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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.

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

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Reamde

Bo Yoder Why did I love this book?

I’m fascinated by how 5th generation warfighting has moved conflict out of the kinetic realm into the economic and psychological. In this book, Stephenson brings together the actions that take place in the virtual worlds of a massive video game universe with the very real-world activities of terrorists, mafia, and Chinese hacking collectives. 

As we watch our world begin to merge and blend with our digital lives and activities, this book is not only entertaining but really makes you think about its relevance to today’s harsh realities.

I get to read so few novels these days, this book really sucked me in, and it delivered more entertainment value and immersion than any movie I can remember seeing in recent years.

By Neal Stephenson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Across the globe, millions of computer screens flicker with the artfully coded world of T'Rain - an addictive internet role-playing game of fantasy and adventure. But backstreet hackers in China have just unleashed a contagious virus called Reamde, and as it rampages through the gaming world spreading from player to player - holding hard drives hostage in the process - the computer of one powerful and dangerous man is infected, causing the carefully mediated violence of the on-line world to spill over into reality.

A fast-talking, internet-addicted mafia accountant is brutally silenced by his Russian employers, and Zula - a…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Reframe Your Brain: The User Interface for Happiness and Success

Bo Yoder Why did I love this book?

I really enjoy Adam’s take on the art of communication, success engineering, and persuasion, and I was most interested in how he re-engineered the concept of affirmations into a much more brain-changing ‘re-frame” protocol.

I have used specialized breath work stacks within my Myalolipsis Technique to shut down the brain’s Default Mode Network so that the subconscious mind can be re-programmed to eliminate self-sabotaging or limiting behaviors. However, this takes time and is a 1 on 1 process.

With this book, Adams has created a “one to many” process that I suspect will have a big impact on those who read it. It’s my favorite book this year because it sparks an entirely new area for me to research and develop within my Myalolipsis Technique toolbox.

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Doubt Factory

Bo Yoder Why did I love this book?

Imagine your father runs a corporate propaganda/social manipulation agency. Big corporations hire their firm to distort, hide, distract, and obfuscate their corporate misdeeds and scandals. And you are pals with a bunch of eco-activists who are taking on that client with a series of for-the-media direct actions.

This book explores how our electronic perceptions of the news and our world are colored by deliberate and strategic manipulations. What was written as a work of fiction in 2014 has now become a part of our daily digital lives. 

In a world with AI, deepfakes presented as real…as well as heavy propaganda operations from governments and corporations in our faces on a daily basis, you will be fascinated as you begin to recognize the tactics used in the book as you consume all forms of media in your life.

By Paolo Bacigalupi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Doubt Factory 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?

In this page-turning contemporary thriller, National Book Award Finalist and New York Times bestselling author Paolo Bacigalupi explores the timely issue of how public information is distorted for monetary gain, and how those who exploit it must be stopped. Everything Alix knows about her life is a lie. At least that's what a mysterious young man who's stalking her keeps saying. But then she begins investigating the disturbing claims he makes against her father. Could her dad really be at the helm of a firm that distorts the truth and covers up wrongdoing by hugely profitable corporations that have allowed…


Plus, check out my book…

Optimize Your Trading Edge: Increase Profits, Reduce Draw-Downs, and Eliminate Leaks in Your Trading Strategy

By Bo Yoder,

Book cover of Optimize Your Trading Edge: Increase Profits, Reduce Draw-Downs, and Eliminate Leaks in Your Trading Strategy

What is my book about?

Most traders don’t know it, but all systems and strategies have a built-in cycle of winning and losing. If you don’t analyze and optimize your edge to take advantage of these cycles, you will be stuck in a roller coaster of winning and losing streaks.

In my book, I go through all the steps and processes needed to measure, forecast, and optimize your trading edge. Turning inconsistent, mediocre strategies into stable, reliable, and repeatable producers.

Using clear explanations and real-world examples, I share the secrets of how to “trade smart, not hard” that I have learned over my 2+ decades in the market. If you take action and use the processes and practical worksheets inside, you'll have the tools to “Optimize Your Trading Edge”.

My 3-year-old's favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Ultimate Book of Vehicles: From Around the World

Bo Yoder Why did they love this book?

The physical nature of this book, with its moveable and slidable parts, makes this a favorite at bedtime.

It has many different kinds of vehicles, from garbage trucks to construction equipment, boats and ships, and even space vehicles….All of which sparks questions and conversations about what they do, how they work, and who drives them. 

This creates a different conversation with my children each night, vs endlessly repeating the same words for the same simple story of a traditional children’s book.

By Anne-Sophie Baumann, Didier Balicevic (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ultimate Book of Vehicles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Vehicles, vehicles, vehicles-nearly 100 of them-in all shapes and sizes! A giant crane hovers over a construction site, a space ship roars into space. . . . Supersized spreads feature marvelously detailed illustrations that just beg to be pored over again and again. Best of all, lots of flaps, popups, pull-tabs, and rotating wheels bring the various vehicles to life. Readers will poke into a ship's hold, explore the innards of a garbage truck, and help demolish a house. Any child who'sever been intrigued by the roar of an engine will adore this extraordinary collection of things on the go,…


My 3-year-old's 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Circus Ship

Bo Yoder Why did they love this book?

A ship of circus animals is shipwrecked off an island in Maine, and the island residents are at first shocked, then come to love having the animals on their island. When the mean circus owner comes back to retrieve his animals and put them back to work, the islanders come up with a plan to hide the animals to allow them to stay on the island. 

This book is written as a poem, so it is fun to read out loud, and the animals who are all doing silly things are a big hit with my kids. 

This book gets requested a lot and always produces laughter and fun.

By Chris Van Dusen,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Circus Ship as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

With stunning artwork and a rhyming text, the illustrator of the Mercy Watson books tells a tale of human-animal connection full of humor and heart.

When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard. With buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations…


Explore all books for 3-year-olds