A Year In Books — 2023
Following on from doing this for the last few years, I decided to continue documenting all of the books that I have had the pleasure (well, most of the time) of reading. Granted, this year’s edition is much later than usual, despite reading Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus. Every year I also struggle with an intro, so this year I decided to offer that space to ChatGPT, which came up with the following:
Hey there bookworms! Ready to dive into a whirlwind tour of my reading escapades from last year? Buckle up as I take you on a rollercoaster ride through the highs, lows, and everything in between of the books I devoured in 2023. From page-turning thrillers to eye-opening memoirs, I’ve got it all covered. So grab your favorite reading spot and get ready to reminisce with me about the literary gems that made last year unforgettable!
Reads just like me, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the below, and as always, I am incredibly eager to hear any reading recommendations that you may have.
Genre: Politics & Government
Rating: 6.5/10
Freezing Order is the second book by Bill Browder about his run-ins with the Russian government. If you have not read his excellent Red Notice, I would advise doing so first as not only is it a more entertaining read than this one, but you probably need to read that in order for this to make any sense. It is a fairly decent follow-up, but the first book is certainly hard to beat. There are definitely some interesting, and saddening, events that are continuing to take place in Browder’s life that make this a book that you want to keep reading, and I am definitely curious to find out how this all ends, if it ever will.
Roar: A story for every woman — Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: 8/10
Roar is a brilliant collection of short stories illuminating the ways in which women overcome adversity in the world. All of the stories are incredibly thought-provoking and often uplifting, whilst I also found myself stopping to think for a few minutes after reading each of these and reflecting how much I could relate to these stories based on things that I have seen for myself. A really great read that you can obviously dip in and out of thanks to the short stories, and one that I would recommend anyone to read, regardless of gender.
Why We Eat (Too Much): The New Science of Appetite — Dr Andrew Jenkinson
Genre: Health
Rating: 7/10
I can’t exactly remember how this got onto my Kindle and where I found it, but I did that typical thing of getting a few weeks into the New Year and having realised that I haven’t kept up with things that I said I would do in January, one of those being managing my diet in a better way. That’s why it felt a perfect time to read this when I did see it in my library. Jenkinson does a really great job of sharing his insights into the human body and how it deals with food, along with covering the mental side of things. He speaks a lot about his experience speaking with patients from his time as a gastrointestinal surgeon, and focusses a lot on the environmental side of why we eat the way that we do. Far from a diet book, it does have some advice towards the end about how to change your ways of eating, however, it is highly advised to ensure you have understood the previous chapters before doing so.
Little Fires Everywhere — Celeste Ng
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4/10
I found out recently that this novel had been turned into a TV series in the US, and rather hilariously, the first question listed under “People Also Ask” on Google is “What was the point of Little Fires Everywhere?”. I’m not sure if the question relates to the book or the TV series, but I felt a similar feeling at the end of this novel. The book starts with a major event taking place, and then details all of the events leading up to this. It covers two very different families whose lives become intertwined, along with the wealth and social disparity between the two and how that impacts them. Whilst interesting in parts, one to put down as “not for me”.
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5/10
I’m often a big fan of reading historical spy novels, and the blurb of this one definitely made it feel like it would be worth reading. Prague Spring contains two stories in alternating sections, and it becomes very obvious to the reader early in the book that these two stories will converge. However, this does not happen until very late in the story. Mawer does a brilliant job of setting the scene in Prague, and throughout Europe, at the time that it is set in, however, the story itself is lacking any real excitement to it. Not to give things away, but the ending certainly feels like a real anti-climax, which could be forgiven if the rest of the book was thrilling, but that sadly isn’t the case.
Agent Sonya: The true story of WW2’s most extraordinary spy — Ben Macintyre
Genre: History
Rating: 7/10
I have a few books of Macintyre’s on my Kindle having enjoyed reading The Spy and the Traitor so much last year. This one covers the thrilling life of Ursula Kuczynski, whose story takes you across many countries, often with very daring missions, in the lead up to World War II and beyond. Just read the blurb itself and you will want to read on — you could easily be fooled for thinking it was the blurb of a spy novel. As you would expect from Macintyre, it’s painstakingly researched and describes scenes brilliantly, including an ambitious plot to assassinate Hilter.
To Snare a Spy: A Short Thriller Set on the South Coast of Cornwall — Jon Stock
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3/10
Continuing the theme of spy novels (I’m not quite sure what happened to me at this time of year to influence my reading so much!), Stock’s short story was sadly one that I didn’t enjoy at all. It follows a fairly ludicrous story of a teenage boy trying to bring down a Russian mole highly placed in the British government, and gets more absurd as it goes on. There is also strange references to “youth” language throughout — including multiple uses of the word “peng”, which I have not heard since school! At times it genuinely felt like Michael Scott’s Threat Level Midnight from The Office, especially a farcical chapter where two of the female characters partake in a wrestling fight that has absolutely no baring on the story.
The Monogram Murders — Sophie Hannah
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 6.5/10
Who doesn’t love a bit of Poirot? Now, one might argue that if it’s not actually written by Agatha Christie, could it claim to be Poirot, and that certainly is a reasonable argument. I found this on a bookshelf in an AirBnB during a trip and got through it in a few rainy afternoons. It is the first of a number of continuation novels written by Sophie Hannah and sanctioned by Christie’s estate. It certainly still feels very much like a Poirot novel and keeps you guessing throughout. Similarly, for me it was impossible to not picture David Suchet’s version of the detective throughout.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — John Berendth
Genre: True Crime
Rating: 7/10
I was fortunate to find this “non-fiction novel” in a pile of books being given away by a neighbour and was certainly glad to have done so. I ashamedly had never heard of it despite it holding the record for longest time spent on the New York Times Bestseller List. Berendt’s brilliant book is narrated by himself and covers the real-life events surrounding the shooting of a local male prostitute in Savannah, Georgia. Berendt moved to the area later whilst writing this and interviewed the characters that appear in the book. The timeline is altered to put himself in the area at the time that all of the events were taking place. It’s a really interesting storyline, however, for me, the best part of the book is the first third where he takes you through getting to know all of the characters and their wild lives.
Surviving to Drive — Guenther Steiner
Genre: Sport
Rating: 7/10
I’ve followed Formula 1 for as long as I can remember and have memories as a child sprinting to be in front of the TV to make sure that I saw the cars going through the tunnel on the first lap of the Monaco GP. Whilst some fans haven’t enjoyed the push to modernise the sport over the last few years, I certainly have loved seeing the increase in exposure and insight, especially from the Eccelstone days when he didn’t even think F1 needed a social media presence. One of the benefactors of that has undoubtedly been Steiner, the star of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, and he has cashed in with the release of what is effectively his diary of the season. Lots of funny stories and insights from the year, including how he deals with hiring and firing drivers, along with a few stories from before his time in F1. An insight without ever going too deep into the detail, and filled with funny lines throughout. Lots of swearing too, of course!
How the Internet Happened — From Netscape to the iPhone — Brian Mccullough
Genre: Technology
Rating: 6/10
I first became aware of McCullough when listening to the Techmeme Ride Home podcast, a bitesize daily summary of news in the world of tech that I would highly recommend. McCullough’s How The Internet Happened is a detailed look into the growth of the modern web as we know it, including interviews from those who were involved in the relevant moments, giving a great insight into what route things could have gone down, and why particular decisions were made. If it’s your field of interest, then it would definitely be a book you would find insightful.
Nineteen Eighty-Four — George Orwell
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5/10
I’ll be honest, I know this is supposed to be a classic but I just didn’t love it. I have been trying to go through more novels this year, and put this one high on my to-read list because of its cult status. Now, don’t get me wrong, the vision presented of the future for someone writing in the 1940s is impressive, and there are lots of parallels to be drawn with the current state of the world. However, the story itself is not one that ever really goes anywhere, it just feels quite flat throughout. But then again, maybe that’s me missing the point of it?
Rules for Perfect Murders — Peter Swanson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 8/10
Now this novel, I did love. Without giving too much away in the story, it’s a brilliant murder mystery narrated by the owner of a book shop, who has a particular thing for crime novels. He is enlisted to help the FBI with investigations based on his love of books. Whilst it probably doesn’t sound that great a storyline, it all links really well and references so many crime novels throughout as part of their investigation. Full of twists throughout, I really enjoyed this one.
The Theory of Everything Else: A Voyage into the World of the Weird — Dan Schreiber
Genre: Science
Rating: 6.5/10
I have been a big fan of the No Such Thing As A Fish podcast for a few years. It is a brilliant and hilarious listen every week, and The Theory of Everything Else, written by one-fourth of the show, Dan Schreiber, is a very funny series of wild stories and conspiracy theories from human history. Examples include using office plants to investigate murders and humans becoming the dominant species on Earth because they were too smelly to eat. A silly and entertaining read, without it being patronising to those it is written about.
The Bullet That Missed — Richard Osman
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 6/10
The third instalment in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, at this point, anyone reading will probably know what to expect. It’s a formula that works: the twists and turns are there, and it’s funny, which allows you to gloss over some of the absurdity of it all. It’s not classic reading, but it’s enjoyable enough to keep you coming back.
The Art Of Racing In The Rain — Garth Stein
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 7/10
Another book that had been sat on my Kindle for some time before I got around to reading it. The Art of Racing In The Rain is a lovely story told from the view of a dog called Enzo, helping his owner through the difficulties of life. It’s really nicely written, and as a dog owner, definitely melts your heart at times!
Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Traitor, Hero, Spy — Ben Macintyre
Genre: History
Rating: 8/10
Another from the library of Macintyre’s. This one covers the thrilling story of Eddie Chapman, a World War II spy. As with all Macintyre’s reads, it’s researched brilliantly and includes diary entries and MI5 files to tell the story of this double-agent. Chapman lived a thrilling life, and the switching of sides often makes you wonder what is going to happen next.
Joy in the Morning — P.G. Wodehouse
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 9/10
I had never had the privilege of reading a Wodehouse novel before getting my hands on this one in a book store for £1 when strolling the streets of Brighton after Measurefest. Like many, I have enjoyed watching the television adaptation, Jeeves & Wooster, with the brilliant Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry. It is a brilliant and hilarious read, with Bertie Wooster getting himself into all sorts of messes, constantly leaving you laughing but also rolling your eyes at how he manages to get in these situations, some of which you can see coming for miles.
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — Johann Hari
Genre: Psychology
Rating: 7/10
I had found Hari’s Lost Connections incredibly insightful when reading that previously, and I had a copy of this for quite a while before reading. Like many I’m sure, there are definitely times when my focus could be improved, particularly when it comes to the concept of “deep work”. Hari focusses on the changes that have come in modern society that have impacted our ability as a species to focus — some of them accidental, and some by design. There are definitely some points throughout that I took away and adapted into my own ways of working which have had some benefit (clearly not enough for me to write this in the time I intended!). That being said, it can be a bit difficult to take advice from someone who is able to start the book by talking about the fact they were able to take 3 months of work to go “completely offline”.
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 8/10
We were recommended this book by my father-in-law and absolutely loved reading it. Buchan’s book was originally published in 1925, with the version that I read being a more recent publication including a very handy Scottish “translation” section at the rear. Macnab covers a hilarious story of three successful friends who are bored with life, and take to poaching in the Scottish Highlands. It’s a really funny and dramatic tale, and I will definitely be looking to read more of Buchan’s work in future.
Politics On the Edge — Rory Stewart
Genre: Politics
Rating: 8/10
I have been an avid listener of The Rest Is Politics podcast, of which Stewart is one half of, having first discovered it at the start of the year. It’s a really informative listen every week to politics both at home and abroad, and I’ve definitely become a fan of Stewart’s work over time. Not an episode could go by without Stewart or Alistair Campbell mentioning the release of their books, although I haven’t quite had the same willingness to read Campbell’s. Politics On The Edge is Stewart’s memoirs of his time in politics, from first thinking about joining, to winning an election, followed by all of the bickering and drama that one might expect between MPs. It’s a fascinating read, with some bizarre, and often worrying, tales.
The Year of the Locust — Terry Hayes
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5/10
I am so disappointed to be writing that Year Of The Locust was not enjoyable. I Am Pilgrim, the previous novel by Terry Hayes, was genuinely one of the best books I have read. I have been eagerly anticipating the follow up to this, and every time I remembered to look, I saw that the publish date had been pushed back. So when the time finally came to read this, I had incredibly high expectations which sadly were not met. Just like I Am Pilgrim, it’s a very, very long read. This was fine for the previous book as it was thrilling throughout. Sadly, the same cannot be said here. My review would not be so bad were it not for (spoiler of sorts…) the book taking the absolute wildest of turns about three quarters of the way through, at which point it’s so absurd that I almost found it unreadable.
Genre: History
Rating: 8/10
Comedian (and I now know, history graduate) David Mitchell takes you on very, very funny history lesson of England’s Kings and Queens. It’s an incredibly interesting, but also hilarious read, as you would expect from Mitchell. One that you can easily dip in and out of.
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