Favorite reads of 2023

Fiction and memoir for anyone on your gift list (or just for you!)

Hello, I'm Paige, a research scientist by day and an aspiring author by early morning light. I'm here to tell stories. Welcome to Work in Progress.

I don’t set reading goals or keep track of the number of books I read in a year. I read for pleasure (and to improve my writing) and I want that to be one aspect of my life that doesn’t have to be quantified or tracked. But I’m thinking a list, something simple to help me remember what I liked and didn’t like, would be nice. A hand-written list in the back of my paper calendar. Old school.

I don’t know how many books I read this year, but here’s a few of my favorites.

Fiction

The Great Believers by

Rebecca Makkai

was A New York Times Top 10 Book of 2018 and a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. The novel chronicles the early days of the AIDS epidemic and is a story of friendship and redemption, tragedy and loss, set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris. Sounds heavy, but the story is captivating and I learned so much about this important period in our not-too-recent history. Makkai creates engaging and nuanced characters and I was rooting for each one of these fictional young men as they faced pain and prejudice at every turn. Ultimately the novel isn’t about the tragic number of lives taken by AIDS, but the humanity and hope that emerged from the crisis. It’s hard to describe this book in anything other than serious tones, but don’t let that scare you away from this beautiful story.

Emily Henry

, author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, had a new novel this year. Happy Place, Henry’s 4th adult novel, contains the same romance, humor, and artful storytelling that made her prior novels beloved by so many readers. The book is about a couple, Harriet and Wyn, who broke up but pretend to be together for an annual vacation with their best friends. Henry is a master of dialogue; her books are witty and sharp. Novels best read on vacation, if you need an excuse to plan your next trip.

Memoir

I highly recommend What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang. This is a poignant story about mothers and daughters, the power of family secrets, and the expectations women put on themselves. Lang writes about caring for her mother when she develops dementia, an aspect of the story I found both touching and realistic—it wasn’t an easy decision and came with personal sacrifice. By the end of the book I felt like the author was telling me her story over a cup of coffee, just the two of us. I was fortunate to take a week long writing workshop with Lang this past August (which admittedly makes me biased about her book). She led a positive and constructive workshop and gave me thoughtful and careful feedback on the first pages of my own memoir. I am a fan and can’t wait to read what she writes next.

I think everyone (yes, everyone!) should read You Could Make This Place Beautiful by

Maggie Smith

—especially if you are a writer, especially if you love memoir. Smith is a poet and this is evident in each exquisitely crafted and parsed line of her book. This is a memoir about the loss of a marriage, a mother’s love for her children, and, at its heart, the importance of self-love. This is a book you can read slowly, taking time to admire her word choice and structure (one line to a page, an entire chapter with only a few sentences). If you are a writer, this is a book you can study, pour over—for the story within the story, for the way the author directly addresses the reader, for what is revealed and what is kept hidden. It’s a masterful memoir and an empowering read.

Finally, here are a few books I’m gifting (and hoping to receive, hints have been made) this holiday. What books did you love this year? I’d love to know in the comments.

HOT TUB update: Our new hot tub was delivered to the medical center last Friday. It may not look like much (and barely fit!), but this compact tub is going to provide us with important new information about why type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease, and if regular hot soaks can improve cognitive function.

I was on the Catalyst: Health, Wellness and Performance podcast this week talking about hot tubs, saunas, and cold plunges for your health. If you're curious and want to know more about my research, you can check it out here or anywhere you get your podcasts.