J'adore: These Books I Read in '23
9 favorites from this year. Plus, giftables for Francophiles!
When I LOVE something, I want to shout about it from the rooftops—be it a beauty product, a podcast, or, in this week’s case, some of the books I read in 2023. Welcome to “J’adore” a declaration from moi about something (or things) I adore. Like, for example, the fact that “adore” and “adore” mean the same thing in English and French. But no need to devote more than a sentence to that.
I’d much rather have included a photo of a thoughtfully arranged stack of *actual* books, but the truth is: I rarely read printed books anymore! I know. As a writer, it pains me to admit that. But the truth is, when I moved to Paris nine years ago, I had to shed some weight for packing purposes and my paperbacks and hardcovers were the first to go. And by go, I mean remain in boxes in my parent’s attic. I have since become a mostly e-reader who somehow still managed to collect a sizable stack of tomes that I’m going to have to figure out how to pack come February. (It’s the art books. I’m a sucker for an exhibition catalog!)
When it comes to reading I go in and out of zones: There are times when I’m in the Green Go Zone and I finish one after another, devouring them morning, noon, and night. And then times when I won’t turn a page for weeks on end, red zoning out until one comes along and sets me on my way once again.
Still, there’s nothing like reading so fast the letters almost blur together because you gotta know what happens tout de suite. Or, inversely, savoring or underlining every word, phrase, and plot point because you don’t want it to end. Throughout the year, I constantly add books to my Goodreads list, and then head over to the digital library to “take them out.” Once I finish, I yearn to discuss them with someone, which is usually my Book Club or my mother—though she tends to read what we’re reading, too, which is fun. The only issue is if they don’t finish when I do, I’m onto the next leaving me little chance to remember more than whether or not I liked it and would recommend it. Alas, these are those books from 2023—with short haiku reviews/summaries for each.