Rapid Fire: Books I Read in 2023
As you’ve come to anticipate each year, below is my annual list of the books I read in the year of our Lord 2023.
Not to brag, but I yet again upped the number of books I read year over year. Actually, I am bragging. I read 19 in 2021, 35 in 2022, and 42 in 2023. Linear improvement folks. See the list below, with a key at the bottom.
The List
Mostly Harmless
Killers of the Flower Moon*
Still Life
Prayers For the Stolen*
Fever Dream
For Crying Out Loud
John Dies at the End
This Book is Full of Spiders
What The Hell Did I Just Read
If this Book Exists You’re in the Wrong Universe
The Mars Room
The World Without Us*
Finlay Donovan is Killing It
The Perfect Pass
My Education
Remarkably Bright Creatures*
The Da Vinci Code
Shopgirl
Fair Ball
Demon Copperhead*
Naked Money
Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead
Pure Drivel
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun
The Vanishing Hitchhiker*
Angels and Demons
A is for Alabi
B is for Burglar
Signal Fires*
C is for Corpse
Meditations
The River*
The Book Playing the Percentages in Baseball
The Lost Symbol
The Guide*
We Are Never Meeting In Real Life
Lamb The Gospel According to Biff
Trust*
The Lost Kings
Cell
Dune
Duped
Italics indicates the book is one I’ve read previously.
* Indicates that this book was read as a part of a book club.
Most Predictable Book — The Lost Kings
Good book overall! But I saw the twist coming about a mile and a half (see: a few hundred pages) away. Didn’t really pull me in a ton to be honest, but was by no means not worth a read, it just won’t appear at the top of my Best Books list (partially, but not completely, because I don’t write one).
Worst Book — Pure Drivel
A friend and I recently had a conversation about Steve Martin. He is considered by many to be a comedy legend. In fact, I’m currently about halfway through a MasterClass on comedy with Mr. Martin. However, I’m almost entirely unfamiliar with his work, outside of the movie Cheaper By the Dozen, which I would hazard is not lauded as the SNL mainstay’s most prestigious work.
That said, I read two books by Steve Martin this year: Shopgirl, and Pure Drivel. Shopgirl was worth a read — it wasn’t mind bending or earth shattering, but it kept my attention. Pure Drivel was exactly as titled.
Books I Gave As Gifts This Year — We Are Never Meeting in Real Life; Lamb
A certain specicial someone introduced me to Sam Irby this year via the book mentioned above. The essays were fantastic, and ended up being a gift I purchased for more than one person this year to spread the joy the book gave me. Likewise, a reread of my favorite Christopher Moore book yielded me purchasing it as a gift for another good friend this year.
Book I Spend the Most Time Glossing Over Words and Assuming I’d Understand Them Later — Dune
Yup.
