Peri Zahnd's Top 5 Books of 2023

My five favorite books of 2023, ranked chronologically as I read them: one fiction, two memoirs, one theology, and one historical fiction:

 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, a 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner. It is as good as her classic from 25 years ago, The Poisonwood Bible. This is the story of the opioid addiction crisis in Appalachia, told as a modern-day David Copperfield.

 

All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore. This was my first Beth Moore book, and it was nothing like what I expected. This woman's life has not been a walk in the park, and the beautiful ending made me cry. Beth has lost a lot of fans in the last few years, but she's gained a new one in me.

 

Re-Enchanting the Text by Cheryl Bridges Johns. I'm also a fan of my friend Cheryl, the theologian and pastor. I knew I needed to read this book as soon as she announced she was writing it. The subtitle, "Discovering the Bible as Sacred, Dangerous, and Mysterious," is a great synopsis. I was reading last May outdoors, under my big sycamore tree, about the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which coincides with the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost and how it energizes and brings Scripture to life. Just then, my friend in Tel Aviv texted me to tell me they were celebrating that feast RIGHT NOW at the hotel she was in, a huge spread in the lobby with fruit and cheeses, pastries, champagne, and cocktails. It gave me goosebumps. Scripture did come to life! I plan to re-read this one soon.

 

In My Mother's Footsteps by Mona Hajjar Halaby. Anyone who knows me very well knows my passion for the Holy Land--Israel and Palestine. This is the story of a Palestinian American teacher who spent a year recently in Ramallah, in the West Bank, teaching in an elementary school. She also spent time in Jerusalem, looking for the lost home her mother had grown up in. It is even more poignant in light of what is happening there now. It made me long to visit Ramallah, too, a city I've never seen.

 

Stealing Heaven: The Love Story of Heloise and Abelard by Marion Meade. Heloise and Abelard are forever remembered in history for their ill-fated love affair, but they were both significant figures in the French medieval church and monastic world. Their story made this a page-turner, and the author also made the medieval world come alive.

 

After writing this list, I was surprised to note my top five were all women authors. This was non-intentional; I swear I read books by men sometimes, too! I will, therefore, include a book I am reading right now that would have made my list, except that I've not yet completed it--Malcolm Guite's Waiting on the Word: A Poem a Day for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. I get up every morning excited to read the next one. I read his book, David's Crown, last year--a sonnet for each of the one hundred fifty psalms. It was absolutely wonderful, and I will definitely repeat that experience, but he has others I've not yet read!

 

I've also got a book I've intentionally waited for months to read and will start it right after Christmas. Advent is for waiting! And if it's as good as I hope it will be, it might be on next year's list.