For whatever number (9) of books I read in 2023, here’s the round-up post.

side note: This might be the last of the ‘year in books’ post on this site. Starting in 2024, moving to log all ‘read’ books in a physical ‘reading log’ notebook that a friend recently gifted.

Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino – While the world has been going gaga over ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ I picked this book from KH, thanks to D who lent me her physical copy. I will not say I was hooked. But I did complete it given my recent trait of not finding books interesting enough. In hindsight for a mystery lover like me, I did get involved as I was also trying to solve what must have happened throughout. If you are into thrillers and mystery novels then this is for you!

Em and the big hoom by Jerry Pinto – Better readers and people than me have written better things in praise of this book. I’ll still try. I don’t know what takes more strength, to be able to grow up normally around parents who are broken or to be their caregiver and then live to tell their story in the most human, empathetic way. This book is partly inspired by Jerry’s own life and childhood. His mother suffered from bipolar disorder. The book traverses in parts her story and in most parts the various relationship dynamics of the Pinto family. Through his writing, the tenderness with which Jerry can look at his suffering mother is heartbreaking. It’s also an excellent primer on mental health. If you are into podcasts and not into such books then do listen to this life enriching interview with Jerry. Don’t thank me later.

Choosing to run a memoir by Des Linden – I quite like Des Linden. I am a fan of her no-nonsense dry sense of humor. This was a 2022 birthday gift that was delivered in 2023. It tells the story of Des’s historic Boston Marathon win in 2018. It’s not a well-written book per se. But it’s a fast read. If you like sports and admire the rigor that goes behind heroic performances then do give it a read.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – A teaser of a TV show based on this book with Brie Larson (acting and producing) intrigued me. I wanted to read the book before watching the show. I was moved by the love story and fell in love with the two scientist protagonists. Even more interesting were the many themes the writer managed to address. From single parenting to religion to women’s rights to workplace politics, it had it all. I did not quite enjoy how nicely everything was tied together by the end. Guess we all need some feel-good wins by the end, so I am not complaining. In any case, I also enjoyed the show. Especially the last episode which had me sobbing by the hopefulness of it all.

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake – This is one non-fiction book that I cannot stop telling people enough about. M lent it to me earlier this year. Mr. Sheldrake has devoted his life to researching fungi. So the book is an absolute adventure as he takes us through this wild wild west journey of our co-habitants. The writing is distilled and so good that not once was I bored. I looked forward to each chapter as it expanded and opened my mind beyond my imagination. Must read if you fancy our world and want to understand it a bit better.

The Garden of Words by Midori Motohashi – My first manga! Again D lent it. (Thank you, friends, who never give up on me, and keep on egging me to read more :D). Took me some time to adjust to the manga reading style but after that, it was a breeze to go through. Admired the art. I found the story sweet and tender.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – PT had sent me this book a couple of years ago in a book barter. In a bid to make me read more, LJ told me that she was reading this book too. So I picked it up. Quite reluctantly. Anywho I trudged through most of it. I have watched Korean movies so reading a Korean book dint feel weird. Since this is a period book (The story revolves around the Korean War), it was interesting to understand the context of the cultural differences. I don’t have anything meaningful to share about the story or the characters. I failed to see the great writing too. Maybe I was somehow able to complete the book means it’s well-written.

The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie – Birthday gift from PT! What a lovely, little gem of a book on female friendships and how these friendships can see and carry you through life. All heart.

Siblings by Brigitte Reimann – If N from Pagdandi recommends a book, one must buy and read it! Before reading the book I had no detailed knowledge of the east-west Germany conflict/politics and partition or Reimann. So I read this book with a limited understanding. I loved the nuances of the family dynamics between the siblings and how physical borders within a country can irreparably separate a family. I did read up on Reimann a lot after this book tho!

Anywho, so this is it from me! I want to return to my roots and read more Marathi books this year. Where it all began. Also trying my hand at this to bring back the fun in reading. Is anyone else doing the popsugar challenge or in general have any book recommendations, pray tell?

P.S. Happy New Year! Hope you make more new joyful memories while staying healthy along the way 🙂

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