2023 Reading List

Time for my 2023 reading list! 

You can see my 2022 reading list here.  I did pretty well and read all of them, except for one, The Valiant by Jaswant Singh Khalsa, because I couldn't find it anywhere.  I also learned it was more of a picture book/YA book, so perhaps not exactly what I was looking for.  I had wanted to read about the Sikh tradition in India but perhaps I can find something else.

Along with my reading list selections, I read a few others, here is the entire list, with a link to what I wrote about it at the time:

Taste by Stanley Tucci
The Book of Essie by Meaghan MacLean Weir
One By One by Ruth Ware
Of Marriageable Age by Sharon Maas
What I Remember, What I Know by Larry Audlaluk
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
The Strangers by Katherine Vermette
Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Off The Record by Peter Mansbridge
Black Water by David A. Robertson
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Well Read Black Girl by Glory Edim
Summer Love by Nancy Thayer
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Smells Like Tween Spirit by Laurie Gelman
Talking to Canadians by Rick Mercer
The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth
The Break Down by B.A. Paris
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
Grown Ups by Marian Keyes
Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
I'm currently reading Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun and have Kiss Her Once For Me, by the same author, on my library hold list, so that will round out my year perhaps along with another holiday book. 

The top three books this year were:

#3

#2

#1

Based on my current "to read" list, I've promoted these my formal selections for 2023.  Like movies, where I don't like watching trailers, I don't like reading too much about the synopsis of the books.  I chose these based on others' recommendations and knowing just little snippets about the plot.  

The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr.  This book won the 2022 Giller Prize and I have rarely been disappointed with a Giller Prizewinner (with the exception of 2016).

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John.  This is a selection from an author I've enjoyed in the past.  Barack Obama had this on his list so it's probably good enough for me too.

Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.  I have seen this book on so many people's reading lists that I knew I had to add it to mine. I really enjoyed The Great Alone by this same author.

The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Verandah. My favourite book last year was by this author so I'm hoping this will also be a good read.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. This author wrote one my favourite books of all time, The Poisonwood Bible so I was pleased to see this new novel by her.  It is described as a modern-day Dickens. I did read Great Expectations back in high school, but not David Copperfield.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. Okay, enough books by past authors.  This one is about Cambodia, a part of the world I know little about. 

The Beguiling by Zsuzsi Gartnet. This is one from the Globe and Mail list. I don't know anything about it, other than I usually trust their selection.

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. I've read a few books about North Korea but it's still so fascinating, I wanted to read this one too.  It's a non-fiction book written by a journalist who interviews different people from North Korea.

Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb. People talk about therapy all the time, but I have never gone to therapy.  This book is about a therapist who also needs to see a therapist.  I'm interested to see what they think. Maybe we should all be speaking to a therapist even if you don't think you need one? 

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman.  A good psychological thriller to round out the list.

Although I'm not in an official book club anymore, I do love to talk with others about books I've read, so check back here at the end of each month when I recap the books I read that month, leave your comments and maybe reach out with a DM on Instagram (or Facebook Messenger) for a bit of a discussion.