2023 in review

 Managed 83 books in 2023. Good reading year. Possible spoilers below, caveat lector.

Most disturbing:

• Tender is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica. Yikes.
• American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis.
• The Unlimited Dream Company, by J.G. Ballard.

OK, can't pick just one. The first above, butchering humans for meat. Yuck. The Psycho one, equally gross murders. Ballard's, ejaculate flying all over the place. Gag.

Worst:

• Three Women in a Mirror, by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. 
• The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester.  
• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein.

The description of Three Women was so awesome, and it is a translation, so hits my challenge to read 10 translations. But oh, it was not good. No idea why Stars is a classic. So bad and didn't age well. Heinlein...not sure why I ever liked him. Will have to try his earlier ones, like maybe Starship Troopers.

Non-fiction best:

• 99 Novels, by Anthony Burgess.
• The Comfort Crisis, by Michael Easter. 

Can't decide between these two. Both great. Read 14 non-fictions in 2023.

Best foreign language read:

• La horo 25, by Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu. 

Read four books in a foreign language this year (3 x Esperanto, 1 x Russian). This one was by far the best. 

Best translation:

• Cursed Bunny, by Bora Chung.

This woman's stories are so good. Lots of good translations this year (excepting Three Women) but this one was heads over the rest. 

Best speculative fiction:

• The Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. 

Both are so great. Can't decide. Everything St. John Mandel writes is god.

Most of the same author:

• William Gibson

Five of Gibson. Love his world-building. 

Biggest surprise.

• Sharks in the Time of Saviors, by Kawai Strong Washburn

Wow. Want to read more from this author.

Best classic.

• The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer.

The chow hall line scene is worth the entire novel.

Best overall.

• Earthly Powers, by Anthony Burgess. 

Best words. Best narrative. Best story. My new favorite author (sorry Waugh).