Jim's Top Reads of 2023

Explore the team’s favourite books of 2023! Choosing three from an entire year is a challenge and more recent reads tend to obscure what you read in February. Still, there are those that stay with you through the months. Why three? Because it's more than one but less than a list...

In our last instalment, Jim shares his top three favourites:

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes: Another stunning novel of ideas from Martin MacInnes, this one blending science fiction tropes with a richly-drawn portrait of family, trauma and the profundity of small things. Some fascinating digressions on the microbiology of algae, too! A book at once both cosmic and intimate.

Luda by Grant Morrison: Better known as a comics writer, Grant Morrison's first novel displays their familiar fusion of occult weirdness and grimy mundanity. Set in a world darkly mirroring the Glasgow drag scene, it's a cautionary tale of magick and ambition, as sex, death and witchcraft meet in a glamorous and heady brew. Not all comics writers make the jump to prose easily, but Morrison has worked wonders here.

Friends of Israel by Hil Aked: It's rare to find a book that balances a serious depth of research with eminent readability, but Hil Aked has succeeded brilliantly. A breakdown of the myriad ways in which the Israel lobby's influence has infiltrated British politics, Friends of Israel is a rewarding read both for politics novices and those well-versed in the usual machinations at Westminster (and elsewhere). A hugely important read.

Check out the rest of the team's favourites on the Read Think Act section of the website!