Though I didn’t read nearly as much as I normally do this year, what I did read packed a punch. From dark speculative fiction to funny dark comedy to craft writing tomes, my list provides something for everyone to read over the holidays. Enjoy!
In no particular order, I loved these books most of the stack I read in 2023:
1. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver (literary)
Who doesn’t love Barbara Kingsolver? This is a popular novel you may have to buy while you wait on the library list, but it’s worth it. Demon is impossible not to like and root for, and the entire time you will only want him to find a happy home. Inspired by Dickens’ David Copperfield but set in drug-riddled Appalachia, this is a long character study, beautifully written, with a quiet-but-clear moral message. I read it for book club, which I missed when my babysitter canceled, so I found myself seeking out people to discuss all the variations of parenting developed in it. I would still discuss it with you, if you’re keen.
2. I Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makkai (literary suspense)
Makkai is a masterful writer of both plot and language, both necessary to pull off a good literary suspense, maybe my favorite genre. Though I thought this book longed for a stronger subplot, I did think Makkai pulled off the point of view—that of an outsider journalist/podcaster, obsessed with a cold boarding-school crime she was only tertiarily involved in, but which has plagued her for years. A challenging structure and story for a writer to pull off, one that I imagine Makaii wrangled like a difficult jigsaw puzzle, it still read smoothly, pulling me into that world.
3. Bunny: A Novel, by Mona Awad (speculative horror/satire/dark comedy)
For fans of Heathers, this weird, dark comedy is both disturbing and laugh-out-loud funny. There are a few tender moments, too. A satire that explores the dangers of clan friendships, the rituals and privilege of writing programs, and the ridiculousness of finding the perfect match, this short novel covers a lot of ground in a rather simple but pacey plot. But if you can’t stomach bunnies exploding, it might not be for you.
4. Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson (satire/dark comedy)
I read this laugh-out-loud satire over two days. Its plot was fast, its writing accessible, its characters both empathetic and oddly fascinating and funny. About a woman called to nanny two children who catch on fire when upset, it will leave you feeling like family and loving parents can be found anywhere and that everyone is worthy of love.
5. Tender is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica (speculative horror/apocalyptic)
I almost hesitate to recommend this speculative horror, about a world forced to consume human flesh after a worldwide virus that wiped out animals. I got the title from an editing client who was looking for comps for her dark satire (congratulations to her for finding an agent, by the way!). Curious, I read Tender, and woah! I couldn’t stop thinking about its twisted, post-apocalyptic world, which reminded me of a more disturbed 1984 or Fahrenheit 451. I was especially affected by the end, which will keep you up at night. Soooo good. Soooo bad.
6. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell (Nonfiction/thesis)
I love me a good Malcolm Gladwell title. With the rise of the super billionaire class and its puppeteering of the justice system, this one, from the author of Tipping Point, is timely and necessary. Though this book is researched nonfiction, it’s not dry like academic texts. You won’t put it down or turn it off (I listened to the audio version, which is just as good).
7. Sorrow and Bliss, by Meg Mason (upmarket/book club)
This book is slow and at moments depressing, so why do most people love it? Given to me by a friend who thought I’d connect, I read it skeptically and still loved it. About a woman who recognizes that nothing seems to work out for her but doesn’t know why, it reminded me of Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman is in Trouble, dark and touching, raising the lingering and plaguing question about what went wrong and whose problem that really is.
8. Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee (Nonfiction/writing craft/thesis)
The Bible of screenwriting, this thick craft book analyzes story structure with the logic of a philosopher or mathematician, using classic movies, like Chinatown (apparently McKee’s favorite movie ever) as examples. For editors, writers, readers, and movie critics alike, it will change how you view story. Buy a copy so you can underline and come back to it.
9. Local Woman Missing, by Mary Kubica (upmarket suspense)
About a woman who goes jogging and disappears, this multiple-POV suspense traces the clues back to old conflicts and other missing women. Readers are left always asking whether the cases truly are related, or whether they are small-town coincidences. This one is long and dense, and yet you will read it fast, the suspense is that good.
10. The Latecomer, by Jean Hanff Korelitz (literary)
From the author of The Plot, this layered literary novel takes a minute to engage but pays off with patience. Told from the perspective of (what we in the multiples world call a “bonus baby”) the fourth, later child after triplets, this story challenges our assumptions that all multiples come out close and remain that way their entire lives. Born into a wealthy, dysfunctional, though not unkind family, who have more feelings about fine art than they do their offspring, who can blame them? At least, they have that in common, but is it enough to bring them together? Korelitz’s attention to detail is what brings these characters alive. Even as many walls as these characters put up, I felt like I knew and even loved them.
What were your favorites? Share in the comments so we can gift them!
Thanks for this list! Highly recommend Old God’s Time by Irish writer Sebastian Barry.
In re Kevin Wilson, have you read Now Is Not the Time to Panic?? I started with Nothing to See Here, which I enjoyed, but Panic really engulfed me. Bighearted love letter to making art.
Will check out some of the creepies on your list--I can always use more creepy!