Favorite Books of the Year

In 2023, I made it a goal to read at least one book every month for fun. I was so fortunate to have the time to read some delightful books. My 12 favorite, in no particular order, were:

• Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Recommendation from my sister and the first book I read in 2023. This book was my introduction to the “cozy fantasy” genre and truly lived up to the genre name.
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. The book focuses on the generalization vs. specialization debate in many disciplines, including life sciences. Though specialization is often touted as the path for better performance (i.e., it will lead to more jobs, more money, more knowledge, etc), we should not overlook the necessity of generalists or feel like we need to specialize in order to achieve success. Epstein argues that in most cases, generalization can bring much needed perspective and can be an advantage over specialization.
• Binti: Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor. Hugo and Nebula Award-winning trilogy of Afro-futurist novellas.
• Redwall by Brian Jacques. Looking through the bookshelves in my childhood home for the holidays, it was easy to fall back into old favorites.
• And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts. This book was recommended by a professor from my Master’s program and I am so glad I gave it a try.
• A Psalm for the Wind-Built and A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers. A duology of novellas. A Psalm for the Wind-Built won the Hugo Award in 2022.
• The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha. Though the author’s advice won’t apply to everyone, it’s a great read for anyone who has some flexibility in their life/career (i.e., not tightly constrained by financial or family situations).

• The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan. Rick Riordan has released a book almost every year since 2005, meaning I’ve been reading his books for nearly two decades. Though this book wasn’t my favorite entry in his Camp Half-Blood Chronicles franchise, it gets bonus points for joining me during my post-graduation vacation and for being part of a cherished franchise.

  

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. High fantasy that reads quickly, and, with all eight books in the series already released, you don’t even need to wait years on a cliffhanger.
• The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. Later released as A Girl Is a Body of Water. Set in 1970’s-80’s Uganda, this story is, in the authors words, an exploration of “the idea that feminism comes from the West, and therefore, feminism is destroying [Ugandan] culture. So I needed to locate feminism in my culture…All of that is geared towards showing my culture that we had feminist thought before the Western feminism came. If you think Western feminism is wrong, OK, let’s get rid of it, but let’s look at what we have here. In the end, you’re going to find that they intersect.”
• A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan. A captivating work of historical nonfiction, focusing on rise of the KKK in the central US. A terrifying but important reminder that fanaticism can take over a country and its institutions rapidly, especially when leaders prey upon the irrational fears of a population to fuel violence and hatred. An important reminder that some of the darkest chapters of American history occurred only two generations ago. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

2023 Reflections and 2024 Goals:

In 2023, my book choices were dominated by fantasy (with about a dozen fantasy books not making the top 12). This was no surprise–I find fantasy books are the easiest to pick up and relax with after a long day, or to tackle in busy environments like airports or trains. However, I would like to diversify a bit more next year.

• Last year, a friend gifted me a list of book suggestions by African authors, as well as the first book on the list, The First Woman. The gift of a book is so precious, and the gift of a list of suggestions was all the more appreciated. I look forward to working through more this list in the coming year!

  

• Because I consider science to be my “work,” I typically avoid reading scientific nonfiction in my free time. However, when I read And the Band Played On I was absolutely enraptured and enjoyed learning about the AIDS epidemic from a journalistic and social point of view, rather than being focused solely on the virology or immunology. There is a lot to learn about public health and science from other fields (i.e. history, social studies, economics, geography, religious studies), especially how politics, culture, and geography impact discovery, research, and control.

• I read two great non-fiction “advice” books this year, The Happiness Equation and Range, both of which brought me some much-needed perspective that came at the right time in my life. I have a few books in this genre that have been sitting on my shelf for years, but I wonder if I will appreciate them more now than was I was in high school or college.

• And finally, I can’t entirely cut out fantasy, so I am excited to keep re-reading more of the Redwall series as well as continue the Throne of Glass series. With the Percy Jackson TV show already airing, I am eager to reread those books too, plus Rick Riordan’s newest release The Chalice of the Gods. And who knows, maybe I’ll give Wheel of Time yet another attempt and see if I can stick with it long enough to finish it (3rd time’s the charm!). I once heard the series described as “nerd homework,” which I can’t help but agree with.