level of excellence in writing.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
The Nameless City Trilogy by Faith Erin Hicks
– recommended by my friend Chelsea –
Very fun!
Space Boy Volumes 1-4 by Stephen McCranie
– recommended by my friend Chelsea –
Again, very fun!
The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic by John Hendrix
– recommended by my friend Jesse –
Both fun and unbelievably gracious and wise.
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff [Audio Book]
– watched the movie, got interested in the books –
Not for the faint of heart. Really got my empathy into overdrive.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
– found on a top ten list –
Wowza. Family trauma is universal, but show moms can be on a whole other level.
Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity by Justin Baldoni [Audio Book]
– recommended on a podcast –
Some great thoughts. I think I fundamentally disagree with ‘undefining’ masculinity though and would love to see more conversation of ‘redefining.’ Pulling apart something that’s broken is crucial but how are we putting it back together?
The Man Who Couldn’t Stop by Adam David [Audio Book]
– recommended in my Audible feed –
Super. I looked for something like this specifically after a friend was diagnosed with OCD and feel really grateful to have found this one. A journalist who was diagnosed with OCD and sought to write an interdisciplinary monogram featuring clinical research, history, original interviews, and personal anecdotes.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah [Audio Book]
– recommended by my friend Leah –
Super funny while being super thoughtful. I mean, it’s Trevor Noah. Are you surprised? He tells the story of growing up in South Africa as the progeny of an illegal interracial relationship and his journey of navigating racism, poverty, and the universal unpredictability of life.
OTHER NONFICTION
I’m nearing the end of my Masters of Arts in Theological Studies and a bunch of these books appeared in my studies. I confess to being fatigued by writing on theological books, so since this list is purely for my own enjoyment, this time I get to opt out!
Breaking Bread with the Dead by Alan Jacobs
The Basics of Christian Belief by Joshua Strahan
Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal
A Little Book for New Theologians by Kelly M. Kapic
Proclamation and Theology by William H. Willimon
Pray without Ceasing by Deborah Van Deusen Hunsinger
Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age by Collin Hansen & Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra
Reconstructing Pastoral Theology by Andrew Purves
Covenant and Calling: Towards a Theology of Same-Sex Relationships by Robert Song
STARTING 2024
As I jump into my reading for this next year (just finished my first book today!), I actually want to renew my priority goal for last year.
I have SO many books that people lent to me. My hope is by the end of 2024, I will have returned the six borrowed books I’ve still got from friends. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Right?!