I’m not too selective when it comes to adding books to my “want to read” list, evident by my out of control TBR. Yet, some of my best reads yet have been award winners or nominees. One of my favorite reads last year, The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris, was long listed for the Booker Prize and nominated for several others. Some other favorite 2023 reads of mine are on this list as well. Whether you’re an avid reader looking to add some variety to your TBR or someone trying to pull themselves out of a years long reading slump (that was me at the beginning of last year) here is a list of ten award winners to read this year.
Blackouts by Justin Torres
Winner of the National Book Awards for Fiction (2023)
Blackouts is an experimental novel, which looks at the erasure of queer history, and was in part inspired by a book called Sex Variants: A Study in Homosexual Patterns. In an interview for NPR’s Book of the Day Torres explains that he first came across this book in a pile of donations while working at a book shop. Intrigued, his research led him to a lesbian researcher and activist Jan Gay, whose work was co-opted for this book and others. But when he went to dive deeper into this history, he found that there were holes, or part of the story that were “blacked out.” Blackouts attempts to fill in some of the blanks, through the fictional story shared through dialogue between two queer men from different generations. A story (or many) within a story, the unnamed narrator trades life stories with a man named Juan, who he is caring for during his final days. If experimental fiction is your thing, this is a must read for sure.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
Winner of the Booker Prize (2023)
A tension building dystopian novel with a terrifyingly plausible plot, Prophet Song asks the “what ifs” that many of us should be asking now. The novel follows Eilish, an Irish scientist and mother as she witness the collapse of her nation’s government as they careen towards tyranny. After being questioned by Ireland’s newly formed secret police, her husband and eldest son go missing. We are helpless witnesses to Eilish’s fight to hold her family together, in what the author refers to as “an attempt at radical empathy.” In a Q&A for the Booker Prize Lynch explains that “Fiction can bypass your self defenses in a way that journalism and media cannot.” He goes on to explain that his goal is to put the reader in the shoes of Eilish and those who have lived similar experiences and for the reader to feel as if they’ve lived these experiences for themselves. Prophet Song may be a good read for those who wish to have a better understanding of how quickly their government can turn towards tyranny and how helpless we could end up in that situation. While I believe it is important to exercise our empathy in whichever way gets through, I think this book should be read in conjunction with Own Voices books by authors who actually have lived these experiences. Just a couple examples: Salt Houses by Hala Alyan, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh and House of Stone by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2023) and The Women’s Prize for Fiction (2023)
This was one of my five star reads of 2023, and a book I haven’t quite stopped thinking about since I read it last April. Loosely based on Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, Kingsolver’s award winning novel is a bildungsroman that follows the life of an Appalachian boy called Demon. Demon is our narrator as we navigate along with him through his struggles with poverty, domestic violence, addiction, institutional and governmental failings and their impact on a largely misunderstood region of the United States. Previously knowing little about Appalachia myself, what I really loved about this novel was the explanation of how these institutional and regional issues developed. Kingsolver by no means gives us an extensive education on the history of Appalachia and its people, but she did inspire a want in me to do further reading on the topic and through Demon’s story challenged certain misconceptions I think a lot of Americans share about this region. Aside from this issue, I adored Demon as a character and was rooting for him through all the ups and downs as if he were an old friend I’d grown up with. This was a heartbreaking yet resilient story that I think should be on everyone’s TBR.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2023) and nominated for the Booker Prize (2022)
Another fairly experimental read, Trust is a historical fiction/mystery set in New York and like Blackouts, also features a book within a book. (Maybe this is becoming a literary trend?) This novel revolves around Benjamin and Helen Rask and the mystery surrounding their fortune, which is featured in Bonds (that’s the book inside the book) a successful novel published in 1937. Diaz fits four books into 402 pages allowing him to take an experimental approach to telling a story about the devestatingly rich and the manipulation of money in American history. Diaz’s writing for this novel was inspired in part by Edith Wharton who wrote about wealth and class during the Gilded age and was a member of old New York society. This novel belongs on the TBR of anyone who is interested in the history of American finance and money making delivered in an immersive novel.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction (2023)
This novel has been a frequent mention on Booktok and Bookstagram, so it is no surprise that it was voted a winner in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Yellowface features a first person narrative to tell the story of a stolen manuscript and the consequences that follow. When Chinese-American author Athena Liu dies suddenly, a white woman named June Hayward steals her draft and has it published as her own. This novel offers sharp criticism on the publishing industry and also calls in to play discussion on cultural appropriation, racism and diversity in publishing making it extremely relevant for our times and for anyone interested in the publishing industry or all things bookish.
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel (2022)
Also a 2022 nominee for Goodreads choice awards for Best Horror and a number of other awards, this novel is another one that I’ve seen reccomended frequently on social media. Described as dark, violent and… heartbreaking, The Devil Takes You Home follows Mario, who is forced to take a job as a hitman due to medical debt incurred from his daughters illness. This is somewhere between a crime novel and a horror, so it can be a great addition to your TBR if you’re in the mood for a dark read, even if you’re not a typical “horror” fan. While horror is typically my number one genre, I’m always down for a good genre bender.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Winner of the British Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year (2023)
Also nominated for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy, Babel is a dark academia fantasy which melds the powers of language and magic and their role in British imperialism and colonization. The story follows Robin, an orphaned Chinese boy who is raised in Britain by a professor who prepares him to enroll in “Babel” Oxford University’s prestigious translation Institute. Robin discovers the true power of language and its role in Britain’s quest for expansion. A perfect read for anyone who loves fantasy, dark academia and/or languages.
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Winner of the An Post Irish Book Awards for Overall Book of the Year (2023)
The story of the once thriving Barnes family as everything begins to unravel for them, The Bee Sting has many themes “from internet porn, to the rise of the far right, climate change, to the car business in Ireland in the 2010s” said Paul Murray. This novel was also long listed for the 2023 Booker prize and was a 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee for Best Fiction. Referred to as “funny, wise and thought provoking” on Goodreads, The Bee Sting follows each member of the Barnes Family as they each face individual struggles. This one is high up on my to be read list for this year.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel (2023)
This is one for all the Kindle Unlimited subscribers out there. Not only is this dark fairytale/adventure fantasy free on KU but it’s also currently #1 Best Seller in Fairytale Fantasy on Amazon right now. This adventure filled fantasy follows Marra, as she takes the lead to save her sister from an abusive prince. With the help of some unusual friends, Marra set out on a quest to end an evil princes tyranny and hold over her sister and their kingdom. This novel is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher’s other works, fans of dark fairy tales, or of fantasy that borders on horror.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Barnes & Noble Book of the Year (2023)
If you walked into any Barnes & Nobles towards the end of 2023 you’ll likely be familiar with this book. A historical fiction novel centered on community, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, features a Pennsylvanian neighborhood shared by Jewish immigrants and African Americans, and the mystery they are confronted by when unidentified human remains are uncovered at the bottom of a well. Inspired by his personal family history and identity as a Black man raised by a white Jewish mother, McBride seamlessly melds fiction with historical reality. Just as much an example of literary fiction as it is historical, this may not be a favorite for those who need a direct plot line, but it certainly is perfect for those who enjoy beautiful writing and stories about vibrant and diverse communities.
My New Year’s wish for you my bookish friend, is that you’ll find a new favorite in this list of award winning books and that every book you read this year is at least a 4 star read! All of the books on this list, I’ve either read and loved or hope to soon – I hope you’ll add them to your TBR as well so we can read them together! If you’ve read any of these please feel free to let me know what you think of them in the comments and don’t forget to drop your favorite recommendations as well, award winners or not.
Happy New Year!
Ava, Penelope & Coral (The Red Dogs)
