The best books I read in 2023

The end of the year means “best of” lists: these were my favorite fiction and nonfiction reads of 2023! Enjoy, and let me know which ones you’ve read or want to read 🖤

01:00 Fiction:
Quicksand by Nella Larsen (1928)
Permafrost by Eva Baltasar (trans. Julia Sanches) (2018)
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga (2022)
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (1974)
I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel (2022)
Katalin Street by Magda Szabó (trans. Len Rix) (1969)
Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel (trans. Rosalind Harvey) (2020)
The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector (trans. Idra Novey) (1964)
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (2023)
Que reviennent ceux qui sont loin by Pierre Adrian (2022)

13:23 Nonfiction:
Too Much and Not the Mood by Durga Chew-Bose (2017)
Ugly Feelings by Sianne Ngai (2005)
Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration by David Wojnarowicz (1991)
In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing by Elena Ferrante (trans. Ann Goldstein) (2021)
Passion simple (Simple Passion) by Annie Ernaux (1992)
A Horse at Night: On Writing by Amina Cain (2022)
Death by Landscape by Elvia Wilk (2022)
Le piccole virtú (The Little Virtues) by Natalia Ginzburg (trans. Dick Davis) (1962)
This Little Art by Kate Briggs (2018)
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib (2017)
Essayism: On Form, Feeling, and Nonfiction by Brian Dillon (2017)
Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays on Translation ed. by Jeremy Tiang and Kavita Bhanot (2022)

Socials:
Insta: @sdelphis
StoryGraph: @sdelphis

[rebareads]

Finally had time and space to watch this and oh what a joy!
So many books on my TBR and a few others added to my list :) I received Study for Disobedience for Christmas and I’m itching to pick it up soon!

[readingaster]

the i havent seen you around before but i'm gonna be stopping by for recs more often 👀

[bloomingangel]

I love love love to see non-brazilian people reading Clarice Lispector and loving her. She's such a tresure ❤ I love your recs and subscribed to your channel already

[casskrug]

ugh this is an incredible list!! going to be adding so many of these to my tbr especially from your nonfiction list!! hope 2024 is a stellar reading year for you 🤩

[tracys.mitnaul-xvte]

I was waiting for this list. You're fabulous with great reviews, recommendations, and personality. I've added Quicksand and a few more . Thank you. Happy New Year!😊❤

[semiote]

Just found this video on my feed, and subscribed: I'm interested in the reading reflections of anyone who loves Lispector! She's become one of my all-time favorites in the last couple years. G.H. was the first thing I read from her (about two years ago), and I went on to read everything she wrote. (Except her correspondence. I can't read Portuguese, and New Directions still has yet to translate it, ach!) In fact, this past semester, I taught G.H. in a seminar on philosophy (my field) and literature that was focused entirely on Lispector. But I find that she doesn't appeal to everyone - not even to most of my friends whose literary tastes otherwise overlap pretty substantially with mine. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!

[yenasung]

Your thumbnail is so sweet 😍 close to the knives sounds v compelling and i will definitely have to keep my eyes peeled for that. What a reading year, sophie!

[sabinagruden]

If Egyptians cannot speak English is also one of my favourites this year!
I also read Quicksand (and Passing - both amazing and beautifully writen) and Simple Passion.
Close to the knives and Too much and not in the mood are waiting on my bookshelf. I know I'll defenetly love Close to the knives when I'll read it. :)
I really want to read I'm a Fan and Katalin Street. And many more of course :)
I had great reading year, there are so many amazing books outthere!
Thanks for your videos and happy New Year!🥳🤍

[jameskatie]

as soon as i saw you were on the throne, i knew i would be taking notes.
very into the sound of ugly feelings and they can't kill us until they kill us. a good essay collection is the way to my heart! x

[litwithkat]

sophie, so many books that made it to your favs that i NEED to get to. they can't kill us till they kill us! i'm a fan! still born! hearing you talk about all these books is making me wanna just curl up and get to reading!!

[em_harring]

What a great list! I added many of these titles to my to-read shelf for 2024. It sounds like you had a great reading year! I read The Door by Szabo this year and loved it, and (almost) three out of the four Neapolitan novels, which have been standouts.

[nofskiepatofskie]

what a thoughtful and inspiring collection - will be reading many of these in 2024!

[MrBookaholic]

I want to read like EVERY book you are talking about 😳 especially Clarice Lispector, Guadalupe Nettel and Magda Szabó sound super interesting 🐈‍⬛🐦‍⬛
I already own “I’m a Fan” so maybe I should start with this one tho
Great list!!! have a great 2024🎉

[katsfieldnotes]

Sis, the notes being jotted! The recommendations being taken! This vid added some real heft to my tbr list and im not even a lil mad about it. I have to try Permafrost sooner rather than later. Also have been meaning to read Quicksand, thank you for the reminder and great motivation! And love your words on Nettel. That book is so dang special. Excited to see what you pick up in 2024!

[Readlive]

I've read Katalin Street as one of my very last books of 2023. I loved it! It is not an easy read, it requires patience from the reader to understand what's going on and some parts are difficult, but that patience is well rewarded. Quiet but deeply sorrowful is a book that will stay with me for a while, and I'll need to reread it at some point. This was my first one of Szabo, but definitely, I'm looking forward to read more from her.

[oliviaturner]

An inspiring list- thank you! I'm currently reading Barbara Comyn's A Touch of Mistletoe and loving it so far.

Have a great new year and I look forward to watching your channel in 2024. 😊

[booksthehausdown]

I got a bunch of book cash for Christmas and was trying to decide what books to get… this vid comes in perfect timing!! ❤

[literaryiggy]

what a sweet year of reading, Sophie! added many to my list <3

[TKTalksBooks]

We share the same aesthetic regarding reading material. Outstanding video. Well done in all aspects. Thank you! Happy New Year!

[thelefthandedreader]

Yay! Your list! I too am such a fan of Eva Balthasar. I feel like shes an author for me. I’m glad to be reminded of If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English. I meant to get to it and then didn’t. You’re convincing me to put Magda Szabo bk on my whiteboard to try it out. I tried The Fawn and for some reason, it didnt click.

Kate Briggs: I can’t wait to dip into her this yr. I’m reading a couple of her works with a read-a-long group starting in Jan. I’m looking forward to it! Maybe this is the year I will finally read Too Much & Not The Mood. 😊😊

There’s so many fantastic recommendations here in the non-fiction realm. A literal non-fiction playground of book choices. So exciting!