The Best Books of 2023

Подписаться 16 тыс.

Просмотров 9 тыс.

50% 1

It's time! Here are the best fiction books that Joel and I read in 2023. It was a great reading year, but these are the novels that came out on top. Expand for more information. 👇
Further Viewing 🎥
Our Best Nonfiction of 2023: • The Best Nonfiction Bo...
The Almost Best Books of 2023: • The Almost Best Books ...
The Worst Reads Books of 2023: • Friday Reads: The Wors...
The Best Books of 2022: • The Best Books of 2022
Our Mid-Year Favorites: • The Best Books of 2023...
My Deep Dive on The Grapes of Wrath: • Is The Grapes of Wrath...
My Deep Dive on To Kill a Mockingbird: • Why Is To Kill a Mocki...
My Review of Fanny Herself: • Discover This Hidden C...
Please note that each book is only listed once, but it may appear in the video twice.
Titles Mentioned (in alphabetical order by author) 📚
Whose Names Are Unknown, Sanora Babb: bookshop.org/a/99775/97808061...
Becoming Ted, Matt Cain: bookshop.org/a/99775/97814967...
Fanny Herself, Edna Ferber: bookshop.org/a/99775/97815287...
The Christmas Orphans Club, Becca Freeman: bookshop.org/a/99775/97801431...
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus: bookshop.org/a/99775/97803855...
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, Honorée Fannone Jeffers: bookshop.org/a/99775/97800629...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee: bookshop.org/a/99775/97800609...
Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out, Ryan Love: bookshop.org/a/99775/97800086...
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride: bookshop.org/a/99775/97805934...
Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston: bookshop.org/a/99775/97812503...
The Chandler Legacies, Abdi Nazemian: bookshop.org/a/99775/97800630...
Only This Beautiful Moment, Abdi Nazemian: bookshop.org/a/99775/97800630...
Tom Lake, Ann Patchett: bookshop.org/a/99775/97800633...
Wandering Souls, Cecile Pin: bookshop.org/a/99775/97812508...
The Guncle, Steven Rowley: bookshop.org/a/99775/97805255...
The Bandit Queens, Parini Shroff: bookshop.org/a/99775/97805934...
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler: bookshop.org/a/99775/97804499...
Pre-order The Guncle Abroad: bookshop.org/a/99775/97805935...
Pre-order Matt Cain’s One Love: www.gaystheword.co.uk/product...
Time Stamps ⏰
Our 10th Place Picks: 03:45
Our 9th Place Picks: 07:05
Our 8th Place Picks: 11:30
Our 7th Place Picks: 14:25
Our 6th Place Picks: 18:20
Our 5th Place Picks: 24:04
Our 4th Place Picks: 30:46
Our 3rd Place Picks: 39:16
Our 2nd Place Picks: 42:48
Our 1st Place Picks: 47:16
My Affiliate Page on Bookshop: bookshop.org/shop/supposedlyfun
If you would like to support this channel, please feel free to use Super Thanks or the affiliate links to Bookshop, but please do not feel obligated. I appreciate your presence regardless.
But wait, there's more!
Email: supposedlyfungreg-at-gmail.com
Storygraph: app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
Instagram: / supposedlyfun
Website: supposedlyfun.com/

Опубликовано:

31 дек 2023

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 145

@alanscheer2137 7 месяцев назад

Power of the Dog was by far one of my favourite reads. Incredibly beautiful prose.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

It’s a stunning book.

@alanscheer2137 7 месяцев назад

@@SupposedlyFun I totally agree and how incredible that Jane Campion brought it to the public’s attention after being lost for so long. Now I want to read his other work-what an incredible prose writer.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

@@alanscheer2137 I've only read The Sheep Queen so far in addition to Power of the Dog. It was just okay, I thought. But I want to try more.

@alliebeesreading 7 месяцев назад

LOVE that Joel is a permanent monthly fixture. You two (and your videos together) are just so cute, kind, and wholesome. I love getting a hot cocoa or tea and snuggling into my comforter while watching your cozy videos. Thank you! My favorite book(s) of the year were the Thursday Murder Club series ❤️

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I love the idea of getting hot cocoa or tea to watch! That's the vibe we go for. I've been meaning to try the Thursday Murder Club books. Maybe 2024 will be the year.

@Kim_Janulis 6 месяцев назад

Absolutely loved the Guncle as well. Agree wholeheartedly about the beautiful connection between the kids and the guncle and there dialogue had me laughing out loud as well.

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

It's such a good book.

@tiffanybarker7317 7 месяцев назад

Thanks!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much!

@emmavd 7 месяцев назад

Thank you and Happy New Year to you too, Greg, Joel and Teddy!🥂🍾I am still grateful for Greg’s recommendation of Tom Lake on audiobook♥️I made a whole project around it by also reading Our Town and watching the play with Paul Newman on youtube (which was actually mentioned in the comments by one of your subscribers). So that is among my favourites for 2023. Some other memorable ones are Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng, North Woods and, I hardly dare mention it😉…The Bee Sting (I finished it on New Year’s Eve!). I think the ending is absolutely brilliant. I’ll be reading two of your recommendations, which I found under the Christmas tree, in the coming weeks: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and A Council of Dolls.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I’m so glad you loved Tom Lake! And I hope you enjoy Heaven and Earth and Council of Dolls. Thank you for the recommendations.

@anaisr1804 7 месяцев назад

Loved this video! I also read The Love Songs of WEB Du Bois this year and it's my #1 too. Absolutely adored it.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

It’s such a good book. I’m glad you also loved it.

@ericgeneric135 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year! Great lists. Here are the top ten books I read in 2023: 1. East of Eden (Steinbeck) 2. The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck) 3. The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood) 4. How to Say Babylon (Sinclair) 5. The Bee Sting (Murray) 6. King: A Life (Eig) 7. Weep Not, Child (wa Thiong'o) 8. Poverty, by America (Desmond) 9. Buses Are a Comin': Memoir of a Freedom Rider (Person) 10. Pageboy: A Memoir (Page)

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Happy new year! What a great list. There are a couple in there that I need to catch up to.

@jeremyl2594 7 месяцев назад

Oh my gosh, just yesterday i was trying to figure out if I'm the only one who thinks East of Eden is better than Grapes of Wrath. Grapes is definitely a great book, yet East of Eden might be one of the greatest novels ever

@hasteyebooks 6 месяцев назад

Great to see you sharing your top books together! Lovely how so many are similar! Did not expect Guncle to be so emotional, looks so light from the cover! Will give it a try!

@tiffanydeckard8916 6 месяцев назад

I smiled all the way through this video! Wonderful vibes!!! Thank you for all the recommendations 💕💕

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

@angellikestoread4220 6 месяцев назад

Great video guys! I was so excited when you mentioned Dinner At Homesick Restaurant.😊 One of my all time favorites, and I don't hear talked about often. I can't wait to read some of these recommendations ❤

@myreadinglife8816 6 месяцев назад

As a Breakfast Club superfan, Joel sold me on The Chandler Legacies! I’ve never heard of that one.

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I'm excited to catch up to it. Abdi Nazemian has been reliable for me.

@milenapantelouris-abele306 7 месяцев назад

You are the coolest, sweetest, human, well read couple ever. Bless you! Cheers from Hamburg/Germany❤

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

That’s very kind of uou. Cheers from Missoula, Montana! ❤️🥂

@WinterKnits 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year, thank you for all the book ideas.

@user-ld7po9tg4x 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year 🎉 “Love Songs…” is a favorite read of mine as is “The Good Lord Bird” and I wondered if you knew WEB Dubois wrote an excellent biography of John Brown. Love you guys!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I did not know that! That sounds fascinating.

@phyllisriley1013 Месяц назад

Love you guys!!

@MJ-in-Canada 7 месяцев назад

I’ve been lurking for months. I’d previously resisted hitting the subscribe button because BookTube is cutting into my reading time.😆 In any case, resistance was futile and I’ve subscribed. It was your Dec. 4 video, “Reading Wrap-Up for November and December Plans” that really sealed the deal for me with its cozy vibes in front of the tree with Joel and Teddy.🎄 However, I enjoy ALL your content. Thanks to you, I read and enjoyed “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” and “Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.” I’ve just downloaded “Fanny Herself.” And like you, I enjoy books about dysfunctional families. Happy New Year!🥳

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much. That means a lot! Hopefully, we won’t cut into your reading time too much. But I’m glad you enjoyed Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. I hope Fanny Herself is as successful!

@MJ-in-Canada 7 месяцев назад

I follow librarian Nancy Perl’s “Rule of 50” where if I don’t like a book after 50 pages, I put it down and try another. You have so many book recommendations that I’m sure to find something that I enjoy from your lists even if some of your recommendations aren’t for me. I look forward to more content from your happy household. @@SupposedlyFun

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

@@MJ-in-Canada That's a good rule. Thanks again!

@marjoriedybec3450 7 месяцев назад

That was so much fun. I hope it was fun for you guys. That Teddy is a handsome fellow. What I heard was that you needed and enjoyed books that made you feel good, that made you love or laugh. Here's to more of that in 2024.

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I always have fun filming with Joel and Teddy, so I'm glad it comes across. Cheers to a happy 2024!

@rororeads 7 месяцев назад

Fantastic number one choice Greg. That book truly is a triumph!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thanks-I’m glad you agree!

@dmurfval702 7 месяцев назад

I loved The Guncle! Great top ten list. Here's to amazing reading in 2024.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I’ll cheers to that! 🥂📚

@deegrows7589 7 месяцев назад

Thanks for another great year with great recommendations! All the best in the New Year!

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much! All best to you and yours as well.

@Nina_DP 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year, guys!! In no particular order, my top ten of 2023 (one or two thanks to your recommendations): At the Hairdressers - Anita Brookner Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson Actress - Anne Enright Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri Address Unknown - Katherine Kressman Taylor Tom Lake - Ann Patchett Still Born - Guadalupe Nettel Quartet in Autumn - Barbara Pym Old Filth - Jane Gardam This is Happiness - Niall Williams You know it's a good reading year when Claire Keegan's latest doesn't make the cut, and many others, such as The English Understand Wool, Agatha of Little Neon, and on and on. Wishing us all a new year of peace and hope, good health, and great books. Cheers!

@karenehlers2534 7 месяцев назад

The audiobook for “The Guncle” is excellent and read by the author, Steven Rowley. I cannot wait for the sequel!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I listened to the audio and forgot to plug it here-you’re right, Rowley does such a good job!

@sniffingthesheets 6 месяцев назад

I bought The Guncle for my best friend at Christmas after hearing you guys' thoughts on it. I'm sure she'll love it!

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I feel like it would be a great gift--I hope she likes it!

@ameliabarlowbooks 7 месяцев назад

happy new year to the three of you - some great books here ♥

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Happy new year to you as well!

@julieg_quebec-julesselivre8641 7 месяцев назад

So many books to add to my list! 😅 Watching you both talk about books always makes me happy! My husband and I are like North and South poles when it comes to books! 😆 I ordered The Secret life of Albert… You got me curious about Matt Cain. Wishing you both a ton of new wonderful books for the new year! ❤

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I hope you enjoy it! To me, Matt Cain is like a warm hug. Happy new year to you and yours! ❤️🥂

@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk 7 месяцев назад

Best wishes with your reading choices.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thanks! Best wishes to you as well.

@cathpinkett5737 6 месяцев назад

Just found this channel. You guys are so interesting to listen to and you have added to my the list already. Nice to meet you both.Catherine from UK x

@BookishTexan 7 месяцев назад

Hoping to get to Tom Lake this month. Maybe The Love Songs if WEB Dubois in February

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I would be curious to see what you think of both.

@jeremyl2594 7 месяцев назад

I'm only a fourth of the way through the video, yet i must express my joy whenever you guys do a video together!!! It's great, thank you!!!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much! That means a lot to us! It’s fun to film with Joel.

@VirginiaCorley 3 месяца назад

I feel that way about all the light we cannot see. That won a,Pulitzer I scratch my head

@readandre-read 7 месяцев назад

So many good books in your round up! I love to hear about the emotional books, the ones with unforgettable characters, the ones that came along at just the right time. Those are the most memorable ones.

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I agree--stumbling on a book that hits just right in that moment is a thrilling feeling.

@neetupd8510 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year to you and Joel 🎉!😊

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Happy new year to you and yours! ❤️📚🥂

@elisabethvoelker583 7 месяцев назад

Just love your videos and your recommendations. They spark my interest in and out of my comfort zone and are so honest. Above all else you both are kind and restore my faith in humanity. Thank you!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much! That really means a lot to both of us. ❤️📚

@blonde761 6 месяцев назад

I just found your channel and I’m absolutely a fan! Great choices.

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much!

@famholtcat 4 месяца назад

Omg, I am cracking up about Asymmetry. My experience/thoughts are the same as yours. That book has been on and off my book shelf for years - still there, still not read. Some day, I will read it and let you know if you missed out! 😊

@trudyjohns5150 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year you three!!! I really enjoyed this video. Thank you. I went to buy Wandering Souls based on Greg’s touching review of it, and discovered I bought it in July 2023 as an ebook!!! So, now, it’s going to be a priority on my TBR list. You two are my very favorite couple on BookTube!!!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy Wandering Soul as much as I did.

@jacquelinemcmenamin8204 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year Joel & Greg ❤🎉 My top books of 2023 Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark Crow Lake by Matt Lawson The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride The Road To Dalton by Shannon Dowing The New Life by Tom Crewe Prophets Song by Paul Lynch The Bee Sting by Paul Murray The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur The Unseen World by Liz Moore Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Chein The Winter Solider by Daniel Mason We Are Called To Rise All The Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd Barlow The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Kala by Colin Walsh Heft by Liz Moore My number one has remained the same since February 2023 when I finished it Deluge by Stephen Markley Yes, it took me 2 months on audio ..but it was so worth it. 🍀👋☘️🇮🇪📕📖📚☕️🤗😘😍

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

So many I still need to read here!

@ToddsBookTube91 6 месяцев назад

Todd here. Happy New Year Guys! I love these buddy videos with you and Joel!

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

Happy new year! 🥂

@joangavrilik3009 7 месяцев назад

Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett -- good for you!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Two great Anns!

@Roscoethecat 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for the recommendations. You should read So Big by Edna Ferber. It's one of my all time favorites.

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I’ll be reading So Big as part of my Pulitzer Project and I’m really excited for it!

@kirkwallmage 7 месяцев назад

Omg Teddy’s little tail

@Carnivorecravings 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year!! I love your page and both of you!! You are great critics and how you break down the reads.. plus!!! The love between you is so endearing!!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you! That is so kind. Happy new year to you and yours. ❤️📚🥂

@jacquelinemcmenamin8204 7 месяцев назад

I haven’t read The Guncle but I did buy it for a friend for his birthday last year. Wandering Souls is one of many books of 2023 I did not get to. The Bandit Queen is another.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I would be curious to hear your thoughts on all three.

@annegibson6072 7 месяцев назад

My best book was The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store followed closely by Demon Copperhead. On any given day I could switch them. My number three is The Collected Regrets of Clover

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I remember you talking about Collected Regrets. Maybe 2024 will be the year I’m ready for it!

@sarahwiltshire5851 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year guys and pats for Teddy (so adorable). Thanks so much for all your videos and your great reviews. 'Love Songs...' was my #1 choice, too - one of the best books that I have ever read! Looking forward to reading 'Heaven & Earth Grocery Store' and have 'North Woods', 'Tom Lake' & 'Lessons in Chemistry' on order at my library.

@lulukan64 7 месяцев назад

I just got Fanny Herself and I am about to read it on my Kindle (it was freee!) I will open my new year with your favorite book. You two are a delight and my favorite new channel of 2023. ❤🎉 Happy New Year 🥰

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much! That means a lot to both of us. I hope you like Fanny Herself as much as I did. ❤️📚🥂

@lulukan64 7 месяцев назад

@SupposedlyFun Omg I just finished Fanny Herself 😭 What a brilliant and perfect book. I will never forget it.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

@@lulukan64 Ahhhh, I'm so glad you loved it! It's such a good book.

@gastondeveaux3783 6 месяцев назад

I'm here for Teddy !! ❤

@onourpath 7 месяцев назад

My favorite book this year is Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld, but it's not published until March 2024. I highly recommend her first book, The Enchanted to you; I think you would absolutely love it. Some more favorite books this year: King of the Armadillos, Chin-Tanner; Red is My Heart, Laurain; Open Throat, Hoke; Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit, Campbell; The Librarianist, deWitt; Agatha of Little Neon, Luchette; Sealed, Booth; Need, Phillips; The Lost Journals of Sacajewea, Earling; Small Things Like These, Keegan; Foster, Keegan; My Darling Girl, McMahon; Fever House, Rosson; The Book of Goose, Li; The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, Karunatilaka. Re: Bee Sting --- I'm so glad you dnf'd it so early. I'm a huge fan of Murray, and loved Skippy Died. I read all 600+ pages of Bee Sting and was left hanging at the end. I love an ambiguous ending, but, this was too much, ugh!!! Why, Paul Murray, Why?????? 😭

@jackiesliterarycorner 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year!! My two of my best books were The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish and Anne of Green Gables by ML Montgomery .

@trishawood2997 7 месяцев назад

Guncle was such an emotional book for me and I usually don't cry or get teary eyed when reading, but this one got me. Such a good book. ❤

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Guncle was a very emotional book. I hope the sequel is as good!

@Donna-vg2vo 7 месяцев назад

Great video! I loved Bandit Queens as well. It's not a book I would have picked up on my own because the premise seemed so strange, but somehow it just worked! Amusing while still tackling tough subjects. Booktube always gives me great suggestions! Some of my favorites this year included Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin and Greenwood by Michael Christie. Also, I read a couple of Matt Haig books - both amazing!!! ---The Humans and How To Stop Time. I had tried The Midnight Library too but didn't love that one. Some other 5 stars for me this year included Flowers for Algernon, Trust, Ohio (Stephen Markley), March and People of the Book (love Geraldine Brooks), and of course the best of the year for me was Demon Copperhead. It's inspiration, David Copperfield, is my favorite Dickens novel so far. Per your suggestions, I'll be picking up the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and Tom Lake. Happy New Year!

@jennisrandom42 7 месяцев назад

Love seeing Bandit Queens and The Guncle on this list. They were highlights of my reading this year. I’ve pre ordered the sequel.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I’m so glad you liked them! I confess I’m a bit nervous about the sequel, but I can’t wait to read it.

@marciajohansson769 7 месяцев назад

I think Lessons In Chemistry was my favorite book this past year. But there were many I liked a lot. But a few of my favorites were Mama Day by Gloria Naylor, When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozecki and Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt (audio, great narration). A few favorite non fiction books were The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. I could never rank them all as I liked most of them in a special way or another. I have several of the books mentioned on my shelves now. It is just a matter of which one to pick first! My daughter suggested I write them all down on a strip of paper and select them randomly! As always, I appreciate all you both do to keep us entertained with thoughtful commentary about great books, puppy time with Teddy and I could not be more pleased that the Christmas Orhpan's Club was a hit. Be well in the New Year.

@azu_rikka 7 месяцев назад

You two are so cute🥰! And you are so lucky that you are best reading buddies too. My favourite 2 books of 2023 are: The Neapoletan Quartet by Ferrante Titus Groan by Mervin Peake Happy new year!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

That's a great list! Happy new year!

@nanimaonovi2528 7 месяцев назад

'We Could Be So Good' by Cat Sebastian would be a good book for Joel. It's set in the 1950s New York about two newspaper men who fall in love. The big issues are there, but not belaboured. It's such a heartwarming book. There's one "not own voices" mistake but it doesn't wreck the book. Happy New Year!

@joelmcclanahan9004 7 месяцев назад

It’s on my Possibilities list (aka TBR)

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

We Could Be So Good is also on my possibilities list for early this year. Thanks for the recommendation.

@loramull6377 7 месяцев назад

Love this video and all your reading recommendations! I plan to read most of them! Happy New Year to you both and your furry baby Teddy❤ wishing you lots of top 5 reads

@jordana99 7 месяцев назад

I was number 100 although I almost watched this when I was up at 6 - you guys do this early or it posts early! Thanks for sharing your reading!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

We filmed it on Saturday and I scheduled it for early in the morning. Thanks for watching!

@jordana99 7 месяцев назад

Happy New Year to you three!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

@@jordana99 Happy new year!

@DuncanMcCurdie 7 месяцев назад

I definitely need to read the Guncle. My neighbour also recommended it a couple of years ago. They made it sound much more like an out of their depth comedy.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

To be fair, it is an out of their depth comedy in that the Guncle isn’t used to parenting, but I was surprised by how much more I got out of it.

@mradcaqbdb 7 месяцев назад

Teddy’s face is just saying “I’m so lucky! I hit the daddy jackpot! I’m so lucky!” I’m melting just watching him. ❤️ So, you guys did The Bandit Queens on audio? It didn’t bother you that the narrator had an American accent? I’ve listened to a sample of the audio and it just seemed like the wrong choice, but maybe I should just get over that and listen to it. Here’s my fiction top 10. Only one in common! I definitely rate by emotion as I don’t really feel capable of doing critical reviews of books. The order after probably #5 is a bit malleable. Numbers 1 and 2 are impossibly close. I would say that Riambel, All the Sinners Bleed, and The Guncle are just outside the top 10. A Little Luck - Claudia Pineiro Clytemnestra - Costanza Casati Address Unknown - Kathrine Kressmann Taylor Black Butterflies - Priscilla Morris Wandering Souls - Cecile Pin The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - Janice Hallett Trespasses - Louise Kennedy Grave Expectations - Alice Bell None of This is True - Lisa Jewell A Murder in the Family - Cara Hunter And I want to read a bunch of the books on both your lists! I added some to wishlists already! One of my next books will definitely be My Government Means to Kill Me. I’m torn because the audio narrator sounds fantastic but there are footnotes, so I think I’ll be gifting the physical book to myself for my bday this week. Happy New Year! Please can we just make it to the day after Election Day as painlessly as possible? 🙏🏻

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

Sorry I've been so late catching up to this comment! I finally got here. I may be remembering wrong, but I recall the narrator of Bandit Queens having a touch of an accent? It's been months, so I could be off there. But it definitely didn't bother me or hinder my enjoyment of the book. There are a couple of books on your list that I need to catch up to (the Pineiro and Black Butterflies in particular). I will be curious to hear what you think of My Government Means to Kill Me. Honestly, we feel incredibly lucky to have found our way to Teddy. He's been such a joy, and is such a good dog. I don't know how he came to be abandoned (we'll likely never know), but however it happened, their huge mistake is our gain. ❤️

@RockingChairAdventures 7 месяцев назад

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite books of all time as well. This year I loved Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield, hauntingly beautiful. Happy new year!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Happy new year! I didn’t get to Our Wives Under the Sea in 2023, so maybe 2024!

@catherinejager3264 7 месяцев назад

I did The Bee Sting in audio - highly recommend - but, spoiler, the ending - does not tie anything up in a pretty bow - for better or worse 🤷🏼‍♀️

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

I may revisit it at some point, but I feel pretty comfortable letting other people enjoy The Bee Sting at the moment. We’ll see!

@AmberlyyK. 7 месяцев назад

i really want to read Heaven and Earth grocery store and whose names are unknown! I already enjoyed Grapes of wrath so much so it should be right up my alley. I read a lot of nonfiction this year but some of my favourite fiction of this year includes: A tree grows in brookyln, the house of the Spirits, the overstory, demon copperhead and Crime and Punishment

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on my list to get to. I loved Demon Copperhead!

@neleschneider1080 7 месяцев назад

Happy new year to the both of you. You should read "Saint Maybe" by Anne Tyler! Don't even research it, just dive in. I also think that you'll love "Everything I never told you" by Celeste Ng. A major theme of both books is the inability of people (especially family members) to communicate with each other.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I think I saw a copy of Saint Maybe at my local used bookstore, so maybe I’ll grab it and read it without reading the description. I don’t think I’ve ever done that for a book, so it would be fun. Thanks for the recommendations-I was gifted a copy of Everything I Never Told You late in 2023, so that’s another solid option!

@user-he5yw3mn3z 7 месяцев назад

The best book I read in 2023 was TRUST by Hernan Diaz followed by SHARK HEART: A LOVE STORY by Emily Habeck and THE END OF DRUM-TIME by Hanna Pylvainen.

@trudejensen8512 3 месяца назад

1. The Notebook - Agota Kristof 2. Boule de Suif - Guy de Maupassant 3. The Stranger - Albert Camus 4. SPQR - Mary Beard (non fiction) 5. The Details - Ia Genberg 6. The End of Eddy - Edouard Louis 7. High - Erika Fatland (non fiction) 8. The Bird Tribunal - Agnes Ravatn 9. The Sixteen Trees of the Somme - Lars Mytting 10. Consent: A Memoir of Stolen Adolescence - Vanessa Springora (non fiction)

@SupposedlyFun 3 месяца назад

That’s an interesting list. I’ve only read The End of Eddy.

@trudejensen8512 3 месяца назад

@@SupposedlyFun I work at a public library in Norway, so there are some Norwegian authors on the list.

@TheLeniverse 6 месяцев назад

Tom Lake is my second most favourite book that I read in 2023, but there might be some recency bias at work. I read it in December. I think I also loved it so much because it was a year with a lot of bleak books. Excellent books, but so bleak. So much war and trauma. So Tom Lake was a balm for the soul and just a lovely experience. My number one favourite was Lonesome Dove. I read it over the summer and I really think it might end up in my all-time favourites. As for books to avoid, stay away from Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfeg. That was just horrific gore and abuse, really excessively so, possibly to distract from a plot that went nowhere with characters that were caricatures. I somehow got pulled in enough not to dnf it, and I think that makes me extra annoyed 😆

@jasong340 7 месяцев назад

I'm half way through Love Songs thanks to you and it is amazing so far! Have you read West with Giraffes? Read it this year and it was great! Think you guys would like it, especially Joel since it combines both a love for animals and the dust bowl. Happy New Year!

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I’m so glad you’re liking Love Songs! I hadn’t heard of West With Giraffes and it sounds fascinating. I have it saved on Scribd. Thanks for the recommendation!

@VirginiaCorley 3 месяца назад

Kristin Hannah writes cheesy as per the nightingale,winter garden and the women. Should I try the four winds though

@loriroemer1122 7 месяцев назад

SPOILERS FANNY HERSELF I enjoyed this book, until the end, when Fanny had to be rescued, literally and emotionally, by a man. Boo. Greg, I really enjoyed Ducks, and it is a great companion read to an excellent NF, Fire Weather.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I may try to get to Fire Weather in 2024. And that’s fair re: Fanny Herself. I think at the time, it would have been expected for the book to have that sort of ending (I think about Louisa May Alcott’s struggles with the ending of Little Women), so given the constraints of what publishers probably expected, I thought Ferber did a good job making it feel earned. But I can see how others might disagree.

@Phillybookfairy 7 месяцев назад

I’m so glad I bought Northwoods and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store before my book buying ban of 2024 goes into effect… 😂 yeah we’ll see how that goes. I plan to read the best of the best on my shelves and now you’ve inspired me to do a reread of To Kill a Mockingbird and thanks so much for the audiobook rec bc I love Sissy Spacek’s voice! Looking forward to that. I also want to read the dust bowl book you mentioned. I will definitely add it into my long list tbr and hope I remember to get it in 2025… I think I’m going to have to stop watching new release type videos or else I’ll never get to that suspected 5 star shelf I have been so excited about. I also have Bandit Queens on that shelf as well as tge McBride book and Northwoods and one that I’m hoping I’ll love from Kate Mosse (the burning chamber) and a plague book called Nights of Plague. Also am going to read The Overstory, The Bee Sting, Tomb of Sand, and a reread of The Good Earth. So many more … I just don’t think I’m accumulating properly I need to make sure I’m saying yes to arcs that I truly believe will be a favorite not just to pass the time (like thrillers) - anyhow, I’m just trying to stop the influx of books from buying and reviewing bc I have so many to read - probably hundreds - and the best thing about this whole process has been that I am getting to learn more about what types of reads really spark my love of reading and what other ones are space fillers… im going to read more non-fiction in the upcoming year and I’m truly hoping that the women’s prize for non-fiction doesn’t become a conduit for women’s memoirs. I feel those are championed enough. I want to read women in science and medicine and essays on life, for women who research exciting things like medical breakthroughs, historical events, politics, anything but a memoir. Unless they tie a memoir bits into their non fiction topic - I mean, women’s intellectual pursuits - that’s where I’m hoping their focus goes ….

@LaughingStockfarm1 7 месяцев назад

Love you two (three) together. And I really like how you bring forward the good gay books, but do you ever read any good lesbian books? ‘Cause that’s the way I swing and I’m always on the look out for good ones (other than Sarah Waters). If you need to tip, I’d strongly recommend ‘Cantoras’ by Carolina de Robertis.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

I’ve enjoyed Rubyfruit Jungle, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and The Color Purple (although I have reservations about Alice Walked). Cantoras is on my list to get to and I’ve heard great things about Yerba Buena. You Should See Me in a Crown is a fun YA as well. And in romance, I really liked Kiss Her Once For Me!

@AthynVixen 7 месяцев назад

Aww I recommended Arthur and Teddy to you both. Happy to see how much Joel loved it, Haven't read The Guncle but totally agree with your casting choice. I have always enjoyed Michael's work and was honoured to meet him after a stage performance in NYC which i flew over from the UK for in 2019. Loving him in Ugly Betty I wanted to say hello and when he and his lovely partner learned I had come from London for the show , the proceeded to chat with me genuinely for ages. Lovely guy . Am hoping to see him again in Spamalot in a couple of weeks xx

@joelmcclanahan9004 7 месяцев назад

Thank you for the recommendation. I keep suggesting to StoryGraph to add a “Suggested by” field for tracking.

@SupposedlyFun 7 месяцев назад

Yes, thank you for the recommendation. It didn’t make my top ten but it is a book I enjoyed. I’m so jealous you got to meet Michael Urie. How nice of him to chat!

@phyllisriley1013 Месяц назад

I hated the bee sting.

@melissal3159 7 месяцев назад

I always judge a book with my heart. If a book is poorly written I won't get invested enough to care.

@LaughingStockfarm1 7 месяцев назад

I’m the same way…poor writing distracts to the point I can’t engage. I don’t have high standards for writing, competent writing will do, but there are some very poorly written books out there. If the writing isn’t a distraction and I find the story engaging, then that’s all I ask. 😊

@SupposedlyFun 6 месяцев назад

It's definitely important to listen to your feelings!