27: Favorite 2023 Reads
Also 🎲 new/old family games, 💄a new makeup fave, and 🙌 Colorado rules
🎲 Games. We’re definitely a family of game players, so the holidays often have us sitting around the table playing. Recently, we’ve pulled out some old favorites—Trivial Pursuit, Yahtzee, Scattergories—and a coworker just turned me on to a new one—Dixit. It sounds like one of those fun, get-to-know-you games and I’m excited to play. I’m afraid I won’t have a chance against my two younger kids, who say that they have the same brain (and they’re kind of right).
💄Clinique concealer. I spent years basically wearing no makeup, so now that I feel compelled to keep up with the millennials at the office, I’m scrambling a bit to figure it out. I realized recently that when it comes to concealer, the nuances are subtle but important. I need something that won’t cake in the fine lines, isn’t too heavy, and applies easily. I’m figured out that I generally like to blend with my fingers, except for the corners of my eyes. That’s why this concealer is so perfect. A regular applicator AND a beauty blender-like tip. With a nice thin formula. Perfect. Who knew I’d have such opinions on the topic?!
🙌 Colorado rules. My sister sent me the headline she saw last night: Trump is Disqualified From the 2024 Ballot, Colorado Supreme Court Rules! Our sister/writer text thread had fun with that pun. Way to walk the line of objectivity, NYT.
2023 Favorite Reads
I’ve been debating about the best way to go about analyzing all the data from the mother of a spreadsheet I’ve been keeping about my reading this year. I’ll share some of the big takeaways from the charts and graphs, etc. next week, but for now, I’m just going to sort with the 5 stars at the top of the list and talk about them all. So, let’s go.
So, right away, when I look at what rose to the top, I think it’s a pretty right-on list. I did really like all of these books.
It’s a pretty great list of 5 stars and I’d happily recommend them to anyone.
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh. This was my first read of 2023 and I loved it. Maybe it’s one that won’t resonate with everyone—it’s a weird book, which is one of the things I really like about Moshfegh’s writing. She’s become a favorite, and I’ll pretty much pick up what she puts down.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. This is one I would recommend to anyone. A heart-warming, found family story with an odd and hilarious premise. Just read it.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I do like her books, though I know not everyone does. Demon is an epic with difficult content about a completely lovable character. I loved it, but it was hard to read, and I worried about poor Demon all the way through.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire. This is the second in the series, and it made me love this world so much. I wasn’t convinced after the first book, but I’m all in now.
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. Another great coming of age story, full of injustice and characters that you just love. I thought I was done with YA, but this was just so good. Sure, the characters are young, but the messages are deep.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. I decided to read the Booker Prize Shortlist (still working on it) and this was my favorite (at least of the ones I’ve read so far). This really did a number on me. For weeks after, anytime I read something suspenseful or violent, scenes from this book haunted me. Heartbreaking and so good, but not for the faint of heart. I’m so glad it won.
Outlive by Peter Attia. I often listen to health books on audio, and though I often enjoy them, the lessons don’t tend to stick. This one did. It’s thorough, full of science, but also digestible and actionable. Worth the read. And I’m glad to have at least one nonfiction on this list.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. I really liked this one, though I get some of the criticism (too long, a little wandering, maybe even manipulative). I think it deserves the five stars, but I’d probably put it at the bottom of this list.
The Talk by Darrin Bell. This one gets the vote for making me feel. There are lots of great books out there to try to convey the African-American male experience, but this one pulled my mama-heartstrings. It made me grateful for my boys’ privilege and outraged that all young men don’t have the same advantage. I forwarded it to my mothers-of-sons friends.
What have been your favorites of the year? I’m always looking for recs!
At the moment . . .
📖 Reading: Maame by Jessica George. Making my way through the GoodReads General Fiction nominees. I think this is my genre because I’m really enjoying this one.
🔈 Listening: The Storyteller by Dave Grohl. Drummer of Nirvana takes me back to my early-90’s Seattle days. Good (but hard!) times.
🌮 Eating: Oh, the holidays. Clients and partners are sending all the gift baskets to the office and it’s too much to resist. Sweet popcorn? Delish!
🧶 Knitting: Six more weeks in the finger cast. No knitting for me anytime soon.