2023: Year End Book Review
Happy New Year and Hello, 2024! Each year, I select a motto to recite, rehearse and inspire me throughout the year. Borrowing from the great Reese Witherspoon, my 2024 motto is to be a radiator. A radiator is someone who is positive, helpful, and someone that you are drawn to be around. I loved this idea, and felt this was an inspirational motto to help frame my actions and thoughts in the new year. One way I hope to be a radiator is through this blog, and creating a reading community where we can share and learn from one another. If you are in the DC area, please join us for the next Closet Hook Book Club event on Thursday, January 18. We will meet at the Boardroom in Clarendon at 7pm, discussing Colleen Hoover’s Ugly Love. You don’t even need to read the book. The whole idea is for women to meet other like-minded people in the community and have a good time!
Ok, let’s talk books! In 2023, I read 52 total books. This was the exact number I read last year. However, my goal wasn’t a number of books, but rather to expand my reading palette. For a suspense and thriller junkie, I loved the idea of variety in 2023 and it made reading not only more fun, but I walked away feeling inspired, educated, and curious. Some of my favorites from this year include: Boys in the Boat (Historical Fiction), The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post (Historical Fiction), Demon Copperhead (Literary Fiction), The Secret Book of Flora Lee (Historical Fiction), Hello Beautiful (Literary Fiction), Bright Young Women (Suspense), and the Henna Artist (Historical Fiction).
December alone was a great month of reading for me! I read 4 books that I am excited to share with you all. I will rank them in order from least to most favorite, but keep in mind, I enjoyed all four!
#4: Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major
Did you know Spotify has audiobooks that come with your account? That is how I read Maybe Next Time. This was a Closet Hook Book Club tip from out last event, and I am forever grateful to learn that! Maybe Next Time feels like the movie Groundhog day. The main character, Emma, is stuck reliving the same Monday over and over again. However, this particular Monday is awful since her husband dies tragically and she is forced to relive it on a constant loop. Therefore, she embarks on a journey to change the trajectory of this horrendous experience and is constantly re-evaluating her priorities with work, family, friends etc. It doesn’t have a clear ending (which may not feel satisfying to every reader), but it does make you stop and think what is most important to you!
#3: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
I love a good WW2 historical fiction novel and this particular story is told from the perspective of Asian-Americans living in the US during the war. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells a story in 2 parallel story lines- Henry as a 12 yr old young Chinese boy witnessing the internment of Japanese Americans in Seattle and Henry, as a middle-aged widower, who is trying to reconcile the past with the present. The storyline was unique for me, since I have read very little about the internments camps from WW2. It is an ugly part of our US history, but felt so important to learn about. I highly recommend this book for any historical fiction lovers!
#2: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur- Alka Joshi
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is the second book in a series following The Henna Artist. Set in 1970s India, this book follows the same wonderful characters from The Henna Artist as they try to uncover how the brand new cinema collapsed, killing a well known actor and several others. It is full of intrigue and scandal. Alka Joshi is a master storyteller and highly recommend reading both of these back to back!
#1: Demon Copperhead- Barbara Kingsolver
Without a doubt, this was my favorite book of the month and definitely in my top 3 of the year! Don’t be like me, and get intimated by the 550 page size of the book. It is a gem and has made every recommended book list for a reason! Demon Copperhead is a modern-day take on the classic, David Copperfield. Demon is an orphan living in rural Southwestern Virginia, and is forced to make his own way through the world. Like its classic predecessor, Demon Copperhead is full of rich and unique characters and a twists and turns as this poor boy has to navigate a harsh existence on his own. It was beautiful, complex, and fascinating. Truly, make this is must read for 2024!
I LOVE the Closet Hook community and I am excited how it has become a place to engage around reading and books! I look forward to your comments, questions, and recommendations that everyone brings when I create book posts. If you live in the DC area, please join us on Thursday January 18 at the Boardroom for our next book club event and thank you all for being a part of this fun, reading community!!
L