As 2023 comes to a close, I’ve been gathering my list of 2023 releases I definitely want to roll over into 2024. I love the challenge! Plus, it’s the time of year when book lovers across social media are sharing some of their favorite books of the year. They are making my TBR so much longer, in the best possible way. So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite books of the year that you definitely won’t want to miss.
It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations, or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.
Bookish Goods
Bookshop Greeting Card by Phoebe And June
This is such a beautiful greeting card, my goodness. It’s perfect to send to a friend or just to keep for yourself to frame on the wall. $4
New Releases
A couple of my 2023 releases that I want to roll over into 2024.
Once a City Said: A Louisville Poets Anthology edited by Joy Priest
Poet Joy Priest has collected a range of poetry from her hometown, Louisville, Kentucky, including some prose poetry, deeply personal memoir-in-poetry entries, and experimental pieces. She truly brings together the best literary talent of the city.
Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page
A lot of us had been anticipating this book for so long! Trans actor Elliot Page describes his experience growing up and starting his acting career before he came out. He performs the audiobook himself, and I will definitely be going that route.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Tar Hollow Trans: Essays by Stacy Jane Grover
Stacy Jane Grover grew up in Southeastern Ohio, not really viewing herself as Appalachian. But as she moved through the world —transitioning as a teen, falling in and out of love, and trying to find a career— she slowly began engaging with the idea. Grover illustrates a way of being that we don’t often read in literature. Much of trans history focuses on urban centers, but Grover tells a different story of growing up with her family having a different understanding of who she was. Her grandfather just called her “shy,” which in her region of Appalachia just meant a sort of difference that was accepted, if not understood.
Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H
Lamya H figured out she was gay as a teenager in a Muslim school while living in a country in the Middle East. When she moved to America for university, she began to slowly come to terms with her sexuality and what that might mean for her life as a Muslim person. However, she constantly ran into non-Muslim people who told her she couldn’t be Muslim AND queer. That’s not how it worked. Lamya disagreed, finding her own way of being as a queer Muslim. Lamya structures her memoir around different figures from the Qur’an, weaving together figures from her faith with her own story.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy Reading, Friends!
~ Kendra