Must be the season of the list

very strange

The title of this newsletter will only resonate for those of you familiar with Donovan’s stone-cold classic, “Season of the Witch,” OR those of you familiar with “list season.”

List season, which runs November through December, are the months in which people, publications and institutions make lists of the best books of the year and put them on the internet, both to help readers decide what to read next (thank you!), and to cause enormous amounts of stress in authors everywhere (no thank you!).

I resolved to pretend to ignore list season, because I heard that’s what people with healthy boundaries do. However, I got lucky enough to land on a couple of great lists right out of the gate, and since I’ve also heard that people with healthy boundaries know how to celebrate the good times, here’s Ink Blood Sister Scribe whooping it up on the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2023 and NPR’s Best Books of 2023 lists…

and also, here’s me asking for you to please vote for me in the opening round of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2023! Ink Blood Sister Scribe is up in both the Best Debut Novel and Best Fantasy categories.

I admit, I voted for myself.

However, if I wasn’t voting for myself, I would have voted for Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah in Best Debut, and The Will of the Many by James Islington in Best Fantasy. Notice I’m not linking them because I don’t want to tempt your vote away from ME. (But they’re really good.)

Best album? For my money, it’s I Inside the Old Year Dying by PJ Harvey. I have been listening to this album almost exclusively while working on my (hopefully next) novel, trying to get those ~vibes~ intact.

Best TV show? The Golden Bachelor, obviously. I once worked for contestant Leslie Fhima’s ex-husband at the now-defunct Minneapolis restaurant Zaatar by Fhima, which my friends tellingly referred to as Douchebag by Asshole. (sorry for swearing.)

Best movie? I think the only movies I watched last year were Barbie (complicated feelings) and Bottoms (uncomplicated!!!).

Best essay on being a writer in times of genocide supported by imperial powers? Every Throne Must Fall by Vajra Chandrasekera.

Best small creature? Now that’ll have to be a tie between Harriet Franson-Voigt (left, pictured with dad) and Igor (right, pictured with dad).

Wishing you a happy, healthy list season. May your bookshelves be full and all your small creatures cuddled close.

<3

Emma