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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,627 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Aimee Easterling Why did I love this book?

Found family is one of my favorite tropes because I've had times in my life when I really didn't feel like I belonged in the place where I was planted and other times when I was embraced deeply in a way that had nothing to do with DNA. Reading about characters discovering the latter situations always leaves me with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Which is a long way of saying: when I stumbled across the best found-family fantasy I'd read in a very long time, I wanted to shout it to the rooftops!

I also enjoyed the unique voice of this author, which felt a bit like my very old memory of Nesbit's The Five Children and It but all grown up, modernized, and with a light romance layered in.

By Sangu Mandanna,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'ONE OF MY COZIEST READS OF THE YEAR' EMILY HENRY

She found magic in the most unlikely of places.

Mika Moon follows three rules: hide your magic, keep your head down, and stay away from other witches. Mika is good at being alone, and she doesn't mind it . . . mostly.

But when an unexpected invitation arrives to teach three young witches at the mysterious Nowhere House, Mika jumps at the chance for a different life. As she comes to care for its quirky inhabitants - and Jamie, the handsome but prickly librarian - finally belonging somewhere feels like…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Silver Silence

Aimee Easterling Why did I love this book?

I tend to be very late to the party with certain authors. I'll try them once, not get hooked, then give them a pass for a decade or so. In the case of Nalini Singh, I clearly just hadn't stumbled across her delightful bear-shifter clan on my first attempt!

Usually, I prefer werewolves, but I adored this group of Russian shifters with their huggable alpha protector. The heroine's dilemma (whether to risk feeling emotions) is also a tried-and-true trope for me.

To cut a long story short --- I was six years late trying this series, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down.

By Nalini Singh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Silver Silence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her extraordinary Psy-Changeling world with a story of wild passion and darkest betrayal . . .

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that's exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Black Hat, White Witch

Aimee Easterling Why did I love this book?

I write urban fantasy but I often don't read it because the genre as a whole isn't character-first enough for me. This series is a major exception!

Hailey Edwards' book is full of found family, a scarred heroine who grows into her strength, and one of the most delightful slow-burn romances I've read in a very long time. Added to that is plenty of action and mystery.

No wonder I binged the first five books in a week and a half!

Plus, check out my book…

Wolf Trap

By Aimee Easterling,

Book cover of Wolf Trap

What is my book about?

Every morning, I wake up with no knowledge of who I am, except for a few strange quirks: I prefer old-fashioned dresses that button to my chin. I can shift into the form of a fox at will. And a werewolf who's equal parts magnetic and terrifying keeps following me around.

Then, the human co-worker who helps me gloss over my amnesia goes missing just as a werewolf power struggle erupts around us. To rescue Rosa and protect myself, I must team up with the very alpha whose existence represents my greatest fears and desires.

Can I piece together the truth before dawn steals away my one chance at saving Rosa's life and discovering who I really am?