This year was another fairly abysmal one for reading, certainly among my least fruitful since I began compiling end-of-year lists. It was very similar to last year, marked by nearly identical problems of concentration and a frustrating lack of the immersive quality that typically makes reading so alluring. Thankfully, there were a few exceptions, and I suppose I need to think more deeply about what made those books exceptional in hopes of locating more titles that share those qualities. So, without further ado, here is the list of standouts in chronological order of date read with links to whatever I managed to write about the book on Goodreads (which in a few cases is very little). As with last year’s list, I rated all of these books either 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads and tagged them with my ‘somewhere else’ tag, which denotes a book that has truly taken me somewhere else.
In a Shallow Grave by James Purdy
The Boat in the Evening by Tarjei Vesaas
The Physiognomy by Jeffrey Ford
Childhood/Youth/Dependency (The Copenhagen Trilogy, #1-3) by Tove Ditlevsen
The Plotinus by Rikki Ducornet
O the Chimneys: Selected Poems, Including the Verse Play, Eli by Nelly Sachs
s. d. stewart 
Linda Lucas Walling
/ December 22, 2023Thanks for the list! Linda
linwall@mindspring.com (http://mindspring.com/) https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/cic/library_and_information_science/literacy/south_carolina_center_for_community_literacy/collections/walling_collection/
“Our choices are always made in the context of the stories we tell.” Alan Jones
Anonymous
/ December 22, 2023I have had similar struggles with reading over the last few years. I am hopeful that soon I will rediscover that immersive quality. I am going to just keep reading, and wait for the return…..
sean
/ December 22, 2023Yes, it seems that all we can do is wait and hope it returns.
mobedi
/ March 2, 2024I was this close to picking up Kay Dick’s They yesterday at the bookstore. But it cost around 300 SEK and I felt stingy for a moment. My favorite bookstore in Stockholm also happens to be the most expensive one. Now that the other book I had ordered is not delivered, I regret that decision not getting what could have been the perfect weekend read.
I added you on GR, a recommendation from my girlfriend. Nice to have found your profile. We seem to have many books in common, including the one you are reading right now, Every Cradle Is A Grave.
sean
/ March 2, 2024Ah, that’s a shame about They. I hope you still get to read it. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the GR add. Yes, it does look like we share valued reading interests, including Thomas Bernhard. He’s one of my favorite writers.
mobedi
/ March 15, 2024I bought They today. Wish there was a way to post a picture but nevermind.
I’m waiting for Molly by Blake Butler to arrive and sometimes these long order deliveries have their upsides. After that a beast awaits: The Brothers Karamazov. That will take some two months of my life.
Thank you for the recommendation again. I’ll keep reading the blog.