Wellness is the first of my best books for 2023. Nathan Hill writes with the wisdom and life knowledge of a person much older but with his generation’s funny, dry, cutting language. His observations about diets and tech, to name just two societal staples, are hysterical. And yet, while being funny and amusing, the book is heartbreakingly poignant on themes of loss and disappointment.

I toggled between reading and listening to the audiobook because Ari Fliakos is my all-time favorite narrator. His tone captures the wry wit of Hill’s characters and commentary. The best kind of book is one you can’t wait to share, and as my husband read before bed at night, I would ask him to read it aloud so we could share a good laugh.

So much more than a coming-of-age journey, next up in my list of best books is Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. This novel’s two main characters, Sadie and Sam, develop from a childhood friendship centered on early-generation video games like Mario Bros and Donkey Kong to designing their own and starting a company together. Combining a history of gaming with themes of unrequited love, class, and parents’ expectations, this novel delivers on multiple dimensions.

The various settings were highly provocative, from Harvard and MIT in Cambridge to Los Angeles and the virtual world of gaming narratives. My favorite line was when Sam asks Sadie at the novel’s end while she thought they never became romantically involved (he had assumed it was because he was poor, Korean, or disabled). Sadie replies, “Romantic love is so common.” Indeed, the collaborative connection between artists this book so deftly portrays is one on a higher plane.

I was inspired and shocked that it took me this long to find this book. Both because I am beginning my own agricultural journey and because Barbara Kingsolver is an all-time favorite, I loved this book’s calendar-following content and the voice it employs. The family’s pact to eat local and seasonal food for a year is portrayed honestly with humor and joy instead of preachiness.

It speaks to the things we dive into full-bore without completely appreciating how much work it entails. With determination and intentionality, they commune with the land and find a community- truly aspirational.