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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,641 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Wrong Place Wrong Time

Karen Osman Why did I love this book?

This book has all the ingredients for an amazing thriller, fast-paced, with lots of twists and great characters.

It’s the type of book that you stay up reading all night just to find out what happens. The premise is so interesting and unique, which is often hard to find in the thriller genre. 

How can you prevent a murder that’s already happened? 

By Gillian McAllister,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Wrong Place Wrong Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

CAN YOU STOP A MURDER WHEN IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED?

'Perfection, every word, every moment. One of the best books I've ever read' LISA JEWELL
'Ingenious. A book to blow your mind and break your heart' ERIN KELLY
'Extraordinary' HARRIET TYCE
'I am totally in awe. This is one story I will not forget' HEIDI PERKS
'Genre-bending and totally original. A tour de force!' CLAIRE DOUGLAS

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT
_________

It's every parent's nightmare.

Your happy, funny, innocent son commits a terrible crime: murdering a complete stranger.

You don't know who. You don't know why. You…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Frequency of Us

Karen Osman Why did I love this book?

This story is about love, but it also has an element of mystery. It’s beautifully written and I actually missed the characters after I’d finished the book! I also love historical fiction, but this is a little bit different in that there’s a sprinkling of the supernatural.

The author brings so much emotion to the characters and the story; it stayed on my mind for a long time afterward. 

By Keith Stuart,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Frequency of Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*** A BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK ***
*** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME ***

'A fascinating, beautiful, heartwarming novel. It kept me gripped from the very first chapter' -- BETH O'LEARY

In Second World War Bath, young, naive wireless engineer Will meets Austrian refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated, witty and worldly, and at last his life seems to make sense . . . until, soon after, the newly married couple's home is bombed, and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone.

No one has heard of Elsa Klein. They say he was never…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of West with Giraffes

Karen Osman Why did I love this book?

The story is so captivating you’re immediately taken on an adventure to a different time (1920s) and a different place.

The characters are so well-thought-out, and the relationships that develop between them as their journey unfolds are simply heart-warming and emotional. It’s also a book about relationships, love, friendship, and the unique connection between man and animal.

A book that is simply pure escapism. 

By Lynda Rutledge,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked West with Giraffes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

"Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes..."

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.

It's 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day…


Plus, check out my book…

The Perfect Lie

By Karen Osman,

Book cover of The Perfect Lie

What is my book about?

Claire Carmichael leads a charmed life. She has two beautiful sons, Jamie and Joshua, and a handsome and successful husband who loves her. The most important thing Claire has is her good reputation. 

Even when she was in school, Claire had it all. She was clever and likable, and after passing the initiation tests, she was welcomed into the society of popular girls, The Queen Bees. So when a scandal threatened to ruin Claire's reputation, the Queen Bees closed rank to protect her, no matter who else got hurt. 

Claire may have moved on from her school days, but for one person whom she hurt irreparably, those memories are as fresh as blood. And all it takes to reap their revenge is ONE PERFECT LIE.