In 2023, bookclique traveled from the 18th century Kingdom of Mysore in India to the trailer parks and football fields of the Appalachian Mountains, from the South Island of New Zealand to the fictional Quebecois village of Three Pines. We time traveled back to a homecoming dance in the 1990s and ahead to a near future of dystopian theme parks and erased memories. We dallied with royal queer romance and devoured the compelling story of a real prince. We met modern-day urban witches, a quietly heroic Irish coal merchant, Sydney the disobedient AI Chatbot, fierce mothers with extraordinary children, and a playwright who lost her ability to smile. We were provoked, comforted, enticed, and transported. The poetry, memoirs, short stories, mysteries, romances, and literary fictions we reviewed won prizes and made their way onto many “best of” countdowns. Reading is essential for us, and we love to share our recommendations with you. Buy, borrow, lend, download, gift, donate, and most of all, immerse. We’ll see you next year.
Smile: The Story of a Face by Sara Ruhl
Spare by Prince Harry
Spoiled Brats, Hits and Misses, and New Teeth by Simon Rich
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Bing’s AI Chat Transcript by Kevin Roose and Sydney
A Play for the End of the World by Jai Chakrabarti
Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Liberation Day by George Saunders
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
VenCo by Cherie Dimaline
The Whalebone Theater by Joanna Quinn
Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Throwback by Maureen Goo
Remedies for Sorrow by Megan Nix
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Loot by Tania James
Great Exodus, Great Wall, Great Party by Chessy Normile
Sam by Allegra Goodman
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
The Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Series by Louise Penny
Worn: A People’s History of Clothing by Sofi Thanhauser
