2023 First Quarter Favorite Books & Music

plus recommended books from the Claire Fuller & Han Kang, music by Fenne Lily, and a playlist of new music

How do you define your favorite art? For me, it is what I recommend the most.

April 1st marked the end of 2023’s first quarter, three months filled with unforgettable new music and books. Here are my personal faves.

My favorite books of the year so far:

Idra Novey’s novel Take What You Need is a powerful, compassionate, thoughtful consideration of art, family, and inherent bias. Easily my favorite book of the year so far.

Yvette Lisa Ndlovu’s Drinking from Graveyard Wells is the most impressive debut story collection I have read since Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. These stories combine folktale and realism to magical effect.

J K Chukwu’s The Unfortunates is a spellbinding debut, a coming-of-age novel as powerful as it is timely. One of the year’s best books.

My favorite albums of the year so far:

Mali Obamsawin’s music is directly informed by Indigenous people's experiences. Powerful and jarring, her debut album Sweet Tooth is a suite of six songs that live on long after the music stops.

Meg Baird’s new album Furling opens up her sound, revealing a dense, powerful palette that unveils more with every listen.

Miss Grit’s debut album Follow the Cyborg is as inventive in its song structures as it is powerful and entertaining.

This week’s playlist of new music:

This week’s subscriber playlist includes new music from Speedy Ortiz, the National, MUNA, bar italia, Oxbow, Joanna Sternberg, Sufjan Stevens, PONY, plus much more.