This posting provides a list of books, movies, theatre and music that have brought me pleasure in 2023. Though not all book titles have been published in the past year, I’m glad they came my way. I tried to keep each list to a clear 5 titles but I needed to push a little further at times. Yes, each of these suggestions is a favourite, but alas there were some favourites amongst favourites which I’ve designated with an asterisk (*).
PICTURE BOOKS
An American Story by Kwame Alexander; illus. Dare Coulter
Big by Vashti Harrison *
Kozo The Sparrow by Allen Say *
There Was A Party For Langston by Jason Reynolds; illus. Jerome Pumphrey & Jarette Punmphrey
A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes: illus,. Jerry Pinkney & Brian Pinkney
PICTURE BOOKS: CANADIAN
Dear Street by Lindsay Zier-Vogel; illus. Caroline Bonne Miller
Everyone is Welcome by Phuong Truong; illus. Christine Wei
The Imaginary Alphabet by Sylivie Daigneault
Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith
Imagine a Garden: Stories of Courage Changing the World by Rina Singh; illus. Hoda Hadad *
We Belong Here by Frieda Wishinsky; illus. Ruth Ohi
When You Can Swim by Jack Wong
FICTION: Middle Years (ages 9-12)
The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers; illus. Shawn Harris
One More Mountain by Deborah Ellis
The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett
Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
Top Story / Finally Seen by Kelly Yang
You Are Here: Connecting Flights (ed. Ellen Oh) (Short stories)
FICTION (Illustrated) /Middle Years (ages 9-12)
Big Tree by Brian Selznick
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo; illus. Julie Morstad *
The Skull by Jon Klassen
The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown
A Work In Progress by Jarrett Lerner
NARRATIVE NONFICTION: Middle Years
But I Live: 3 stories of child survivors of the Holocaust by Miriam Libicki (ed.) (Graphic Text)
Chinese Menu by Grace Lin (information/ folktales)
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day; illus. Brett Helquist
We The Sea Turtles by Michelle Kadarusman (Short Stories)
The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story by Lois Lowry *
ADULT: FICTION
In Memoriam by Alice Winnnb*
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray
The Postcard by Anne Berest
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan (3 short stories)
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
ADULT NONFICTION: Biography/ Autobiography
Friends, Lovers and Terrible Things by Matthew Perry
I Am Full: Stories for Jacob by Dan Yashinsky ***
I Remember by Joe Brainard *
IM by Isaac Mizrahi
Getting Better / Many Different Kinds of Love by Michael Rosen
Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley **
Why Fathers Cry at Night by Kwame Alexander *
MOVIES
Anatomy of a Fall *
Close
Maestro *
Past Lives **
The Zone of Interest
THEATRE (Toronto)
Bad Roads
The Chinese Lady
English
The Lehman Trilogy
Sizwe Banzi is Dead
THEATRE (New York)
Good Night, Oscar *
Here We Are; Merrily We Roll Along
A Doll’s House
Topdog / Underdog
Purlie Victorious *
CD’s (yes, CD’s)
The Maestro: Very Best of Leonard Bernstein
Brent Carver: Walk Me to the Corner
Rickie Lee Jones: Pieces of Treasure
Oscar Levant: The Complete Piano Recordings
Willie Nelson: A Beautiful Time
Rufus Wainwright: Folkocracy *
ETC.
Audra McDonald (519 Gala) *
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall (nonfiction)
A Little Life (theatre, London)
Fellow Travellers (TV series) *
Houston Person (saxaphonist), CD’s
Cecile McLorin Salvant (concert, Koerner Hall)
Dead Man Walking (Met Live Opera) *
The Hours (Met Live Opera)
The Red Court by Matthew Hastie (YA)