The Books I've Read in 2023
Naomi Alderman, Jo Nesbo, Colson Whitehead and more.
Let's wrap up the year talking about books, specifically, the books I've read in 2023.
Scanning the list, there are two shifts from last year. One is that I read more pre-release ebook galleys and fewer vintage pulp paperbacks, a shift I attribute to my changing WFH/RTO schedule. Second, I shifted my main reading device from a Kindle Oasis to a big-screen Kindle Scribe. I can't say enough good things about this big-screen E Ink reader, even if it's expensive (periodically, Amazon offers good trade-in deals on your old Kindle, plus an extra 20% off).
There's a lot of sci-fi, horror and detective novels, and 2023 was not a big year for non-fiction for me. I suspect that'll change in 2024, as my holiday book haul included a new memoir from Werner Herzog and a new biography of Lou Reed.
Speaking of non-fiction, 2023 also saw a cool, new UK paperback edition of my book, The Tetris Effect, with new cover art that I absolutely love. If you're in the US, the standard version is still available as a hardcover, ebook or audiobook.
In no particular order:
The Future
by Naomi Alderman
Perfectly timed story about tech billionaires preparing for an apocalypse, but it really focuses on "the help" and the part they play in helping their masters-of-the-universe bosses. Ends up not taking itself too seriously, which I appreciated.
The Night House
by Jo Nesbo
Nordic noir writer Jo Nesbo switches gears and writes a Stephen King small-town haunted house story. Nails enough of the American idioms to feel authentic and keeps you guessing.
Crook Manifesto
by Colson Whitehead
What if Colson Whitehead started writing Walter Mosley books? That doesn't give this series (this is the second book, after Harlem Shuffle) nearly enough credit, but I hope it'll entice you into reading it. (Also: I live near a coffee shop called East One, but I always refer to it as Zone One, after CW's 2011 zombie novel.)
The Tribe
By Bari Wood
A republished lost classic from 1980 about a vengeful Golem running wild. The creature itself is largely offscreen, but the picture painted of 1980 NYC/Long Island and local Jewish culture is amazing. Republished as part of a series inspired by Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks from Hell coffee table book.
Cascade Failure
by L.M. Sagas
Space saga that definitely feels like The Expanse on a smaller, more personal level. Points for making the crew's captain an AI, a truly interesting character considering the current discussion on artificial intelligence.
Ghost Station
by S.A. Barnes
Part of a sub-genre that I think of as riffs on Event Horizon (the cult 1997 film), where there's an allegedly haunted spaceship and/or base on a far-off planet. Mixes sci-fi and horror, but I liked Barnes' previous book, Dead Silence, better. The whole thing felt like a set-up for a sequel.
Small Change -- The Complete Trilogy: Farthing, Ha'penny, Half a Crown
by Jo Walton
Three excellent short novels about an alternate history Europe where England is the last holdout against a Nazi-led Europe, even as the country falls prey to fascism and government-sanctioned antisemitism. Originally published between 2006-2008, but feels like a gut-punch reading these in 2023.
Six Easy Pieces and Little Scarlet
by Walter Mosley
I had to take a trip to Saudi Arabia a few months ago, 12-plus hours each way. For my in-air reading list, I added a couple of novels from Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series. So good, I wish I could go back to the beginning and rediscover them all over again. (Bonus: Here's my interview with Walter Mosley from a few years ago.)
The Parliament
by Aimee Pokwatka
Hitchcock's The Birds, but with owls and a bunch of people trapped in a small-town library. Loved the concept, and there's a very clever book-within-a-book substory, but too many plot holes and frankly, needed more owls.
Gollitok
by Andrew Najberg
Moody post-apocalyptic mystery with a team exploring an abandoned Eastern European prison. Nice world-building.
Hellweg's Keep
by Justin Holley
Another Event-Horizon-style haunted sci-fi story, this time on a mining planet. Interesting ideas about professional parapsychologists working for future corporations, but doesn't quite nail the final act.
Silent Key
by Laurel Hightower
Genre-jumping story about an NYC cop moving to an inherited haunted house in the sticks, and investigating family secrets, the Russian mob and... nuclear submarines? Very readable, but feels like it doesn't leap in with both feet.
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles
by Malka Older
The second entry in this excellent Space Sherlock series that takes place in orbit around Jupiter. I also loved last year's The Mimicking of Known Successes and can't wait for the next one.
Exadelic
by Jon Evans
Truly one of the most unusual books I've read in a long time. What starts as a typical out-of-control AI scenario morphs into a time-traveling multiverse adventure that zigs every time you think it's going to zag. Worth it just for the plot twists.
The Dead Take the A Train
by Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw
Not enough A train, but otherwise a great riff on magic hiding under the surface of NYC.
The Lonely Lands
by Ramsey Campbell
One of my all-time favorite authors. Campbell often mixes Lovecraft with rural England, and is famous for long stretches of story where nothing much happens, yet a subtle dread builds. But even as a fan, I have to admit this one dragged.
Fever House
by Keith Rosson
Reminded me a bit of The Strand The Strain, in that it feels like a treatment for an FX miniseries. Zombies, cults, secret government agencies. Fast-paced, but never quite congeals.
The Fragile Threads of Power
by V. E. Schwab
People looooove this book about a fantasy-fueled set of alternate Londons. I'll be honest, I put it down after a while and haven't gotten back to it yet. Didn't connect at first, but I'll give it another shot.
Fractal Noise
by Christopher Paolini
Astronauts investigate a noisy hole in a mysterious planet. Getting to said hole felt anti-climactic after a big build-up.
Schrader's Chord
by Scott Leeds
The son of a record shop owner discovers haunted vinyl records that, when played together, open a gateway to hell. Much better than that sounds (no pun intended).
Titanium Noir
by Nick Harkaway
I love a good sci-fi noir, and that's exactly what this is -- a rumpled detective gets involved with the dirty business of oligarchs who have genetically modified themselves into superhumans.
Silver Nitrate
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A film-based mystery in the spirit of books like Night Film and Ancient Images. I'm a sucker for this genre, and while Night Film had a very Argento-like director at its core, this time the filmmaker at the center of this Mexico-set story has a very Jodorowsky vibe.
The Monsters in our Shadows
by Edward J Cembal
At some point in a dystopian future, everyone eventually gets eaten by their own shadow. Cool concept, could not get into it, but could also see it making a Silo-like book-to-TV transition.
Beasts of 42nd Street
by Preston Fassel
Gritty street novel about an unhinged movie projectionist at a 1970s Times Square grindhouse theater. Chock full of deliberately unlikeable characters, but captures the time and place.
Ancient Images
by Ramsey Campbell
Re-release of an out-of-print 1989 novel about the search for a lost Karloff/Lugosi film. A cursed film, naturally. Great entry point if you want to get into Ramsey Campbell.
Nothing but the Rain
by Naomi Salman
Catchy novella about a town trapped in endless rain that causes amnesia if it hits your skin. You can polish it off in an afternoon.
Midnight Sun
by Ramsey Campbell
Was I on a Ramsey Campbell kick in 2023? Apparently so. Slow-burn multigenerational English folk horror. Takes a while to get there, but finishes strong.
14
by Peter Clines
Poppy, fun read about an apartment building hiding sci-fi secrets in the sub, sub, sub-basement. Enough wacky neighbors to be a short tonal shift away from a sitcom.
Here’s the 2022 list if you want to compare with last year (or find more book recs): All the Books I’ve Read in 2022
Subscribe to this newsletter for more: danackerman.substack.com. Tech Support with Dan Ackerman is a regular email series from veteran technology reporter Dan Ackerman where I share stories about how technology affects our everyday lives, plus interesting links and news.
Forward or share with your friends, or they can sign up here: danackerman.substack.com
See more at:
Web: danackerman.com
Twitter: twitter.com/danackerman
Threads: threads.net/@danack
TikTok: tiktok.com/@danacknyc
YouTube: youtube.com/danackerman
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danack
Bluesky: danackerman.bsky.social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danackerman
Gizmodo: gizmodo.com/author/danack
Plugs! 
Buy my book, The Tetris Effect!
“Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth...the story shines” — The New York Times
Techlandia is a modern dungeon crawl adventure where 1-4 heroic tech bloggers infiltrate the high-tech headquarters of the all-powerful Techlandia corporation. The goal: Stop the launch of a new smartphone that just might destroy the world...
“A fun mix of quirky social commentary and Lovecraftian horror.” — Gizmodo
Not that well related, but I just read your "The Tetris Effect" (US Edition). I wanted to let you know that I loved it, but have some minor edit nitpicks in case your second edition didn't correct them. 1. You spelled what should have been "Taito" as "Tatio" both mentions of it. That sticks out to me because one of my favorites from them is "Bust-A-Move 2" and it's pronounced when the game is started. 2. Somewhere in the last few chapters you used "we" somewhere I supposed it was meant to be "he", but I don't have time to track it down now. I just purchased your U.K. Second Edition paperback to find out for myself.