The words that fed me in 2023
A list of books and podcasts that either taught me something or thoroughly entertained me, or both.
If you’re a reader, like me, you’ve probably come across several book reviews and must-reads lists of the year in the last couple of weeks. If you want to become a reader, I’m sharing a list of my own today, where you can find some options to get started. We all enjoy a good story and we love telling people about it. And while most of us keep the exchange to binge-worthy series on our favorite streaming services, some of us still like recommending books. We know, all too well, the feeling of spending a couple of hours sitting on the couch, flipping through the pages of a great book, or listening to a great narration of another, when we’re driving or going for a walk.
I received great feedback last year when I shared what I had read in 2022, so let’s do this again! I’d love to see in the comments what you have read, or plan on reading this year.
Books:
Your Best Year Yet! by Jinny S. Ditzler. This was a gift made with the best intention, but given that I did not have my best intentions at the beginning of 2023, I never finished it. The book offers ten questions for making your year the most successful ever, and there are writing exercises that do help declutter the mind and focus on what’s important to you. Maybe I’ll pick it up again this year…
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. If you’re a writer, or want to become a writer, this is definitely a must-read. Lamott shares lessons on writing while sharing stories about her life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.
Starry Messenger - Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization by Neil Degrasse Tyson. I love Neil (we’re on a first-name basis, of course) and I love what he has to say. I’ve seen him twice live on stage and absolutely loved Cosmos. Although astrophysics are waaay out of my realm of comprehension, this book is great for everyone that wants to learn about the world, our civilization, and how an astrophysicist approaches these subjects. What a fresh perspective these days, someone that tells you how to think and not what to think.
Persuasion by Jane Austen. My boyfriend’s son had to read this book in his senior year English class and he absolutely dreaded it. I had to find out for myself what this book was about. This was my text to him after I finished: “I enjoyed the book but can see how you hated it. I don’t think anyone your age (18) would enjoy it. I also think it should be titled ‘Waiting’ instead of Persuasion. The ending was rushed compared to how the story was dragged out…” Take this however you please; maybe this is my subtle way of persuading you to read it, if you have nothing better to do.
The Road to Unfreedom by Timothy Snyder. In the non-fiction category, and a New York Times Bestseller, this book was an introduction to Russian, European and American history for me. Snyder shares a brief, but complex, history of these three regions and how they’ve affected each other. He also provides an analysis of how it all has come to impact the times we’re living in.
Drake’s War by Gideon Saint. This spy thriller got me hooked. I just needed to know what would happen to Tennyson Drake next! Although war novels aren't necessarily my first choice when reading fiction, Drake's story was a page turner. I could feel his despair and felt his mission was my mission. I loved his sidekick, too.
Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende. I guess I had a trend going during the summer-fall of 2023, because this was another war novel. In this story, we get to know the atrocities of Franco during the Spanish war and the horrible events of Chile’s dictatorship under Pinochet, through a family of exiles. It is a beautiful and eye-opening historical novel.
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin. I thoroughly enjoyed Conklin’s story about a group of siblings navigating life with each other and on their own. It was an honest rendition of the character’s lives, with all their flaws and dreams and fears. Not to give anything away, but the narrator is telling us the story from a futuristic setting that is never fully developed and I wish it would have been. It was just a teaser.
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi. The premise of this novel hooked me before I even started reading. I was really excited to see how this seemingly dystopian thriller would work itself out. This is Siddiqi’s debut novel and it has some brilliant parts; however, it lacked something for me. Maybe it was the fact that I absolutely did not like the main character. I just didn’t connect with her. Having said this, if you’re a little bit woke and don’t mind a self-absorbed, hypocritical main character, then you should give this story a try.
The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery. I re-read this short novella after seeing it at a supermarket in Colombia. I only had an English copy, but had read it many years ago in Spanish. Third time was still a charm and it is still one of my favorite books of all time. The Little Prince reminds us that “what is essential (in life) is invisible to the eye.”
Audiobooks:
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers PhD. Ok, I did finish this self-help book last year. I listened to it back in the first quarter of ‘23 and it served me well all year. It was published in 1987, so it was funny to hear some of the outdated references or recommended tools that were obviously before the Internet and the Smartphone.
Mistakes were Made by Lizzie Post and Kelly Williams Brown. I came across this book as an audible recommendation, and thought, why not? It’s a collection of short stories, aka, embarrassing moments, narrated by the authors. It sounded more like mini podcast episodes than a book narration, but it was an easy listen, funny and entertaining. Also, loved Lizzie Post’s voice and laugh.
The Artist Way by Julia Cameron. I joined a virtual challenge to get through this book in 90 days, doing all the exercises religiously — pun intended — and was told not to worry about all the religious connotations and mentions of God. I tried, really tried… but I couldn’t get passed week 4. Still, there were wonderful exercises that really made me think and I loved doing the morning pages. Maybe I’ll get over it and give it a second try this year.
How to Think Like a Woman by Regan Penaluna. I consider myself a thinker, pseudo philosopher, and enjoy reading or listening to modern-day philosopher Sam Harris. I started to wonder if there were modern-day women philosophers that I could read about, and then I realized, I don’t even know any historical women philosophers! Penaluna, a modern-day philosopher gives an exquisite introduction to some of the female philosophers throughout history. It was a GREAT listen and one of my favorite books of the year.
Podcasts:
Things Fell Apart with Jon Ronson. A BBC podcast, Things Fell Apart is an eight-episode compilation of historical moments that served as the beginning of our current culture wars. It’s revealing and thoroughly entertaining… and I think a second season is coming!
The Witch Trials of J.K Rowling with Megan Phelps-Roper. This eye-opening podcast docuseries by
tells the story of how author J.K. Rowling went from being one of the most beloved writers in history, to one of the most hated. If you have common sense, have a (true) sense of social justice, and want to understand how this story got confusing, ironic, and really unjust, give it a listen.The New Gurus with Helen Lewis. Also a BBC podcast series, the New Gurus explores modern-day (and often self-proclaimed) gurus, brewed by the Internet in the last few years. I have a thing for cult documentaries and I keep asking myself how some people fall for certain charlatans/ cult leaders. In this podcast you’ll learn how these gurus of the Digital age have successfully managed to lure thousands of people with ideas (most of them very bad ones) and what makes them do it.
Honorable mentions: I also listen to Honestly, a The Free Press podcast and Call her Daddy with Alex Cooper. Both of these are polar opposites of each other in terms of content, but they both keep me informed and are thought-provoking in their own way. Bari Weiss and her team at Honestly offer smart journalism, and Cooper provides funny and light-hearted content with a tenacious message of believing in yourself.
Well, well, well… I hope you read all the way down to here, and I hope you get to reading some of these in 2024. If you do, send me a message or leave a comment. If you know someone who’s looking for something to read, send them this post.
Self-improvement: Atomic Habits (James Clear), Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (Oliver Burkeman).
Entertainment: Brave New World (Aldous Huxley), Hell's Paradise (Yuji Kaku).