2023 was a standout reading year for me. I almost made it to my annual goal of reading 50 books per year. For me, anything in the 40s counts as great. This year, I’m on track to make it to 48.
So many of the books I read this year were fabulous. Instead of making a “best of” list that attempts to quantify an all-around greatness, I thought I’d share with you the most memorable books I read. These are the books that stuck with me personally. These are the books that made a real difference in my life—my thinking, my experiences.
Below are the most memorable books I read in 2023. They are listed in alphabetical order in each category (fiction or nonfiction).
Fiction
THE COLLECTED TALES OF NIKOLAI GOGOL by NIKOLAI GOGOL
(read my previews)
The Ukrainian short story master has conjured up strange and beautiful tales with otherworldly elements. Tales are set in rural Ukraine and urban Saint Petersburg.
THE GUEST by EMMA CLINE
(read my previews)
A young woman spends a week bumming around Long Island, as she deludes herself into thinking everything’s going to be okay.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ by MORGAN TALTY
(read my previews)
This connected short story collection illuminates the lives of modern Native Americans in Maine. The book is powerful, haunting, tragic, and beautiful.
PARTY GOING by HENRY GREEN
(read my previews)
The British writer Henry Green has created an unforgettable scenario of young people caught in a fog—and in their own human follies and loveliness—as they wait for a train.
Nonfiction
THE BEST MINDS by JONATHAN ROSEN
(read my previews)
This combination of memoir and biography describes the exceptionally brilliant and tragic life of a man with schizophrenia.
STUART: A LIFE BACKWARDS by ALEXANDER MASTERS
(read my previews)
Alexander writes the life story of Stuart, an ex-homeless man in Cambridge, England, and the story is told in reverse. A unique and revelatory biography.
UNWINDING ANXIETY by JUDSON BREWER
(read my previews)
A research-based, three-step solution to anxiety in the moment that it happens. I now use this technique regularly. It really works.
THE WAY OUT by ALAN GORDON with ALON ZIV
(read my previews)
Ground-breaking research on why pain sometimes persists for years and how to make it stop. These concepts were instrumental in my concussion recovery process.
What were the most memorable books you read in 2023? Tell me in the comments—I’d love to hear your reading experiences and suggestions!
