It’s my favourite time of the book blogging year – seeing everyone’s Best Of lists, and compiling my own. As usual, I have stuck to one book per author, and haven’t included re-reads. I’ve read more than 200 books this year (including 60+ audiobooks), so I had lots to choose from. As it turned out, there were really one or two absolutely all-time brilliant reads, and then lots of very good ones.
Something I didn’t realise until I finished the list was that the top three books had all been on my shelves for about 10 or 15 years before I read them. A lesson never to cull, because every book’s moment could come!
Here we are, in reverse order…
12. Because of the Lockwoods (1949) by Dorothy Whipple
Because I’d read a few of Whipples not-quite-as-brilliant books, I’d forgotten quite how wonderful she can be. I read two Whipples this year, and They Were Sisters could equally have taken this slot – both are long, moving, compellingly enjoyable and poignant tales of family life.
11. Delicacy (2021) by Katy Wix
A brilliant memoir by this comedian – about cake and death. She considers significant moments in her life through cakes that remind her of them, and along the way covers deaths of close family and friends. I listened to the audiobook, which is a curiously sombre reading, so that even the undeniably funny sections come across with a certain sadness.
10. Four Gardens (1935) by Margery Sharp
Claire from the Captive Reader recommended this Sharp novel forever ago, so it was a delight to have her on episode 102 of Tea or Books? to compare it with D.E. Stevenson’s Five Windows, both reprinted by Furrowed Middlebrow / Dean Street Press. Sharp is always brilliant, and this story of a life through four gardens has stayed with me.
9. Remainders of the Day (2022) by Shaun Bythell
All of Bythell’s Diary of a Bookseller series are a delight – and this volume is no different. I raced through his latest diaries of running a secondhand bookshop in Scotland, with his sardonic comments on customers always a joy to read. I missed Nicky this time, who had moved on from the shop, but there are new people to get to know.
8. War Among Ladies (1928) by Eleanor Scott
This is the first British Library Women Writers title in some time that wasn’t my recommendation, but it was a wonderful choice – I read it a couple times this year. It’s about the teaching staff of a failing girls’ school, and is quite sad – but Scott’s dry tone, and some brighter moments, prevent it from being a miserable read.
7. Gentle and Lowly (2020) by Dane Ortlund
Subtitled ‘The heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers’, this is the best Christian book I’ve read for years – well, excepting the Bible. Chapter by chapter, he illuminates the character of Jesus in the gospels, and I found the book inspiring and comforting without disregarding the reality of a fallen world.
6. The Home (1971) by Penelope Mortimer
The picture in the collage above is a little spoiler – this will be coming out from the British Library Women Writers series soon. When they asked me to come up with something from the 1970s, I was a bit worried – I don’t know much about that decade. But I wanted to explore more Mortimer, and this semi-autobiographical book about separation after a marriage is darkly comic, ironic and just brilliant. It’s been described as a spiritual sequel to The Pumpkin Eater, and I can see why.
5. On Color (2018) by David Scott Kastan and Stephen Farthing
An unusual read for me, but a brilliant one – Kastan and Farthing go through the seven colours of the rainbow, as well as grey, black, and white, and look at the significance of the colour in history, culture, science. Usually they associate one colour with one theme, and cover a wide range here – from art to race to politics. An ambitious and brilliantly realised book – free on audiobook if you have an Audible subscription.
4. A Town Called Solace (2021) by Mary Lawson
She wrote my number one book last year, and her latest novel is brilliant too – a bit more packed with incident, though still feels quite calm and reflective. It’s the 1970s, and Clara’s sister has gone missing – and a strange man has moved into the house next door, with his own history to the small town in Canada. I suppose A Town Called Solace is a mystery of sorts, but it feels more like another of Lawson’s gentle musings on what it means to be a human in relationship with other humans.
3. Paying Guests (1929) by E.F. Benson
Benson is on top form with this boarding house of squabbling, pretending, brittle and brilliant people. One of the best Bensons I’ve read, it’s all about the big stakes of insignificant lives – how point-scoring and face-saving can dominate everything in their little worlds. Deliciously funny.
2. Suddenly, a Knock on the Door (2012) by Etgar Keret
A collection of very odd stories, mostly set in Israel and translated from Hebrew by Miriam Shlesinger, Sondra Silverston and Nathan Englander. Some of the stories have supernatural elements – e.g. somebody unzips themselves to reveal somebody else beneath – whereas others are simply surreal, like the title story about a gunman turning up and demanding a story. Keret is overflowing with ideas, and knows exactly how to translate those ideas into moments of perfection.
1. A Jest of God (1966) by Margaret Laurence
For the second year in a row, a Canadian novelist comes out top. In A Jest of God, Laurence narrows her focus to Rachel – a woman living in the same house where she grew up, teaching at the school where she was a pupil. Her claustrophobic life is dominated by an uneasy relationship with her mother and a complete lack of hope about the future – until Nick, an old schoolmate, returns to the small town. I read another of Laurence’s Manawaka series this year (unrelated books in the same region of Canada) – The Diviners, much more sprawling in terms of time and place and page count. I thought that was brilliant too, but found Laurence was superlative in miniature. An extraordinary success.
That is so interesting, about finding that the best reads are those that have been on the shelves for a long time. I do wonder sometimes why I don’t read them immediately (especially when they were books I was GASPING to get at once, tout de suite, I could not live without them a second longer!) Some kind of scarcity principle there no doubt – as if they are rare antiques that might disappear if I don’t grab them (actually, in a couple of cases, they were rare editions, but still…)
I saw someone describe it as ‘shopping your shelves’, which I enjoyed.
I have read and admired all of Shaun Bythell’s books & have a soft spot for Captain who appears many times … meant to clear the shop of mice he trots out & brings some in …
Yes, Captain is an icon! Love that he makes the cover this time.
Being Canadian, I am so excited 2 see two Canadian authors in your top books. I have read A Town Called Solace and loved it as well. I have yet to read A Jest of God, but will definitely get to it this year. Have you ever read Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence? Do so if you haven’t. Absolutely brilliant!!
I have read The Stone Angel, but SO long ago that I don’t remember a lot except I thought it was very good.
What an interesting best of, Simon, particularly the fact that the top three had been about so long! I’m a firm believer in the fact that every book has a right time to be read – which is probably why I find it so difficult to get rid of any!! Look forward to seeing what you read in 2023! :D
I shall remember these whenever I am tempted to cull anything!
Ooh lovely list Simon. Not surprised to see War Among Ladies and A Town Called Solace (which nearly made my list) featured. Because of the Lockwoods and The Jest of God are excellent choices. Happy to say I have Paying Guests tbr, and I am so excited about the Penelope Mortimer reissue, I just loved The Pumpkin Eater.
I think it is every bit as good as The Pumpkin Eater, so I’m excited to see people discover it.
A really interesting ‘best of’ list – and definitely a good lesson about culling. I really liked ‘A Town Called Solace’ (my review was in the TLS last December, IIRC). Yours is the second list I’ve read today that included some Whipple, which makes me think I have underestimated her (based on just one novel so far). I haven’t reread Margaret Laurence in ages but I still have my yellowed paperbacks, including both A Jest of God and The Stone Angel – maybe 2023 is a good year to revisit them.
I’m interested about which Whipple you’ve read now! I think there are definitely some that are much stronger than others. And I’d love to see more people reading Laurence – she seems to be either a writer that people read at school, or never.
You know how I always look forward to your list! I am unsurprisingly delighted at the continued dominance of Canadian authors for the top spot. Well done compatriots! I love both the Lawson and, of course, the Sharp and view the appearance of War Among Ladies as a taunt from everyone who has included it on the end-of-year lists. It’s not readily available here (yet?) so I may have to break down and order it online.
Hurrah for Canada! I would not be surprised to see Laurence on the 2023 list again. And YES you must break for War Among Ladies, I think.
That’s a lovely list and it’s very fortunate that you didn’t cull any of those books! I love Margery Sharp but haven’t read Four Gardens yet – I’ll try to get to that one in 2023.
She doesn’t put a foot wrong, such a reliably good author!
I had just read and commented on my friend Karen Glass’s blog who has also read the latest Larson novel. It’s inspired me to read my other books by her. I am glad that you held on to your books and that your best reads came from them. These are wonderful posts because one gets the best books reviews and several of your titles have caught my attention.
Thanks for the lovely post.
It took me about 10 years between my first and second Lawson novels, then raced onto my third – but she publishes so rarely that I don’t want to run out! Thank you for your lovely comment, Silvia.
I love how your ‘best of’ list is so different to the hundreds of other book lists flying around the web at the time of year. It’s also a selection after my own heart, so to speak – full of the types of books I really want to read!
War Among Ladies is in my TBR, so I’ll have to bump it up the pecking order as you’ve highlighted it here. Funnily enough, I just listened to an abridged version of A Town Called Solace on R4’s Book at Bedtime, and while the premise seemed very promising, I wasn’t wowed by it. Now I’m thinking that it must have suffered from being very heavily filleted to fit the 5 x13 mins format, especially as you and Ali have both rated it so highly!
I’m always a bit sceptical of abridged books – I think worth giving it the space to be a whole novel, especially with its contemplative tone. And thank you, I always enjoy putting the list together so much!
I had to come and check out your list when I saw A Town Called Solace on it, and at number 4 that is indeed high praise, I loved that novel and wanted to do well. Of course now I’m intrigued as to what was the novel that made your number 1 last year, have I missed another gem?
I loved that way that this novel was more about the inner journey than the central drama, the mystery, which is why perhaps some readers express disappointment, it is a carefully disguised introspective novel. It’s the Penelope versus Odyseuss dynamic, and the character that stays at home is in the ascendant! Have you read Loop by Brenda Lozano? I think you’d enjoy it if you haven’t read it already.
Thanks for your comment! Last year it was The Other Side of the Bridge – also brilliant, and I think I liked it even more than A Town Called Solace. And I haven’t read of Loop, so many thanks for that recommendation.
I have No.1 and No.10 in the TBR so clearly I need to dig them out!
I’m trying to make more effort to read the books that have been languishing on my shelves for ages so your observation about not culling is very encouraging :-)
Would love to see your thoughts on the Laurence – I think she’s something really special.
One of my top picks this year was on my shelves for 19 years! Love your list – so different.
Every book has its day! That’s brilliant.
Wishing you a very happy, bookish, New Year. (And that Sharpe looks lovely… damn you!!!)
Thank you Davida! :D
It must have been hard to whittle your total down to 12!
I have only read Because of the Lockwoods (agree it is one of the best Whipple’s).
Lovely to get a Christian book recommendation. Gentle and Lowly sounds wonderful.
Paying Guests was next on my tbr pile (I bought it after reading your review during the 1929 club). War Among Ladies was also on my radar (if I do Project 24 I can see that being a challenge!)
In reading terms for me, 2022 will be remembered as the year I discovered your blog and podcasts, which have been a great source of joy and inspiration. Testament to this is that 4 of my best reads for the year were read as a direct result of stuckinabook or teaorbooks podcasts (Christopher and Columbus, My Dog Tulip, Lady into Fox, and The Love Child).
I’m praying your eyesight will be restored to allow for c0mfortable reading again very soon.
That is such a lovely message, Sarah, thank you – I really appreciate it. And I appreciate the prayers so much too!
I am so glad to see “Gentle and Lowly” on your best list. I loved that book so much. I have already read it twice and given it away to a few people. Agree with you it is one of the best books about Jesus outside of the Bible. I also loved Shaun Bythell’s latest book- he does crack me up. I can’t thank you enough for your blog. You have introduced me to many wonderful writers. Hope you have a blessed 2023.
I’ve given away a copy of Gentle and Lowly too – it’s just wonderful, and I’m sure I’ll re-read. I’ve bought his Deeper since.
The only one I’ve read on here is War Among Ladies. It’s an excellent novel but I actually found it pretty upsetting and not funny at all. Teachers in those days had a dreadful life.
I think I found enough in the dry narrative commentary on the characters to amuse me, though it was definitely a very wry humour. It does sound like a miserable life for many of them.
Loved reading about your choices as I have not heard of many of them! And I am very excited to hear about the Penelope Mortimer – she is fabulous and I will read anything she wrote.
I was so pleased we managed to get the rights to republish it!
Nice list, great descriptions. I only read A Town Called Solace from your books, and I totally agree, it was one of the best books I read last year, as well.
My Statistics are here.
She is so deceptively good – I’m sad she publishes books quite slowly, as only have one left to read.
Best wishes for 2023!! Thank you for directing me towards Mary Lawson, it was my greatest discovery of 2022. I also enjoyed the Keret collection. Will check out the rest of your favorite books!
Lovely to see Lawson on your list this year – she is so brilliant.
Interesting to see the Sean Bythell book on your list – I read the first two and really enjoyed them (hoping to make it up to Wigtown one day!), but then I read a snotty review of the ‘Remainders’ book and that put me off getting it. Now I’ve seen two more positive reviews, I’ll definitely seek it out. I’ve just ordered my first Dean St Press book – the Four Gardens – having held off previously because I didn’t really like the cover designs.
It really is exactly the same as the others in tone etc, so if you enjoyed the first two then I guarantee you’ll enjoy the third too.
I’m keen to try the Benson and Mortimer. It’s always unpredictable to me what contemporary books you’ll enjoy!
I’m really hoping the Mortimer does well when it comes out. And yes, I’m always slightly surprised by what clicks from more contemporary books myself :D
Happy New Year! This is a wonderful list and I’m personally so thrilled because I have read none of these books, but I own five of them!! So Paying Guests, Four Gardens, War Among Ladies, Gentle and Lowly, and Because of the Lockwoods can now move straight to the top of my TBR without further ado :)
I have appreciated your blog and podcast so much this past year! So thank you very much. Praying for you right now for a full and quick recovery for your eyes so you can get back to doing all the things you love without issues.
Oh yes, that’s the best sort of recommendation, isn’t it! Thank you so much for your kind words and your prayers, they are much appreciated.
What a great year for you, Simon! Remainders of The Day jumped out at me – it’s only just come out here in Australia, but it’s an early contender for one of my favourites of 2023. Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing holidays!
It’s so fun, enjoy it Sheree!
What a super selection! I must get the Sharp and I loved the Whipple of course, in fact I’m due a Whipple re-read, I think. War Among Ladies was a great one, too. Happy reading for 2023 (and proper buying again, I think?!).
Proper buying, yes! Though I haven’t actually bought any books yet, so I’m being quite restrained.