The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

Brian Clegg Why did I love this book?

Janice Hallett has written three novels that shatter the traditional murder mystery form.

Her first, The Appeal, was a series of emails. And this book is a collection of notes, messages, and emails put together by a non-fiction author, commissioned to write a true crime book about a terrible event 18 years earlier.

For me, Alperton Angels is so amazing because Hallett manages to immerse us in the story, bringing out the characters of those involved in the way they communicate. With impressive twists along the way, it’s simply brilliant.

By Janice Hallett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*** THE SMASH HIT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ***
*** THE GENRE-BUSTING RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK ***
*** A TELEGRAPH BEST SUMMER BOOK 2023 ***
*** THE NEW MYSTERY PHENOMENON FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE APPEAL ***

'Her best so far' - MARIAN KEYES
'The queen of tricksy crime' - SUNDAY TIMES
'Another resounding success' - DAILY EXPRESS

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL...
True-crime author Amanda Bailey knows all about the notorious Alperton Angels cult. There have been dozens of books and films about the Angels, ever since the night nearly two decades ago, when they attempted…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of The Primacy of Doubt: From Quantum Physics to Climate Change, How the Science of Uncertainty Can Help Us Understand Our Chaotic World

Brian Clegg Why did I love this book?

Possibly the best popular science book I’ve ever read.

Palmer explores the nature of mathematically chaotic systems and shows how we can deal better with the uncertainty they embody.

Many real-world systems, from something as complex as the weather to something as simple as a jointed pendulum, are chaotic, meaning that they are hard to predict as very small changes in the way they are set up produce vast differences in outcome.

Palmer covers a whole series of different topics, in several cases giving the best explanation I’ve ever seen. It’s not that this is an easy read. I had to go back over a couple of sections to really take them in – but it was very rewarding.

By Tim Palmer,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Quite possibly the best popular science book I’ve ever read” (Popular Science) shows how the tools that enabled us to overcome the uncertainty of the weather will enable us to find new answers to modern science's most pressing questions

Why does your weather app say “There’s a 10% chance of rain” instead of “It will be sunny tomorrow”? In large part this is due to the insight of Tim Palmer, who made uncertainty essential to the study of weather and climate. Now he wants to apply it to how we study everything else.  

In The Primacy of Doubt, Palmer argues…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Experimenting with Religion: The New Science of Belief

Brian Clegg Why did I love this book?

In part, this book's appeal is the author's honesty. He explores ways in which experimental psychology has been able to look into why we hold certain beliefs and how they can be influenced.

The honesty comes because, unlike many pop psychology writers, Jong (who is both a scientist and a minister) comes clean about the failings of psychology, where many of its historical findings have proved impossible to reproduce.

I've read many popular psychology books, but I've rarely felt so much that I was getting an insight into how the researchers thought as if I were able to chat with them in a relaxed environment. It's really well written.

By Jonathan Jong,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Experimenting with Religion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Across history, our understanding of God, the soul, spirituality, and even science itself has shifted dramatically. Today, we have more scientific knowledge than ever, yet some age-old questions persist: Why do we believe in gods, souls, and rituals? Are these beliefs innate? Do existential fears drive us toward or away from religion? What can we learn about spirituality from children? How can we leverage scientific thinking to study spirituality?

This book invites you into the labs and minds of some of the world's most renowned psychological scientists for an in-depth look at how psychologists can study religion and spirituality-and how…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Interstellar Tours: A Guide to the Universe from Your Starship Window

By Brian Clegg,

Book cover of Interstellar Tours: A Guide to the Universe from Your Starship Window

What is my book about?

This is a book on the science of what's in our galaxy, from black holes to supernovae and nebulae.

Often, such books feel detached from reality, unlike a title, say, on quantum physics, where there are clear connections to everyday technology. Rather than simply describe the phenomena, I use a fictional starship to take the reader on a galactic tour.

I also wanted to transform the visual. 'Straight' popular science books have hardly any images, while illustrated ones are dominated by pictures, only allowing for simplistic text. On my imagined starship, there is a viewing wall that enables the passengers to see outside. It shows 50+ images and videos via an associated website, accessible by a web link or QR codes on the page.

Book cover of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Book cover of The Primacy of Doubt: From Quantum Physics to Climate Change, How the Science of Uncertainty Can Help Us Understand Our Chaotic World
Book cover of Experimenting with Religion: The New Science of Belief

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