I’ve kept a list of all the books I read for awhile now. I figured I’d start making a Best Of list for the end of the year. Some are newer releases, some are classics. In no particular order, these are the best books I read in 2023:

Black Wings Has My Angel is probably the best 1st person crime novel I’ve read. Chaze’s writing is razor sharp and somehow pulls you into the plight and doomed relationship of two hard-to-like characters.

Small Things Like These is a graceful novel, with no wasted thoughts or words. Keegan shows the beauty in the quiet fortitude of Bill Furlong and how disruptive doing the right thing can be.

Car Talk is a funny, entertaining book from the Magliozzi brothers, the men behind the Car Talk radio show and podcast. It’s a great read for gearheads as well as those wanting to learn more about keeping their car running.

How the World Really Works pokes holes in many fashionable notions on climate change, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. Smil claims that despite our fixation on technology, the four pillars of modern society are surprisingly tangible–fertilizer, plastic, steel, and cement–and that isn’t changing anytime soon.

Recursion is a knockout time-bending sci-fi novel. The concept–being able to manipulate timelines by changing memories–is outlandish but has a cohesive logic to it in the story. Crouch excels with the fast-paced plotting as well as the dark love story that becomes the novel’s central theme.

Horseman, Pass By is an excellent coming-of-age novel set in 1950s Texas cattle country. In McMurtry’s debut novel, his protagonist Lonnie balances his duties on his grandpa’s ranch with his pining for the bright lights on Saturday night. You won’t find any romanticizing here either. It’s hard work all the way down, with no guarantee the ranch won’t go under anyway. The novel is a somber tip of the hat to the cowmen of old.