Special Edition: Our Top 3 Book Picks of 2023!
6 Canadian Book Coaches Choose Their Favourite Reads of the Year
With the end of the year approaching much too quickly, I am thrilled to present a special edition of The Book Case today featuring the top book recommendations of my colleagues in the Canadian book coaching community.
As different as we are in our talents and experience, and as far away we may be from each other is this big country, at every one of our meetups I am always impressed by the collective knowledge and care demonstrated by these coaches. That is why I turned to them this week to ask them about their best reads in 2023.
Now, I am sharing with you their curated lists, with their insights into the qualities that make a book exceptional and memorable, be it fiction or non-fiction, on the bestseller lists or from the backlists. Mine are there too, and I’ve surprised myself with my own top three!
Dive in and see what inspires your own reading and writing in 2024.
PS. If you like what you find here, share it!
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Our Best Reads of 2023
Trisha Loehr
Trisha coaches busy women who want to write romance novels without guilt or shame.
Specialty: Romance
Top 3 Book Picks for 2023:
Partners in Crime, by Alisha Rai – This is a rom-com that reads like a movie: complete with hilarious shenanigans, a bit of a mystery, snappy dialogue, and family drama. It was such a fun read.
The Fastest Way to Fall, by Denise Williams – I honestly couldn't put this one down—the chemistry between the characters, even through text messages, was palpable.
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, by Sarah Hawley – The whole premise of this book was delightfully fun, but the characters' journeys to believe in themselves and their own inherent worth despite what they'd been told their whole lives made it absolutely heartwarming and a great example of compelling character arcs.
Find out more about Trisha Loehr at www.trishajennreads.com.
Liisa Kovala
Liisa coaches women working at all stages of literary fiction and memoir writing.
Specialty: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, YA
Top 3 Book Picks for 2023:
Circe, by Madeline Miller – Masterful retelling of a classic tale from the female perspective.
Purge, by Sofi Oksanen – A compelling story of two women during the Soviet occupation of Estonia.
Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent – A highly atmospheric novel based on Agnes Magnusdottir, the last person to be executed in Iceland.
Find out more about Liisa Kovala here.
Laura Aliese Miedema
Laura coaches nonfiction and memoir authors getting ready to pitch agents or publishers.
Specialty: Book Proposals, Designing your Idea and Structure
Top 3 Book Picks for 2023:
The Memoir Project, by Marion Roach Smith – Beginners and advanced authors alike will fall in love with the easy to apply advice from this sassy memoir expert.
Show Your Work, by Austin Kleon – Struggle with putting your work out there? This book makes it so much easier with timely advice, encouragement, and humour for everyone who cringes at self-promotion.
How to Write a Book Proposal, by Jody Rein with Michael Larson – This book breaks down book proposals and the hours of work involved into clear, actionable steps, with tons of tips and insights; a must-read for nonfiction authors!
Find out more about Laura Aliese Miedema at lauraaliese.com.
Daphne Gordon
Daphne is a journalistic writer, a yoga teacher and a coach for nonfiction writers.
Specialty: Nonfiction: Business, the future of work, psychedelics, spirituality
Top 3 Book Picks for 2023:
Fayne, by Anne Marie McDonald – This epic historical novel has a plot that unravels a multigenerational secret which illuminates the social constructs of gender.
Babel, by RF Kuang – This historical fantasy epic looks deeply — and heartbreakingly — at how colonialism has profoundly shaped our culture and our beliefs about who we are.
The Gift of Failure, by Jessica Lahey – This nonfiction parenting book by a parent who is also a teacher presents an inspiring (and ultimately for the parent, relaxing) alternative to helicopter parenting.
Get in touch with Daphne Gordon by at daphnejgordon[at]gmail.com.
Nita Collins
Nita coaches character driven speculative, climate change, & upmarket/literary fiction.
Specialty: Manuscripts in revision
Top 3 Book Picks for 2023:
Blaze Island, by Catherine Bush – Climate-themed, this is a beautifully written and complex work of literary fiction set in Newfoundland in the days before and immediately following a category 5 hurricane. Published by Goose Lane, an independent Canadian press.
The Annual Migration of Clouds, by Premee Mohamed – If you’re interested in writing hopeful post-apocalyptic fiction (hope punk), this novella is an excellent example'; set in post-climate-disaster Alberta, it reflects on one’s responsibility to family and community. Published by ECW, a Canadian independent press.
Braiding Sweet Grass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer – If the world you want to write into being is one in which humanity lives in balance with itself and the natural world, you might start by reading this book of essays written by an indigenous botanist for inspiration.
Find out more about Nita at nitacollinswriter.com.
Dinah Laprairie
Dinah coaches writers of fiction and nonfiction who want readers to join their call for change.
Specialty: Big Idea Books, Self-Help, Social Issues, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery & Crime
Top 3 Book Picks for 2023:
On Class, by Deborah Dundas – Class intersects with all of today's biggest social issues, and there are serious implications when we ignore it---in politics, in storytelling, and for our fellow humans. This is a slim but important book.
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep, by Allan Wolf – Told in verse, this book dragged me through the snow with the ill-fated Donner Party, which took the wrong turn through the Sierra Nevadas in 1846-47, and with dread, I witnessed the moral decisions of survival and the stealth of hunger and hope. Audiobook recommended.
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton – No book moved me as much as Ducks, a 2023 Canada Reads finalist and graphic memoir, which illustrates the two years the author spent as an East Coast transplant in the Oil Sands of Alberta. It is a successful coming-of-age memoir that also addresses social, geographic, gender and economic inequities in Canada that persist today, years later.
Find out more about Dinah Laprairie at www.dinahlaprairie.com.
All the best to you in 2024…
A big thank you to my colleagues, all of them Author Accelerator-trained book coaches. We hope our top picks ignite your creativity and maybe even land a spot on your must-read list. A big shoutout to our coaches for sharing their wisdom and guiding us toward some seriously good reads.
Happy reading and writing! And Happy New Year!
Will a book coach help you with your project?
A book coach can offer professional support where you need it, with accountability, feedback on your manuscript or guidance through the publishing process, there’s a coach for you. Book coaches specialize in many areas and genres, and it is important you find the right coach for you.
Is coaching for you? Here are 10 reasons why a book coach might help you:
Because you get energized and inspired when you discuss big ideas with someone else.
Because you get clarity when you share your ideas with someone else and they ask you challenging questions about it.
Because you want your book to impress readers — and your family and friends.
Because you are new to writing and publishing and need some guidance.
Because you already have a writers’ group but you need someone outside of your current circle with fresh eyes and perspective.
Because meeting deadlines is easier when someone is waiting for your submission.
Because you take your work more seriously when you are investing in a service like this.
Because you think this is a good book idea but you aren’t sure.
Because you need honest feedback and encouragement.
Because you’re writing a book.
I’m here to help you figure out if book coaching is what you need. Book a free 30-minute Zoom call and tell me about your book project. We’ll go over your options and find the way forward that fits you best.