There’s always that special feeling of cracking the spine of that hot-off-the-press novel and 2023 was truly a smashing year that gave us many a fiction fave. Whether it’s a new writer’s debut book or a highly anticipated release that belongs on your must-read list, Bookscape’s handpicked selection has some critic picks and some rare gems.
Author: Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes unleashed her brand of wistful humour and unreal circumstances in this book that has an unequally out-of-the-ordinary character cast. First, a wealthy, red-Louboutin-heels-wearing, nasty woman called Nisha who has a troubled marriage. It comes to a head when her husband locks her out of the hotel’s penthouse suite, and ALL of her money and credit. The second protagonist is self-deprecating Sam, sole breadwinner in her family who has a depressed husband, horrid parents, a smelly dog and a boss from hell who undermines her every step of the way.
Nisha starts working as a chambermaid in a posh London hotel, where a mix up causes the two women to literally end up in each other’s shoes. Nisha needs her shoes back and Sam feels empowered when she wears the designer shoes to work. This is a fast-paced madcap adventure that highlights female friendships, love and power struggles. But also that one can overcome insurmountable odds and bridge gaps with strong friendships. Run, read, laugh!
Author: Scott Lynn
Basketball and sports fans will definitely love this book, but also those who love history. Starting in 1968 (Illinois), the storyline is about a basketball team that wants to welcome African American players into the team. The coach picks five players and he is one of the first ever coaches to have done that. This transformative experience bonds the coach, players and staff giving them lessons about racial prejudice, determination and hard work.
The attention to detail by engaging every character in this telling is very wholesome. We learn about each of the players, about their origins, their childhood and where they are presently. Lynn has followed the trailblazing champions of integrated school districts when racial violence was rife and brotherhood was just beginning to blossom on both sides.
Author: Jenna Levine
Rom-com with a charming touch of the paranormal and quirkiness! Cassie Greenberg is evicted and frantically apartment hunting when she chances upon a Craigslist post offering a spare room in a good part of the city at an unbelievable price. As a starving artist, she is ecstatic till she finds out about the catch…Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is a handsome vampire who snoozes all day and steps out at night. They leave notes for each other and rarely talk until Cassie finds blood bags in the refrigerator and discovers the true identity of her time-sharing roommate.
Sweet and spicy, this book sees Cassie helping Frederick navigate the modern world because during his century-long sleep the world of handwritten letters and horseback riding has changed completely. He is a gentleman and opens up to Cassie slowly with an eagerness and innocence. The bonus would be the cute missives like letters, texts, notes and diary entries that make their exchanges even more enjoyable.
Author: Toni Mount
Set in medieval London, Sebastian Foxley (better known as Seb) is the protagonist of Toni Mount’s murder mystery series. Seb is an illuminator by trade but he is a multi-jobber who works as an artist, sleuth and reluctant assistant to the City Bailiff. He goes on a hunt for recalcitrant murderers and even captures a pyromaniac! The complex storyline weaves in and out of the principal plot to plant many subplots — rich fodder that propel the series forward.
Toni is an expert in recreating the life and times of 15th century London. She has carefully detailed out the city, its culture, laws and even its streets. While the attention to detail offers an immersive experience, be warned that the description of medieval meals can rev up quite the appetite for some comfort grub.
Author: Esther Yi
Y/N is the perfect novel for those who have been swept up by the K-pop wave. It all starts when a Korean American woman decides to follow her obsession for a K-pop idol. Yi’s writing prowess can be seen in the inner monologue of the unnamed protagonist that is a fevered stream of consciousness becoming progressively more bizarre. She makes no case for realism, with each character speaking in a disconcerting, affected tone and making equally strange choices for reasons that remain unclear to the reader.
In this surreal, almost dream-like narrative, the author has skilfully leveraged self-insert RPF-style fan fiction (called Y/N or your name fanfic, which gives the book its name) to unveil how parasocial relationships manifest in new media. Obsessive fandom culture with underlying motifs of celebrity culture, companionship, escape, social interaction and excitement. Something entirely new and experimental, it’s a look into the protagonist’s profound feeling of displacement, a liminal identity as both Korean and non-Korean, markedly visible in the later Seoul-based chapters.
Author: Perumal Murugan, Janani Kannan (Translator)
Fire Bird’s protagonist Marimuthu sets out on an elusive search for permanence in a world where displacement is the order of the day. He is a farmer’s son and the splitting of his family farm sends him on a quest to find suitable land for his family. Knitted into this poignant tale is Muthu’s hope for reconnecting with the land from which he has been violently severed. The author gently broaches difficult subjects like casteism, preference for male progeny, and family power dynamics based on gender and age privilege.
Awarded the JCB Prize for Literature 2023, the book is named for the mythical fire bird, the aalanthaapatchi. We later learn that Muthu’s mother calls Peruma (his wife) the aalanthaapatchi. Peruma is mistreated by his family but rises to be Muthu’s support and guide as he searches for new pastures to settle in. Through his journey, realization dawns on Muthu and he understands that there is happiness in change and that certainty is an illusion. In displacement, we learn about courage and surging ahead in the face of betrayal and heartbreak. Like Muthu and Peruma, we learn to survive by simply living life on our own terms.
Author: Emily Henry
Romance readers will be all too familiar with Emily Henry’s books, which are heartwarming contemporary romance novels based on the enemies-to-lovers trajectories. She has moved away from this formula with Happy Place and the novel has a sense of yearning and even melancholy permeating it. Three college friends — Harriet, Sabrina and Cleo — enjoy a reunion with their partners in tow at Sabrina’s father’s summer home in Maine. Everyone in this reunion is keeping secrets from the others.
The star couple of this novel are Harriet and Wyn who have been the perfect couple since they met in college. Except, they broke up six months ago and still haven’t told their best friends so they decide to fake it on this trip. But their love is real and the faking feels fake. A refreshing aspect of Happy Place is that Henry touches upon growth and change that happens naturally with age, sometimes we outgrow partners, friends and habits. Even if you don’t usually go for romance, this modern women’s fiction is a winner!
Also read: Bookscape’s Best Books Roundup Of 2023
