Most unusually I have not been stumbling through the never-ending forests of the Back Lists.
This year I have been on the limitless steppes of Kindle-land, catching e-books on my Kindle Fire, close to launch day.
My rudimentary stats reveal that I’ve read around 100 books in 2023, the majority being e-books. It needs to be said that most e-books are relatively short – sometimes novella length, which can be read in a day.
I’ve all but abandoned hard cover books due to the teeny-tiny print. I’ve tried a couple of Large Print books from the Library, which were readable from the vision point of view, but alas! the Public Library stock is tiny, and the selection limited. So: back to Kindle-land.
For the first time, I’ve read a number of series this year. Between the indefatigable Joffe Books who appear to have an infinite stock of (mainly) British Whodunnits, and Kindle who offer a vast choice of cozy crime, romance and paranormal offerings, I have succumbed. With varying degrees of success. The three most enjoyable series I read this year were:
Kim M Watt – Gobbelino London: cozy paranormal mystery. Any book offering talking cats has me from page 1.
Ellery Addams – the Miracle Spring Series – female friendship, Bibliotherapy and feel-good endings.
Carmen Reid – Annie Valentine, Family, Fashion, Frocks and Fun. A real tonic!
Whilst not falling into the Series category, I found good, light reads in the Indian Diaspora Category, notably books by Amulya Malladi, Sonali Dev, Namrata Patel among others. Some of the novels were set in India, other in the USA. I’ve always enjoyed Indian novels, and the genre appears increasingly in the e-book world but in lighter mode, as opposed to the heavyweights like Rohinton Mistry and Amitav Ghosh from earlier years.
In past years I’ve followed the Booker Prize. This year, not so much. Any on-line Booker novel is one hell of a price, so out of my reach. But after my last Booker defeat with Olga Tokarczuk, (The Books of Jacob: all that mud! all that religion!) I think I may be done with Booker novels.
For what its worth, here are my annual nominations:
BEST READ OF THE YEAR – When I’m Gone, Look for me in the East – Quan Barry.
Highly Original Buddhist themed novel set in Mongolia
4 FIRST RATE NOVELS – The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty – Vendela Vida – unpredictable – contemporary
The Perfect Golden Circle – Benjamin Myers – British contemporary – quirky, original
Eyrie – Tim Winton – Australian contemporary – visceral
West with Giraffes – Lynda Rutledge -American road trip with ecological message
BEST BIOGRAPHY Terry Pratchett: A life with Footnotes – Rob Wilkins
BEST HUMOUR Mr Monk is Miserable – Lee Goldberg. The agonies of a germophobe confronted with Paris. Laugh out loud read (e-bk)
An honourable mention: Simon Brett’s Mrs Pargeter series – tongue in cheek British humour (e-bks)
BEST MEMOIR Kept: An American Househusband in India – Gregory E Buford. Good humoured account of culture clash (e-bk)
So there we have it, I wonder what your top reads were ?
Finally: A special thanks to Book Jotter, who continues to provide an invaluable comprehensive weekly review over the bookish world.
THE BOOKSMITH 