My top picks from the over 120 books I read last year.
You may find old books here but if they're on this list, then they were new to me! In no particular order.
Note: I've been doing this since 2008 — check the label cloud in the sidebar for "Best of" to see other lists.
2023 BEST BOOKS
Owls Hoot in the Daytime and Other Omens
by Manly Wade Wellman
John's guitar has silver strings and with that, songs, and sometimes a silver quarter he battles evil. We are never in doubt that John will win. The charm comes in the Appalachian flavor and the imaginative nature of the predicaments faced.
(Full review here.)Markmaker
by Mary Jessica Woods
Mariikel is a talented markmaker in a society where people's marks (tattoos) are the record of their lives. When he is ordered to put an exile mark on someone who he thinks isn't guilty it leads to an exciting story that also examines conscience, honor, truth, family, history, and politics.
Winters in the World:
A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year
by Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Parker weaves a tapestry of poetry, literature, history, religion, and language to go through the seasons and practices of the Anglo-Saxon year. The result is a masterpiece that gave me a real sense of connection with the people of long ago and a deep appreciation with the sacred cycle of time both then and now. This might be my favorite book of the year.
The Wolf-Leader
by Alexandre Dumas
This Faustian tale infuses the hijinks of The Three Musketeers into a supernatural story with a moral center. A little-known Dumas story that is really delightful.
30 Days with Married Saints
Each day contains vivid portraits of heroically virtuous married saints as well as prayers, moving reflections, questions, and practical suggestions to enrich your marriage and inspire you and your spouse on your journey of sanctity. Really inspiring.
What Monstrous Gods
by Rosamund Hodge
Rosamund Hodge is a fantasy writer whose begins, however tangentially, with a well-known fairy tale and then takes imaginative leaps into something completely original and breath-taking. In this case it begins with what happens when Sleeping Beauty awakens. This book will come out in 2024 and I'm looking forward to having my own hardback copy to reread.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A wonderful, charming tale of four people who go to an obscure cafe which is rumored to make time travel possible. The rules are strict, the time is very limited, and it seems impossible that they could accomplish much. Simple but magical.
Third Eye
by Felicia Day
What happens when The Chosen One fails to defeat the ultimate villain and winds up reading tarot cards in a seedy part of San Francisco? Therein lies the fun as Felicia Day combines fantasy quest tropes in a way that is hilarious and also fulfilling. Just plain fun.
Starter Villain
by John Scalzi
When Charlie's long-lost uncle Jake dies he realizes that Jake wasn't just a pay-garage tycoon, but a super villain. The first hint? When he inherits an island complete with a volcano lair. Another that is just plain fun.
Surprised by Oxford
by Carolyn Weber
Halfway through I was recommending it to every Christian I know. Having finished it, I am still doing so.
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