Every Book I Read in 2023 Reviewed in One Sentence
This entry is long overdue! When I neglected to type up my thoughts on these books at the start of last year, I wrote it off as a total loss. I’m trying to remind myself that it’s never too late to catch up on writing that feels fulfilling, and this is such a fun way to look back on books later on. Trite though it may be, better late than never!
In 2023 I read 34 works of fiction, weirdly the very same number as I read in 2022. I read a lot of Restoration-era plays in the back half of the year because I took a Brit Lit class for the Master’s program I started at Cal Poly. I’ve done my best to acknowledge what I’ve read for school, within reason. If I might have read it otherwise outside of class and I finished it, then I included it!
February
Little Fires Everywhere
I could not be torn away from this book to the extent that I nearly gave up a banana boat ride to keep reading it.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Blanche DuBois has got to be an all-time choosing beggar.
Native Son
Bigger Thomas, you were doomed from the moment you were named.
March
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Absolute proof that although Shel Silverstein could never have written “The Wasteland,” that TS Eliot could have written Where The Sidewalk Ends.
The History of Love
I have a soft spot for literature that loves literature itself; this is one such book.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
This books made me wistful for all the parts of my childhood that were so magical to me then, but have since faded from memory.
April
Gilded
I thought that I was done with reading Young Adult literature, but the grasp of fairytale in this book revived my interest in the genre.
May
The Liar's Dictionary
It must have been my shortsighted speculative thinking that convinced me that the two central characters, kept apart by time, would somehow eventually meet each other.
I'm Glad My Mom Died
Such an indictment of the entire industry of child acting and gives some credibility to the celebrity memoir genre.
The Calculating Stars
Imagine if The Man in the High Castle and Hidden Figures had a baby!
Waiting for Godot
Whenever I go camping, my sister and I read a play together in our tent, and this play was perfect for it.
June
My Heart is a Chainsaw
Not my favorite work by Stephen Graham Jones by far, but fun and engaging nonetheless.
July
Emet
I’m proud to say that this stunning, Nebula-nominated novelette was written by a friend of mine.
Siddhartha
I felt such peace reading this on a fishing trip in Loreto, MEX.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Nothing could have prepared me for the extent to which these parents suck.
August
Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
Feeling inspired by the anime announcement, I decided to crack these graphic novels open!
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Sped through it.
Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness
Would have kept reading except that Rufus only owns the first three volumes.
The Handmaid's Tale
In a culture that grows ever-more conservative, this book genuinely freaked me out; too real.
September
The Hidden Palace
Has all of the mastery of craft of the first book, but ultimately did not leave me as satisfied.
The Complete Persepolis
I got on a real graphic novel kick and so this was the obvious next choice, which educated and entertained in equal measure.
Saga Volume 9
This story has kept me enthralled for years and I only wish it came out quicker so I could gobble it up even faster.
The Country Wife
A raucous and raunchy introduction to the Restoration era!
Secret Love, or The Maiden Queen
Far more polyamorous than a work of its time has the right to be.
The Rover
Today we would call this The Fuckboy.
October
Venice Preserv'd
It’s about violence against the state and against women.
The Overstory
A rich look at how our lives are delicately interwoven, with each other, and with our world.
Royal Mischief
A bonkers play that truly requires an adaptation with muppets.
Way of the World
Bring back chocolate houses.
Love at a Loss
Had me crafting situationship diagrams beyond the fathom of most.
The Beggar's Opera
The second time I’ve read it and I am convinced Macheath would thrive in a toxic queer commune.
November
The Count of Monte Cristo
An epic story of revenge that did need to be edited.
All Systems Red
I love when a charming non-human struggles to interact with humans.
December
A Christmas Carol
A classic for a good reason, and if you would believe it, my first time reading it!
