Anticipated Reading 2023
"My own eyes are not enough for me. I will see through those of others." --C.S. Lewis
I ended last year making a list of my favorite reads of 2022. Although most of what I read is by dead writers, I wanted to list out my MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2023 by living authors.
January
Drew Jackson, Touch the Earth: Poems on The Way, foreword by Pádraig Ó Tuama
*Listen for Drew on my podcast, The Scandal of Reading: we discuss Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited.
February
A wondrous new collection by Dana Gioia, “one of America’s premier poets and critics” (Julia Alvarez).
March
If you enjoyed Smith’s bestselling How the Word is Passed, you’ll be looking forward to this collection of poetry through the eyes of his children.
April
I read Doyle’s Mink River last year, and I cannot wait for this biography by Shemaiah Gonzalez, who discusses his novel with me on The Scandal of Reading.
May
Although Laurus is still my favorite, I read everything that Vodolazkin writes. This novel is a magical realist account of an island from the medieval period to now. Rowan Williams calls it “compelling,” “brilliantly vivid and inventive.” I’ll be grabbing it and devouring it quickly.
June
The World’s Largest Man is the funniest book I’ve ever read. When Harrison’s second book came out in 2019, I asked to review it. Now I’m anticipating how good his third book is going to be.
July
Kaitlyn and I talked about the conclusion of her upcoming book where she draws lessons from Huldah. Supposedly our convo will be footnoted in this August title. In the spring, she’ll join me on The Scandal of Reading to discuss DLS’s The Zeal of Thy House. Kaitlyn is an author to follow.
August
Full disclosure: I’m already reading this book. The notorious KSP sent me a PDF advanced read, and I cannot wait to share the book with others. Preorder now, friends.
September
In addition to my Reading for the Love of God (March 2023), I helped edit this collection coming out with Plough Publishing in September, The Liberating Arts. Along with editors Jeff Bilbro and Davey Henreckson, we’ve gathered the thoughts of Zena Hitz, Brandon McCoy, Lydia Dugdale, and others from our project into a book. You won’t want to miss this!
October
Yale Press editor Jennifer Banks got my attention with this title when she mentioned that the “world’s first author” was a woman. What? I cannot wait to grab a copy of this book and learn more about Enheduana.
November
“For a contemporary church that has worn away the point of divine love, Hans Boersma sharpens it again with the flint of tradition,” I endorsed this February-release title. Boersma is an author who I cannot stop reading; I read all of his books.
December
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Americans should take a minute to examine what birth is and means. Banks claims to begin this work for us in her upcoming book, releasing earlier in the year.
Does “my youngest daughter’s college application essays” count? Arguably, as this one is my creative writer, they may well qualify — she’s a published poet!
As far as novels are concerned, my eldest (GenZ) daughter and I have a tradition of reading a book aloud together — no matter how long it takes us living in different cities. It took all of 2022 to piecemeal our way through A Confederacy of Dunces. It was my second time as it will be with our current book, Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities. I highly recommend inter-generational reading.
My nightstand reading this year starts with The Grey Lady Winked (2021) How The NYT’s Misreporting, Distortions and Fabrications Radically Alter History (reaching back to the beginning of WW2.)
I am glad to see that Harrison has a new book out--I enjoyed his first two. I'm also looking forward to Doyle's biography, having read this past year his collection of essays, "A Long Song of River." Thanks for this list.
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