12 Books I Loved In 2023 and Seven On My List for 2024.
Your holiday reading has never been so cozy...
Merry Christmas and happy holiday season dear friends!
Thank you for a wonderful year of reading, writing, and general shenanigans together. I greatly appreciate your support and I’ve loved getting to know so many of you. I hope you’re enjoying a restful, relaxing holiday break - - hopefully it’s one that’s FILLED with wonderful books.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration next time you’re at the library or if Santa Claus brings you a gift card that’s burning a hole in your proverbial pocket, these 12 books are incredible reads.
(PS: Are you on Goodreads.com? I am, but I’m not particularly social there. Maybe I should turn that around? You can find my profile here).
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker. If you think all conferences suck, weddings are blah, and the annual summer potluck is lacklustre, it’s not just you. This was an utterly fascinating look at why humans gather and why we do it so poorly when we do. Essential reading for anyone getting hitched, hosting a fundraiser, or planning a party.
Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory by Sarah Polley. What an amazing collection of highly personal essays from the Oscar winning writer.
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. It’s not about swimming but anyone who has spent time doing laps will appreciate this intriguing novel.
Have I told you how much I enjoy the Flora Steele mystery series? Flora is a young bookstore owner in a rural village in post-World War II England and she joins forces with a shy crime writer to solve a series of crimes in their wee community. The very definition of the “cozy” category of mystery novels. The first in the series is The Bookshop Murder and it’s by Merryn Allingham.
We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian: A beautifully crafted story about the ugliness of the American foster care system.
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey. I loved the rich details of this mystery, which is set in 1920s Bombay, featuring the city’s first female lawyer as the protagonist.
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. If you love post-war fiction but don’t want a focus on mysteries (or the war itself), this delightful novel about preserving the legacy of Jane Austen is a perfect read.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith. Smith’s memoir of life after her divorce and finding fame as a poet is a beautiful, emotional read.
Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Maggie Hope Mystery, #1) by Susan Elia MacNeal: What happens when a brilliant mathematician gets stuck in the typist pool in the Prime Minister’s war office? You’ll have to read to find out. I really enjoyed this one and I hope to grab the next books in the series over the Christmas holidays.
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