FEW literary honors inspire as many mixed emotions as “best” lists. These festivities are still primarily annual, still primarily relegated to Q4, but in recent times the promotional bonanza seems to have exploded, both in terms of the number of lists on offer and when they appear on the calendar. So, great news if you enjoy rankings: Between the inventories produced by consumer media, Big Five imprints, indie presses, journals, anthologies, prizes, libraries, retailers, book clubs, authors, critics, and all those who share their opinions for likes and subscribes, the grading of contemporary literature is omnipresent for anyone paying attention. Consider, for instance, Literary Hub’s “The Ultimate Best Books of 2023 List,” in which Emily Temple, the site’s managing editor, took on the unenviable task of compiling lists from just forty-eight publications to realize a grand total of 1,132 “best” titles. Even accounting for books that
