I am a reader recently returned to reading.
Seven years ago on new year’s eve, as I was reflecting on the year behind me, I realized I hadn’t consumed any books. Or at least, none that I could remember. And for a girl (who became a woman) who read hungrily, voraciously, as though I could never be filled up, a year without books was like a year starving. And what was worse, I hadn’t even noticed.
Since then, I’ve kept a list each year of the books I’ve read and the books I’ve loved, and in 2023 these were my favourite novels in my backpack.
My top 6 road reads this year…
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick
On one otherwise unremarkable day, every adult in the world awakens to a box on their doorstep containing a single string – the measure of their lives. Nikki Erlick’s debut novel follows eight ordinary Americans as they grapple with the box, its content, and how to live with the consequences of their choices.
Totally engrossing; makes a plane/train ride fly right by. But beyond that, a not-so-gentle prompt to examine my own life, my choices, and my priorities, which is an excellent thing to do while relaxing on vacation.
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Cheryl Strayed
Synopsis: A beautiful collection of letters from The Rumpus advice column (2010-2012) where Cheryl Strayed wrote under the pseudonym “Sugar,” that offer wise, compassionate and graceful guidance to readers on life, love, friendship, grief, heartbreak, and other universal struggles, with grace and empathy.
This book is such a joy, such a balm to my spirit. It breaks my heart and heals it, over and over. It’s the perfect travel companion. Each letter + response is its own mini-story, which you can finish quickly or savour slowly, depending on your mood and travel circumstances.
HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD by Robert Kolker
In a sweeping saga spanning more than 70 years, HVR chronicles the story of the Galvins, a Colorado Springs family with 12 children, six of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Galvins were so extraordinary, they became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institute of Mental Health, and their DNA has informed decades of genetic research.
Admittedly this book is one you can only take if you’re packing light. It’s extremely hefty, but maaaaaan is it fascinating. If you’re looking for something engrossing to read for hours on the beach, HVR is a great choice.
THE SCANDALOUS SISTERHOOD OF PRICKWILLOW PLACE by Julie Berry
What are seven Victorian young ladies, students at Saint Ethelreda’s School for Girls, to do when their overbearing headmistress and her odious brother drop dead in their dinner? Hide the bodies, of course, and continue to run the school on their own, all while keeping the murders and their newfound independence secret from the neighbours.
Hysterical. Much like The Thursday Murder Club, this book is laugh-out-loud hilarious, full of mistaken identities, clever dialogue, mysterious events and outrageous plot twists.
THE MEASURE OF MY POWERS by Jackie Kai Ellis
On the surface, Jackie Kai Ellis led a charmed life: professionally successful, married to a handsome man she loved, living in a beautiful home. But she felt empty, sad, and unfulfilled, and woke up dreading each new day. Her kitchen became her sanctuary, the place in which she began to find peace, comfort, and the courage to change her life.
This is a book about one woman’s journey to find herself and craft a life of abundance through her love of food and travel. It’s beautifully written, vulnerable and just a little bit magical. Fans of Eat, Pray, Love, this book is for you.
MY MURDER by Katie Williams
What if you had to solve your own murder? Lou is a young, happily married mother of a beautiful baby girl. She’s also the sixth victim of a local serial killer, brought back to life in a secretive government project, who now must grapple with complexities of her new/old life while trying to answer troubling questions about her death.
While the premise itself initially drew me to this book, it was the unexpected existential nature of Lou’s story that made it such an obsessive page turner. Surprisingly poignant, and timely as I’m in a season of big change. Two thumbs way, way up.
My favourite road read in 2023…
THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig
Nora Seed is depressed and struggling with the abject disappointment that is her life. When her cat dies, she’s fired from her dead-end retail job, and her lone music student quits, she decides to die. But instead, she finds herself in the library between life and death, surrounded by the stories of her alternative lives, with the opportunity to find the one where she truly belongs.
Maybe it’s that my life circumstances in 2023 demanded significant change, or maybe it’s the endlessly compelling question of what-if, but The Midnight Library captured my imagination and hasn’t let go.
As for the rest of my list, it looked like this:
- Killers of a Certain Age (Deanna Raybourn)
- The Butcher and the Wren (Alaina Urquhart)
- A Beginner’s Guide to Murder (Rosalind Stopps)
- The Writing Retreat (Julia Bartz)
- We Are All the Same in the Dark (Julia Heaberlin)
- This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch (Tabitha Carvan)
- In a Dark, Dark Wood (Ruth Ware)
- My Life as a Villainess (Laura Lippman)
- Being Mortal (Atul Gawande)
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (V. E. Schwab)
- Very Cold People (Sarah Manguso)
- Winterset Hollow (Jonathan Edward Durham)
- The Who Never Read Noam Chomsky (Jana Casale)
- Our Hideous Progeny (C. E. McGill)
- And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie)
- Quietly Hostile (Samantha Irby)
- Murder at 40 Below (Tom Brennan)
- Seeds Planted in Concrete (Bianca Sparacino)
- Enchantment (Katherine May)
- Murder at the Book Club (Betsy Reavley)
- The Time Keeper (Mitch Albom)
- The In-Between (Hadley Vlahos)
- The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic (Breanne Randall)
- Falling Back in Love with Being Human (Kai Cheng Thom)
- Improbably Magic for Cyncial Witches (Kate Scelsa)
- We Spread (Iain Reid)
- Cunk on Everything (Philomena Cunk)
- How to be Eaten (Maria Adelmann)
What was in your backpack this year? Which did you love best?