Welcome (back) to my unapologetically casual top-5 series. Follow the tag ‘Top 5 2023’ for more. There are no stars and no metrics. The only criteria is how much I enjoyed the book, and how well its strengths place it primarily in a given category. Yes, books can appear on more than one list if they fit. Oh, also, I am keeping the tag even though I am dropping the final 3 lists in 2024, because life is too short to edit tags.
There is a word for the type of prose most authors aim for – the “clear window.” It means words so free of common mistakes the reader forgets they are reading, sinking into the story. Time has no meaning as you get lost in the daydream. You probably rip through well-plotted books like this.
This list is for the opposite. This list honors books where line-level excellence is the point. They make you slow down and savor every word. Poetry in prose. Music in story. Many contain a romantic subplot or two (and I already posted the top-5 romance), so I thought I would make sure this one makes it into the world before February.
Enjoy:
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – The descriptions of the marvels of the traveling, dimensional Night Circus will draw a deep, satisfied sigh from the hardest heart. Really, you could take your pick between this gem and the more recent The Starless Sea by the same author. They are both richly detailed explorations of beautiful, magical settings. Night Circus gets the edge in my book for having a more compelling story.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – A beautifully written, heartbreaking exploration of childhood and innocence lost. It’s equally lovecraft and fairytale.
3. Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab – The prose is the highlight of this hauntingly beautiful novel about a cursed woman trying to find connection in a world that cannot see her.
2. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss – This is one of the most gorgeous, quirky, weird books I’ve ever read. As I understand it, this novella is a character study from a very famous series I have not yet read. Its commitment to share the world through the eyes of a consummate naive innocent is refreshing and inspiring.
1. This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar – Wow, Just wow. Far and away one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read on a line level. It’s a simple story, but it made me alternately laugh, cry, and shut the book to let musical turns of phrase linger.
Honorable Mention – Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke- This book is not in a hurry. It takes its time with well-crafted descriptions and metaphors that immerse you in the dreamlike world of reawakening magic.
JC Murray Books 