Around this time last year, I read Johann Hari’s ‘Stolen Focus’ and vowed that 2023 would be the year I reclaimed my attention span. I wish I could report that the past twelve months have been spent in a state of monastic self-control in which I refrained from ever looking at my phone first thing and always yielded to my social media time limit settings. Alas, this has not been the case. I will say that I’ve cut down on posting dramatically and have had many stints of removing socials from my phone entirely (most weekends I’ll delete IG on a Friday and not download it again until Monday). But I’m also aware these sound like the frantic justifications of an addict - “Just one last hit!” - and that my daily screen time still hovers at a number that, if publicly shared, would cause me considerable embarrassment.
All this to say that, once again, I didn’t read as much as I’d have liked to this year. Or rather: I did read almost constantly, but way too much of that intake consisted of an endless stream of online articles that were consumed and mostly forgotten in mere days. There is some truly great writing published online these days. Still, I find that mainlining articles in The Guardian and the New York Times to be the intellectual equivalent of eating twenty canapes at a party in lieu of a proper dinner: Try as you might, it’s impossible to ever feel “full”. With that in mind, I’ll be deleting various news and content apps off my phone in the new year in an attempt to minimise my quick-fix reading habits.
In terms of *actual* books, I did a lot of research-based reading for the various Deep Reading lists and Salons that I shared this year (which you can revisit in the archives here), plus various other work-related projects. I also made room for a dozen or so novels and non-fiction books, which I’ve rounded up below along with some very brief reviews. Disclaimer: these were just the books I could recall off the top of my head, so I’m sure I’ve omitted some honourable mentions.
Whatever the end of this year looks like for you, I hope these final days provide space to lose yourself in a book. Thank you for making time in your day to read this newsletter in 2023. I hope it warranted your attention.
Phoebe
(Some of) the Books I Read and Enjoyed in 2023, In No Particular Order
Doppelganger: A Trip to the Mirror World
Naomi Klein
I’ve just started this one but I already have high hopes. A deep dive into the disorienting house of mirrors that our culture has come to reflect.
Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Love and Making a Life
Amy Key
This tender and unflinchingly honest exploration of ‘single’ life moved me deeply. A great read whether you’re partnered or not. In case you missed it, I interviewed author Amy Key for Deep Read earlier this year - you can listen back here.
All the Houses I’ve Ever Lived In: Finding Home in a System that Fails Us
Kieran Yates
So many people in the UK are currently living in precarious housing situations, and this book unpacks why. It’s also warm and personal and witty - much like Kieran herself. Listen back to my Deep Read conversation with Kieran here.
Deborah Levy
Levy’s three-part series is both eminently readable and profoundly thought-provoking. A skilled dissection of the nuances of womanhood, motherhood, the artist’s life, and so much more.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Gabrielle Zevin
In an almost unprecedented act of book-buying faith, I bought this novel on my Kindle without even reading the blurb. I was about to get on a flight and wanted something that would be absorbing but not overly demanding: it very much did the job. It’s a love story of sorts, set in the gaming world – but don’t let that put you off, as it would have done for me. I read most of it on that one flight and finished it enthusiastically soon after.
Zadie Smith
You already know that I’m buying anything Zadie Smith publishes. This historical novel was met with mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it immensely: the sections on the complex transitions of womanhood felt particularly compelling. If you’re looking for something to curl up with over the festive period, I think this would serve you well.
The Act of Living: What the Great Psychologists Can Teach Us About Surviving Discontent in an Age of Anxiety
Frank Tallis
Although we live in an age of therapy speak, Tallis argues that we still have much to learn from the canons of psychotherapy. This book takes you through the key insights and teachings from the past 100 years of the practice. If I were to loosely categorise it, I’d call it ‘self-help for cerebral people’.
Everybody Thought We Were Crazy: Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles
Mark Rozzo
This was my beach read back in July and it offered the perfect mix of 20th C. Californian hedonism and rich cultural history. A sunny antidote to your winter SAD.
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
Olivia Laing
I’ve dipped in and out of this book for a long time but this year I delved in properly. A timely read for our lonely times, as well as a hopeful exploration of possible antidotes. It’s a lot richer and more engaging than the title might suggest.
Emma Cline
A decent book - tense, taut, intriguing - but an overhyped one in my opinion. I’ve included this more to say that I don’t think it’s worth buying (at least not in hardback). Borrow from a friend or pick up a cheap used copy later down the line.
Sheena Patel
I’ve written about how much I loved this book already so I won’t labour the point. Listen to me in conversation with Sheena Patel here and check out her brilliant Deep Reading list for lots of extra recommendations here.
George Saunders is an extraordinary writer and, from what I’ve gleaned from listening to him speak on various podcast interviews, a pretty delightful human being. The premise of this book - the 19th Century US President Abraham Lincoln makes grief-stricken visits to the crypt where his deceased 11-year-old son Willie lies, and whose spirit finds itself in transitional realm called the Bardo - is so unlikely as to be almost baffling. And yet this is one of the most insightful books on death and loss that I’ve ever read. Just try it.