Author Historian Dreamer Forest wanderer
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.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Bunny

Andrea Robertson Why did I love this book?

Mona Awad’s Bunny is a fever dream of literary wit and feminist horror.

Following the bizarre experiences of Samantha, who’s pursuing an MFA at an elite New England institution, Bunny reveals raw truths about envy, aspiration, and loneliness while delivering delicious shocks at every turn.

Awad keeps the reader guessing from the first to the final page in this Lovecraftian fable. I couldn’t put this book down, by turns gasping and giggling as Sam’s story unfolded.

By Mona Awad,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Bunny as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Soon to be a major motion picture

"Jon Swift + Witches of Eastwick + Kelly 'Get In Trouble' Link + Mean Girls + Creative Writing Degree Hell! No punches pulled, no hilarities dodged, no meme unmangled! O Bunny you are sooo genius!" —Margaret Atwood, via Twitter

"A wild, audacious and ultimately unforgettable novel." —Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times

"Awad is a stone-cold genius." —Ann Bauer, The Washington Post

The Vegetarian meets Heathers in this darkly funny, seductively strange novel from the acclaimed author of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.

"We were just these innocent girls in the…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Yellowface

Andrea Robertson Why did I love this book?

I read this novel in an afternoon, unable to tear myself away from this book once I’d started.

R.F. Kuang’s timely novel pulls no punches, revealing the dark side of friendship, professional jealousy, and the pressures of publishing while simultaneously examining cultural appropriation amid the frenzy of social media.

Yellowface is unlike any novel I’ve encountered, and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

By R. F. Kuang,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked Yellowface as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller from literary sensation R.F. Kuang

*A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick*

'Propulsive' SUNDAY TIMES

'Razor-sharp' TIME

'A wild ride' STYLIST

'Darkly comic' GQ

'A riot' PANDORA SYKES

'Hard to put down, harder to forget' STEPHEN KING

Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody.

White lies
When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.

Dark humour
But as evidence threatens June's stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Beartown

Andrea Robertson Why did I love this book?

I adore sports romance. This is not a sports romance novel, but it stole and broke my heart.

Beartown distills the joys and horrors of small-town life and how one choice carries consequences for nearly everyone, particularly when the community’s existence depends on the triumphs of its youth hockey teams.

This novel digs deep into the love and fear that shape the relationships of parents and children, the pressures of adolescence, and how we fail each other. While Beartown is driven by grief in many ways, at its heart, it’s a story of hope and redemption.

By Fredrik Backman,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Beartown as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

FROM THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ANXIOUS PEOPLE AND A MAN CALLED OVE, FREDRIK BACKMAN

**NOW A MAJOR HBO TV SERIES**

'I utterly believed in the residents of Beartown and felt ripped apart by the events in the book' JOJO MOYES

'I couldn't put it down. Heart-rending and engrossing' 5***** Reader Review
_________

In a large Swedish forest, Beartown hides a dark secret . . .

Cut-off from everywhere else, it experiences the kind of isolation that tears people apart.

And each year, more and more of the town is swallowed by the forest.

Then the town is offered…


Plus, check out my book…

Forged in Fire and Stars

By Andrea Robertson,

Book cover of Forged in Fire and Stars

What is my book about?

Ara has always known the legend of the Loresmith: the royal blacksmith of Saetlund, forging legendary weapons to arm warriors and protect the kingdom.

She's been told it's her fate to inherit the title and become the next Loresmith. But since the monarchy's downfall years before, Ara has never truly believed she would be able to take up her duty. But when the lost heirs of Saetlund steal Ara from her quiet life with a mission to retake the throne. 

Leaving her small mountain village, Ara embarks on a dangerous adventure where she will uncover new truths about her family's legacy and even face the gods themselves.