The Washington Post’s Ten Best Books of 2023
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- The Washington Post Book World revealed its top ten books of 2023 (five fiction, five nonfiction). Let's go through the list to see what looks interesting and talk about what got left in the cold. Expand for more information. 👇
Links 💻
The Article: www.washington...
Further Viewing 🎥
Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2023: • Publisher’s Weekly’s B...
The Washington Post’s Best Books of 2022: • The Washington Post’s ...
The Washington Post’s Best Books of 2021: • The Washington Post’s ...
My Booker Shortlist Reaction: • Booker Prize 2023 Shor...
My Review of Let Us Descend: • Let Us Descend by Jesm...
My National Book Award Longlist Reaction: • National Book Award fo...
Titles Mentioned 📚
The Bee Sting, Paul Murray
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
Loot, Tania James
The Maniac, Benjamin Labatut
North Woods, Daniel Mason
The Bathysphere Book: Effects of the Luminous Ocean Depths, Brad Fox
How to Say Babylon, Safiya Sinclair
Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia, Gary J. Bass
King: A Life, Jonathan Eig
The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman’s Narrative, Gregg Hecimovich
My husband made a cookbook! Check it out here:
www.blurb.com/...
But wait, there's more!
Email: supposedlyfungreg-at-gmail.com
Storygraph: app.thestorygr...
Instagram: / supposedlyfun
Website: supposedlyfun....
The book awards have become like Netflix series, ticking all the boxes is more important than literary merit.
I listened to How to Say Babylon last month and it is my favorite book this year. The author is a poet so the way she reads the book is very lyrical and beautiful!
I bet she does a great job with the audio. Thanks for the heads up!
I am one third of the way through Heaven and Earth Grocery Store...I've been moved to tears several times already and it's not that the scenes themselves were all that memorable but rather it paints a very reaffirming view of people and community. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it before eoy.
That's great to hear!
I’d recommend the audiobook of The Bee Sting. The narration is really strong and the pacing is great so it doesn’t feel overly long. I loved it on audio, not sure it would have had the same impact if read.
I’m trying to wade through the audio version. It’s a slog. I don’t see the attraction.
The Bee Sting is one of my favourites of this year, but I have not read any of Murray's other books.
Don't think trying to convince you to read it will do much at this point, better read something you are passionate about!
Looking forward to reading The Maniac, loved When we cease to understand the world back in 2020 and am curious about a book written in English by Labatut.
Currently listing to How to say Babylon and highly recommend it that way. It's read by the author Safiya Sinclair.
I did not know North Woods has photos and illustrations, might have to get myself a copy now.
Lots of love for How to Say Babylon in the comments--especially for the audio. I'll have to prioritize it! Thanks for all the feedback.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is my favorite book this year. I have mentioned the book before, but The Color of Water added a lot of texture and understanding to McBride's worldview in this book.
I found a copy of Color of Water at my local used bookstore. Can't wait to read that one, too.
@@SupposedlyFun what a great find! I would even consider reading it before The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store because you can see how McBride directly builds his world from his own life experiences. When I read The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, it made even more sense who McBride was and what he was doing.
I read The Maniac and North Woods and I loved both. I didn’t think The Maniac was overly complicated, and I think the way he moved the story into the conversation of AI is genius. I hope you read it I would love to hear your thoughts!
Having also listened to it, I felt exactly the same about Deacon King Kong. There are a ton of characters in Grocery Store, and reading along with the text with audio playing helped immensely. I liked it, but didn't love it.
And re: The Bee Sting, I read the Booker longlist for the first time (!) and it stuck out as the most immediately and immensely enjoyable book of the bunch. I adore this book. The audio performances are unreal. If you're into the big messy Franzen family dramas, where each new layer revealed about the family is a twisting knife to the heart, you'll certainly enjoy The Bee Sting.
They are really out here doing my girl Lauren Groff dirty. The Vaster Wilds is really superior and I’m tired of the disrespect 😭😭😭 She is like the Susan Lucci of the National Book Award 😫
I admit I wasn’t surprised Vaster Wilds wasn’t here because Matrix was so criminally overlooked.
Hahahhaa the Susan Lucci lol
I agree. I read both the matrix and the vast error wilds. I enjoy her prose style and I thought it was a superior book to " the bee sting" which I also read that I thought was too long.
I really connected with the books on the fiction list. I absolutely loved North Woods. I didn’t think I would because of the cover (too much flora/fauna). But it is wonderful. The house in the woods stays while different generations come and go over the years. I also loved the McBride book. I will read anything he writes. It had a great sense of place and great characters. I liked the Bee Sting. I get where you’re coming from and I think it could have been shorter, but I enjoyed it. I picked up Loot from the library and have the Maniac on hold. A really good list.
Btw, I know Joel likes Tess Gerritson. I just read her new series, Book 1, about retired spies in Maine and really liked it. Has he read it yet? He might really enjoy it.
Neither one of us has read the new Gerritsen yet, but Joel has been planning to get to it. Thanks for the feedback on all the books you’ve read!
I loved The Bee Sting and I truly believed you’d love it. I read it in a weekend! The alternating character chapters are done brilliantly and I truly enjoyed his style. You’re missing out!
I've been looking forward to reading How to Say Babylon. The list was full of books that sound interesting to me, especially some of the nonfiction selections.
They had a solid list this year. The nonfiction is 🔥
My grandfather was a witness at these Tokyo Trials. It's something everyone should know.
Thank you so much for your recommendation to read "The Good Lord Bird." I devoured that beloved quixotic Old Man's tale in three days and can't wait to get my hands on another McBride novel!
I'm so glad you liked it! It's such a good book.
@@SupposedlyFun the Little Onion knows how to weave a darn good tale, yarn by yarn.
@@mrplatink Indeed!
Thanks for covering literature awards and end of year lists. I really appreciate your coverage.
North Woods is my Book of 2023: a beguiling mélange of fable, myth, historical mystery, folktale, horror, nature writing, and hilarity with a tone that remains luminous and resonant throughout. Like nothing else I’ve ever read. It really expanded my consciousness. The Maniac was also a Top 5 Book of 2023 for me. I’ve studied theoretical physics and done research into quantum gravity and black holes. So, this was right up my alley. I’m familiar with the topics covered and the physicists depicted in the book. It’s a subject that fascinates me. That being said, I don’t think anyone should be concerned that it’s too dense from a technical standpoint.
Labatut’s focus is the thin line between madness and genius, and the mental disturbances that affected the most brilliant minds of the 20th century as well as the technological advances they released into the world. Future generations will be able to trace their glory or their downfall to a handful of physicists like von Neumann whose peers described him as “an alien among us.”
Thank you for your comment. I have been trying to decide if The Maniac is the book I want to read next. Thanks to your comment, I know it is.
I'm listening to How to Say Babylon right now - narrated by the author, definitely the way to consume it (and yes, it's really good).
I didn't realize she reads the audio--that sounds great.
I hadn't read anything by James McBride before. I listened to The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store on audible, and absolutely loved it. The narration was terrific. I definitely recommend it.
I'm about 130 pages in and loving it.
Hey Greg - you mention how you often gravitate toward audiobooks and that you absorb content better via that medium. What exactly do you do while you listen? I find I am easily distractable when I listen to podcasts, especially nonfiction podcasts, so I'm curious how you avoid that.
Thanks for the great summary of wapo's list!
15:43 I bought The Bathysphere Book and it is is wonderful. You need the actual book because of the photos and other illustrations. If you have an interest in the beginnings of deep sea exploring, I think you’d love this.
It definitely sounds like a book you need to experience in person.
I read Heaven & Earth and it is such a delight. How to Say Babylon is really worthwhile and important. I'm shocked that If I Survive You isn't among their best books.
Thank you for commenting the WP list of best books, it was illuminating.
I thought of trying to amuse you a little bit with something silly- as a reward (?): usually when I listen to your channel there's people sleeping close by and so I'm using the transcript to better understand what you're saying. Well, in the transcript The Bee Sting is mostly 'the Beast thing', the Pulitzer Prize is 'the pullet surprise' and To Kill a Mockingbird is always 'tequilla mockingbird'😅. Sorry for being silly but it makes me cackle every time.
That is funny! It also makes me think I should make time to edit the captions. 😬🤣
I highly recommend The Bee Sting, and I am looking forward to reading North Woods and The MANIAC
I definitely want to try to squeeze North Woods in before the end of the year.
Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is beautiful, funny, heart wrenching, and it’s a book that will sit in my heart for a long time ❤️
It's such a good book!
I can't help but notice what books are missing. For instance Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward and The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. I just finished reading Fire Weather. It was a very interesting nonfiction book.
It's hard to sum up a year in only five fiction books, but still surprising not to see Jesmyn Ward at least.
I too loved Skippy, and I highly recommend using the Audiobook for at least part of the experience. There are about ten narrators whose familiarity with Irish dialects greatly enhance the experience.
I’m glad you enjoyed Skippy Dies.
I agree with reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store over listening to it. I started with the audiobook and moved to the book. I'm reading How to Say Babylon now and it's fantastic. I also enjoyed Let Us Descend more than The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.
That's good to know--physical book it is for Heaven & Earth Grocery Store!
Love Washington Post Book World!!
I am in the middle of H&E Grocery Store and am LOVING it. I liked and respected North Woods. It is a very ambitious book, but feels a little uneven in places to me. I also loved The Bee Sting, but I love a long book. It’s an easy read and very funny - I think maybe Joel would like it.
I was surprised not to see Lauren Groff on the list, although I have not read it yet.
And, I must add that I was very disappointed in Absolution. The only thing I liked about it was the cover.
I should have said this in the video but given that Matrix didn't make it onto any major lists, I wasn't surprised to see Groff left off again (but that doesn't excuse anything).
This is actually a decent list but I agree, I think the non-fiction books on this list are great picks.
The nonfiction side is 🔥
Interested to hear what you think about Absolution, when you read it. Was very much looking forward to this book and was able to read it the day after it was released. It was my first Alice McDermott book. I was disappointed. Her writing and characters are great, but the plot read like an outline to a very interesting book that was yet to be fully written. Like a very good trailer to what looks like a very good movie:) I felt she flirted with the moral dilemmas and character struggles she was exploring, but just didn't get there..but could have delivered a great book if she'd just gone a little deeper and given us more. I'll try another of her books, but felt let down by this one.
I did read Absolution. I actually liked it. I appreciated that she wasn't heavy-handed. There have been so many Vietnam books that it's nice that she can assume her reader has all the context they need to draw their own conclusions. But I can see how that would be frustrating for some readers.
@@SupposedlyFun I definitely had the background context for this one. I was not looking for a historical novel and had just hoped for a reading experience that left me with something more than 'meh'. Glad you enjoyed it though and I will try another of her books as I did appreciate her writing style.
@@thaliad6759 That's fair. I've heard great things about her other books. I have two on my shelves, but haven't gotten around to them yet.
I’ve only read North Woods from this list, and absolutely loved it! I do think you’ll want to read the physical book. Plan to get to Heaven & Earth and How to Say Babylon soon.
I just watched a few "best books of the year so far" from this summer. Ann Napolitano's "Hello Beautyful" was all the rage, mainly because it was an Oprah pick. I haven't read it so far. But now that the best-books-of-2023 lists are announced, it seems as if no-one is talking about it anymore.
I saw Hello Beautiful pop up somewhere-and I think it was also on The NY Times 100 Notable. But it’s being crowded out of the top tier for sure.
Thanks, Greg!🌷I’m looking forward to reading The Bee Sting, North Woods, The Maniac and The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. They’ve all already found their way on my Sinterklaas (the Dutch Saint Nicholas on December 5) and Christmas wishlists🎄📚🎄I must admit that I now feel I should be getting Loot as well…😂
You made some pretty good selections!
Read The Bee Sting a few weeks ago and iiiiiii will not be making an argument to change your mind 😳. There were certain paragraphs & sections that reallyyy hit my book heart, but overall …. Yeah, you’ll be ok without it imo
I feel vindicated! Thank you.
heaven and earth grocery store is for sure my book of the year! you're right for not choosing the audiobook version imo; there's a great cast of characters that contribute to the overarching story so i could imagine it being a little tiring if you're just listening to it
That's good to know--thanks.
I would like to read all of them! I especially am drawn to NorthWoods and the McBride book although I am in a pretty big bookclub reading of Let Us Descend which is beautiful and ethereal and I own but have yet to read The Bee Sting. I think it will win the Booker. I am overbooked and underbooked at the same time if you know what I mean. I recently went on a nonfiction kick but I doubt I’ll have any finished by the end of this month as I’m read 3 nonfiction and 2 fiction at the same time alternately … next year I’m going to free myself from all obligations and am going to read all my big books like The Covenant of Water, The Bee Sting, Nights of Plague, Age of Vice, as well as get acquainted with the James Baldwin books I own, Hillary Mantel books, and Kate Mosse’s big trilogy … um Tomb of Sand, This Tender Land … and the rest of my lovely but unread collection! I don’t think I’ll be adding more than 8 books next year bc I reeeeally want to read at will and don’t want to be influenced or obligated. My personal year of whim and freedom is almost here 😊❤😂
Heaven & Earth Grocery Store was an imperfect book but I adored it. His inspiration for writing it made me appreciate it even more. I felt as you did about Deacon King King and the Good Lord Bird. The Bee Sting is so far really engaging. It’s a less wry Franzen. I enjoyed Crossroads and it has a similar layout and vibe. It’s long so don’ don’t push yourself to read it. Check it out from the library if you feel so moved. Appreciate your bringing light to those omitted books.
I’ve had bad luck with Franzen, so maybe it’s best if I definitely stay away from Bee Sting. I’m looking forward to Heaven & Earth Grocery Store!
Great video and thanks for covering this and many other lists. Maniac sounds really interesting, will add that to my TBR.
I hope you like it!
I had the opportunity to review The Life and Times of Hannah Craft from Netgalley. I'm thrilled to see that it made this list. I actually purchased the Bondwoman's Narrative, and I'm looking forward to reading it as one of my non-fictions next year!
An interesting list. I do want to read Paul Murray and maybe James McBride. The nonfiction books aren’t any that I’ve heard of. King is one I would like to read. 😊💙
King sounds very good.
Wow, I just found your channel. I love your honesty.
Thank you so much!
1. Ecclesiastes, Psalms, John, W.D Gann, The Magic Word
2. Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Will to Power
3. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Collected Essays, Plato, The Republic
4. Jimmy Buffett, A Pirate Looks at Fifty
5. Mike Hockney Leibniz: The Last Man who Knew Everything
6.Mike Hockney, The Armageddon Conspiracy, The Noosphere
7. T.S.Eliot, The Wasteland, The Hollow Men, Orwell 1984
8. Henry David Thoreau Walden
9. Arthur Schopenhauer, On Music
10. La Rouchefocould, Maxims, Gracian On Life
Smashing the like button with a hardcover book from Nietzsche for your thought provoking video. The truth shall set us all free.
New US subscriber
Can you do a review of the Ultimate Best Books of 2023 List by Emily Temple at Literary Hub once it’s out?
I can keep an eye out for it--thanks for the recommendation. It will depend on what else is going on when it's released, but I can try.
I had started with the audio version of North Woods but without knowing it has illustrations, I felt this was a book that needed to be read in print (and I mean it in a very positive way)
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is on its way to me, arriving on Tuesday. I am looking forward to reading it over the holiday.
I hope you enjoy it!
LOVE Heaven and Earth!! Thought about The Bee Sting for an audio, but 26 hours, its a NO for me.
I could do a 26 hour audio, but it's a really hard sell when I didn't like the author's previous book.
I just saw ‘A Place For Us’ on your shelf and immediately subscribed to your channel. ❤😊
I love that book!
The only two I’ve read are
The Bee Sting
The Heaven ad Earth Grocery Store
Both are five star reads . Both read via audio. Try an audio sample of The Bee Sting. I haven’t read
Skippy Dies
but I now want to.
I read
The Winter Solider by Daniel Mason
in October. Great book. I loved it. I love bits of medical history in historical fiction. It’s made me want to read more books by the same author..
🍀👋☘️📖📕☕️📚
That sounds like an interesting book.
Sir,
You should change your mind and read this book. Sure, it’s long and the ending is frustrating, but as a 32 year HS English teacher and WCU grad, your time will be rewarded.
Are you also talking about the nyt list as well? Tks!
Yup! That video has been posted.
So helpful. TY.
Thank you for watching.
What did you think about The Heaven and Earth Grocery store? I’m close to 40% but I’ve hit a slog. I might DNF it if it doesn’t pick up.
I don’t mean to be rude but how could you have not read at least half of those books? So many gems but I do agree with you on the bee sting. I tried twice
I'm really looking forward to How to Say Babylon. It got a great review from Peta at ComfyCozyUp. She is Jamaican and has some Rasta relatives. Thanks to everyone who recommended the audio version. I'll go that route.
Yes, the love for the audio is very persuasive.
Really surprised to see Kingsolver's book not on this list. Probably the best written book of the year.
Demon Copperhead was on last year's list (it was published toward the end of 2022).
@@SupposedlyFun ahhh yes, you are right!
I prefer McBride to Whitehead, have only read Song Yet Sung but most impressed.
My experience with Whitehead has been a tiny bit more consistent, but the high with McBride was way higher for me.
I am reading it now it is wonderful
👍
I like The Bee Sting, but not loved it. Yes, some parts are unnecessary long and most parts have that "soap opera" quality to it. The ending is devastating, and the very last sentence of the novel might move you to tears. Is it possible to love so much that you ended up destroying all that you have loved? Read to find out.
Thanks for the feedback. We'll see!
Just to say … it's nice to hear the pitter patter of little paws in your videos again. 🐾
I feel the same way!
I thought The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis was the best fiction book I read last year..
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Fyi, When We Cease To Understand... Is great on audiobook
That's good to know--thanks.
I LOVED Absolution!!!
I thought it was very well done!
Lots of interesting nonfiction on this list!
They did a good job!
I heard puppy feet on the floor. Hope they still want to say hi to us now and then
I'm sure Teddy will love to keep popping in!
I'm sorry for your loss...
I love (love, love, love) Skippy dies so i Hope The bee Sting wins the Booker prize (i have to wait a decade to Skippy dies was translated here)
If I had to predict the Booker, I would guess Bee Sting.
I finally got around to The Heaven and Earth Grocery store. It's more in the spirit of Deacon King Kong and not The Good Lord Bird... I wasn't a fan. I guess James McBride (aside from The Good Lord Bird, which I LOVE) isn't my cup of tea. I had to DNF it :(
Oh well! There’s always the next one.
I read the Bee Sting and I liked it, but I don’t think you would like it. I know you can never guess a person’s taste in reading, but I have been watching your videos for quite a while now… and that would not be a book I would recommend to you.
Similar to the Times. At least I’d read one of that 100.
I clearly am not in the same demographic group as those who read the Washington Post. Because I do not recognise any of these books!!
I dont believe I saw or heard any mention of these books at all in 2023!! And I do read a lot of NON Fiction!! And I do watch a lot of book tube videos. The trouble is that most book tubers these days are always going on and on about Fantasy and that is NOT MY favorite genre!! My areas of interest are somewhat out there and can be weird and whacky. But I am interested in a lot of different areas and i like to read about those areas. None of which also seem to be read by the moneyed people in Washington DC.
surprised
not surprised
surprised
not surprised
surprised
not surprised
surprised
not surprised
I'm sure you have a range of emotions/reactions/arguments more diverse than those above. =D
And I'm sure you have better things to do than police the wording of other people, but here we are.
I’ve never heard of North Woods ooof, but that sounds potentially up my street. I always am so interested in non fiction, but fall off quickly once I start reading. I’m starting to accept that 📺 = non fiction ( I mostly watch documentaries) & 📚 = fiction for me . Blahdiggityblah, I appreciate you Mr. Greg 📖🪱💚
I appreciate you as well! At least you watch mostly documentaries. I don't even have that going for me.
All of the nonfiction looks super interesting.
Get over yourself? Pfft. Don’t read it if that’s your jam! 😂
👏
Don't waste your time to get through 650 pages of the bee sting, when the characters and the story are far from gripping.
Thanks!
What is a skippy dies??????????????????
A book.
💃🏻👍🇿🇦
📚 🥂
The Bathysphere book is the only one that sound remotely interesting to me. The others all sound BORING.
Meh, yawn, Not one here I'd be interested in reading
maybe when you make parole?
I’d recommend the audiobook of The Bee Sting. The narration is really strong and the pacing is great so it doesn’t feel overly long. I loved it on audio, not sure it would have had the same impact if read.