M. Suzanne Terry

The prompt for December Reflections today is “Best Book of 2023.”

I tried to choose just one. I really did.

Okay, I didn’t try super hard.

But I did narrow it down to five books. And they’re (for the most part) in slightly different genres.

So there’s that.

When I am choosing the “best books” I have read in any given year, I may not be selecting ones that had the best writing (although all of these are well-written) or were the most profound (although all of these definitely had those moments). The sole factors that determine my decision are:

• Did I love reading it?
• Did I get something meaningful (possibly even life-changing) out of it?

And out of all the books I’ve read so far this year, these five meet those two criteria the best.

• How To Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis – Anyone who veers in a neurospicy direction and has trouble keeping their home or other spaces organized/tidy/clean should read this book. I cannot count the ways it has helped me.
• Here For It: Or, How To Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas – Kind and funny and charming. My favorite parts were the ones in which he talked about his wrestling with faith and identity and how that plays out.
• Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner – As my parents age, I am more drawn to stories about loss and grief, and this was a gorgeous memoir that explored both as well as the food that reminds her of her mother.
• This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone – Is it a love story? Is it fantasy? Is it science fiction? Yes. In all the best ways.
• Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree – This book made me fall in love with cozy fantasy. I’ve already put the second one on hold at the library.

What were your favorite reads this year?