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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.

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

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Lessons in Chemistry

Maurice Holloway Why did I love this book?

I read every page with a smile on my face. The only time I wasn’t smiling, I was laughing out loud. It was quirky.

The storyline was one of the most unlikely I’ve ever read, which, along with the odd characters, made it so funny.

Once into the book, the unusual title is perfectly accurate but not in the way I first thought.

By Bonnie Garmus,

Why should I read it?

60 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads

"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Klara and the Sun

Maurice Holloway Why did I love this book?

I fell in love with Klara.

Whilst young, she was, at the same time, both naïve and complex, which was what made me like her as a character. I wanted to sit and talk with her about her observations of the people she met and tried to help. I was fascinated by some of her insights into the human race. I felt she was a lovely person but in the wrong place.

By Kazuo Ishiguro,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked Klara and the Sun as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*The #1 Sunday Times Bestseller*
*Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2021*
*A Barack Obama Summer Reading Pick*

'A delicate, haunting story' The Washington Post
'This is a novel for fans of Never Let Me Go . . . tender, touching and true.' The Times

'The Sun always has ways to reach us.'

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Family Remains

Maurice Holloway Why did I love this book?

I like a cleverly written book. I loved this because it was a sequel to a book that I didn’t think needed one, and I was interested to see how the author handled it. Superbly, of course.

I adored Lisa Jewell’s writing and the twists and turns she pulled off in her plot were wonderful. I enjoyed the follow-on storyline, which dovetailed perfectly with the original.

By Lisa Jewell,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Prepare to be hooked . . .

* #1 UK SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *
* A NEW YORK TIMES BSETSELLER *
* OVER 2,000 5 STAR REVIEWS *

'I was ENTHRALLED' Gillian McAllister
'A GRIPPING read' Shari Lapena
'A sheer PLEASURE to read' Harriet Tyce
'Artful, slippery, HUGELY SATISFYING' Louise Candlish
'The story EVERYONE has been waiting for' Adele Parks
___________

LONDON. Early morning, June 2019: on the foreshore of the river Thames, a bag of bones is discovered. Human bones.

DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene and quickly sends the bag for forensic examination. The bones are…


Plus, check out my book…

Steal a Diamond

By Maurice Holloway,

Book cover of Steal a Diamond

What is my book about?

A beautiful thief is planning a daring diamond heist in London, her largest-ever job. Problem. There is only one jewel, but she has two competing clients. She decides to satisfy them both. Her preparations take her to India, Turkey, and Austria.

Needing a computer expert and a fall guy, she finds both in a good-looking Londoner working on the fringes of the criminal world. A handsome, well-built lawyer, he spends his time doing ‘favours’ for people. These range from legal advice to . . . almost anything, really.

When she puts him in the frame, he chases her to New York, finds her, and steals her fee. That’s when the fun starts.