These are some of the fiction books I read this year that I liked most. Many of them were published prior to 2023, but they affected me this year, which is what counts. There’s no ranking, and no fixed number of books. These are just the books that hit me hardest this year.
Fiction
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
This might be recency bias, but this is among the best dystopian novels I’ve ever read.
The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut
On another level. I think about this book nearly every day. I’ve never read anything like it.
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee
This is weird, funny, sweet, sad and mostly angry. McGhee has a knack for writing things I like to read.
Perfume: the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
Modern classic that has haunted my dreams for the last few months. Lives up to its’ reputation.
Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler
The O.G. hard-boiled detective novel. A stone classic, albeit with a few of its’ eras unseemly characteristics.
The 8 lives of a Century Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee
Led me down a rabbit hole of history. I went in with zero expectations and found horror, sadness and beauty.
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I didn’t like Demon Copperhead, but it was written well enough to push me to seek this out. Now I’m a Kingsolver stan, and you will be too if you read this. Also read The Bean Trees by her this year, loved that too.
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
Another one to go in with zero expectations. Nothing could have prepared me for the creativity and boldness of this book.
Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The first Barnes I’ve read, and I’ve since read four more of his. If you don’t know him, get this book already.
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Just burns through plot and ideas. There’s no easy description of what this book is about, but I couldn’t put it down.
Infomocracy Trilogy by Malta Older
This is like classic William Gibson – a richly imagined story from a singular voice, that’s worth the effort to connect with. Not easy, but the whole series is tremendous.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Towles was not on my radar until a book publisher friend recommended I pick this up. The only downside is that his other books aren’t as good as this one, so they feel like letdowns (even though they’re fantastic!).
The Deluge by Stephen Markley
The Stand, retold as climate catastrophe fiction. I devoured this 900 page beast in less than a week. Takes a long time to set the table, but it’s absolutely worth the wait.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
This is the book Stephen King has been trying to write for like 50 years. It’s short, poetic, nightmare fuel. I don’t know how I missed it until now.