SCHATJE'S FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2023

 

Schatje's Favourite Books of 2023

Of the 110 novels I read this year, here are my favourites.  The vast majority were published in 2023.  It’s been a great year of reading!

 

Fiction by Canadians

Since I’m Canadian, I read a lot of novels written by Canadians.  Here’s my baker’s dozen of favourites.

The Adversary by Michael Crummey https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-adversary-by-michael-crummey.html

The Observer by Marina Endicott https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-observer-by-marina-endicott.html

The Good Women of Safe Harbour by Bobbi French https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-good-women-of-safe-harbour-by.html

The Forcing by Paul E. Hardisty https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-of-forcing-by-paul-e-hardisty.html

Snow Road Station by Elizabeth Hay https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-snow-road-station-by.html

The Story of Us by Catherine Hernandez https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/03/review-of-story-of-us-by-catherine.html

Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue by Christine Higdon https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-gin-turpentine-pennyroyal-rue.html

Rage the Night by Donna Morrissey https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-rage-night-by-donna-morrissey.html

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-berry-pickers-by-amanda-peters.html

The Imposters by Tom Rachman https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/06/revie-of-imposters-by-tom-rachman.html

All the Colour in the World by C S Richardson https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/01/review-of-all-colour-in-world-by-cs.html

Everything There Is by M. G. Vassanji https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-everything-there-is-by-m-g.html

Far Cry by Alissa York https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-of-far-cry-by-alissa-york-new.html

American Fiction

Here are my “top 5” American novels read in 2023.

Baumgartner by Paul Auster https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-baumgartner-by-paul-auster.html

48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/03/review-of-48-clues-into-disappearance.html

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-tom-lake-by-ann-patchett.html

The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/08/review-of-end-of-drum-time-by-hanna.html

Stealing by Margaret Verble https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-of-stealing-by-margaret-verble.html

 

Fiction from United Kingdom

These are my “top 10” 2023 books written by authors from either England or Ireland.

All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-of-all-little-bird-hearts-by.html

Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-old-gods-time-by-sebastian.html

eden by Jim Crace https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/08/review-of-eden-by-jim-crace-new-release.html

The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-wren-wren-by-anne-enright-new.html

The Fascination by Essie Fox https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/07/review-of-fascination-by-essie-fox.html

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-of-trespasses-by-louise-kennedy.html

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/07/review-of-strange-sally-diamond-by-liz.html

The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-of-queen-of-dirt-island-by-donal.html

ONE by Eve Smith https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-one-by-eve-smith.html

So Pretty by Ronnie Turner https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/01/review-of-so-pretty-by-ronnie-turner.html

 

International Fiction

These are my “top 5” 2023 books by authors from countries other than Canada, U.S., England or Ireland.

His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave (New Zealand) https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-his-favourite-graves-by-paul.html

Magma by Thóra Hjōrleifsdóttir (Iceland) https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-of-magma-by-thora-hjorleifsdottir.html

Someone Like Her by Awais Khan (Pakistan) https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-someone-like-her-by-awais-khan.html

Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius (Sweden) https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-of-stolen-by-ann-helen.html

Return to Valetto by Dominic Smith (Australia) https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-return-to-valetto-by-dominic.html

 

Favourite Crime Series

I read the latest instalments in some favourite crime series.  Here are my top five.

You Can’t See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/07/review-of-you-cant-see-me-by-eva-bjorg.html - the 4th in the Forbidden Iceland series

The Opposite of Lonely by Doug Johnstone https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-opposite-of-lonely-by-doug.html - the 5th book in the Skelfs series

Killing Moon by Jo Nesbø https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-killing-moon-by-jo-nesb-new.html - the 13th in the Harry Hole series

Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/08/review-of-dead-and-gone-by-joanna.html - the 3rd in the Detective Annalisa Vega series

White as Snow by Lilja Sigurðardóttir https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-white-as-snow-by-lilja.html - the 3rd in the Árora Investigation series