Kevin J. Haar's 3 favorite reads in 2023

I have not encountered a novel as close to perfect as Madeline Miller's Circe.

Both epic and intimate, brutal and gentle, Miller crafts a spellbinding tale of a god who wishes to be mortal. Her illusions to the myths and use of the classic characters are purposeful and enrich this story so much. The prose is beautiful and precisely poetic. Every sentence is purposeful, meaningful, and contributes to the story.
Miller's epic is ultimately about naivety, foolishness, and wisdom. None can exist in isolation.

At every turn and with every choice, Circe's naivety leads to heartbreak and occasionally destruction. Her foolishness leads her to be taken advantage of by Gods and mortals. But she learns from her millennia of mistakes. Miller argues that it takes much foolishness for someone to become wise.

In the novel, Miller depicts the Greek gods and titans as brutal, cowardly, egotistical, curious, and sadistic. They are not something to envy or aspire to. Circe learns this and this leads to a brilliant and completely satisfying ending.

Michelle Zauner's intimate memoir about her mother's battle with cancer is moving, complex, and entirely honest.

Zauner, born in Seoul but raised in Oregon, struggles with her Korean identity, especially as her Korean mother succumbs to her terrible disease. Zauner opens up about how a part of her Korean identity will pass with her mother. She begins learning Korean recipes and revisiting Korean relatives in the hope of finding ways to hold on to her heritage.

Zauner talks a lot about Korean food and how much her identity is wrapped up in her cultural food. This hit home for me as I felt a part of my identity passed on with my grandma. Food—the preparation of it, traditions surrounding it, and superstition embedded in it—defines the culture of my family in so many ways.

Zauner so beautifully described this and articulated feelings I've had about the fear of losing my family heritage. I felt great emotion throughout this memoir.

The Night Library of Sternendach is a beautiful and clever melodramatic tale of a truce between a vampire and a family of hunters that falls apart.

Written in rhyming verse, Levai is able to craft emotionally complex characters, elicit empathy, and craft a believable and enigmatic world. However enjoyable the story is, it is the writing in verse that is the triumph here. Levai is so clever and emotive and perfectly rhythmic. I reread many passages full of wonder at how she was able to craft such clever and perfect rhymes. This was such a fun read to sink your teeth into and complete in a few hours.

Levai elevates poetic storytelling and will have me thinking about and reciting her crafty lines for days to come.

My daughter has been losing a lot of her baby teeth and her adult teeth are coming in…less than perfectly.

Raina Telgemeier’s book is not just about a kid getting braces, but a young girl grappling with anxiety and social pressures. My daughter and I latched onto this as one of the most intimate and accurate descriptions of anxiety in children.

Telgemeier treats the subject matter with humor, grace, and empathy. Reading it helped us both to better manage anxiety.

My daughter loved this book for its humor and recognizable characters.

Colfer takes characters familiar to many kids and gives them motivation and backstory in a new fantasy world. The plot is fast-paced and the humor is perfect for 8 year olds.

My daughter loved this book because of its humor and relatability.

A group of kids end up in Cinderella’s world and shenanigans ensue. The voice of the book is funny, sarcastic, and full of empathy. My daughter loved making connections to other fairy tales she read.