My top 9 books of the year
A short list of my favorite reads in a year where I picked up a lot of books
This year I read more than normal. A mix of fiction and non-fiction, but mostly novels. Some old, many new.
A lot of work-related reading, mostly done at night on an iPad in my daughter’s room as I stayed with her until she fell asleep. I’m lucky to have a gig writing about all the great books being published by Colorado-based writers. So much good writing coming out of this scene.
I also had a couple of months where I was given a box of more than 30 books to evaluate as a selector for the Colorado Book Award. So yeah, a lot of reading.
Anyway, here’s a short list of the books that I really loved, in no particular order.
Plains Song - Wright Morris (Pub date: 1980) Morris was born in Central City, Nebraska, and spent time as a child in Norfolk, Nebraska. This book spans multiple generations of a family of mostly women that built lives in that part of the country. It’s written in a beautifully poetic but detailed and evocative style. A book of dust and work and hard lives.
The Last Ranger - Peter Heller (Pub date: 2023) I love Heller’s books because they’re lyrical and descriptive with a true attention to language. Plus, he always chooses to set them in wild, interesting places. This one takes places in Yellowstone. I interviewed him this year and he compared himself to a campfire storyteller, which I think is fitting.
Selftitled - Nicole Morning (Pub date: 2021) Morning is a fellow Trident Press author, and this slim book is a perfect example of what a small publisher does best. It’s raw and full of hard-won truths. The kind of writing that’s too brave for the big publishing houses.
Cannery Row - John Steinbeck (Pub date: 1945) It seems like each year I pick up another Steinbeck novel that I haven’t read, and he hasn’t let me down yet. I started this when I found out I was going to Monterey for work. Seeing all the historical places in that city that are preserved and the statues and banners to Steinbeck just because of this book is something I would recommend to any writer or lover of literature.
To Die Beautiful -
(Pub date: 2023) Boulder author Buzzy Jackson’s historical novel To Die Beautiful is not only tailor-made for the movie screen but rich with detail and depth of character. The saga of Dutch resistance fighter Hannie Schaft in 1940s Netherlands as she fights against Nazi occupation is about love, loyalty and, most importantly, standing up to fascism. Jackson reminds us that although Hitler and the Holocaust happened almost a hundred years ago, it could easily happen again.The Devil Takes You Home - (Pub date: 2022) Pretty much anyone on literary Twitter (calling it literary X feels wrong) knows Gabino’s work. He’s a master at creating meme-worthy posts. He’s also a maestro at writing dark, violent novels full of action and horror with scenes that you won’t be able to shake loose from your head. I picked this for my Book of the Month when I was still subscribed to that service, before I canceled it when my To-Read pile got out of control.
Tell Me Everything - Erika Krouse (Pub date: 2022) Denver author Erika Krouse won the 2023 Colorado Book Award this year for creative non-fiction with her memoir Tell Me Everything, an account of her time as a private investigator working a sexual assault case involving football players at an unnamed Colorado university. She tells this all in a way that’s not salacious or gross or exploitative. I interviewed Krouse this year and found her to be brilliant and gracious.
I Wish To Say Lovely Things - Adam Gnade (Pub date: 2023) I’ve read everything my friend Adam has written, and he’s written a lot. This book is a new high point for him. Beautiful and sad and true. Full of rich, funny dialogue and vivid, detailed descriptions. With every book, Adam gives us everything he can, and each one truly is a gift.
The Son - Philipp Meyer (Pub date: 2013). A rare re-read for me. I’m researching family saga novels right now, and this was one of the first books I thought of when I started the project. This a wonderful book. It must have taken tremendous effort to write. It spans generations, tackles the formation of the United States on the backs of the Mexicans and Indians who died so the Texas empire could flourish. Meyer is not as interested in the grotesque or weird prose stylings as Cormac McCarthy, but he certainly is a brother.