Instead of choosing which books I loved the most from 2023, I’m opting for which books inspired me the most as a writer. Books that rose to the top of my list, from a writing style perspective, occupy a unique rung in the “compelling stories” ladder. They resonated. They amazed. These five books made me pause and mumble to myself, “I want to write like this.”
Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan
Something about Monaghan’s voice pulled me right in and kept me turning pages, ignoring my husband, and wishing the book wasn't over so soon. Though the premise isn't a new one, Monaghan makes the celebrity versus ordinary person trope fresh, fun, heartbreaking and binge-worthy. Even the children in the story contributed to my enjoyment and emotional investment.
One take-away for me, writing wise, is that a cleverly drawn supporting cast can make or break a story. Did I love the setting? Yes, indeed. (I need more coffee-infused sunrise-watching from a front porch in my life) Did I feel attached to the love interests? So much that my heart hit rock bottom when they separated with no remedy guaranteed.
The kids, though. And the townspeople. The celebrity’s handler. Even the ex-husband… All were so vividly drawn and lifelike, I felt their actions like a punch in the gut. If only I could write characters with that kind of precision.
The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston
A ghost writer for a major romance writer (think Nora Roberts), who is late turning in a book because she no longer believes in love, can see ghosts who usually just want to talk through their unresolved issues. Her Mr. Darcy type editor appears to her when she returns home for her dad's funeral. She knows he's dead, but can't help falling for him. It was pure pleasure witnessing the resolution unfold. How do you write a convincing love story between a living person and a not-so-alive one? I wish I knew.
Lessons In Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
This best-selling book became a hit TV series for a reason. The story is unique, uplifting, quirky and delightful. The quotable lines contribute to the story’s mystique. Like the Dead Romantics, only a gifted author could pull off convincing me of a dog’s beyond-reason cleverness. I learned fascinating facts about chemistry’s role in cooking. The main character’s honesty and insistence on being true to herself made her impossible to dislike. How do you even write a character like her? Some day, I hope I come close.
Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, by Matthew Perry
No ghost writer for this memoir. It’s written in Perry’s own voice, which he mostly typed into the Notes app on his phone. Humility, humour, rage and depression permeate his writing. My attachment to Perry as a TV character helped my enjoyment, but the writing itself brought Matthew Perry the human alive for me. Unable to help himself, he left a charitable legacy behind in the hopes he might save someone else.
The Wishing Game, by Meg Shaffer
I don’t know how to describe this book. It’s so unique, refreshing, and utterly different from any book I’ve read this year. Shaffer builds a world every bit as vivid and engaging as Hogwarts, with themes that force you to throw reason out the window as you fall for every logistically unrealistic plot point. Just suspend disbelief and read it. If you are a writer, try to take some notes on how this gifted author grabs a reader by the lapels and strings them along.
On Reading To Write
For crafting believable characters with soul-bearing honesty to world building that pulls you in against your better judgment, I highly recommend “studying” these books for quality writing inspiration. I will do my best to channel my inner Monaghan-Poston-Garmus-Perry-Shaffer for my 2024 writing endeavours!