Here is my book review for 2023.
Full book list below.
51 for the year, not bad. Some took 1-2 days, others 2-3 weeks. A few were abandoned halfway because life is too short. Nearly all were read in physical version, though a few were on Kindle, especially those needing constant dictionary access. Nearly all books were purchased at second-hand bookstores or op shops and a few came from the public library. Mostly fiction, as always.
A great year, in that I discovered two amazing British authors who have both been around for years without me knowing, and read many of their books at the expense of new books by new writers. No apologies.
Best Book of the Year 1.
William Boyd – Any Human Heart
A ‘whole life novel’ written as a diary. Easy to read. Entertaining. Hard to put down. A simple concept executed perfectly.
Best Book of the Year 2.
Ian McEwan – Solar
Not easy to write a funny book. One of the funniest and most degenerate main characters ever. Amazing research too, though most of the physics stuff went over my head.
Best Book of the Year 3.
Ian McEwan – The Children Act
Maybe it was the time and place that I read it, but this was intense. Perfectly written, great characters, great story and poetic at times. Master at his peak.
Best Book 4
William Boyd – Trio
Pleasant from the first page. Unputdownable. Great characters, especially Elfrida. Nothing like a raging alcoholic as one of the main characters.
Best Australian Book
Christopher Koch – The Year of living dangerously
Ashamed I had never read this. A dark look at a dark period in Indonesian history.
Best Crime 1
Colson Whitehead – Crook Manifesto
Effortless. Smooth.
Best Crime 2
Don Winslow – City of Dreams
The great man, my crime idol, is going through the motions a bit with this series. Still only took 2-3 days to read, but as I said last year, if he has the energy, DW needs a new topic and time to write another epic, 3-part masterpiece like he did in the past. No pressure.
Best Non-Fiction 1
Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan – Faith, hope and carnage
Went through a brief NC phase and devoured this book when sick in a couple of days. The great man is a role model for all creative types. Prolific, thoughtful, and always working and creating. Makes something and moves on to the next thing and never stops. Lots of profound ideas and sad conversations within.
Best Non-Fiction 2
Johann Hari – Chasing the scream
Can’t say I love his style that much, but the so-called war on drugs is always a great topic. This book showed that it is all pretty much a farce, and that humans in general lack the ability to analyse an issue like this with any rationality. Great read.
Best book to read on a train trip
John Steinbeck – In Dubious Battle
He is the unrivalled master. In total control from the first word. Never tries to impress anyone. This is not one of his most famous, but has three of the best characters ever in a book. Riveting to the end.
Book that is awesome and not great at the same time.
David Mitchell – The Bone Clocks
Was flying through this until I reached a certain part and it became tough. Obviously a genius writer, but maybe a bit too ambitious in style for me. Same goes for one part of Cloud Atlas.
Best Short stories
CK Stead – the name on the door is not mine
Don’t read enough Kiwi authors. This was a random one and most of the stories were great.
Best Bio
Greg Graffin – Punk Paradox
Only read one bio for the year. Massive Bad Religion fan. Was great to know more about one of my punk rock idols, Greg G.
Best book in another language.
Javier Castillo – La chica de nieve
Had to put this in there, because it took me ages.
Toughest to get through
Frank Hardy – Power without glory
Long history lesson indeed.
Best 24-hour read
Benjamin Myers – The Offing
Beautiful, easy read. Can start and finish in an afternoon.
Books 2023 – full list
- Hannah Kent – The Good People
- Christopher Koch – The Year of living dangerously
- Paco Ardit – tsunami (español)
- Jim Harrison – Wolf
- JM Coetzee – Boyhood
- Johann Hari – Chasing the scream
- JD Salinger – raise high the roof beam, carpenters
- Christopher Isherwood – A single man
- John Steinbeck – Once there was a war
- David Mitchell – Cloud Atlas
- John Le Carré – Single and single
- CK Stead – the name on the door is not mine
- Frank Hardy – Power without glory
- Don Winslow – City of dreams
- Graham Greene – The Comedians
- William Boyd – Any Human Heart
- William Boyd – Restless
- George Orwell – Burmese Days
- William Boyd – Fascination
- Greg Graffin – Punk Paradox
- William Boyd – Trio
- Javier Castillo – la chica de nieve (español)
- John Updike – rabbit, run
- Colson Whitehead – Crook Manifesto
- William Boyd – The Romantic
- Ian McEwan – Amsterdam
- Guadalupe Nettel – La hija única (español)
- Ian McEwan – on Chesil Beach
- Ian McEwan – Saturday
- Ian McEwan – Enduring Love
- Graham Greene – Journey without maps
- Ian McEwan – Solar
- John Le Carré – The Looking Glass War
- Ian McEwan – machines like me
- William Boyd – The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth
- Truman Capote – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
- Ian McEwan – Atonement
- Michel Houllebecq – the possibility of an island
- John Steinbeck – in dubious battle
- Truman Capote – other voices, other rooms
- Herman Hesse – Siddhartha
- Ian McEwan – Sweet tooth
- Ian McEwan – the children act
- Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan – Faith, hope and carnage
- William Boyd – Brazzaville Beach
- Michelle Huneven – Blame
- Michael Lewis – going infinite
- Ian McEwan – the cockroach
- David Mitchell – The Bone clocks
- John Cheever – falconer
- Ian McEwan – black dogs
Dark Dirt 