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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,624 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 Space Boy Omnibus Volume 1

Charline Davis Why did I love this book?

Space Boy is the most thoughtful, character-driven comic I have ever read! Perfect for both children and adults, this story intimately reflects the everyday pains, joys, and friendships of life all through a futuristic Sci-Fi setting.

This book, along with the rest of the series, has truly become one of my all-time favorites! So relatable and healing for anyone who has been through traumas such as moving, loss, and PTSD. And all done in an extremely sensitive and deft manner. The best thing is, it is available as a free webcomic as well as in print—although I absolutely adore the physical copies! 

By Stephen McCranie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Space Boy Omnibus Volume 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Stephen McCraine’s Space Boy volumes 1-3 in one book!

To Amy, everyone has a flavor. When her dad loses his job on their remote deep space mining colony, Amy and her family are forced to start a new life back on Earth.

Emerging from a cryotube after a 30 year voyage, Amy awakes to find herself in a strange land of heavy gravity, weird people, and an endless blue sky. High school seems difficult at first, but Amy is soon able to settle into a comfortable group of friends that help make the transition easier. But one of Amy’s classmates…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Toby and the Secrets of the Tree

Charline Davis Why did I love this book?

Translated from the French children’s novel by Timothée de Fombelle, this sequel to Toby Alone is miles deeper in emotion and pathos than most books for children today.

Set in a civilization of minuscule people living in and around a tree, Toby and the Secrets of the Tree is an exploration of human nature at its best and worst, encapsulating what the essence and beauty of life truly is. This heartfelt little epic hit me at just the right time in my life, and the message of hope through intense trials is an uplifting one for anyone who has faced adversity.

If you love character-driven books, this one is for you!

By Timothee de Fombelle, Francois Place (illustrator), Sarah Ardizzone (translator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Toby and the Secrets of the Tree as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

The second and final part of the thrilling adventure of heroism and friendship in an unforgettable miniature world.

Toby's world is under greater threat than ever before. A giant crater has been dug right into the centre of the Tree, moss and lichen invade the branches, and one tyrant controls it all. Leo Blue, once Toby's best friend, now his worst enemy, is holding Elisha prisoner, hunting the Grass People with merciless force, capturing all who stand in his way, inflicting a life of poverty and fear. But returning after several years among the Grass People, Toby will fight back.…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Unstrung Harp; or, Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel

Charline Davis Why did I love this book?

For all the writers out there, this picture book is an exploration of the “unspeakable horror of the literary life.”

Edward Gorey, in his signature macabre manner, conveys the unconveyable as he takes us through this deceptively insightful story of an author’s journey from the first page, revisions, and finally publication…leaving us to wonder what exactly it is that draws us authors to the lonely aching, hallucinations, and general ennui of the writing life…but loving it all the way!

This was Edward Gorey’s first published book and has his signature pen and ink illustrations in all of their listless glory. A hilarious and relatable read!

By Edward Gorey,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Unstrung Harp; or, Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On November 18th of alternate years Mr Earbrass begins writing 'his new novel.' Weeks ago he chose its title at random from a list of them he keeps in a little green note-book. It being tea-time of the 17th, he is alarmed not to have thought of a plot to which The Unstrung Harp might apply, but his mind will keep reverting to the last biscuit on the plate." So begins what the Times Literary Supplement called "a small masterpiece." TUH is a look at the literary life and its "attendant woes: isolation, writer's block, professional jealousy, and plain boredom."…


Plus, check out my book…

Rowtu: The New Horizon

By Charline Davis,

Book cover of Rowtu: The New Horizon

What is my book about?

It’s been over a year since the Dargzán brothers, Rowtu and Ikwultu, left Earth after the close of the battle in San Francisco, and a new chapter of their life is beginning. While together on a routine trade run to the planet Ekar, Ikwultu’s troubled past unexpectedly reaches out to haunt him, and everything goes disastrously wrong…

As their lives spin out of control, the brothers begin to discover the menace that has been lurking in the shadows of their galaxy…and beyond.

An exploration of an intriguing new sci-fi world, fraught with enemies, agents, friendships, and battles, set against the backdrop of space.