Nancy Nau Sullivan's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Lessons in Chemistry rang so many bells: primarily the one that my mother rang back in the 70s when “women’s lib” boomed—one of outrage at how women were treated in the workplace.

Elizabeth Zott, Bonnie Garmus’s main character, is strong in the face of bad treatment in the male-dominated field of science in the early 60s. She’s quirky, a bit unbelievable, and single-minded, and Garmus’s story is saved in the hilarious moments.

So many emotions play out here — as in life — and if this book hadn’t struck so many, it would have fallen flat.

Elizabeth pursues her love of chemistry, whether in the lab or in the kitchen, and overcomes one hardship after another. Her ideas are stolen, she’s sexually harassed, she loses her love, and she raises a child alone. But she moves on, and up. Elizabeth stays true to herself: That alone makes the story worth it.  

The Exiles drew me back to historical fiction in a big way—though I read quite a bit of the genre for my own work.

I loved this one because I’m dying to go to Australia. And secondly, the author’s research for this story is impressive.

It centers on the plight of female convicts who were shipped from London to Australia as indentured workers in 1840—many of them for small infractions. Evangeline, a former governess, is wrongly accused of stealing a ring given to her by the son of the wealthy family she works for. She’s soon off to the dungeon, where she meets Olive and Hazel. They all end up on a fate-filled ship.

Their stories - and that of a native Australian girl, Mathinna - intertwine like a vine, bringing the whole to life in a tight, vivid time frame. An admirable page-turner.

All the Sinners Bleed was a rough read, and if the excellent writing hadn’t knocked me over at the outset, I probably would have let this one go.

This was my first Cosby, and it was a surprise. Titus Crown, a Black sheriff in a small, racist Virginia town, must find a serial killer of Black children. He’s got his work cut out. But he has a loyal crew, women who love him (I’m among them), and determination out the wazoo.

S.A. Cosby is a phenomenal storyteller and produces some of the best new writing around, a bit reminiscent of my favorites, James Lee Burke and Attica Locke. In particular, Cosby’s dialogue is so tied to the character I hardly needed the tags. I hope he brings Titus back. 

My grandson James loves these books. They show that growing up is not a solitary adventure, and the problems that come up can often be solved with humor, friendship, and being true to oneself.

Sometimes the kid doesn't do what he says he's going to do, and it backfires. Lesson learned. Overall, James likes the humor in the books.

Greg, the wimp, is really not a wimp. He comes out ahead when he does what he's supposed to do, at times reluctantly, but he's got friends in high and low places. That helps.

My granddaughter Maeve loves this series. The babysitters are always finding themselves in different places and in the middle of different challenges.

In one such adventure, the group goes to the big city, and they begin to get on each other's nerves. Maeve can identify with this as she is the eldest and is a "babysitter" of sorts to her younger brother, Silas. He's a pickle. Thinks he's Buzz Lightyear and mostly wants to be his own "man." The Babysitter Club series is a fun read and helps my granddaughter see an easy, often humorous, way to deal with being a babysitter.

This was my favorite book as a child and the first chapter book I read at age 7. It is a delight that my grandchildren love it now.

My grandkids, Maeve and James, love this book and the television series Little House on the Prairie. Though many of the problems the family faces in this hardscrabble life happened more than a hundred years ago, Maeve and James empathize with the same issues that Ingalls writes about: loss of a sibling, school issues, the bully in town, the challenges of running a farm (house, condo, cabin, etc.).

There is something timeless about the struggles, family love, and strength that Ingalls portrays in all the books in the series.