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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,633 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 Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

Kerry M. Olitzky Why did I love this book?

This is one of the most important books that I have ever read.

I think that it was particularly meaningful to me because it helped me to understand my own childhood experiences in the South, where I attended a racially segregated high school. Because the author is a talented writer and journalist, it was also a very engaging read. 

By Isabel Wilkerson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

THE TIME NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR | #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Powerful and timely ... I cannot recommend it strongly enough" - Barack Obama

From one of America's most celebrated and insightful writers, the moving, eye-opening bestseller about what lies hidden under the surface of ordinary lives

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century

Kerry M. Olitzky Why did I love this book?

I liked this book because not only is it a detailed intellectual biography of probably the most pivotal individual in the US, but the book also does a deep dive into major episodes in American history. The author also lays bare many of the myths that I had heard about Hoover and reveals many of the truths that I knew nothing about. 

By Beverly Gage,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked G-Man as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography 2023
Winner of the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography
Winner of the 2023 Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy
Winner of the American History Book Prize
Shortlisted for the 2023 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

When he became director of the FBI in 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was a dazzling wunderkind buzzing with big ideas for reform.

He transformed a failing law-enforcement backwater, riddled with scandal, into a modern machine. He believed in the power of the federal government to do great things for the nation and its…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm

Kerry M. Olitzky Why did I love this book?

I had always heard that McKinsey is the leading consulting firm in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. And I have many friends who got their professional start there. This book reveals the sorry truth about this firm, how it is driven solely by profit and in many cases works at cross purposes with clients in the same field but on opposite sides of an issue. 

Plus, check out my book…

Heroes with Chutzpah: 101 True Tales of Jewish Trailblazers, Changemakers & Rebels

By Kerry M. Olitzky, Deborah Bodin Cohen,

Book cover of Heroes with Chutzpah: 101 True Tales of Jewish Trailblazers, Changemakers & Rebels

What is my book about?

In Heroes with Chutzpah, readers will meet 101 Jewish Changemakers from the recent past and present who challenged the status quo in the arts, sciences, social justice, sports, and politics.

This book captures the diversity of the global Jewish community, showcasing Jews of different racial backgrounds, gender and sexual identities, and religious orientations from secular to Orthodox.

Instead of focusing exclusively on icons, we included an eclectic mix of both lesser-known and renowned personalities with engaging, inspiring, and meaningful stories that will resonate with children of all backgrounds.