Favorite Books of 2023

The Dissident by Paul Goldberg

• I absolutely loved this book and the author's use of Russian and Yiddish words. Loved the tongue-in-cheek humor.
• The frequent send-back to Master and Margarita - ahh, that warms my heart.
• Inspiring

Slow Horses by Mick Herron 

• Well-written, fun characters who are flawed but (mostly) likeable
• The world feels real and authentic
• This book has a sense of humor and doesn't take itself too seriously.
• Interesting premise of "looser-spies" - no "James Bond saves the world" stuff here
• Also read and enjoyed other books in the series: Dead Lions, Real Tigers, Spook Street, London Rules, Joe Country

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

• Nonfiction
• Honest, passionate, not preachy, thought-provoking

With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

• Well-written, immersive thriller with strong, interesting characters
• A character with autism seems authentic
• Parenting themes are realistic
• Some of the plot twists seemed contrived.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

• This was a very interesting and enjoyable read - loved the concept (ended up retelling part of the book to my family).
• Pretty dark but not gruesome
• Characters are often unlikeable, but you still feel for them.
• Unexpected ending (even though I figured out the villain before the end of the book)

You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz

• A solid thriller - I really grew to respect the main character, Grace, after initially finding her to be a bit eye-roll-inducing.

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

• Excellent! Funny and relatable, and a fun read. Not too deep but makes you feel good.

Nettle & Bone by Ursula Vernon/Kingfisher

• Enjoyable fantasy and a good escape.

Thornhedge by Ursula Vernon/Kingfisher

• Nice and short! I liked this re-telling of Sleeping Beauty (with a psychopathic killer)

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

• A short puzzle of a mystery. There is a clear malicious intent (so you know something bad is going to happen), but the twist caught me off-guard (I should have seen it coming!)

Not absolute favorites, but also enjoyed the following books:

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (a well-constructed page-turner; I liked the 3 POVs that overlapped, describing the same event from different angles)

Let Justice Descend by Lisa Black (liked scienc-y details and descriptions of the lab; plot was interesting and unexpected)

Mother May I and Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson (both are well-written page-turner thrillers with interesting characters and unexpected twists)

The Maid by Nita Prose

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (What is someone with a history of mental illness and paranoid delusions had a solid suspicion that their neighbor is a murderer? What if no one believes them? Fun read!)