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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 Raybearer

Alyssa Roat Why did I love this book?

Raybearer was recommended to me as being written by a friend of a friend, and I simply was not prepared for how beautiful this book would be.

I love fantasy worldbuilding, and Ifueko did an amazing job bringing a continent with complex peoples, nations, magic systems, and history to life.

I was taken back to all the things I loved about fantasy growing up, from cool creatures to unique magic to wonderful plot twists and characters you can’t help but fall in love with and root for. I also love that Ifueko takes inspiration from so many different cultures and mythologies and leans into her own heritage for a truly unique and beautiful world. I can’t wait to devour book two of this duology as soon as I can. Not to mention, is the cover not gorgeous?

This is a breathtakingly beautiful fantasy with truly unique and inspired worldbuilding.

By Jordan Ifueko,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The epic debut YA fantasy from an incredible new talent-perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir

Nothing is more important than loyalty.
But what if you've sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11. If she's picked, she'll be joined…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Astonishing Color of After

Alyssa Roat Why did I love this book?

From main character Leigh’s opening statement that she is certain her mother has turned into a bird, to the poetic writing that evokes art and color, this book drew me in right away.

One of the first things you’ll notice about this book is its interesting style of prose that shifts between timelines. The writing is beautiful, real, and raw, and the author carries the reader along on an artistic and sometimes heart-wrenching journey of a teen girl who has lost her mother and travels all the way to Taiwan from her home in the U.S. to find answers.

This is a story of family, of finding roots, of growing up, and of seeing the art, beauty, and magic inherent in our world. With hints of surrealism and the supernatural, this book will make you think, laugh, and feel.

By Emily X. R. Pan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Astonishing Color of After as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

"Emily X.R. Pan's brilliantly crafted, harrowing first novel portrays the vast spectrum of love and grief with heart-wrenching beauty and candor. This is a very special book."
--John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down
An instant New York Times bestseller, this stunning, heartbreaking novel about grief, love, and family is perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Celeste Ng.
Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.
Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of All the Impossible Things

Alyssa Roat Why did I love this book?

Set in our world with hints of magic, All the Impossible Things is a middle-grade novel about finding home and finding family.

This book beautifully weaves the all-too-real struggles of a girl in foster care with the near-magical experience of a foster family not quite like any she’s experienced before. The blending of the real and the fantastical serves to highlight the emotions of the young protagonist in poignant ways, and, in the end, offers a beautiful note of hope—not easy, and not perfect, but, one might say, a little magical.

I adored the way the author blended all these notes together into a book that hits deep into the heart of kids, teens, and adults alike.

By Lindsay Lackey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the Impossible Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Red's inexplicable power over the wind comes from her mother. Whenever Ruby "Red" Byrd is scared or angry, the wind picks up. And being placed in foster care, moving from family to family, tends to keep her skies stormy. Red knows she has to learn to control it, but can't figure out how.

This time, the wind blows Red into the home of the Grooves, a quirky couple who run a petting zoo, complete with a dancing donkey and a giant tortoise. With their own curious gifts, Celine and Jackson Groove seem to fit like a puzzle piece into Red's…


Plus, check out my book…

Wraithwood

By Alyssa Roat,

Book cover of Wraithwood

What is my book about?

An estranged uncle, a mysterious mansion, and an Arthurian legend, together they lead to a world of magic and bloodthirsty wizards who want teenage Brinnie dead.

Brynna “Brinnie” Lane has always lived a quiet life under the watchful eye of her hovering mother—until she’s sent off for the summer to live with an uncle she didn’t know she had. However, she soon finds that Wraithwood Estate, her uncle’s creepy old mansion, holds as many secrets as the man himself. When Brinnie is warned not to explore any of it, her curiosity only grows. 

Something terrible happened at Wraithwood thirty years ago, and Brinnie is determined to find out what—even if it means confronting the possibility that magic is real.

My book recommendation list