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The best literary fiction titles of 2023 probe human nature, celebrate creativity, depict history, and investigate the stories we tell ourselves.
The best world literature books of 2023 examine colonialism, limn loss, juxtapose past and present, and scrutinize human relationships.
This is a very readable but scholarly work on a little-known part of literary history. The inclusion of historical art and texts gives readers the flavor of the Renaissance. Recommended for larger public libraries and audiences who enjoy literary history.
Madu’s book is difficult to categorize but hauntingly effective. It has no fail-safe audience but will reward whoever picks it up.
This collection will entertain and enlighten readers interested in food writing, environmental issues, and BIPOC experiences.
PREMIUM
How To Draw a Novel
Most reminiscent of William Carlos Williams’s In the American Grain or Charles Olson’s Call Me Ishmael, Solares’s book feels fresh and vital, unencumbered by rectitude or solemnity, proposing and digressing with abandon, because, as he reminds readers, in the end, the digressions are the point.
The writing is brisk, the scholarship formidable. This is an eminently approachable study that opens a new way of making sense of World Wars I and II.
A guaranteed delight for fans of Maxwell’s and New Yorker–style writing, but may be a bit too fragmented for neophytes.
This biography will renew an interest in Poe’s life and writings and is an excellent addition to the vast collection of Poe scholarship.
Adding to Library of America’s exemplary offerings, Slave Narratives (LOA 114), American Antislavery Writings (LOA 233), and Reconstruction (LOA 303), this extraordinary and unrivalled anthology of compelling primary sources (LOA 366) adds vital and necessary background for the lay reader, recovering an often overlooked early era of the long arc of Black United States history. An essential purchase.
Hayes successfully provides a multidimensional work that serves as an outline of American poetry history, a reflection on a poet’s life, and a thoughtful discussion guide for groups or classes.
An excellent collection, recommended for writing students, book discussion groups, and fans of Southern literature.
An excellent compendium of the year’s best writing. Highly recommended for writing students, book discussion groups, and fans of the essay format.
Lopate’s essays set an example for bloggers who want to provide quality posts. Recommended for journalism and writing students, and bloggers who want to polish their entries so they shine.
A fascinating, empowering look at how Black women writers collaborated to move their own needle in the publishing industry and academia.
A careful and modest addition to the scholarly conversation around the life and works of C.S. Lewis.
This book will fly off the shelves. Once readers look inside, they will be hooked. In every respect, this title is a winner.
PREMIUM
The Devil’s Dictionary
Despite the audiobook’s excellent quality and undeniable jocularity, this is a supplemental purchase; best where interest in historical satire, debate, and cutting humor is high.
Interspersed with photos, descriptions of pertinent historical events, drawings, and digitized archival documents, this excellent biography will appeal to many readers, especially those interested in genealogy, literature, and African American history.
Packed with photos, this is the perfect reference tool for the publishing genre that launched many lifetime readers.
PREMIUM
Stalking Shakespeare: A Memoir of Madness, Murder, and My Search for the Poet Beneath the Paint
Anyone with an interest in the Shakespeare author controversy or academic research in general should enjoy Durkee’s colorful account of dark winters spent obsessing over “his homespun collection” of “mugshot bards.”
Listeners, however knowledgeable of the Shakespeare authorship question or “his” works, should relish Wong’s engaging performance of Winkler’s spirited look at a hotly debated literary mystery.
Although some essays would benefit from the inclusion of explanatory notes to provide context and historical background, this delightful book is highly recommended for all Alcott devotees.
PREMIUM
Selected Nonfiction, 1962–2007
An eclectic collection of essays for scholars of 20th-century literature.
Warm, human, unfailingly engaging, this lovely collection should appeal widely. As usual, she writes like a dream.
PREMIUM
The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence
Poetry, history, and politics make excellent bedfellows. This engrossing biography, engaging in audio, is a recommended purchase for all libraries.
Through his elevation of the richness of the Hebrew language, Oz’s legacy will continue to be valued; Alter’s biography is a highly recommended contribution to that legacy.
PREMIUM
Critical insights: C.S. Lewis
These essays beautifully approach Lewis’s writings from a myriad of critical viewpoints. Perfect for literature students wishing to more fully gain an understanding of Lewis’s work.
Feder’s study is a readable, entertaining contemporary analysis that is suitable for students new to Austen’s work and for discussion groups looking for a fresh approach to many readers’ favorite novel.
McDonnell’s starstruck approach to Didion enlivens other well-detailed accounts about her work and life. Best for literary biography sections.
Huber’s essay collection may first be seen as a regional volume; however, it is a must-read for writing students, who will enjoy Huber’s ability to craft personal narratives into essays to reach larger audiences.
PREMIUM
Wandering Through Life: A Memoir
Leon's wit and life well-lived will draw in varied audiences, who can live vicariously through her. Fans of her series will certainly enjoy this memoir and the brief letter she includes to dissuade them from trying to find Guido Brunetti at the Questura.
This book provides excellent analysis of various literary works. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Anglophone fiction.
Loftus’s dive into all things hot dog, generously spiced with trivia, cultural critique, and travel tips, is hilarious and heartening. A winner for fans of offbeat food writing, regional travelogues, and irreverent humor.
This ambitious and entertaining update solidifies Berger’s volume as a must-have title for librarians, booksellers, collectors, and students of the book arts and book history.
An intriguing study of Eliot’s complex and ambiguous life and work as it relates to the institution of marriage. Ideal for literary and philosophy scholars.
Groom, who first read The Lord of the Rings when he was 13, provides a fresh study of the impact Tolkien has on contemporary readers’ and viewers’ understanding of good, evil, war, and conflict.
PREMIUM
A Guest at the Feast: Essays
This absorbing collection, so intimately told, is an excellent choice for any library seeking to expand on its religious and social commentary. Tóibín’s fans will want to dig in.
Anyone looking to revisit classics or broaden their reading interests will treasure Ojo’s and Nixon’s brilliant performances and Davis’s curated list of outstanding short fiction.
PREMIUM
The Tribe: Portraits of Cuba
Although some of the promises of the revolution did not materialize, these stories of human resilience and ingenuity provide hope for the future. Share with listeners seeking authentic stories of Cuban life; a great fit for fans of Anthony DePalma’s The Cubans or Leila Guerriero’s Cuba on the Verge.
A worthy update to any Poe or biography collection, sure to attract listeners who might bypass something headier.
This deliciously fast-paced nonfiction audio will appeal to foodies, history buffs, and lingua-phile listeners alike.
While similar guides to A Raisin in the Sun were published in 1998 and 2001, this carefully considered resource is a great one to have on hand.
PREMIUM
Dark Days: Fugitive Essays
Readers interested in Black history, community traditions, self-awareness, and the works of Toni Morrison will enjoy Reeves’s first essay collection, as will those searching for a unique voice to help make sense of today’s chaotic world.
PREMIUM
Staging Emily Dickinson: The History and Enduring Influence of William Luce’s The Belle of Amherst
Bursting with anecdotes, personal stories, and careful research, this is an important contribution to American theater history. Readers who cannot imagine a life without stage performances will thoroughly enjoy this book.
This fine collection of Indigenous stories from Southeastern U.S. tribes adds a cultural depth to folklore collections, fitting for both scholarly anthropology as well as for use in classrooms.
PREMIUM
Orwell: The New Life
A useful introduction for readers new to Orwell and also illuminating for those who thought they knew everything about him.
PREMIUM
Emily Dickinson Face to Face
With charming anecdotes and moments vividly recalled, Bianchi’s thoughtful account offers the rarest of first-hand glimpses behind Dickinson’s swiftly drawn curtain, conveyed in searching and graceful prose worthy of its subject.
This volume is well-researched, not to mention thorough and well-presented. Given the breadth of Christie’s life and work, it would be a worthwhile addition to an academic or public library collection.
The book’s subject matter lends it to a literary audience, making this publication most intriguing to authors, teachers and professors of English and to literature connoisseurs. This compilation of articles on important short stories will make avid readers and writers very happy.
PREMIUM
Getting Lost
An interesting choice for libraries where patrons are looking for more of Ernaux’s work, but an optional purchase for most.
Both literary scholars and general readers will appreciate these insightful glimpses into the complex woman behind the poems.
Mewshaw’s account, especially of Greene’s last years, is moving and perceptive. This lovely book can be read alongside Richard Greene’s The Unquiet Englishman: A Life of Graham Greene.
PREMIUM
Inventing the It Girl: How Elinor Glyn Created the Modern Romance and Conquered Early Hollywood
Narrator Pamela Almand’s consistent and well-paced delivery brings Glyn’s life into focus, highlighting her evolution as a writer and an advocate for women. A perfect fit for biography listeners and those interested in the early days of Hollywood.
PREMIUM
Inciting Joy: Essays
This exquisitely narrated collection of essays allows listeners to feel the poetry running throughout. Brimming with compassion and generosity, this is an audiobook to be savored.
Libraries looking to acquire this book would be better served by the print version instead of the audio.
PREMIUM
Novelist as a Vocation
Those who are fascinated by the writer and all that makes him tick may enjoy this after warming up to the narrative style, but those seeking guidance in the profession of writing may struggle to mine any gems of wisdom.
This audio will appeal to linguaphiles looking for a quick nonfiction listen that is amusing and informational.
This ultimately hopeful memoir, with the natural world seamlessly woven throughout, will appeal to gardeners, natural history buffs, and those who relish natural history–framed memoirs like Margaret Renkl’s Late Migrations and Meredith May’s The Honey Bus.
Editors Margot Kahn and Kelly McMasters offer a thought-provoking collection that deserves to be talked about by readers. Recommended for discussion groups.
A collection of autobiographical works that are personal, moving, and frightening, plus some recounted ghost stories, that will likely appeal to both memoir and horror readers.
Readers of Beattie’s fiction will welcome this opportunity to experience her insights on the works of other creative individuals.
In this slim yet valuable book, Smiley gives educators, readers, and writers much to discuss. Highly recommended.
A notable book about remarkable women that could have subsequent volumes. Recommended for readers interested in these authors or in 20th-century literature.
Although not a first-tier purchase, this refreshing audio provides an excellent entry to Theophrastus’s work and would be a welcome addition to most nonfiction audio collections.
PREMIUM
Black and Female: Essays
Dangarembga’s collection is an essential addition to academic collections on race and gender. The moments where she shares her crisis over selfhood as a child and how that search for identity carried over into adulthood are some of the most powerful parts of the book.
Popkin paints a discerning portrait of a complex matriarch, while adding nuance to the Jewish American experience in the 20th century. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Joan Didion: What She Means
This exhibition catalogue is a mix of art and literature that will be of interest to humanities lovers. If one really wants to know a writer, read their work. If one wants to see how artists perceive a writer and how an exhibition can be used to express a life, read this book.
Overall this is a valuable resource for any Austen lover to use for quick reference or to read through. Libraries whose works by the author circulate well or whose patrons enjoy titles like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! Little Pep Talks for Me & You will find this a welcome addition to their collection.
Readers will get an intimate look at LGBTQ life in the 1940s. A great read for aspiring writers, devotees of LGBTQ history, and those who enjoy reading about an artist’s evolution.
Readers interested in Sayers’s religious writings or in general religious literature will find this book to be informative and useful.
Will be of interest to bibliophiles, teachers, and those looking for reading suggestions beyond the traditional recommended reading resources.
This exceptional resource will be useful for students and researchers wishing to know more about the remarkable works of Asian American artists and writers over the past 150 years. A recommended purchase for large public libraries and all academic collections.
Academic libraries that support creative writing programs and those looking for new perspectives and resources on fiction writing and analysis will appreciate this volume.
This well-researched book with its 10-page bibliography and addictive compendium will likely inspire movie buffs and literature mavens alike to take her advice.
Blaisdell’s incredibly researched work is a treasure trove of insight and information for scholars and fans of Russian literature. For generations to come, it will be a staple for Chekhov studies. Highly recommended for academic libraries and Russian literature collections.
Highly recommended for readers interested in the details behind the creation of this literary landmark and the times in which it was composed.
Meant to be thumbed through rather than pored over, this title is recommended for all O’Rourke fans and anyone looking for something fun and clever. Even readers who don’t ascribe to O’Rourke’s libertarian politics will find passages to tickle their funny bone.
Young patrons and baby boomers alike will likely enjoy this true story of a larger-than-life gay icon and her influence on pop culture, making it a great addition to all nonfiction collections.
Everyone who eats will find some entertainment here, but it’s a must-read for readers of food writing who will not want to miss any of the insights found in these selections.
PREMIUM
The Best American Essays 2022
A great resource for high-school and college-age writers and anyone looking for a compelling read that lingers in the mind.
PREMIUM
Young Bloomsbury: The Generation That Redefined Love, Freedom, and Self-Expression in 1920s England
Bloomsbury Group devotees and readers of LGTBQ+ history will likely relish Strachey’s unique perspective.
PREMIUM
Jan Morris: Life from Both Sides
Recommended not just for fans of Morris but any general reader looking for an insightful biography of a pioneer who is transgender, a literary great, and who synergistically brought grace and beauty to her times.
Gorman’s at times–exhaustive narrative of popular culture contextualizes evolving music reportage and commentary about trends in the arts.
PREMIUM
Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life
Fans of Hazzard will greatly appreciate this well-researched biography of her life through the places she lived.
PREMIUM
Inciting Joy: Essays
Gay is a treasure, and his latest offering will delight his fans as well as those new to his work.
Although this is a concrete and practical guide, as Murakami intended, it is also a fascinating personal and professional memoir.
This guide for the socially conscious writer will be helpful for those writing about marginalized communities. It’s also a solid collection of American perspectives on social-sciences writing.
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