Hello book lovers!This is NOT a book ranking. Instead, it’s a list of the 37 books I read in 2023 written in a style I’ve been keeping up on my website since 2012. That’s over a decade of pithy reviews! I enjoy hearing what people are reading. In my Dear Nina Facebook group, we have book (and TV) chats every few weeks. We’ve recently added favorite recipes, too. And of course we discuss friendship goals and dilemmas. A novel I started in 2023, but haven’t finished yet because I didn’t want to bring a hardcover on my vacation, is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. It’s the next pick for The Dear Nina Book Club on January 28th, at 7PM CST. Sign up here! EVERYONE IS WELCOME! The Books I Read in 2023 (in the order I read them)#1. BFF: a Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie Tate: I devoured this memoir about complicated friendships in a few days. Christie and I spoke about friendship triangles and ghosting on episode 47 of Dear Nina. And we spoke about her previous memoir, Group, on episode #4, “Revealing Too Much Too Soon With New Friends.” #2. Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson: I enjoyed Ginnifer Goodwin narrating this one. Wilson often writes wonderfully, quirky characters, and I enjoyed the idea of something going viral long before social media. #3. Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett: This was a reread, but it was a careful reread so it’s going on the list. It’s one of my favorite friendship memoirs. I chose it for the first book of The Dear Nina Book Club. #4. Ladyparts by Deborah Copaken: I listened to this one. It was long! It’s about so many things that I couldn’t possibly list them all here. I would have skimmed some of this if I had the print. #5. We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman: This novel features a beautiful friendship during one friend’s last weeks in hospice. It was a quick, heartfelt, and witty book. #6. My Life as a Villainess by Laura Lippman: Quick essays with a nice sense of humor and self-awareness. I liked reading about the friendship between Lippman and author, Ann Hood. #7. My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin: I loved this one! The main character is a senior in college around the time I was a senior in college (late 90s), making the time and place especially fun for me. Campus novels are a favorite genre of mine. Daisy and I spoke about “The Magic of the 90s and the Potential of Current College Friendships” in episode 60. #8. The Unlikely Village of Eden by Emma Nadler: A beautifully told story about raising a child with a rare genetic condition. I cannot say enough good things about this memoir, and I can’t wait to discuss it with more people. I was moved by Nadler’s rawness and the way her village came together. Emma and I spoke about “How to Help a Friend Who is Facing an Ambiguous Loss” in episode 55. #9. We Should Not Be Friends: The Story of a Friendship by Will Schwalbe: A beautifully written memoir about an unexpected friendship and the keys to maintaining a long-term successful friendship. Listen to Will on episode 49. #10. The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society by William Deresiewicz: I liked the sections on friendship and on higher education. Had to skim other parts. #11. I’m Wearing Tunics Now by Wendi Aarons: Fun essays about aging and a trip down memory lane of the early blogging days. #12. The Glory Was I Had Such Friends by Amy Silverstein: An extremely moving story of Amy’s wait for a heart transplant and the crew of friends who didn’t necessarily know each other, but got organized anyway. They made sure at least one of them was with her at all times to keep an eye at the hospital and get her through the pain, the waiting, the uncertainty, and everything else. #13. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: I reread this one for the Dear Nina Book Club. I loved it just as much the second time. #14. The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine: An honest assessment of one writer’s approach to friendship with tips others can take for their relationships. Listen to Laura on episode 54. We talked about the period of Laura’s life when her friends basically demanded she improve her communication with them. “Text Your Friends Back.” #15. Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin: I appreciate Gretchen’s books because I learn something new about myself. Her experiments and research make me examine myself and force more patience with other people. Gretchen and I had a great talk about this book as it relates to friendship in episode 57: “Listen for What’s Not Being Said and Other Friendship Solutions From Studying the Five Senses.” #16. Congratulations, The Best is Over! by R. Eric Thomas: I’m a huge fan R. Eric Thomas’s humor and his deeper moments. This book was no exception. I laughed/cried in the Oprah chapter. I nodded hard in others. One of my favorite reads of the year. Thank you to netgalley.com for the early release. I ordered a signed copy from Parnassus Books when I was in Nashville this summer and read it again in hard cover. #17. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith: I did the audio for this quick, honest story of a marriage ending told in short prose in such an artful way. #18. Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby: I loved this one like I love all the Samantha Irby. I listened to the audio, and I did have to fast forward through the pee and poo chapters. Sorry, just not my thing. But I adored the rest, and I always recommend Irby to essay lovers. #19. The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.: Dr. Lisa is the master when it comes to teenagers. The thesis: It’s not normal to expect teenage life to be free of any negative emotions and trying to make sure teenagers don’t feel sad, anger, frustrated and is making things worse. Listen to Dr. Lisa on episode 65, “Teen Friend Groups and Accepting Teen Friendship Strife.” #20. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld: Started a bit slowly, but I stayed up until 3AM to finish. That’s always a good sign. I probably can’t do another Covid-era novel for a long time though. I have zero desire whatsoever to revisit those days. #21. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano: This was a quiet and sometimes sad book, but I really enjoyed reading it. I’m generally a fan of books about four kids. I haven’t been this engrossed in a novel for a while. #22. Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok: I had so much fun reading a romance starring an Orthodox Jewish woman and a secular Jewish man. I think anyone who enjoys a rom-com, no matter your background, will enjoy this one. You can hear Heidi on episode #66, “Introvert Energy in Friendships.” #23. Incurable Optimist: Living With Illness and Chronic Hope by Jennifer Cramer-Miller: Jennifer writes with humor and wisdom about having her life turned upside down at the age of 22 because of a rare kidney disease. Throughout her multiple kidney transplants (four!), Jennifer learns so much about life, strength, and hope — and we get to learn along with her. In episode #69, we debunked the whole “what not to say friends who are sick” vibe that’s out there on the internet. #24. Kiss Me In The Coral Lounge by Helen Ellis: I enjoy Helen Ellis’s sensibility and I adore how much SHE adores her friends and husband. The chapter on keeping grudges for her friends was hilarious. #25. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson: What a fun, well-written, juicy family drama. I enjoyed the complicated family dynamics. Quick read and there was even some tennis. #26. The Anthropocene Reviewed Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green: I deeply appreciated this collection of somewhat unusual essays. It’s hard to describe. If you’re an essay lover and a John Green lover, this one is for you. #27. From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks: It’s hard to recommend this one because it’s more informative (and boring) than enjoyable. All of it is topical for my podcast. #28. Oldest Twin Cities by Julie Jo Severson: I can't imagine anyone knows more about the Twin Cities than Julie! This is a book full of fun, unexpected facts and quirky stories. #29. My Song, Unleashed: A Memoir by Marnie Dachis Marmet: Many of us can relate to feeling unsure about the worthiness of our own voice and self-worth. This is a story of one woman coming into her own. #30. The Miracle Child: Traumatic Brain Injury and Me by Kelly Lang and Michael Lang: The trauma the Lang family went through after a horrific car crash is well-documented in this moving and powerful memoir. Kelly will be on Dear Nina in 2024. #31. Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen: I loved this book so much! Millie is the sweetest middle schooler, and it was fun to enter her world where she’s obsessed with a celebrity and working so hard to meet him. The main friendship here and the family relationships felt satisfying. Listen to Kristin and I talk about the childhood friendships that shaped our identities on episode 74. #32. The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner: This was a good novel to take to bed with me and look away from the news for a bit. Weiner's storytelling is always spot on. #33. The Young Man by Annie Ernaux: I do not get the big deal about this one. At all. #34. Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey: Liked the chapter on friendship, but the rest was more of a skim. #35. Shoot the Arrows by Sally Vardaman: Another solid book of essays. Each essay is a letter to Sally’s grown children about life's struggles such as facing addiction, telling the truth, nitpicking, communicating, kindness, and yes, neediness gets its own chapter. You can hear Sally on episode 80 in a topic related to her book--"Neediness in Friendships." #36. End of the Hour by Meghan Riordan Jarvis: I listened to this one about trauma and grief. An important point of view from someone who has been treated and who has treated others. #37. Verity by Colleen Hoover: This is my first Colleen Hoover book. People tell me it's the worst one. There's much to dislike; that said, I read it in 2.5 days on vacation, which counts for something. I started a thread in my Dear Nina Facebook Group to help me understand the ending. Because, what!?!? ONE BIG TAKEAWAY from this year’s list— I did not read enough fiction! Please tell me the books you loved in 2023!Other News!
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