You gotta love an online book platform whose creator believes that “Discovering a new book should be a magical experience where the search is part of the fun. That is what we are creating. We give readers fun ways to find amazing books.” That is what Shepherd has set out to accomplish, and so far, they are doing a wonderful job.
I was invited to submit my top three book picks for 2023. Do you know how hard that was? Almost impossible. I’ve read (or listened to) about 30 books so far, and I currently have three storylines roaming my head: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, the Words of Radiance (#2 of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive), and a 65+ chapter fanfic that a friend is writing. My husband and I are also watching two TV shows: Lessons in Chemistry and the Gilded Age; and we are watching the Blue Eye Samurai with our daughter. Needless to say, as I write this, I am deeply invested in six stories and the day to day lives of many characters. I am enjoying them all!
For a book to be great in my estimation, it has to have a compelling storyline, at least one likeable character, and it has to be well-written. If any of these three elements are missing (plot, character, writing) I will usually still finish reading to the end, but the book will get dinged in my court of opinion. Part of good writing, is also . . . did the author do a good job of getting the characters out of the situation (or to their conclusion) as well as they got them into the situation to begin with. This is where books like Demon Copperhead and the Lincoln Highway fell short of perfection for me. I consider killing characters off for no really good reason as a cheap gimmick (aka George R.R. Martin), or an easy out. Either way, I’m not a big fan.
For Shepherd’s project I had to pick three and only three books in order, and then justify my choice. I felt a little guilty for not picking some sex ed/reproduction/family formation books, as I do love a good nonfiction, and I read many this year: Unfollow, Normal Family, Between Two Kingdoms, Broken Horses. But as we head into winter break, I decided to go with sip-tea and read-on-the-couch novels. Just for fun, kinda stuff. That all happen to be about family anyway. I just can’t get enough.
You can find the results of the 1,199 authors who submitted their picks here https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023 and you can read my top picks here https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/rachel-ginocchio. In order, they are: Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. I’d love to know what you’ve been reading, so shoot me an email or DM, and let me know what to add to my list for 2024.