Author Psychologist Quilting addict Reader Time traveller (through books) Grandma known as “Nanma”
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.

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

Ann Gold Buscho Why did I love this book?

As an older feminist, I came of age in the 1960s. I was both an advocate for and a beneficiary of the women’s rights movement, although we still have a long way to go.

I laughed out loud at the wit and hilarious unfolding of events in this story. I was thrilled that the heroine was loved for her mind, not for her looks. And when she improbably finds herself teaching chemistry through a cooking show, I cheered that she’s teaching women to challenge the status quo.

This is one of those books where you want the main character to be your friend.

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 Leaving Time

Ann Gold Buscho Why did I love this book?

I read this book twice, the first time soon after my sister died in 2016. I read it again this year because I remembered I loved the book, but I couldn’t remember the story well—it got lost in the fog of grief.

Jodi Picoult has a brilliant way with words and surprising twists in her plots. I found the characters so compelling, and so believable, I didn’t want the book to end. I learned a lot about elephants (which I have always considered my spirit animals), and about psychics.

In fact, after reading the book the first time I sought out a psychic to see if he might channel my sister’s voice. He didn’t, but I liked this book just as much, and maybe more when I read it the second time. 

By Jodi Picoult,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Leaving Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alice Metcalf was a devoted mother, loving wife and accomplished scientist who studied grief among elephants. Yet it's been a decade since she disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind her small daughter, husband, and the animals to which she devoted her life. All signs point to abandonment - or worse.Still Jenna - now thirteen years old and truly orphaned by a father maddened by grief - steadfastly refuses to believe in her mother's desertion. So she decides to approach the two people who might still be able to help her find Alice: a disgraced psychic named Serenity Jones, and Virgil…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of A World of Curiosities

Ann Gold Buscho Why did I love this book?

I will read anything written by Louise Penny! The more you read, the more you want to move to Three Pines, the tiny village in Quebec.

I liked this book, especially because Gamache, the loveable inspector, acknowledges what he has learned in therapy. As a psychologist, I love that the author doesn’t stereotype or satirize therapy and that an understanding of human emotions can help solve so many of life’s problems.

By Louise Penny,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked A World of Curiosities as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book 18 in the acclaimed and number one-bestselling Three Pines series featuring the beloved Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.

It's spring and Three Pines is re-emerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should return.

But something has.

As the villagers prepare for a special celebration, Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir find themselves increasingly worried. A young man and woman have reappeared in the Surete du Quebec investigators' lives after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged, shattered. Now they've arrived in the…


Plus, check out my book…

The Parent's Guide to Birdnesting: A Child-Centered Solution to Co-Parenting During Separation and Divorce

By Ann Gold Buscho,

Book cover of The Parent's Guide to Birdnesting: A Child-Centered Solution to Co-Parenting During Separation and Divorce

What is my book about?

This book is the first and only step-by-step guide to nesting successfully. For parents who are separating and want to put their children first, birdnesting could be the interim custody solution you’ve been looking for.

Instead of the children splitting their time being shuttled between mom and dad’s separate homes, birdnesting allows the children to stay in the “nest” and, instead, requires mom and dad to swap.

Initially popularized by celebrities, this method of coparenting is now becoming more mainstream as a way to help ease children into a new family dynamic. In The Parent’s Guide to Birdnesting, you will discover the pros and cons, the financial and interpersonal considerations, and if it’s the right decision for you and your family.